To always wait for a very big gap to overtake cyclists

[ladymabel]

My question - how do mumsnetters overtake cyclists? I’m a new driver. There’s loads of cyclists where I live on both the urban and country roads. They give me the heebie jeebies.

People ahead of me overtake them with ease without crossing the centre line but I just can’t do that. I have to wait for a big gap ahead and go into the other lane to overtake.
I only drive a small car! Is this something I should continue to do or do I majorly need to assess my spatial awareness.
I know you shouldn’t pass them on blind bends but even on a slight bend I won’t overtake as it just doesn’t feel safe to me.
I actually feel cyclists should ride in the middle of the road so everyone would treat them like passing cars.
Tips and hints welcome

@dementedma - cycling isn't that dangerous. I haven't checked the statistics recently, but I think it's actually safer than walking the same distance. Because it's faster a cyclist spends less time on the roads and so is less likely to come in contact with a dangerous driver who would kill them.

Also I'm an idealist. I know that there are lots of drivers who drive safely and considerately around cyclists and I hold all drivers to those standards.

I haven't cycled for years as I'm too lazy. But I can absolutely see why people do: it's cheap, it doesn't add to air pollution or congestion, you're not restricted to public transport routes and times and, if motorists obey the rules of the road and recognise them as vulnerable road users who need a little consideration, is relatively safe (as well as benefiting your cardiovascular fitness!).

I will admit to being an impatient driver, but I work hard at not letting that influence my decision making when overtaking etc!

If you haven't got enough room to overtake two abreast, you haven't got enough space to overtake one.

Of course you have. I give a car space. If another bike is in that car space you need to move further over.

It’s selfish riding two abreast.

I always overtake as if it's a car, and wait for good visibility of the other carriageway.

I've had aggressive cyclists angrily gesture at me to overtake when there was not enough visibility on a country lane. Then a second later a white van barrelling towards me. Sorry, I'm going to wait and not risk a head-on collision!

Cyclists make me feel sick half the time, especially when driving the lorry as it takes longer to speed up and slow down than a normal car and it’s obviously much wider. Trying to climb a very steep bank last week while driving a lorry who accelerates like a snail carrying a tonne of horse plus trying to pass a cyclist weaving about the road doing about 3mph on a narrow country road was pretty stressful.

Normally I give them lots of room because I don’t trust them!

I aim to leave a good gap, but where I live sometimes the width of the roads restricts what is possible - so my default is to slow down a lot more if I have to pass closer to a cyclist than I would like. Agree with the 1st page of posters that waiting and passing wide is exactly right (haven't read the rest, sorry!)

Most lone cyclists or in pairs are fine. Large groups of cyclists at the weekend on narrow lanes are difficult to overtake. The more considerate ones split into twos and threes, but even so it can hold up other road users quite considerably.

I'm glad so many people have found a sport they like, but can't help thinking that the hobbies I have don't inconvenience others. I do wonder as well how many male cyclists have a wife and young kids at home. They are out all week at work and then instead of doing something with the kids on Saturdays they fuck off all day on a bike with the lads.

my default is to slow down a lot more if I have to pass closer to a cyclist than I would like

If you hit the cyclist by passing too close the fact that you have slowed down isn't going to stop them from being unbalanced and knocked off - it's the relative weight/size of your car that will cause the accident.

dementedma - I think I'm much more aware of 'traffic flow' on my bike than I am when I'm in my car. Certainly a lot of the drivers I see only seem to have half their concentration on the road - it might be illegal to use your phone when driving but a lot of people are texting at traffic lights.

I might not have a rear view mirror but I can and do regularly check over my shoulder, and I can tell by the engine noises behind what sort of vehicle is approaching, and how fast. I do actually signal when I can (for example when pulling out around a car, and always when turning), though sometimes - eg when braking down a hill, I can't signal as clearly and for as long as I usually would.

I definitely don't feel as safe on a bike as I do in a car but I do love cycling. Whenever I have to drive to work I always arrive in a bad mood - traffic jams, trying to find a space etc. When I commute on my bike I nearly always enjoy the journey, even taking the occasional close call into account.

Horse-riding inconveniences others on the road.
Football fans (taking over bars, rail stations & city centres) inconveniences others.
Yesterday someone in my local Lidl inconvenienced cashier & a Q of customers so he could get a 10p refund (give me a slow cyclist instead, any day).
Tractors are very inconvenient road users in August.
If other people exist, they will inconvenience you.

DH is AT HOME all week looking after the kids, he deserves a long (cycling) club run today.
Drivers often feck me off with poor etiquette (regardless of whether I'm a pedestrian, driver, or cyclist at the time). But I don't talk about it... am not into moaning.

To be truly safe, all vehicle occupants should be wearing helmets. This would be very logical.
Almost none of my own 55 miles/wk on bike is "hobby"; it's commuting. DH is commuting 220 miles to do his mother a favour, later this week.

When cycling, DH will chase you down & tap on the window to politely complain if you pass him too close. You have been warned .

I got a minor on my test the other week as I felt that there was not a big enough gap to overtake a cyclist. I too thought it was now recommended to leave as much space as with a car and I wasn't happy that I got that minor!

