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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fucking Cyclists

624 replies

SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 16:17

I live in a very rural area that is super popular with cyclists. All of the roads around me are narrow, bendy, single track lanes - no white lines. Wherever I go I get stuck behind cyclists. I accept this, always leave extra time for my journeys and never drive aggressively.

The issue is that the cyclists always seem to try and wave me past when I don’t feel it is safe to overtake. Either into blind corners, or when the road is too narrow so would necessitate going onto the verges which are rutted and full of hidden rocks and pot holes - I’m not willing to risk my tyres driving at pace along them. Obviously I just ignore them but this seems to infuriate them.

I’ve just returned from yet another journey where I was behind a pair of cyclists for several miles. The cyclist at the rear kept waving me on and when I didn’t go past she seemed to get increasingly angry about it, gesticulating etc. when I finally did pass, she screamed fucking twat at me and gave me the Vs.

Nice. So basically that’s my ‘thanks’ for trailing patiently behind them for 10 minutes and almost doubling the duration of my journey.

disclaimer: I realise that not all cyclists do this, but there seems to be a significant enough number of them around here to make this sort of thing a weekly occurrence.

AIBU to overtake cyclists when I’m good and ready, and think that some of them need to learn a few lessons about manners and road safety before they go out on their bikes?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
WannabeMathematician · 03/04/2023 16:45

I'm a cyclist and a driver so no way would ever trust a cyclist to tell me when to pass. it's obvious that the line of sight and sense of the road would be completely different for a cyclist and a driver.

It sucks having a car trail you but it sucks far less then having them swerve into you as they misjudge a bend.

Ktime · 03/04/2023 16:45

farnhamgal · 03/04/2023 16:43

I’m not interested if they think it is safe or not. Only I can judge that. If I overtake at their command and then smash into another car or whatever will the cyclist take the blame and pay the repair bill?

@SpanielSprint

I wasn't saying do as they say and overtake. I know you should never overtake on someone else's instruction. I was coming at an angle if that's probably what they are thinking, and instead of being twats, they (wrongly) probably thought they were being helpful.

I'm not saying what they did was right at all.

Ah yes, she was being so helpful, getting “increasingly angry about it, gesticulating etc. when I finally did pass, she screamed fucking twat at me and gave me the Vs.”

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 16:45

PauliesWalnuts · 03/04/2023 16:36

You don't sound like a very confident driver - I'm not surprised they want you out from behind their back wheel. You might want to try refresher driving lessons, or an advanced driving course.

Not sure how you came to that conclusion. I’m very confident and experienced. But I do like my car and I don’t like having to pay for new tyres all the time - obviously cyclists don’t care much about my tyres which is why they are always trying to wave me into the verges.

OP posts:
Lcb123 · 03/04/2023 16:48

Have you actually cycled? It’s horrible having a car sit behind you. Unnecessarily provocative title to this post. You know drivers kill many many people a day.

Mumski45 · 03/04/2023 16:49

I don't think anyone is suggesting the OP should overtake unsafely. However some people judge speed and distance better than others and what looks unsafe to some might not be to others. The OP is right to make her own judgement on this.

However I can't understand why the cyclist was so rude unless he/she felt under threat as a result of a driver being too close behind for a long time.

Sirius3030 · 03/04/2023 16:49

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 03/04/2023 16:24

Do you have a dash cam? If not, you need one, because the —twats— cyclists can be very intimidating.

I can imagine nothing more intimidating than 2 cyclists in front of you courteously waving you forwards to overtake them. What bastards!

Ktime · 03/04/2023 16:51

Sirius3030 · 03/04/2023 16:49

I can imagine nothing more intimidating than 2 cyclists in front of you courteously waving you forwards to overtake them. What bastards!

Show quote history

…who then go onto call OP a fucking twat and give her the finger. How courteous!

Ironically lots of posters seem to have a blind spot about the cyclists described by OP.

Finalstar · 03/04/2023 16:51

Lcb123 · 03/04/2023 16:48

Have you actually cycled? It’s horrible having a car sit behind you. Unnecessarily provocative title to this post. You know drivers kill many many people a day.

And yet the irony here is that OP is doing nothing more than trying to ensure the safety of the cyclists in front of her by only overtaking when she feels it is safe to do so.....

MorrisZapp · 03/04/2023 16:52

If they're that bothered by a car behind them why don't they pull off the road and let the car go past?

TheWomanTheyCallJayne · 03/04/2023 16:52

I live in a rural area and drive plenty of country lanes and small roads all the time and yet I never seem to encounter these problems. I wonder why…

Finalstar · 03/04/2023 16:53

FWIW I drive for a living but also cycle as a hobby so have experience on both sides of this coin.

A confident cyclist will recognise what you are doing and not be bothered by it. A cyclist who is bothered by it should pull into the verge and stop, so that the car can crawl past and be on their way. I have done both, at different times.

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 16:53

farnhamgal · 03/04/2023 16:43

I’m not interested if they think it is safe or not. Only I can judge that. If I overtake at their command and then smash into another car or whatever will the cyclist take the blame and pay the repair bill?

@SpanielSprint

I wasn't saying do as they say and overtake. I know you should never overtake on someone else's instruction. I was coming at an angle if that's probably what they are thinking, and instead of being twats, they (wrongly) probably thought they were being helpful.

