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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cyclists on the road WIBU AND WWYD?

108 replies

thedcbrokemybank · 03/04/2017 10:35

I was driving somewhere yesterday and came across a peleton of cyclists, about 15 of them, spread about 50m apart. I was on single track back roads. There was a car in front of me but it was a mini and was able to get past more easily. When the road widened I tried overtaking but because there were so many of them and they were quite spread out it wasn't that simple. A car came towards me so I had to split the group up and pull in. This went on for at least a mile and then I needed to turn left. I was still trying to get past them at this point so I indicated and stopped in the road. If it was a car they would have waited behind me but some of them undertook on the inside. Some of them waited behind shouting abuse at me. I genuinely did not know what to do. Obviously because they were a big group and so spread out overtaking them had taken a lot longer than I expected and I didn't realise that I would need to turn before getting past them. The road stays single track for a long way. I really don't think it is appropriate for such a big group of cyclists to be riding on roads like that and if they do need to they should split into smaller groups so that cars can pass safely. WWYD in this situation?

OP posts:
dangermouseisace · 03/04/2017 11:13

I made the mistake of doing what you did- I was in a rush and didn't fully engage my brain.

I wished I hadn't because it became apparent rather quickly that it isn't safe (I quite rightly was sworn at too!) now I just stay behind. It's much safer and easier if you just don't even bother thinking about trying to overtake! I had in my head the 2 abreast thing…then I thought about the practicalities of cycling in a large group and figured that would actually be quite difficult to maintain over a long distance.

ShotsFired · 03/04/2017 11:23

@thedcbrokemybank thank you for taking the trouble to ask a question in a reasonable fashion and being willing to listen to the answers and not just going off on a rant. Flowers

Those guys would have been going pretty fast - usually between 15-20mph (but very common to go even faster in a group). They are also attached to their pedals. And in a moving group. So it's actually not as easy as it sounds to simply pull over, or stop or whatever.

Also, (and completely non-aggressively saying this) why should they pull over? By your account it was a windy country lane on a weekend day, and they were making lawful use of the carriageway to go about their business. just like everyone else.

As pp have said, I think you were wrong to partly overtake and pull in, because it breaks up the group (and reduces their speed). And also its really scary to have cars do that too - the riders would not be able to predict your next move - hence the reaction. You have to treat bicycles/horses/pedestrians etc just the same as cars. If you can't pass the whole lot widely and in one move, don't do it.

Megatherium · 03/04/2017 11:24

When I initially overtook the road was wider and straighter but because of how far they were spread out and then an oncoming car I wasn't able to get past them.

You should never overtake unless you are sure you can do so safely - surely that's just basic.

After you cut back in, did the cyclists behind you drop back? If so, there shouldn't have been any need for you to stop to turn left - you just need to drive normally, i.e. indicate in good time and then turn. If you indicated clearly presumably they would slow down and/or pull out so they could pass whilst you did the turn without undertaking.

rightsofwomen · 03/04/2017 11:25

I understand your frustration.

I do a 40 mins journey now and again along rural roads which are very popular with cycling groups. It is very, very hard to pass the whole group safely and if you do then it's a matter of minutes until you come across the next lot.

My understanding is that they should be considerate to other roads users. Holding up 10 cars for a number of miles is not considerate - whether you are in a car, on a tractor, horse, bike, milk float do they even exist any more?

Megatherium · 03/04/2017 11:25

I obviously slowed right down and then stopped and indicated with plenty of notice.

Why is it obvious that you stopped? Unless there was an obstruction in the road you were turning into, it shouldn't be necessary.

rightsofwomen · 03/04/2017 11:26

Oh, I was once waved past by the last cyclist in one of these groups.
It was NOT safe to pass.

