To Overtake or Not

[lazybloke]

...does anyone actually know what their stopping distance is on their bike downhill at 25mph in a built up 20mph speed area? I didn't know my stopping speed but I found out it was longer than I thought it would be.

I've been cycling for 47 years and haven't a clue of my stopping distance, but I'm well aware that a downhill emergncy stop can be rather longer than one on the flat.
So I only tend to go nuts down a hill if there are NO driveways, junctions or other places where a car might emerge into my path.

Overtaking a car in that situation is just a way to increase the likelihood of a colision, but yes I've cycled past a car on occasion - eg if it's being very slow to pass speedbumps.

And I dont pay any attention to a speed limits, because
a) I know they don't apply to pedal cycles
b) I'm not looking at a Garmin when I'm riding at fast speeds

 

[Drago]

I've been cycling for 47 years...

You must have saddle soreness of biblical proportions!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

considered that they don't go fast enough to be relevant

It’s also a question of physics. A car and single occupant brings about 15-20 times the energy into a collision than someone on a bike would at the same speed. Plus far easier to avoid a collision on a bike.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

Slightly different subject, but cycling through London yesterday I noticed that motorists there have learnt that it's pointless to overtake cyclists. Back here in the province, it's constant overtaking and getting overtaken multiple times over. Yes you can go faster than me in your car well done...

Just to clarify, I'm not necessarily talking about overtaking cars by going over the speed limit. Cars get overtaken at traffic lights.

 

[Gillstay]

Did I tell you about the time I overtook a Ferrari on a descent in Wales ? :-)

Great stuff, once overtook a Porch Cayenne. Just could not help myself.

 

[Chislenko]

One of the reasons I asked this question was an experience I had recently.

There was a line of very slow moving traffic on a two into one road. It is a very wide road with plenty of leeway in the middle.

I had left the previous roundabout in the outside lane (as a car would do) so continued down the outside passing the slow moving motorised traffic.

Nobody gave a monkeys until I was about to pass a Transit type who thought it would be good fun to veer out into the centre of the road to block me off.

Obviously I braked as the alternative would have been being forced into oncoming traffic.

It was this sort of reaction from some (obviously not all) motorists that prompted my initial question.

The road in question for those local and who know the set up was the A51 into Chester after the Tarvin roundabout towards Stamford Bridge lights.

 

[Slick]

One of the reasons I asked this question was an experience I had recently.

There was a line of very slow moving traffic on a two into one road. It is a very wide road with plenty of leeway in the middle.

I had left the previous roundabout in the outside lane (as a car would do) so continued down the outside passing the slow moving motorised traffic.

Nobody gave a monkeys until I was about to pass a Transit type who thought it would be good fun to veer out into the centre of the road to block me off.

Obviously I braked as the alternative would have been being forced into oncoming traffic.

It was this sort of reaction from some (obviously not all) motorists that prompted my initial question.

The road in question for those local and who know the set up was the A51 into Chester after the Tarvin roundabout towards Stamford Bridge lights.

To me, what you are describing is just filtering.

 

[Deleted member 121159]

One of the reasons I asked this question was an experience I had recently.

There was a line of very slow moving traffic on a two into one road. It is a very wide road with plenty of leeway in the middle.

I had left the previous roundabout in the outside lane (as a car would do) so continued down the outside passing the slow moving motorised traffic.

Nobody gave a monkeys until I was about to pass a Transit type who thought it would be good fun to veer out into the centre of the road to block me off.

Obviously I braked as the alternative would have been being forced into oncoming traffic.

It was this sort of reaction from some (obviously not all) motorists that prompted my initial question.

The road in question for those local and who know the set up was the A51 into Chester after the Tarvin roundabout towards Stamford Bridge lights.

I see no problem with overtaking in the situation you described. You've had an unfortunate encounter with a homicidal driver.

Another scenario: I want to turn right. I filter down stationary traffic so I can get to the bike box aka advanced stop line. Then green light comes on before I can get to the front. I try to join the traffic turning right. Most drivers see what happened and let you join the traffic. Some of them block you on purpose. Some drivers just don't like two-wheeled vehicles filtering.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Nobody gave a monkeys until I was about to pass a Transit type who thought it would be good fun to veer out into the centre of the road to block me off.

They were just being a twat

 

[Daninplymouth]

I see no problem over taking as long as it’s clear and safe to do so. Why wouldn’t you want to maintain progress.
Got a longish 30mph downhill near me with average cameras you always get funny looks when you catch up and over take the cars, which is perfectly safe you have a cycle lane and almost another lanes gap between you and cars.
Only got 1 overtake on the 40mph flat road here 😎

 

[wiggydiggy]

They were just being a twat

Next time that happens follow them slowly then when they stop open both the rear doors 😄🤘

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Next time that happens follow them slowly then when they stop open both the rear doors 😄🤘

I’d aim that at the person it happened to.

Personally I try and maintain a zen like state when cycling. I neither react to or provoke incidents. I just enjoy my ride, whilst asserting and controlling the road space around me as best I can.

All bullies whether on the road or elsewhere are trying to get a reaction out of you. When they don’t get that, they get bored, forget about you, and move on.

 

[Time Waster]

Filtering isn't really overtaking as on the open road. I filter outside stationary traffic to get to the ASL in the cycling box for safety. If the inner lane is moving slowly I would tend to ride in the inner lane, perhaps to the outside with the traffic until it stops at which point filtering again comes into effect.

 

[Drago]

The problem there is the ASL isn't best for "safety".

Behind the first motor vehicle in the queue is best for that for multiple reasons.

 

[Mike_P]

The issue of location is a key thing. I would expect most 20mph zones are in village/urban locations where pedestrians may be crossing the road and not neccessarily noting a cyclist approaching at an excessive speed. There was a 79 year old killed in a village at the foot of a long decent by a cyclist which may or may not have been a contributing factor as reports on the case seem to vanish after the initial https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2019-08-25/man-dies-following-crash-with-cyclist-near-harrogate