to wonder why people are so horrible to cyclists that are not breaking the rules?

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Even I get irate at cyclists who go through red lights, pedestrian crossings etc. But how about those that obey the road rules?

This afternoon, cycling with DS14 and DD12, one car honked us whilst overtaking. No reason, apart from the fact that they were delayed by a few seconds as they couldn't go past me within inches to spare. I was riding in the middle of the rode and DD to my left, which is perfectly within the rules.
Minutes later, a road which I always ride in the middle because, if even half a chance, vehicles will overtake without giving any space. A group of pedestrians, shout at us, saying "you should be riding behind each other, what's wrong with you?"??
WTAF???

Why are some people such twats? Luckily (or unlikely) my DCs are used to this, so weren't bothered. Some driver gave my DD (11 at the time) the finger whilst cycling to school. A grown man trying to get one up on a 11yr old girl.

@TooBored1 Just to help you out - cyclists do it because it saves their lives.
You seem to think all cyclists behave for the same reasons. Personally I don't plan long cycles down country roads as I know this will cause problems. I use country roads as a means to get to bigger roads.
I also pull over periodically to allow the line of traffic behind me to pass as on hilly country roads, I can't cycle at 30mph. I don't demand everyone drives slowly because it's 'my right'. In any case I find a massive queue of traffic behind me stressful because I try to be a courteous road user. I also never yell at pedestrians who are in my way because I know they take priority.

@QuintanaRoo Which is why I said in my previous post that on that sort of road I’d move to single. But the person who asked for an explanation can’t have been on that sort of road a she said they were gesturing for her to overtake and that she didn’t as she didn’t feel she could see enough to be safe, not that there wasn’t space.
Gosh, it's almost like it was you there and not me

To be fair to the new mini, it's not possible to build a car as small as the classic one and still comply with modern safety regs. I agree though that modern SUVs are far too big.

Reel the dogs in.

If a cyclist doesn't see the long lead you're risking injury to the cyclist and, your dogs. If the lead gets caught in the wheel your dog will be throttled

Mockneyreject, you do realise that some of these cyclists also have jobs and may be commuting and are also parents, if they are 'hobbyists', they maybe taking time off from a stressful 'important job', it wasnt long ago, a paedtrician was killed cycling to work in london

I’m not poking fun at you insomuch as you’ve written a rather preposterous comment.

The increase in road usage, where drivers are frequently in gridlock on major roads and motorways etc. is entirely a car problem. How many cyclists are you seeing on motorways causing major tails backs? It is the sheer volume of other car traffic. It’s not cyclists who are chewing the roads up due to heavy usage that then require frequent repair, widening etc. There may be an increase in cycling hobbyists but to suggest they are causing traffic in the same way as cars is simply not true in my view.

As a I said I live in a major cycling city with cycle lanes everywhere. The city was not designed for cars and is at gridlock with talks of congestion zones for air pollution reasons as much as traffic. If all the thousands of cyclists went into cars I have no idea what would happen, it’s noticeable on very rainy days. For other areas who have far less cyclists and far less cycle lanes, the issue I see is driver attitudes more than the need for a complete overhaul of road provision (excepting pot holes but that’s a whole other thread).

Sorry, hadn’t realised you were the same person. It’s just a bit odd that you didn’t write in the first instance that the road wasn’t wide enough to pass when now you’re saying that was the issue. It’s also odd that the cyclists tried to wave you past when there physically wasn’t enough space for you to do so without them been squashed. Cyclists normally have a strong self preservation instinct.

Anyway now seems once they clocked you were nervous about passing they did drop to single file and you passed them. So not really sure what the issue is/was?

I live semi-rurally.

On a bicycle, I pull over to let drivers by fairly frequently.

Driving I've never trailed behind a bike for that long, maybe half a mile in the most extreme situation ever. So not had enough experience of other cyclists on road to notice if they 'never' pull over or not.

Riding to work in groups, dressed in lycra? I doubt that.
I also cycle. But I'm considerate. I don't cause tailbacks. I use cycle paths, trailways, alleys etc, where possible.
I have other hobbies too, like sewing, but I don't do them at rush hour, in the middle of the road.