But I'd rather that than an accidentand I passed anyway

"If other people exist, they will inconvenience you."

Amen!

Horse riders usually only go down a short stretch of road before disappearing up a bridle path. Groups of cyclists at the weekend spend hours on the road like a mobile traffic jam.

Crowds of football fans definitely do inconvenience others. Funny that big groups of cyclists and football fans are mostly men isn't it?

Apart from the odd hen party (which would be unusual as a regular hobby) I'm struggling to think of examples of groups of women inconvenience others. Imagine all the shit and aggression they would get from men if they did. The hassle even lone female cyclists get from men is appalling.

Haven’t read everything because I don’t have time. I used to feel stressed by cyclists - but there are so many in our city that I’ve got used to it. I’m never going to like psssing them because they are vulnerable and you have to be patient sometimes.
Imagine what could go wrong, and that’ll help you justify caution and safety.

You're doing the right thing, stick with it and ignore what other drivers may be doing. As a cyclist, I thank you. As a driver, I do the same.

I live quite rurally and when the sun comes out, there's cyclists everywhere. I hang back so I'm not right on their wheel (usually admiring their bike/bum) so they know I'm happy to wait and they don't feel pressurised, and wait for a sufficiently suitable stretch of road. When I do overtake, usually get a little wave of appreciation as I pass and I give a little root of "that's ok!". Invariably if they catch up with me at a junction, they say thanks.

*toot !

As a horse rider bringing on a young horse, a considerate driver is worth their weight in gold to me. I don't want to ride on the road, but need to ride on a busy stretch to access off road hacking. Most drivers are great, but a selfish arsehole passing too fast and close can really knock a young horses confidence and set back training.

I treat cyclists with the same consideration I would like to be treated when on my horse. If I am pulling my horse trailer I have often crawled behind on a country lane for miles before I have felt it is safe to get past.

When I am riding I will always try to pull into a gate way to let a vehicle pass, if possible, and always thank them. Cyclists never do this. Why?

I too wait until I can pass with at least 1m. Cyclists scare me a little because they are unpredictable so I'd rather wait till I can pass with confidence.

However on my new, country road, commute one or two angrily try to waft me past while I'm crawling behind them. From the PP's post maybe I need to hang back a bit more.

@jengnr

Riding 2 abreast is often the safest way to ride which is why people do it. It protects the riders from cars trying to overtake while squeezing between them and oncoming traffic, which is all too common.

Also as the highway code says that a car should go into the opposite lane to overtake a bike its true that on a normal 2 lane road It stands that if you don't have space to overtake 2 cyclists abreast, you don't have space to overtake 1.

I'm a driver and cyclist. One of scariest moments I had was when I was just cycling along close to the side of the road and a big lorry overtook. The lorry then started pulling in as soon as the cab had passed me so i had the whole length of trailor getting closer to me with its bars and huge wheels so I had to attempt to jump the bike up the pavement with no space to brake and this wasn't easy with the angle of riding to the kerb. Very nearly died that day. Annoying as the truck had so much room but seemed determined to put the trailer as close to the side of the road as humanly possible.

Since then I ride far more in the middle of the road especially on busy roads as it had the same safety effect of riding 2 abreast and gives be room for manoeuvre which I didn't have in that incident. Also is recommended by the highway code.

I got knocked off my bike by someone who didn't expect me to move out to go round a parked bus, even though I looked, signalled and thought I had tons of space. I broke my wrist and wouldn't have if that driver had waited 5 seconds instead of trying to push past me.

I think all drivers should spend some time on a bike to see what it is like.

Lots of group of cyclists will include women, our local club does. I don't mind Dh going for long rides at the weekend. Most of his rides are commutes now. And he often meets us somewhere, like a national trust property.

I spend plenty of time running in the week while he does bedtime.

It’s selfish riding two abreast.

not it's not. It is the safest way to ride the bike and actually recommended in the highway code.

I've been driving for years, but I still leave a nice big gap. The cyclist could swerve, hit a pot hole etc so it's to give them a wide berth. So I wait until it's safe. But the other day there was nearly an accident - I overtook a cyclist in a 40 mph speed limit but it was just coming up to 30 so I kept my speed low rather than accelerate off again. Two other impatient drivers behind decided they could also 'squeeze in' between the cyclist and me but the last one got very close to the bike. Was a close call. People are so impatient.

Carry on doing what you’re doing. As a cyclist I tend to ride a couple of foot out from the kerb to prevent cars trying to squeeze past when there’s something coming the other way as this is dangerous for me.....depends on the road.

When I am riding I will always try to pull into a gate way to let a vehicle pass, if possible, and always thank them. Cyclists never do this. Why?

Generalisation much? I always do this if I’m on a narrow road. And the other week while cycling in a bridle way where there was some sort of horse event/long distance trek race which I knew nothing about there were over 100 horses coming in the opposite direction to me at intervals and I pulled over for every single one! Probably added an hour to my ride, I also took my flag down for every single horse (I have a recumbent and the flag and actually the whole bike freaks horses out). I always stop for horses even if there’s space for them to get past as I know my weird bike freaks horses out, even ones who don’t mind normal bikes.