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?

Scrambledeggs, where do you think the cyclist should have pulled into?

The pavement? Illegal to ride on it. If there's a kerb (likely) it would have meant stopping and getting off to lift the bike onto the pavement before illegally riding on it.

I pull over as and when I can, purely for selfish reasons. That's because I now have PTSD after a driver in a car in a hurry pulled out of a side road directly into me and my bike, and while I am ok to cycle on the road, cars behind me revving their engine are a slight trigger for me so I just get out of their way as soon as I can.

I wish we could just all get along and use the road happily together though, this gulf between cyclists and drivers is not helpful to anyone.

I live in the US and a friend's husband is currently in a rehabilitation hospital with brain damage learning to use his eyes to communicate after a very long year following an accident where someone clipped him or passed too close at speed and the wake knocked him off his bike. A case is being built against them. This is a guy who ran triathlons, skied and climbed mountains for fun.

I understand the frustration of not being able to pass a cyclist and having to wait but can you imagine having to live your whole life knowing what you did to someone if it all goes pear shaped when you pass too close?

Roads are for all types of transport. Being in a car doesn't make you more important than someone walking, riding a horse, driving a trap or cycling. Just more deadly. Show some consideration for the person in front of you and get over your self importance.

No such thing as car tax. Its emissions tax. So no emissions means no tax, whether that's a bike or electric car.

YANBU. Especially on long bendy country roads where cars can be stuck queuing behind them for ages because they are too selfish to get on the verge for a matter of seconds.

Cyclists can be incredibly selfish and inconsiderate of other road users in my experience.

I HATE when people, not just cyclists but horse riders and tractor drivers too give pissy little had signals to overtake. As if I'm going to put myself at the mercy of your decision making

Everyone should just clam the funk down and slow down.

People aren't cycling or driving to piss you off. (Bulbasaur excepted perhaps)

northernlurker
I know the damage is likely to be worse for a person using a bike rather than a car in an accident.
However your advise is what my driving instructor drummed into me constantly, you have to look out for every other dumb arse fucker on the road.

I think this is the type of person he was talking about l
l
\ l /

Passing a car you can allow much, much less room than cyclists get itchy about. A few feet away from a car and a car is fine. Same distance from a cyclist, and they pitch a fit

Are you actually for real? Do you really need the difference's explaining to you?

I just don't know what it is about being behind the wheel that turns (presumably otherwise) sane human beings into fucking ignorant selfish arseholes.

It's odd

Woowoo. The reason I'm too selfish to get on the verge is because a puncture on my skinny road tyres will take me 30 mins to fix. Road tyres are very different from mtb tyres.

Some of you here would hate my wide recumbent trike.

"But he enjoys the confrontation and it gets him out in the open air"

As I said, unreasonable.

I have to say the motorists I meet all seem nice. Yes they might be stuck behind me for two mins until I reach a gate. But I do pull in then. I wave thanks to them for waiting. They wave thanks to me for pulling in.

If someone revved their engine or beeped at me for not pulling in straight away they'd be waiting another three miles behind me on some roads here.

As I said, arseholes.

weaselwords Being in a car doesn't make you more important than someone walking, riding a horse, driving a trap or cycling. Just more deadly So true

Wonder how many fatalities, how much pollution has been caused by cyclists vs car drivers today. Wonder how much time was wasted sat behind a cyclist.

Get some perspective

Viva I have to say my view is coloured by riding a horse on the road a lot.

I've had cars pass so close they rip my stirrup off, I've had a car refuse to brake, go into a skid at the last minute and miss ploughing into me by three feet.

Most are great. The ones who aren't can kill you. It's not a fair fight.

"They could have easily moved over as well because they were in the bus lane right next to the pavement, so selfish."
Scrambled
They were in a bus lane? Like this?
Plus it's illegal to cycle on the pavement...
Really scared at some people's ignorance of cycling.

People do need to calm the fuck down and stop rushing around so much.

Nothing is so important that its worth risking hurting someone, scaring them or being nasty to them.

thanks Viva they should indeed calm down, rather than clam

I'm quite amused by scambled's post tbh. There speaks somebody without a clue about cycling up a hill. On a par with the poster who thinks a few seconds on the verge should be required of all. Really? REALLY? You do appreciate most cyclists are trying to get somewhere within a given timescale don't you? Like work, friends house, school pick up etc. Why the heck must the cyclist STOP so the car can go vroom vroom?

Cyclists should keep as near to the kerb as possible IMO.

I see too many trundling along all over the road getting in every buggers way, causing unnecessary hold ups.

They should make a conscious effort to leave as much space for cars to pass alongside them, but shouldn't signal for cars to go because it could cause an accident if they cant see other road users or pedestrians.

Cyclists do my nut in sometimes but then I put myself in their shoes, I wouldn't like to have traffic that close to me I'd feel so vulnerable and unsafe, our roads just simply aren't equipped in a lot of places for safe and efficient use for both cyclists and car drivers.

High fives listed . Riding a horse on roads gives you a whole new perspective on car drivers and your own driving as you and your horse are so so vulnerable if the person won't pass wide and slow.

MrsMaker, no they really shouldn't. Mainly because it puts them at risk of not been seen and hit by cars. Also because of drains and potholes its dangerous. All the official advice says not to hug the kerb. So you're wrong and ignorant.

I don't know about anyone else, but I've only ever tried to cycle once and keeping near the kerb is surprisingly hard. Or it might just be me.

As near to the kerb as possible is going to be pretty near to the middle of the road if they want to avoid being squashed.

There isn't really room for a car to pass a cyclist unless the opposite carriageway is clear, where ever the cyclist is positioned.