Who's in the wrong?

[Wankelschrauben]

indeed, there's nowhere in the highway code that says to undertake, even for cyclists.

So when you're in the cycle lane, tucked in to the left, but passing slow moving cars to your right, we're in the wrong?

For excessively large vehicles, not including chelsea tractors that is, I can understand hanging back if they're moving but to stop in the cycle lane and wait for motor traffic is nonsense.

 

[benb]

Guess I wont be doing it again I was sh*ting myself undertaking him but was just going to fast and wasn't in the mood to follow him for 5 miles at 20mph

5 miles @ 20mph = 15 mins
5 miles @ 25mph = 12 mins

I don't think getting to your destination 3 minutes earlier is worth the considerable risk of going up the inside of a HGV.

Having said that, he shouldn't have beeped and given you abuse.

If you really wanted to get past, I would have overtaken on the outside.

 

[cisamcgu]

This is interesting - and a little scary

 

[lulubel]

Having said that, he shouldn't have beeped and given you abuse.

That would have been the instructor, trying to draw your attention to the fact that what you were doing could easily get you killed.

 

[dhd.evans]

Stupid or not it's an area i'm interested in; i've got a part of my commute that has speed bumps. Cycle lane runs beside them. This means the cars slow down to near halt but I can bypass on the cycle lane.

I am, essentially, undertaking but... legally?

 

[Dan B]

There is no law against passing on the left. The usual course is to pass on the right, and doing otherwise might get you pulled for driving/cycling without due care & attention, but the Highway Code gives several scenarios ("traffic moving slowly in lanes", "driver ahead turning right", etc) where passing on the left is more appropriate. Cycle lanes are in general one of them, but cycle lanes up the inside of an HGV, no.

 

[siadwell]

Stupid or not it's an area i'm interested in; i've got a part of my commute that has speed bumps. Cycle lane runs beside them. This means the cars slow down to near halt but I can bypass on the cycle lane.

I am, essentially, undertaking but... legally?

Overtaking is the act of deliberately attempting to pass a slower moving vehicle for one's own benefit. Undertaking is overtaking on the inside.

I wouldn't say that you're undertaking. If the cars slow down for the humps then speed up between them, it's not your fault that they can't maintain a steady speed to match or exceed yours. It's the same when I'm driving in lane 1 of the motorway and the drivers in the other lanes panic brake because they're driving a couple of inches from the vehicle in front - if I continue at a steady speed in my lane I am not undertaking because I've not used an inside lane to deliberately gain advantage.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

To paraphrase some wrestler dude: "He can't see me"

 

[craven2354]

To paraphrase some wrestler dude: "He can't see me"

John cena and it's you can't see me don't ask me why I know this haha

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Who was wrong?

Both of you by the looks of it. You probably shouldn't have been there and he shouldn't have been shouting at you. Slapped wrists all round!

I can see your point about using a cycle lane as a discrete lane for bike, allowing you to travel at a comfortable speed, even along side slower cars etc.

After all, buses use bus lane to essentially undertake slow moving traffic. But they are designed to solve different problems, and there are times that sticking to a cycle lane is not helpful and can leave you in a real pickle.

I would hang back and deal with going a bit slower, and maybe filter passed or overtake him when he is next stationary or be trying to maintain primary position and overtake with the moving traffic. The overtaking option may leave you open to still not being seen by the driver who continues to accelerate leaving you in the middle of the road stuck between a lorry and oncoming traffic. Not a great situation to find yourself in either really.

 

[akb]

I personally wouldnt undertake any 4+ wheeled vehicle. Not just a HGV.

 

[Arch]

Guess I wont be doing it again I was sh*ting myself undertaking him but was just going to fast and wasn't in the mood to follow him for 5 miles at 20mph

What's to say he'd be travelling at 20mph for the whole 5 miles anyway? That seems very unlikely, unless you have a 5 mile wide 20mph zone. And if it was a 20 mph zone, then I feel it's irresponsible and anti social (regardless of legal technicalities around speed limits) for a cyclist to exceed that limit.

"just going to fast and wasn't in the mood to follow him for 5 miles at 20mph"

If a driver used that as a defence for overtaking a cyclist when there wasn't much space, I don't suppose it would be very popular here. I suspect you've worked that out now.

But really, a few minutes of waiting is not worth a life.

That said, the driver shouldn't have abused you - the horn might just about be construed as a warning to you that he was there if one was being generous...

 

[screenman]

25mph is pretty fast for 5 miles, I take it you are race fit the BBAR was only won with 28mph

 

[apollo179]

This is interesting - and a little scary

Interesting and helpful and scary post.
One of the advantages of being on a bike is that you can go through red lights and out of the drivers blind spot if you think your own safety demands it. Ive personally experienced this danger more on a motorbike than i have on a pushbike but i think anything that raises the awareness of this danger is v beneficial.

 

[craven2354]

What's to say he'd be travelling at 20mph for the whole 5 miles anyway? That seems very unlikely, unless you have a 5 mile wide 20mph zone. And if it was a 20 mph zone, then I feel it's irresponsible and anti social (regardless of legal technicalities around speed limits) for a cyclist to exceed that limit.

"just going to fast and wasn't in the mood to follow him for 5 miles at 20mph"

If a driver used that as a defence for overtaking a cyclist when there wasn't much space, I don't suppose it would be very popular here. I suspect you've worked that out now.

But really, a few minutes of waiting is not worth a life.

That said, the driver shouldn't have abused you - the horn might just about be construed as a warning to you that he was there if one was being generous...

it was a 30 mph main road also there was the width of the cycle path + about 2 feet there was plenty of space not making excuses i see it is dangerous but i defently wasnt breaking the law.