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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not have overtake the cyclists

43 replies

diamond702 · 06/05/2018 16:20

So today I was driving, and of course there were a fair few cyclists out in the sunshine. I was driving in the countryside on a narrowish road 60mph that was VERY bendy when I came up to three cyclists. I felt it was very unsafe to overtake, as I would have had to go on the other side of the road and I couldn't see more than 25 metres or so around the bends. I ended up crawling behind them in first gear for a few minutes, which meant a load of cars were behind me. Whenever I started to overtake a car would come around the bend and I would have to stop. Cars behind then started to overtake me, which meant I couldn't overtake the cyclists when I DID have an opportunity. We came up to bendy parts again and a car overtook me and the cyclists, and almost crashed head on with a car in the other direction, causing them to swear at them.

Was I wrong to not overtake on these bendy country roads? I really didn't think it was safe but when other cars started overtaking me I started to question myself.

OP posts:

Jamiem80 · 06/05/2018 17:41

If cars were coming from behind you maybe you had more room than you thought. However in a car it is solely down to your judgement and if you don't think it's safe don't do it. A major problem I have is cyclists not pulling over when possible to allow faster vehicles to pass.

nonbikerchick · 06/05/2018 18:07

I always give cyclists enough room so that if one toppled over they wouldn't go under my car but it can be a challenge at times.

Was stuck behind one this morning, parked cars on his side and bends so couldn't overtake for 5 minutes or so. Asshole behind me kept beeping. Screw him, I stuck my ground and waited till it was safe.

Tooteary · 06/05/2018 18:10

This reply has been deleted

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Tooteary · 06/05/2018 18:12

Op you weren’t in the wrong don’t doubt yourself.
I have often felt the frustration from drivers behind getting right up behind me when they are annoyed because I wouldn’t overtake a cyclist. But if it’s not safe I won’t risk it..... end of....

RainbowBriteRules · 06/05/2018 18:12

YY to the cyclists not pulling over. It just becomes dangerous then as people become increasingly annoyed, especially if there are lots of areas where they could have pulled over, and start to take risks.

TooTrueToBeGood · 06/05/2018 18:18

You may have been over cautious, hence the reason other cars were able to overtake you. Equally, those other drivers could have been reckless. We can't know. It doesn't really matter anyway. Nor does it matter if the cyclists were riding 3 abreast or whatever. We all have to share the roads. We all have a duty of care to each other. Overtake and get it wrong in that situation and you risk wiping out yourself, the other car and the cyclists. That's a lot of lives ruined for the sake of waiting until you are confident you can overtake safely.

WineDrinkerMe · 06/05/2018 18:19

Sick of this shit. You sound thick and your husband shouldn’t have a lisence.

gamerwidow · 06/05/2018 18:48

You did the right thing OP always better to risk the impatience of the drivers behind you than a accident with the drivers in front.
Yes some cars overtook you and the cyclists but from the sound of it they would have had to take gamble that nothing was coming on the other side of the blind corner and they got lucky. Could have easily been unlucky and caused an accident.

brummiesue · 06/05/2018 18:49

@sickofthisshit your husband needs his license removing
And OP I'm sorry but if multiple cars were overtaking you and the cyclists it would suggest that you wbu
I find it hard to believe that every single person behind you was an impatient unsafe road wanker. More likely your driving style was not appropriate for the speed and conditions of the road.
Maybe you need to think about boosting your confidence a little.

Driving the way you do can actually contribute towards accidents due to (rightly or wrongly) other motorists reactions to you.

wormery · 06/05/2018 18:55

What country roads have a 60mph limit

reallybadidea · 06/05/2018 18:58

What country roads have a 60mph limit

All of them round here. Very normal for rural roads to be national speed limit IME.

wormery · 06/05/2018 19:09

Getting confused, didn't they talk about reducing it to 40 or am I just imagining it

RainbowBriteRules · 06/05/2018 19:11

Loads of rural (ish) roads round here. Most 60mph limit. Windy roads, often tricky to overtake. Lots of cyclists who never pull over.

gamerwidow · 06/05/2018 19:16

wormery you're imaging it, sorry!
National speed limits for cars since 1977 30mph built up area, 60mph single carriageway, 70mph dual carriageway.

gamerwidow · 06/05/2018 19:17

*imagining

kikashi · 06/05/2018 19:40

YWNBU. You should always err on the side of safety. I had a line of 10 cyclists in single file ahead of me on bendy country roads today and I stayed behind, car behind kept beeping - sod him. I'm not being bullied into potentially killing someone so he can race on a bit faster. If the cyclists had bunched up a bit it would have been easier to overtake.

Where I lived as a child there were often horrific fatalaties caused by overtaking on bendy roads. It's not worth it.

sausagedogsmakechipolatas · 06/05/2018 19:44

YWNBU. Quite the opposite.

AJPTaylor · 06/05/2018 19:46

Ywnbu
Where i live, lots of cyclists. Lots of narrow little lanes.
I will never overtake where i cant see. And im sorry 4x4 behind me with a better view, you are indeed stuck behind me. You should have left earlier mate.

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