Original poster
thedcbrokemybank · 03/04/2017 11:29

I should probably have clarified that it was a group rather than a peleton. There was obviously a varied ability - some had cleats some didn't. This is why they were spread out so far. They weren't riding together - some were but lots were in dribs and drabs.
And no they didn't drop back after I had overtaken. There were bigger (more than a car length) gaps between some of them but I think the fact that they didn't drop back made me not feel safe.

OP posts:
remoaniac · 03/04/2017 11:30

Firstly, they should not have been in a long peleton that prevented you from overtaking - we had this ourselves a few weeks ago and were held up for at least 5 minutes before they finally pulled in at a cafe. When I am out riding with my local cycling group we create a space so cars can pull in.

I also agree with this: Cyclists need to move over to allow traffic to pass unless they are travelling at the speed of normal traffic. The point for me, is that Sunday cyclists are almost certainly leisure cyclists and therefore, should not hold up other road users unduly. Well commuting cyclists should not either, but it's even more annoying if you are trying to get to work on a Sunday and are held up by a group of cyclists who won't give way.

Secondly The cyclists were somewhat out of order undertaking when you were turning left

Not somewhat - extremely. Would you overtake a car indicating right?

WateryTart · 03/04/2017 11:30

We were in a queue crawling behind a group of entitled cyclists and had been for ages. They could have pulled over several times but were too selfish to do so.

To my delight a police car came roaring up the outside and brought them to a halt and gave them a bollocking. All the drivers tooted in approval as we went past.

Slow moving vehicles are obliged to pull in if they are impeding traffic. If idiot cyclists don't know that they shouldn't be on the road.

JacquesHammer · 03/04/2017 11:32

It doesn't matter how good a cyclist they are they still have to abide by the rules of the Highway Code which states they shouldn't ride more than two a breast.

Why is it cyclists seem to have a "get out of jail free" card when it comes to the rules of the road?

YetAnotherSpartacus · 03/04/2017 11:34

*We were in a queue crawling behind a group of entitled cyclists and had been for ages. They could have pulled over several times but were too selfish to do so.

To my delight a police car came roaring up the outside and brought them to a halt and gave them a bollocking. All the drivers tooted in approval as we went past.

Slow moving vehicles are obliged to pull in if they are impeding traffic. If idiot cyclists don't know that they shouldn't be on the road*

I'd have paid to have seen that. Seriously. Mostly slow movers (farm machinery, horse riders, Sunday Drivers) pull aside. I've NEVER seen a cyclist do this. Ever. Not even when they are at the head of a long cavalcade.

WindyBottoms · 03/04/2017 11:40

Thanks for clarifying. That makes more sense.

"Just because you are a road user as a cyclist, this does not give you the right to hold up traffic."

I agree but on this particular occasion one car had overtaken them fairly recently. I think it was quite reasonable for the cyclists to assume that the next vehicle would be able to do the same. It's not their fault that another car happened to be travelling in the opposite lane at the same time as the attempted overtaking manoeuvre.

They shouldn't have undertaken though.

coursesforhorses · 03/04/2017 11:40

YABU for trying to overtake when clearly you couldn't see far enough ahead to know that it was safe to do so

gillybeanz · 03/04/2017 11:42

six of one and half a dozen of the other.
They should ride in single file on the road, but you were out of order for dangerous driving.
Not knowing you had to turn right before you managed to overtake them was your fault and you should have stayed behind as you were unsure.

frenchknitting · 03/04/2017 11:44

You need to remember that you can brake a lot faster than a bike, especially on a hill. It sounds like the cyclists thought you were going to "left hook" them:

Left hook:
www.cycling-embassy.org.uk/dictionary/left-hook
A 'left hook' involves a motor vehicle overtaking a person cycling, then turning left across the latter's path. Particularly dangerous where pedestrian guard railings are in place at the edge of a pavement.

MrsTrentReznor · 03/04/2017 11:45

I'm OK with keeping back from groups of cyclists.
What I'm not ok with is being overtaken on the inside when I'm trying to turn left. This happened to me around London Bridge, about 10 of them. The traffic behind doesn't wait there, it was fucking infuriating. FFS!! You can see I'm turning! Why undertake me? Idiots! I honestly think an awful lot of the injuries in London are due to things like this.