I'm not saying what they did was right at all.

Sorry I misunderstood you there. Surprising number of people on this thread though that seem to think it’s fair enough to wave on other road users!

OP posts:
Anotherspacecowboy · 03/04/2023 16:54

I'm with you OP - those who don't regularly drive in rural areas simply don't get it at all. Driving behind these selfish morons is a nightmare when there's no safe overtaking point - bear in mind many of these roads are only slightly bigger than the width of a single car which makes it impossible to overtake the bloody cyclist.

When I used to cycle I would regularly pull over for a few seconds to let traffic pass - it's not hard. The cyclists who refuse to do so are just selfish road users, pure and simple.

SoupDragon · 03/04/2023 16:54

Lcb123 · 03/04/2023 16:48

Have you actually cycled? It’s horrible having a car sit behind you. Unnecessarily provocative title to this post. You know drivers kill many many people a day.

Not as horrible as having a car crash in front of you I imagine.

if you don't like it, pull over. No driver should be overtaking where they cannot see ahead.

megletthesecond · 03/04/2023 16:55

Yanbu. I hate overtaking on rural roads. My car is a feeble little thing that just won't zip round cyclists unless there's a huge gap.

Lockheart · 03/04/2023 16:56

Finalstar · 03/04/2023 16:51

And yet the irony here is that OP is doing nothing more than trying to ensure the safety of the cyclists in front of her by only overtaking when she feels it is safe to do so.....

Show quote history

Yes, and assuming that OP left enough space / didn't tailgate etc and that there was genuinely no opportunity to overtake safely then OP is totally in the right!

But at the same time, it is very intimidating to have a faster vehicle sitting behind you when all you want is for them to get round you and leave you be and everyone get on with their day.

Cyclist makes well meaning but ill-advised gesture to ask OP to drive round, OP rightly doesn't if she can't see or doesn't feel it's safe, cyclist gets stressed / scared because they don't know why OP isn't going round, and this cycle gets worse until OP does overtake.

Cyclist was wrong to shout and swear but stressed / scared people have a tendency to do that.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 03/04/2023 16:56

Lcb123 · 03/04/2023 16:48

Have you actually cycled? It’s horrible having a car sit behind you. Unnecessarily provocative title to this post. You know drivers kill many many people a day.

It's part and parcel of using the roads I'm afraid. Roads aren't just for cyclists or drivers (or horse riders or anyone else). If you're going to cycle on roads then you have to accept that cars will also be there and may sit behind you until they can safely overtake. If that makes you so upset or worried then perhaps you shouldn't be cycling.

Mojoj · 03/04/2023 16:57

I feel your pain. They drive me mental.

Finalstar · 03/04/2023 16:58

But at the same time, it is very intimidating to have a faster vehicle sitting behind you when all you want is for them to get round you and leave you be and everyone get on with their day.

It is - and I have been on the receiving end of it. But if it's not safe to overtake then it's not safe.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 03/04/2023 16:58

Sirius3030 · 03/04/2023 16:49

I can imagine nothing more intimidating than 2 cyclists in front of you courteously waving you forwards to overtake them. What bastards!

Show quote history

It is, actually.

Whether to overtake or not is a decision the driver should only take when they feel confident it’s safe to do so, not because someone is waiving them through. This puts a driver under undue pressure. The same way, as a driver, you should never wave at pedestrians to cross the road.

Lockheart · 03/04/2023 16:59

Finalstar · 03/04/2023 16:58

But at the same time, it is very intimidating to have a faster vehicle sitting behind you when all you want is for them to get round you and leave you be and everyone get on with their day.

It is - and I have been on the receiving end of it. But if it's not safe to overtake then it's not safe.

No it isn't. But that doesn't stop the cyclist or slower driver or horse rider getting stressed and nervous.

OneTC · 03/04/2023 17:00

bear in mind many of these roads are only slightly bigger than the width of a single car which makes it impossible to overtake the bloody cyclist

Almost certainly a percentages game to go any faster than a bike on roads like that though isn't it.

The standard and speed of rural driving in the UK is unbelievably bad. People doing blind corners at 30mph with no chance to stop because the other 200 times they went round there wasn't a child in the road

Raindropsonuebells · 03/04/2023 17:01

I live rurally too and it is very possible to get stuck behind a cyclist for a long time due to not being able to see far enough ahead . I have a favourite cyclist near me who I regularly have to follow for ages as he chooses to cycle in the middle of the road on the one bit of the journey where I can see far enough to get round him ..

Original poster
SpanielSprint · 03/04/2023 17:03

Sirius3030 · 03/04/2023 16:49

I can imagine nothing more intimidating than 2 cyclists in front of you courteously waving you forwards to overtake them. What bastards!

Show quote history

There was nothing courteous about this woman believe me.

OP posts:
Notonthestairs · 03/04/2023 17:06

It isn't for a cyclist to decide when a car should overtake!

Cyclists can't assess the width or horsepower of your car.

Provided the Op isn't tailgating she certainly doesn't deserve being sworn at.

I just ignore being waved on. It's my responsibility to manoeuvre my car safely and that's what I concentrate on.

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