Cyclists riding two or three abreast down country lanes.

[Roseforarose]

AIBU that it's a bit of a hazard. We've just come back from a journey and there was a bike rally or something. We were trailing behind for ages from the ones who refused to get in single file. Surely for everyone's safety they should be in single file? What do you all think?

[Roseforarose]

Yes, nobody can overtake you, but this can go on for a long time, literally driving at a snails pace. So it's not quite the same as driving behind a car. The thing I've noticed a lot of them do is signal you to overtake, something I would never consider, trusting someone else to tell me when it's safe to overtake.

[Lorgy]

I get so frustrated by the idiot cycling clubs that use the rural roads in my area. They cycle 4 abreast and several deep so no way to overtake safely. They are also very aggressive and delight in winding up drivers. Thankfully local police are taking it seriously and looking to stop their idiotic behaviour.

[Georgethesecond]

What about when the cyclists are trying to keep together in a big group?

I hooted at some on a roundabout. I was coming around, so had right of way, and there was room for a couple to pull into the roundabout from an incoming road ahead of me. There was not room for thirty of the buggers, but they seemed to think they were some kind of collective and all pulled on, forcing me to stop on the roundabout.

They were cross when I hooted but I still think I was right and they were wrong, because they were not one vehicle, they were thirty, and they did not have right of way, I did.

[UmmErrWhateves]

I cycle a lot. I will cycle two abreast sometimes when I'm on country lanes as it can be safer but a as a car approaches I will slip back into single file.

Cyclists that ignore cars for any distance are selfish idiots and road hogs.

Sometimes I think some drivers wonder why I have to cycle so far from the curb but the roads around where I live have a LOT of massive potholes along the edge.

I find weekend bicycle group the worst behaved - all the gear and no idea.
Some lycra clad prats cycled in a big group all the way from my town to the next which is about 8 miles. It was infuriating and extremely rude and selfish.

[SiobhanSharpe]

Ummerr has it spot on. Wish all cyclists had as much sense. Sometimes I think they have a death wish. And cyclists in London leave me open-mouthed with shock.

[SiobhanSharpe]

Especially the ones who swear at me for having the temerity to walk on the pavement....

[GuybrushThreepwoodMP]

It's only dangerous if you decide to overtake dangerously.

[Lorgy]

Nope it's dangerous to overtake as they are windy roads with limited visibility. I don't overtake but it's out of order a group can decide to hold up everybody else in the road out of sheer selfishness.

[ArmyDad]

"never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends" direct quote from the highway code. I don't see encouragement to ride three abreast

[Cliffdiver]

YANBU, it's inconsiderate.

[Bombinate]

It's the horse riders riding 2 abreast that piss me off

[Mrsmorton]

Why?

[bikeandrun]

Why do cyclists, horse riders, pedestrians cause so much anger, we don't cause enormous amounts of pollution, make our streets unsafe for kids to play out on or cause several thousand road deaths a year. It was a beautiful day today, I smiled and thanked motorists who were courteous to me. A group of cyclists in club kit in France will generally get cheery waves and allezs- couldn't the world be a nicer place?

[Mrsmorton]

I agree bike. In my travels as a cyclist, pedestrian and horse rider I have repatriated lost dogs, sadly informed owners of their dead cats that have been hit by cars. I've told police about folk acting suspiciously, rescued sheep stuck in wire and so on.

A little bit of patience isn't a lot to ask for!!

[KERALA1]

Applauds bikeandrun. Exactly. Really different in France. Its the Jeremy Clarkson "Im in my car and woe betide anyone that slows me down" crowd. Pathetic.

One tried to run my DH off the road recently to "teach him a lesson" as he explained. Sadly for him DH took his number plate and reported him to the police. Policeman was a cyclist. Mr Twat was hauled to the police station and arrested. He could not believe it (arrogant 50 something in a Mercedes).

[VivaLeBeaver]

Yes, the 4x4 driver did call him a skirt at one point amongst all the other insults. He's Aussie, so not sure if it's an Oz insult?

I've never heard it before but it comes across as homophobic. Not sure if I have the correct gist of it.

[Mistigri]

Riding two abreast can be safer, but cyclists should of course also be considerate of other road users.

Unfortunately motorists are very often not considerate to cyclists at all - drivers will often attempt to pass a single file of cyclists on a narrow road without leaving enough passing space (often when cars are coming in the other direction). They also often cut back in too quickly causing a hazard.

If cyclists ride abreast it at least has the merit of forcing cars to overtake properly ie waiting for good visibility and no oncoming traffic.

[redbinneo]

I like to treat cyclists as they treat me.
Overtake them, slow down to 5 mph and block any route to undertaking.

[bikeandrun]

Red I try to treat all road users with courtesy and respect. Would you do this to me?

[MythicalKings]

DH witnessed a very nasty accident where a cyclist drove up the inside of standing traffic at traffic lights. When the lights changed the cyclist wanted to go straight on and went off at speed but the leading car was turning left and he went straight into it.

DH always drives so close to the kerb that he cannot be undertaken at those lights now, to stop it happening again.

[TheRainInTheWoods]

I love cycling. As a driver, I have absolutely no problem slowing down for cyclists, horses, whatever. My DC and I cycle on the roads regularly and it's an absolute pleasure.

However. We have a lot of weekend cyclists who use the lanes where we live as a racetrack. Twice, driving early in the morning, I've had to do an emergency stop because there has been a pack rounding blind bends on our local lanes. They were riding the width of the road. On one occasion the outside cyclist stopped so close to the bonnet of the car his hands were actually on it. If I'd been doing less than my customary 20ish mph around that bend I'd have killed him. Keeping an awareness of the road around them as well as of their position in the pack is vital for the safety of everyone on the road.

The other issue I have with the same groups of cyclists is that many have no regard for pedestrians on the lanes. We walk our lanes every day and often at this time of year a bike whizzes by with no bell or 'excuse me'. My DS is partially deaf and can barely hear a car coming let alone a cyclist...

[redbinneo]

bikeandrun
Yes - for the reason cite above.