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?

[Binkybix]

Many people act like twats in the road, some in cars and some on bikes. One dickhead threatened to stab my DH. DH's crime was to go ahead of him at the library fits and wait in the bike box. Some people have terrifying levels of anger.

[Binkybix]

Library fits?! Traffic lights!!

[MistressChalk]

Something I'd like everyone who argues against cycling on these threads to think of is this - cyclists, horses, pedestrians may cause annoyance or make you impatient, but the thing you are using to travel these roads, ie. Your car, actually kills people. Come back and moan about cyclists when every car driver is insured and licensed, never uses handheld devices, never drinks and drives, never parks irresponsibly, never speeds. And on and on.

[Truffle40]

I hate Sundays around us when the country lanes become full of dangerously fast cyclists shouting to each other and acting as if they own the road - its really funny to see their frustration when they cant get round a tractor

[bikeandrun]

Red what is your indiscriminate action to ALL car drivers? As surely some of them must have annoyed you at some point

[redbinneo]

bikeandrun
Much the same to be honest. However I don't usually see groups of car drivers going the wrong way down a one way street, as I saw cyclists doing today.

[OrangeVase]

The Priory Lane cycle path is there for cyclists going up to Richmond Park. Cylcists choose not to use it - and slow down all the traffic while the cycle lane is empty. V frustrating if youa re a driver.
Cyclists cycle inches from the back of your car - terrifying - yet they do. I had a guy hit me as I slowed to avoid another cyclist, (overtaking a slower cyclist!!) and he got off and screamed at me for stppongin suddenly!!
The cylist in the video was spoiling for a fight. Goading and horrible

[MistressChalk]

Orange of the 42 cyclists dead this year alone, how many of them do you think were spoiling for a fight? The 8 year old girl killed while cycling with her family? The teenager hit by a texting driver? The mothers and fathers on their way to work?

[bikeandrun]

Reminder to self, don't get involved in cycling threads on internet, have generally weaned myself off, but have slipped into it today again. I love my bike, also drive a car ( would rather be on my bike though!)in my opinion the world would be better place with more bikes and less cars but in the meantime hope all road users get home safely everyday, peace and love and signing out.

[redbinneo]

MistressChalk
How many of the casualties knowingly put themselves in danger and took a chance?

[MistressChalk]

Red do you victim blame for other crimes too?

[Binkybix]

So red if the dickhead who threatened my DH had followed up, whose fault would that have been?

Or the person who ploughed into him, when it was absolutely 100% his right of way? Incidentally the driver immediately admitted all liability.

Often, it is not a cyclist's fault and it's pretty awful to automatically blame those who have been killed when often it is the driver at fault.

[Saz12]

2 or 3 abreast cyclists are fine, so long as they are far enough from the middle white line to allow ONCOMING traffic to pass them safely.
I would never overtake a cyclist giving them 2 feet or less space. But many club /competition cyclists sit only inches from the central white line, making it impossible for oncoming cars to give adequate space, despite blind bends and a national-speed limit road. They can also be incredibly dangerous to other cyclists, giving no warning and no space.

[TheRainInTheWoods]

Did anyone see the BBC2 program, 'One hour to save your life' the other day? Awful, awful accident involving a cyclist and an HGV in London. Watching that has made me even more aware of how vulnerable they are on the road and how dangerous cars are... and that makes me even more scared and irate when I see all parties acting irresponsibly.

[Pedallleur]

Re that video - the cyclist came down to the motorists level by being abusive HOWEVER it was the motorist who offered violence as a solution and then goes off on a Basil Fawlty rant - viewed in the cold light of day he comes across as a violent abusive man. He learnt that day that the internet giveth and taketh away and that naked pic he put on Twitter was not a good idea.

[Blueboys]

The problem we have around here is that a very high majority of the cyclists seem to think they are God. I can honestly say I have never had a cyclist thank us, give a nod smile or whatever for passing them slowly and widely after following them for x amount of time. Why when dressed in Lycra and on their bikes do they believe any manors need to go out of the window. We live near the Olympic cycle route and have a beauty spot they frequent for breaks/snacks...there are signs saying please dismount, they don't!! There are recycling bins that they prop all there bikes up against making it very difficult to even put things in and just ahhh!!!! I Know there must be mannerly cyclists out there but unfortunately around here there are not very many of them. Stopping at junctions to dismount and have a chin wag blocking roads even more. I was stuck behind one cyclist in a time trial recently driving my small van I followed for a mile as it wasn't safe to over take then I over took at a sensible spot causing no bother, then the road narrows and becomes a one lane only to cross a bridge on a tight bend so I slow down on my little lorry cyclist has then caught up and because he has then had to slow screams a load of abuse at me on over taking again when the road widens. There are just so many that are giving other cyclists bad names. Same with horse riders, Audi drivers etc. Horse riders mostly manage a thank you to drivers for slowing for them, pull in at safe places for cars and bikes to pass. Cyclists then get the arse, passing horse riders in the same manner that they are preventing car drivers from doing to them.

[VivaLeBeaver]

He put a naked photo on Twitter? Hilarious!

[VivaLeBeaver]

Omg, I need brain bleach!

[Bombinate]

I have no problem with horse riders on the road, but riding 2 abreast makes it dangerous because the outside horse is too close to the traffic coming the other way.
I'm a cyclist but there are some really fucking annoying mamils around. Especially the ones on my cycle
Path to work who go slow, won't let me overtake them and cycle down the middle of the cycle lane to stop me, because I didn't realise that they have the right to be in front of me because they have a penis. Arses.

[Goldmandra]

Bombinate riders sometimes go two abreast for safety reasons if they are taking a horse out on the road for the first few times. Being a herd animal, the inexperienced horse feels safer having a companion next to them, between them and the traffic.

People don't tend to use signs to warn that horses are young any more because doing so makes them more vulnerable to legal action.

[SunshineAndShadows]

Mythical or he could just check his mirror before turning. In the situation you describe the cyclist would be acting perfectly legally. Cyclists are supposed to move up the left of stationary traffic and take a defensive position by the front of any traffic lights. Motorists are then supposed to check their mirror and turn left when it's safe to so i.e. Not when a cyclist is moving across a junction. It's really not that difficult.

[MythicalKings]

You misunderstand, sunshine. The cyclist was still a few cars back when the lights changed. The driver of the leading car was indicating left and turned. The cyclist rode into him, not he into the cyclist. There were several witnesses and no prosecution of the driver.

It may be legal to cycle up the inside but sometimes it's just stupid. That's why DH makes sure it can't happen at those lights by driving close to the kerb. He's looking out for the safety of cyclists too stupid to look out for their own safety.

[muminhants1]

Still think it's ironic that "serious road cyclists" can't be inconvenienced by having to slow for other cycle path users but other road users have to be inconvenienced to allow cyclists to choose the road rather than a cycle path

Agree.

That said, I followed a cyclist down a local 30 mph road at 28mph last week. You wouldn't have wanted him to be on a cycle path!

As with everything, if everyone used some common sense and exercised a little courtesy everyone would be happier.

As for the "should" in the Highway Code, it also says you "should" indicate. I find it astonishing that it doesn't say "must". However, although you don't break the criminal law where it says "should", your insurer would probably have a lot to say about your failure to do whatever the Highway Code recommended.