Cyclists 2 deep on country roads

Mizu_Ger

Just thought I would get this off my chest:

I am getting fed up with cyclists (look like they are training and wearing all the cycling gear) on country roads cycling 2 deep (ie. side-by-side) and not moving in when traffic is approaching them from behind. Its unbelieveable at times how they can hog the road. They almost seem oblivous to traffic building up behind them. Is this the norm or are there just some eejits close to where I live? If they want a chat, surely they can do it after the ride.

I am a cyclist myself and live in Meath (near Dublin) and have been cycling almost everywhere for the past 20 years (not recreational, but commuting). I've got used to expecting the worst from traffic and keeping my eyes are ears open and I can't believe how these guys seem to be unaware of what's happening on the road around them.

Rant over

Bicyclegadabout

Legally it's perfectly acceptable,

But I agree, folks shouldn't be hindering traffic if they don't have to.


*sits back, grabs popcorn.

Ghost Rider

tunney

Safer too two-by-two. As you've proved people noticed and are aware of two-by-two cyclists. Tenner says you'd fly by cyclists in single file at a hugely inappropriate speed and far too close to them as well.

Anyways I'm sure this is just another troll and the thread should probably be locked Mod.

Mizu_Ger

tunney wrote: »

Anyways I'm sure this is just another troll and the thread should probably be locked Mod.

Why? I'm on the bike more than I'm in the car. When I am cycling I always keep as far left as I can and can't understand why these fellas feel the need to have a chat when they are out on the roads.

Maybe they do it to make themselves more noticeable, but when a car comes up behind them they could at least have the decency to move in and left the car past.

Raam

I think we should leave it open and prove that we can discuss it without descending into petty arguments.

I've been beeped at for cycling two abreast even when there is ample space for a motorist to pass safely and no on-coming traffic.

I suspect that people get annoyed driving behind two cyclists because they know how quicker it could be for them to get past if the cyclists were in single file. Instead they are forced to exercise better caution. People always prefer the easiest way out and don't like being forced to think*.

http://www.irishmotoring.ie/cms/publish/car/rulesoftheroad/18_Rules_for_cyclists.php
There doesn't appear to be a rule against side by side cycling, but it seems to be discouraged, if only for the reason of not holding up someone else. In other words, no real reason.

* this does not apply to everyone.

Raam

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

Why? I'm on the bike more than I'm in the car. When I am cycling I always keep as far left as I can and can't understand why these fellas feel the need to have a chat when they are out on the roads.

You are very much missing the point of a lot of recreational cycling. It is a social past time as much as anything. The country roads are generally quiet and safer so you will always find people doing this.

ba

true. there is better safety for cyclists in two-by-two formation. but people still get too close when speeding by.

i cycle in two-by-two a lot, and when there is a car behind waiting to pass, we generally get into single file, or make the bunch very tight and stay as close to the left as possible. no problems.

so what if your car journey is 15 seconds longer?

kona

its safer 2x2.
im going to go into the motors forum and rant about, people driving in the cycle lane, with a continuous white line!
then im goin to go the the womans forum about, dumbass peroxide blonds driving leased BMW X5s, like humvees in iraq, while talking on the phone
:rolleyes::rolleyes:
bottom line cyclists are road users too,with just as much right to use the road, if you dont like it overtake! cars give us more crap than we give cars, also we dont have a ton of steel protecting us.

penexpers

ba wrote: »

so what if your car journey is 15 seconds longer?

Exactly.

niceonetom

ba wrote: »

so what if your car journey is 15 seconds longer?

exactly. it is not a cyclists responsibility to make himself as inconspicuous a possible to convenience you (the op), it is your responsibility to treat the cyclist as an equally legitimate road-user.

Mizu_Ger

niceonetom wrote: »

exactly. it is not a cyclists responsibility to make himself as inconspicuous a possible to convenience you (the op), it is your responsibility to treat the cyclist as an equally legitimate road-user.

I understand this, but from a courtesy point of view, I would expect that a cyclist wouldn't hog the road when there is no need.

As I said originally, I always keep as far left as I can when on the bike to let the traffic pass me. I am aware of what is happening around me all the time and would rather cycle without a line of cars building up behind me.

BTW, I'm not having a go at cyclists in general (I am one!). Just wondering what people think of these particular ones.

kona

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

BTW, I'm not having a go at cyclists in general (I am one!). Just wondering what people think of these particular ones.

i think a hell of alot more of them, that your cyclist muppet with no lights on a **** bike who thinks a guarantee covers, abuse and theft.
its these muppets that are a danger to motorists(i drive too).

these people you are complaining about are doin up to 150km in training, ive nothing but respect for them, and they are not goin to break rhythm for some jack ass in his car wanting to get to the pub or shop a few minutes quicker, only to spend a half hour looking to park.

penexpers

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

I understand this, but from a courtesy point of view, I would expect that a cyclist wouldn't hog the road when there is no need.

