To think cyclists should allow cars to overtake them?

[Twitterqueen]

If you're cycling and you know a car is behind you and wants to overtake, should you let them / facilitate the overtake or deliberately refuse and shout 'wait' at the car? When the road ahead is straight and clear for well over half a mile, when the car has been patiently waiting for a safe, straight stretch, there is no other traffic but the road is just that little bit too narrow for the car to want to do it without some kind of affirmation from the cyclist, ie stop pedaling for a few seconds and move a bit closer into the side of the road?

I often think the best way to solve this would not be to train motorists in how to cycle around bikes or vice versa.

The best way is to make all motorists travel through busy traffic on a bike to see what it's really like.

Same for cyclists who don't drive, they should be taken for a driving lesson.

An appreciation of the situation from the other person's perspective would go a long way.

Legion

They have trialed this in London, for lorry and taxi drivers. very successfully, I think

I can't resist stepping in again here. I shall ignore all the personal abuse, which is just silly and unnecessary.

I think my question was really more about road manners than anything else. I said I wasn't in a hurry, we were all relaxed and calm and having a lovely afternoon drive. It was a very straight, very long country road with not another car in sight. I was not in a hurry and had quite happily stayed behind horses, people with and without dogs, tractors and a JCB trying to put a Chrismtas tree, without any expectation that people would move out of my way.

My central point is that I could (and did) overtake quite safely. The cyclist was not pushed into the hedge. I did not force him off the road. The VERY LAST THING IN THE WORLD I WOULD WANT TO DO IS TO HURT SOMEONE, ESPECIALLY WITH MY DCS IN THE CAR. But when there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to not just pull over a little in order to let a car get past, especially when the car has been there for a while, why on earth wouldn't you?

Now I'll run and hide again ...

I need to see a picture of the road with markings of where the cyclist was or at least an accurate diagram.

That's interesting Yarp
I do think if people knew what it was like to cycle through traffic they might have more understanding for why cyclists sometimes do what they do. That's not to say that some cyclists aren't just idiots of course. But then some motorists are too.

Agree with Viva we need video evidence of the scene of the incident

had quite happily stayed behind horses, people with and without dogs, tractors and a JCB trying to put a Chrismtas tree, without any expectation that people would move out of my way.

Yet you expected a cyclist to move out of your way?

My central point is that I could (and did) overtake quite safely.

Now I'm a bit confused. You seemed to be saying that you couldn't overtake. Was this in a different location that you did overtake? Was it possible to safely overtake at the point the cyclist was "holding you up", or was there not actually enough room without the cyclist being in the gutter and you being too close?

Not having a go (apologies of it seems that way), as I'd be genuinely interested in the real facts.

A streetview link of the location would doubtless help a lot. I don't think you've clarified if it was a single track road.

I don't get it either. In the same post that she's saying she couldn't get past, the Op is also saying that she did. I think the problem in her eyes is that she couldn't get back quickly enough and thus I refer you to the rest of the thread.....

Pot holes, nettles, slippery autumn leaves, bends, simply too narrow, approachjing traffic, glass shards, junctions. Any number of reasons!!!

Why the hell otherwise would we want to sit in the middle of the road with an impatient car up our arse?! Not for the fun of it!

Ps - Disclaimer - I do drive too. Passed first time and never had an accident, clean license.

Oh God, I give up. I was not impatient!

To clarify, it was not a single track road. Maybe I was being over-cautious. At all times I felt I could overtake, but because the road was a narrower than a 'normal' road I could not give the complete wide berth I would normally. all I wanted was for the cyclist to acknowledge that he was comfortable with me overtaking. THIS HAPPENS A LOT IN THE COUNTRY!

There were no parked cars OK? No-one was going to open a door on him. I wanted to give him all the space and time I'd given everyone else that afternoon.

