cyclists blocking the road

[GrumpyGregry]

one of my colleagues at work was delayed near Hurstpierpoint by what sounds like the same group; he esitmated it to be 60 strong and it sounds like a proper pace line cum peloton which was moving in excess of 20mph with people passing up the right en route to the front of the line.

He advised a spot of tooting from the car in front of his was ill received by the cyclists. I asked which part of the highway code contained the rules on use of the horn to signal frustration.

Single file in such numbers doesn't work on country lanes, dumb, dumb, dumb, the line is too long to be overtaken safely in one go, someone tries it and then dives into the line of cyclists when a vehicle appears the other way.

Stopping a large number of cyclists moving as a body is difficult to do, and one big pack is probably less frustrating that five or six pods.

The answer is for the motorists to chillax, like they would if confronted with a long wide load moving slowly down a country lane and wait for the pack to turn off. The accelerator pedal moves both ways.

 

[Andy_R]

Excerpt from highway code:


66
You should

• keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
• keep both feet on the pedals
• never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
• not ride close behind another vehicle
• not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
• be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted.

Yes, I am aware that it is not a regulation, merely a suggestion as it is prefaced with the word "should", but then, so is most of the highway code. Most complaints made about drivers are that they overtake too close and it is a pet hate of mine, but the highway code merely suggests that you should give cyclists at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (rule 163). So shouldn't we ALL obey the highway code when we use the highways, and not just bring it up when it suits us?

 

[Red Light]

after about 1/4 of a mile, 2 of the group dropped back, but the other 4 just spread out to occupy the space, she said that after another 1/4 mile she got so cross she beeped her horn several times, which obvioulsy annoyed the group as they slowed down.

1/4 mile @ 60mph = 15s
1/4 mile @ 15mph = 60s

Time wasted before she lost her temper about 45s max, probably 20s from the road description. Less time than she wastes sitting at a traffic light

Time wasted to dangerous overtake, twice that.

I thought she was in no hurry but clearly her 40s or so is worth a lot more to her than the safety and enjoyment of other road users.

 

[Andy_R]

she eventauly managed to pass them on a straight part, but was given much abuse, rude lanaguage & gestures by the cyclist as she did, she had her 2 children 9 & 5 in the car with her.
It's behaviour likes this that gives cyclist a bad name...Why do some riders insist of behaving in this manner?

Section 5 and 6(4) of the Public Order Act. What justification is there to act like that, especially around children?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Section 5 and 6(4) of the Public Order Act. What justification is there to act like that, especially around children?

I agree. Her behaviour in front of her own children was shocking.

 

[mickle]

The fact that she is a cyclist herself makes no difference - I know plenty of people who ride bikes who are ignorant of many of the rules of the road.

Or did it go like this? Driver comes up behind a group of cyclists. As is their right they've filled the (narrow and bendy) road to prevent any dangerous overtaking manouvres.

(Drivers should allow cyclists the same road space as they would give any other road user when overtaking - so if there was no place to safely pass many cyclists abreast there was equally no place to safely pass them if they were in single file).

Instead of waiting she showed her impatience by beeping her horn. To which they responded with a big F-U

'If you're going to behave like that we're going to make you wait a bit longer' type thing.

I would do the same.

 

[funnymummy]

I thought she was in no hurry but clearly her 40s or so is worth a lot more to her than the safety and enjoyment of other road users.

She drives one of those superquiet 'eco' cars, she did not beep her horn out of 'you're holding me up frustration' but becuase she wasn't sure if the cyclist were even aware she was behind them, and was thinking she could be stuck behind them for miles ..
In total time she was behind them for 17 minutes

And the original point of my post was that, yes cyclist do ride wide to prevent cars from passing when unsafe, I do so myself, but to block a road, when it is safe to pass, to deliberatly hold up another person & to then call her names, such as bitch & slag to repeat a few, to hope she crashes is not on - She passed slowly & wide, it was warm & she had the windows open, they could see she had children in the car - That is just not acceptable

 

[Dayvo]

On the continent, motorists toot to let you know of their presence, not to say 'get out of the way' - it seems that is what FM's mate was doing.

 

[mickle]

Gentle revving of the engine will have alerted the cyclists that there was a car behind.

I consider engine revving to be just about as rude a thing a motorist can do behind a cyclist - worse than sounding the horn. It's aggressive and anti-social.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The point is they were NOT blocking the road. They were travelling along it. They were just not moving fast enough for the impatient driver concerned. Who, in the words of the original post, 'after another 1/4 mile (she) got so cross she beeped her horn several times"

The case rests m'lud.

 

[Dayvo]

The point is they were NOT blocking the road. They were travelling along it. They were just not moving fast enough for the impatient driver concerned. Who, in the words of the original post, 'after another 1/4 mile (she) got so cross she beeped her horn several times"

The case rests m'lud.

No, but as one peloton, they were preventing traffic from overtaking.

They (we) don't have a God-given right to dominate one lane of traffic. Common sense should have prevailed and they took to riding single file, allowing the motorist to use their judgement in overtaking at a safe and convenient place, and not being, effectively, told to wait.

 

[4F]

On the continent, motorists toot to let you know of their presence, not to say 'get out of the way' - it seems that is what FM's mate was doing.

Possibly, but over here in the UK it seems most toots of the horn are used in an agressive "get out of my way" way. Certainly that is my experience and when that has been done to me I generally cycle slower and when the moton finally does pass I normally blow them a kiss .

 

[mickle]

1/2 mile @ 17 minutes = 8.5 mph. Unusually slow for a group of lycra-ists. On flat or rolling terrain they'd be cruising at twice that and more. Was it all uphill?

 

[Chris.IOW]

I wonder, would they have acted this way if it had been a police car driving behind them rather than a lady with two kids, I think possibly not!

 

[funnymummy]

1/2 mile @ 17 minutes = 8.5 mph. Unusually slow for a group of lycra-ists. On flat or rolling terrain they'd be cruising at twice that and more. Was it all uphill?

She said she was behind the group for about 1/4 mile, at which point 2 riders dropped back, after another 1/4 mile she beeped her horn to make them aware she was behind - It was at this point they slowed down & began spreading out, I have no idea how far in distance she actulay drove but she knew it was 17 minutes until she managed to pass them as the news came on the radio just before she came up behind them