As I said originally, I always keep as far left as I can when on the bike to let the traffic pass me. I am aware of what is happening around me all the time and would rather cycle without a line of cars building up behind me.

BTW, I'm not having a go at cyclists in general (I am one!). Just wondering what people think of these particular ones.

I'm sorry, but when you say "a cyclist wouldn't hog the road", then you are not respecting the cyclist as a legitamite road user.

It's your perogative to stay as far to the left as possible, but on country roads this is often dangerous as the side of the road can be full of hidden potholes etc..

niceonetom

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

I understand this, but from a courtesy point of view, I would expect that a cyclist wouldn't hog the road when there is no need.

As I said originally, I always keep as far left as I can when on the bike to let the traffic pass me. I am aware of what is happening around me all the time and would rather cycle without a line of cars building up behind me.

courtesy comes a very distant second to safety, always. it is NOT a safe policy to simply "keep as far left as i can", this sends a message to drivers that there is always room to pass a cyclist, indeed cyclists should hardly need to be acknowledged as it's their responsibility not to be in the way, apparently. this results in drivers not slowing down enough when they meet a cyclist, and not allowing enough room to pass. this is especially dangerous on fast but narrow country roads.

a safer attitude is to stay left when appropriate, allowing faster traffic to pass, and also, when appropriate (as it very often is for group rides) to take control of the lane and force faster traffic to overtake in the same manner they would a slow car, or tractor or horses or whatever. road craft and safety is a contextual thing, and i would encourage you to be a bit more assertive in your own cycling, as it may improve you own odds of making it home unscathed and maybe allow you to see where those two abreast roadies are coming from.

i also think your under estimating the awareness of the cyclists in your original complaint, i'm guessing they are very aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it. they know it's inconvenient to you, but that simply isn't reason enough to adopt a less safe riding policy.

cunnins4

Tomas_V

Mizu_Ger wrote: »

on country roads cycling 2 deep (ie. side-by-side) and not moving in when traffic is approaching them from behind. Its unbelieveable at times how they can hog the road.

I share the feeling, I cycle in the city and you wouldn't believe the the amount of space that's wasted by just one person in a car. Worse again is the amount of space hogged by unoccupied cars parked along the roadside.

Let's work together to make more efficient use of the roads.

boomdocker

i cycle on rural roads and always try to stay out at least halfway between the ditch and the middle of the road. if you keep in to the left you are more likely to be run into the ditch. at least if you are out a bit then they have to slow down and pass you.

as for 2 abreast, thats a bit ignorant

311

What about all the roadworks on the M50 ? ,they are a bit more of a nuisance when compared to two cyclists.

avalanche

as far as i am aware cycling clubs encourage riders to ride in twos as it is safer. legally they are entitled to occupy the same space as a car and should be given the same respect. I understand this may be annoying for following drivers but i think its a fair trade off compared with how cyclists are usually treated by motorists within the cities etc. i.e with disregard. just my personal experience.

King Kelly

On club runs or training sessions we always ride two by two both for safety and to have someone to talk to (2/3 hours in silence staring at a cyclists arse in front of you is not to be recommended!)

On country roads the last pair always call up to the lead riders when cars are stuck behind and single out if traffic builds up. However singling out means the car has twice the length of riders to pass. We also beckon on the drivers if we can see the road is clear and he/she can't.

Most drivers are considerate and will give a toot before they pass but we also have the madmen. We've had abuse flung at us (ok - doesn't hurt) and bottles/cans,coins thrown at us over the past few years (not nice).

If some one is held up by a horse rider they slow and pass carefully, giving the beast a wide berth. Why? Because it will cause far more damage to their car then if they clip a cyclist. I've had wing mirrors brush along my thigh/arms by cars passing at 40mph+. I'm a fairly experienced club rider so I will probably stay upright but would I like my son or daughter doing it in a few years? No thanks.

People have no patience anymore. Realisticly the amount of time lost by slowing and waiting for a safe place to pass a rider on a country road will be far less then getting stuck behing a slow moving lorry or tractor for a few miles on the same road.

Donny5

Also, cyclists can, according to the ROTR, cycle two abreast legally. I have no problem with this practise, I do it myself in the country.

I do sometimes come across real twats down the country, though. If you know the road leading from the Sally Gap towards Laragh, you'll know it's narrow and damn windy. I once saw 3 cyclists in a V formation taking up the whole road. I walking, and as they came up to us, the father (it was a mom-pop-daughter affair) shouted "Cyclists coming through", like he owned the road. Luckily, I've never met him again, as I presume he's embedded in the grill of a tractor somewhere...

roadmanmad

Cycling 2 x 2 is safer.