@QuintanaRoo the issue was that they cycled a very long time before dropping into single file. They were constantly looking behind at me and the cars behind me and this appeared to be them feeling a little anxious. They waved for us to over take when it would not be safe. Yes one would think they would realise this wasn't safe but apparently not. So my question was why didn't they just drop single file earlier. Or pull over periodically rather than sit 2 abreast whilst getting anxious and trying to wave us through when it was not safe to do so.

Gosh, your sense of entitlement jumps off the page.

Perhaps that walker HAS to be somewhere at a set time.

Perhaps that hobby cyclist works 60 hours in a hospital, so this is the only time they have available to get out and begin to repair their physical and mental health before heading back in to save the lives of our kids.

Recumbent bikes (I think that's what you are describing) are often used by people with no other viable method of transport, eg they struggle to walk. Are you really so entitled that you believe he doesn't have the right to get to where he needs to be?

Mockney, your needs aren't greater than theirs, share the road

@QuintanaRoo It’s just a bit odd that you didn’t write in the first instance that the road wasn’t wide enough to pass when now you’re saying that was the issue.
Your manner of writing always veers into the 'I don't believe you' direction.
I any case, my post mentioned 'country road' and 'too narrow' so I'm not even sure why you think my description was 'oddly' lacking.

Cyclists can't always just pull over in the way a mechanical vehicle can. Even a slight hill makes it hard to get going again.

Patchworkelmer, far more than the 'massive increase' in cycling is the increase in cars, and multiple ownership. The roads were not built for this amount of traffic, a few gangs of blokes cycling is not the problem, its private car ownership

Totally.

Something like 50% of car journeys are under two miles too.

I don't believe that all the people doing that are disabled which is what is usually trotted out

Squeezing passed doesn't sound very safe for anyone. From bitter experience I KNOW that if a car overtaking me feels threatened by something they WILL swerve back into me, to protect themselves. Far safer for me if you don't attempt to overtake me, even if you think you could squeeze by a car.

You've misunderstood - I don't have a problem with walkers. I'm simply saying that overtaking a slower walker is easier than overtaking a group of cyclists who are causing a tailback by blocking the road.
Again, I also destress by partaking in hobbies - just not in the middle of a busy road.
I know the man. He cycles then, because he wants to. Because he can. Because it's legal. Because it's his right. Like many here, he feels that his right to do so, trumps everyone else's needs.

Because the road must have been wide enough for most drivers to physically get past otherwise I can promise you they would not have waved you past. Once they realised you were nervous they did drop to single file. Guess you might disagree. But if the road isn’t wide ended for two bikes and a car I can’t see why they’d wave you through, they’d have been killed. So I suspect it is wide enough…..but you’re correct that if you don’t feel confident you shouldn’t do it. So they were nice to drop to single file.

so this photo is a road near me where we cycle two abreast. There is space for a car to overtake and we stay two abreast. Further up the road it’s a bit bendy but drivers will just have to wait for a straight bit. Going into single file would encourage dangerous overtakes so we don’t do it. It’s nothing to do with not being considerate. Some drivers will happily pass us on the other side of the road, some are more nervous and stay back for ages. To be honest it’s not an overly long road so max amount of time they’d be behind us would be 5 mins.

I doubt they are causing a nuisance on purpose. Far more likely is that they are being respectful of the walkers etc who want to pootle along the towpaths?

Hang on , photo hasn’t posted.

My DH cycles to and from work every day. He often gets abuse or mocking yelled out of cars for no reason whatsoever. He's a very experienced cyclist, sticks to all the rules and cycles alone.

I suspect most of those who treat cyclists like this are also those who tailgate, cut other cars up and pull out of junctions/roundabouts at the wrong time simply because they are so important and don't have to behave like the rest of us on the roads.

I do wish MN would sort their shit out about not being able to add photos which I’ve reported before. It’s really annoying

@QuintanaRoo the road is too narrow. What can I say. There are spots where two cars can creep past each other (occasionall driveways, spots where the road is marginally wider for the length of maybe 2 cars) but the roads is too narrow to pass a car at any speed so it is too narrow to pass 2 a breast cyclists. I wasn't nervous. I'm just not stupid. I have no idea why they thought it was wide enough. It isn't. I live here. I know the roads. The road is impassable at any speed for miles. Not 5 mins. Miles. Yes they pulled over. Eventually.

Finally.