Jeez. Forget I ever asked the question. This thread has nothing to make me think any better about cyclists. Do you really think motorists want to kill someone? I am a very careful and considerate driver. I just expect other road users to be the same. Farmers are considerate, horse riders are considerate. People and dog-walkers are considerate. IME it's just bloody cyclists who think everyone has to get out of their way all the time, everywhere, and God forbid anyone who actually might disagree with their entitlement to own the road and dictate behaviour for every single other road user - pedestrians, children, horses, tractors, lorries included!

^ Gosh, no generalisations or sweeping statements there, are there
Yep, all cyclists are entitled and selfish whilst everyone else in the world are kind, considerate angels

IME it's just bloody cyclists who think everyone has to get out of their way all the time, everywhere, and God forbid anyone who actually might disagree with their entitlement to own the road and dictate behaviour for every single other road user - pedestrians, children, horses, tractors, lorries included!

Oh I seee.....nope. you don't sound impatient or unreasonable at all, Tq

It's a wonder you lost your job as British Cycling Public Relations Executive. Bit harsh I thought.

I am sure that the farmers, horse riders, pedestrians, dog-walkers, tractor and lorry drivers of Britain are grateful for your kind words.

Well ime cyclists are more considerate than dog walkers and farmers.

I'm often stuck behind a tractor in a long queue of traffic and the tractor doesn't pull over.

When I cycle on the local shared use Sustrans path there's often dog walkers with their dogs running about. Making no attempt to control their dogs. I'm happy to slow down or even stop for them. I don't even mind if someone is calling their dog and their dog ignores them as long as they're trying. The rules are that dogs should be under close control and they're not. But the people that make no attempt wind me up. And the owners of the dog who knocked me off my bike and laughed at me when I was bleeding on the floor are total scum.

Also when I'm on my bike and there's horses coming the other way I stop for them. My recumbent trike really seems to freak horses out. So I stop, and quickly pull my fluorescent flag down and hide it so that doesn't upset them.

If I come up behind horses I always call out to the riders and ask if I can pass. And again I take my flag down.

I don't think I could be more considerate to other road users if I tried.

Viva you can't speak for cyclists because you are a recumbent trike rider, that's a completely different vehicle with a different set of limitations and irritations.

There's so much 'poor me' on this thread it's unbelievable, then the person that has had one of the loudest voices on here actually isn't a cyclist at all!

Viva you can't speak for cyclists because you are a recumbent trike rider

Recumbent tri cycle Of course she can In fact she is likely better off than most upright bicyclists as drivers are more likely to actually see her as her cycle is unusual, and pass her wide as her cycle is wider.

viva what trike have you got?

Wilko. I've got 4 bikes, only one a recumbent IceTrike. I commute to work (18 miles) most days on an upright bike.

itsallgoingtobefine. I've got an Ice Sprint.

I had a very near miss with someone on a recumbent bike a few weeks ago.

I was pulling out of my driveway onto a main road, which had cars parked all the way along it, impeding my view of the road. This is a real problem on my road, which is busy but always lined with (legally) parked cars.

I can usually tell cars or bikes are coming because they are tall enough for me to see them through the windows of the parked cars iyswim.

However a guy on a recumbent bike, which was too low for me to see, shot across the end of my driveway as I was pulling out. I nearly had heart failure.

It did strike me as particularly dangerous when they are too low to be seen around other cars.

And even when I'm on my trike the same basics of road safety apply. Not kerb hugging, taking a more prominent road position when necessary to keep myself safe.

I'd expect drivers to still keep a safe distance from me when overtaking.

The only differences I notice is that on a single track road a car can't get past me until I pull in unless it goes on the verge. So I have to pull over more than I would on an upright.

On a wider road where cars can pass me they do give me more space. I get less close passes for sure.

listed. Did he not have a flag on the trike? I always have one on a 5ft pole on mine and I'm wary of cars coming out of poor visibility junctions.

But I have to say in a way I think I'm more visible on the trike. Bikes are so common they're not noticed. But people are a bit "wtf" about recumbents and slow down more.

With my flag on I'm 5ft high, 6ft long and 3ft wide.