Mumski45 · 03/04/2017 11:47

There are two issues here.
Firstly the group sound like they were badly organised. A large group should be riding two abreast in a compact peloton that is capable of being overtaken if there is a longish stretch of wider road. If there is no stretch for a safe overtake then they should have pulled over to let you past. It sounds like this was a disorganised loose group which is hard to get past on narrow windy roads. You should have been able to see this and waited behind especially if you were due to turn off the road.

However what will have pissed them off is you overtaking just before a left turn. They won't have known that you didn't know your route well and this is a classic dangerous manoeuvre for a cyclist known as a "left hook". You speed up overtake, then slow down immediately to turn left when the cyclists are not expecting this and don't have the time to react to you. Why not just wait behind and turn left safely. They are wrong to undertake you but to be honest it doesn't sound like you gave them time to react to your turn and if going at 15-20mph immediately behind you they would not have been able to suddenly change direction to serve around you. This is particularly true when in a group as the only the one at the from would see you indicate quickly enough to react.

However as a cyclist I appreciate you coming on here and genuinely asking for opinions and being able to listen to the responses.

Meekonsandwich · 03/04/2017 11:52

Well lesson learned op, just wait. You are in a car, you are not going to be more than 10 minutes later.

You endangered them by being in a rush. No wonder they were annoyed.

Oh and the amount of times I've nearly been killed because a driver has over taken impatiently and then immediately turned left, not checking their mirrors and I've nearly gone into the side of them. Would have taken 30 seconds to wait behind me.

Megatherium · 03/04/2017 11:52

And no they didn't drop back after I had overtaken. There were bigger (more than a car length) gaps between some of them but I think the fact that they didn't drop back made me not feel safe.

But were they still behind you? If so it should have been sufficient for you simply to indicate in good time and turn left, rather than stopping.

araiwa · 03/04/2017 11:57

you sound like a danger to other road users- yabu

Kiroro · 03/04/2017 11:58

six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Yeah agreed. They were being inconsiderate riding in a badly organised group, but you sound kinda dangerous.

llhj · 03/04/2017 12:05

Undertaking whilst turning left seems to be endemic to cyclists in London and it kills them. They take unbelievable risks with their lives, I feel like weeping sometimes whilst watching them. They take their lives so lightly, undertaking buses and HGVs without impunity. Terrifying.

MrsTrentReznor · 03/04/2017 12:24

Undertaking whilst turning left seems to be endemic to cyclists in London and it kills them. They take unbelievable risks with their lives, I feel like weeping sometimes whilst watching them. They take their lives so lightly, undertaking buses and HGVs without impunity. Terrifying.

Exactly. In my case, I slowed right down, indicating left to let the few cyclists coming up behind to get safely past, only to have them keep pelting past "whoosh! Whoosh!"
They didn't stop, they didn't slow, they ignored my indicators.
Suicide.

ShotsFired · 03/04/2017 12:59

@thedcbrokemybank I should probably have clarified that it was a group rather than a peleton. There was obviously a varied ability - some had cleats some didn't.

Sounds more like a charity event or fun ride rather than any serious club ride. Most clubs will require you to have cleats and be able to maintain a consistent speed/ride in a peloton to join that outing.

Or it might actually just have been several separate groups of people out for a ride on a sunny day and got bunched up as they also couldn't safely pass each other?

UserSchmooser · 03/04/2017 14:21

A car came towards me so I had to split the group up and pull in.

Sounds like you were driving extremely dangerously. OP. That is not acceptable.

but I think the fact that they didn't drop back made me not feel safe.

They shouldn't have had to drop back. You should not have cut them up. That could have killed them. Inconsiderate really doesn't come into an arguement where you could have killed someone.

@TheSmallPrint (an apt username) - those are 'should' and are not laws.