I have spent a lifetime cycling as have been on the the butt end (literally) of disrespectful drivers.

We should of course be courteous and allow vehicles to pass without putting ourselves at risk.

Cyclists today must be assertive if only to protect our lives. It may frustrate a driver to have to pass us, but we do share the road and they do not own it.

Puck

I live and cycle in the countryside. Staying to the far left can be very dangeous, the ditch is often very steep and there are bad potholes. The worst thing though is cars who seem to completely ignore me and zoom past at speed like I wasn't there. I'd rather stay clear of the potholes and make a car notice me, slow down a little and pass me properly. I pull in to the left for a bit to help them pass once they've seen me.

trek climber

Surely in the countryside a little bit of common sense should prevail, generally if there is a group of us out on the bikes we will cycle 2 by 2 on the straight stretches of road and on windy roads we will single out to leave more room for motorists to pass.
As a rule, most motorists will treat you with respect but there will alaways be the few who treat you like you have no right to be on their road.

daymobrew

Puck wrote: »

Staying to the far left can be very dangeous, the ditch is often very steep and there are bad potholes. The worst thing though is cars who seem to completely ignore me and zoom past at speed like I wasn't there. I'd rather stay clear of the potholes and make a car notice me, slow down a little and pass me properly. I pull in to the left for a bit to help them pass once they've seen me.

Cycling around the quieter rural roads I found that some drivers would try to drive extremely close to me (bloody scary stuff); thankfully others gave me a wide berth (and they got a wave of appreciation).

Moving out from the side is a way to get noticed and to force motorists to think about overtaking you.

Capt'n Midnight

tunney wrote: »

Safer too two-by-two. As you've proved people noticed and are aware of two-by-two cyclists. Tenner says you'd fly by cyclists in single file at a hugely inappropriate speed and far too close to them as well.

Remember that you are supposed to give all road users a wide berth when passing them, if cyclists are two abreast then you can't pass them if there is oncoming traffic. But many motorists would try to pass a single line of cyclists even if there was oncoming traffic and then there are two things to consider. First you the file of cyclists is now twice as long so will take longer to pass out and second, someone who would overtake cyclists with little room with oncoming traffic probably won't instinctively put the cyclists lives above their own if a truck is heading for them and would possibly turn away from it into them.

MREGAN

If it isnt safe to pass cyclists riding two abreast it isnt safe to pass a cyclists in single file. Just because you see a cyclist close to the side of the road doesnt mean a motorist can pass with wing mirrors almost touching them. Its wreckless driving like this that is the cause of deaths on the road. Why is everyone in such a hurry anyway sit back and relax ffs!! It might look like they are hogging and if one pulled in behind or infront of the other it would make it safer. A motorist should pass on the complete opposite side of the road. I cycle and I drive and know the frustrations we face on the road but have a bit of respect for others and we will all be fine.

doozerie

King Kelly wrote: »

On club runs or training sessions we always ride two by two both for safety and to have someone to talk to (2/3 hours in silence staring at a cyclists arse in front of you is not to be recommended!)

On country roads the last pair always call up to the lead riders when cars are stuck behind and single out if traffic builds up. However singling out means the car has twice the length of riders to pass. We also beckon on the drivers if we can see the road is clear and he/she can't.

Most drivers are considerate and will give a toot before they pass but we also have the madmen. We've had abuse flung at us (ok - doesn't hurt) and bottles/cans,coins thrown at us over the past few years (not nice).

If some one is held up by a horse rider they slow and pass carefully, giving the beast a wide berth. Why? Because it will cause far more damage to their car then if they clip a cyclist. I've had wing mirrors brush along my thigh/arms by cars passing at 40mph+. I'm a fairly experienced club rider so I will probably stay upright but would I like my son or daughter doing it in a few years? No thanks.

People have no patience anymore. Realisticly the amount of time lost by slowing and waiting for a safe place to pass a rider on a country road will be far less then getting stuck behing a slow moving lorry or tractor for a few miles on the same road.

Hear hear!

cowan

TBH cycling two abreast is perfectly legal, even in the city, and its one small thing we have in turn for all the rubbish driving in this country, was cycling out to howth from dcu, along that narrow road and there was a bus coming towards me, not a problem, the fella behind me in the HGV who decided it would be a good idea to over take me while i was coming level with the bus was. Twonk, and ridiculous stuff like that happens all the time, on the same day I was coming up to a junction out near malahide and this idiot in a punto behind me over takes me, and then turns right across me to into the junction, as if he couldnt have wait the 6 seconds it would have taken me to get through the junction, when I had right of way. Cyclists have the same rights as car drivers on the road, it's not our fault if people don't know how to drive.

That said, if Im two abreast, and a car comes up behind, ill either move in front of or behind whoever im cycling with.