Riding Two Abreast: Oh The Perils

Raam

I've been beeped out of it on a few ocassions recently for riding two abreast. However on Saturday I was doing the same thing with a police car behind us for a few minutes. I didn't realise it was the police until they passed us. Did they beep us? No. Did they try to overtake us dangerously? No. Did they pull us over and tell us that we need to ride single file? No. What did they do? They waited until the way was clear and passed us without doing anything. That's the way it should be. Anyway, that's my non-story of a non-encounter with the police out of the way. Here is a much better one...

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-583-19000-1,00.html

"On several occasions the subjects stood up and shaked their butts at me taunting me."

Raam

And a follow up by a police officer...

http://bicycling.com/blogs/roadrights/2009/04/29/a-cop-responds/

Crippens

A few months ago on the way to work I was riding in the hard shoulder on the N81 as I approached the Tallaght vilage x-roads. A Garda car squeezed by and a guard in the back seat put his head out the window and shouted that I neeed to cycle closer to the side of the road! They didn't have a siren on or lights flashing.

Jawgap

I got told off by a guard for cyling on the path last Christmas.

When I pointed out it was a cycle lane, he just laughed and apologised before wishing me safely on my way.

I assumed he was fresh out of Templemore and on Freeflow duty and he hadn't the crushing cynicism driven into him yet!

pburns

At the risk of opening a can of worms, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right to ride two-abrest to the point where motorists regularly 'blow you out of it'. Why do hardcore cyclists have such a chip on their shoulder about asserting their 'right' to the road, even when it means holding up traffic coming up from behind?

What's so hard about cycling in single-file where possible?

Raam

pburns wrote: »

At the risk of opening a can of worms, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right to ride two-abrest to the point where motorists regularly 'blow you out of it'. Why do hardcore cyclists have such a chip on their shoulder about asserting their 'right' to the road, even when it means holding up traffic coming up from behind?

What's so hard about cycling in single-file where possible?

But that's the thing. I very rarely ride two abreast, usually I go single file. The few times I did at the weekend, I got beeped for doing it.

niceonetom

pburns wrote: »

At the risk of opening a can of worms, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right to ride two-abrest to the point where motorists regularly 'blow you out of it'. Why do hardcore cyclists have such a chip on their shoulder about asserting their 'right' to the road, even when it means holding up traffic coming up from behind?

What's so hard about cycling in single-file where possible?

After a million threads and a wiki entry about this you still want to go over this? LET IT GO!

tunney

pburns wrote: »

At the risk of opening a can of worms, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right to ride two-abrest to the point where motorists regularly 'blow you out of it'. Why do hardcore cyclists have such a chip on their shoulder about asserting their 'right' to the road, even when it means holding up traffic coming up from behind?

What's so hard about cycling in single-file where possible?

Because its safer to cycle side by side.

Ghost Rider

I agree and I think this should apply to walking couples too. They should walk in single file on paths, beaches and wherever else they go. This senseless holding of hands is wasting the nation's lateral space, and it has to stop.

pburns wrote: »

What's so hard about cycling in single-file where possible?

abcdggs

i have no opinion on this either way so please dont take my question the wrong way,
how is it safer?

Rabies

if it slows the flow of traffic, then ride single file. If traffic is light and cars only need to wait a couple of seconds to over take, then its fine to ride two abreast.

Thats my take on it.

niceonetom

so we're doing this again now?

Mods - can we somehow fix it so as from now if any poster starts a sentence with "at the risk of opening a can of worms..." their computer explodes with enough force to vaporise a building?

Raam

My hope was to get some discussion on the article I linked to, but anyway.

DirkVoodoo

10 cyclists strung out in a line is very dangerous. Driver's perceive that they have a better chance of overtaking, even though it is obviously going to take longer. What inevitably ends up happening (you see it a lot on spins) is a driver goes to overtake, ends up going quite close, car comes the other way, driver pulls in dangerously between the pack, etc.

Cycling abreast means that drivers don't take as big a risk, they wait for the right time to overtake like they would any slow moving traffic and are able to do it quicker because the riders are in a more compact arrangement.

The number of times I have seen cars weaving in and out of riders in single file, going around bends, is truly unbelievable.

Safety first, I wouldn't call self preservation a "chip on ones shoulder" pburns.

Sorry for spoiling your thread Raam.

Raam

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Sorry for spoiling your thread Raam.

You haven't, your post makes perfect sense

DePurpereWolf

I agree with Dirkvoodoo, it is not always safe to drive as far to the left of the road as possible. Sometimes you don't want to 'invite' the car to overtake you (because it is dangerous) and you should drive in the centre of the road. Also when there are sporadically cars parked on the side of the road, otherwise the car will just cut you off.

(this is actually a written rule in bike country the Netherlands)

Jawgap

Ghost Rider wrote: »

I agree and I think this should apply to walking couples too. They should walk in single file on paths, beaches and wherever else they go. This senseless holding of hands is wasting the nation's lateral space, and it has to stop.

Hear....hear.....

.....and kids too - especially the really young ones who walk to and from school holding hands with each other or other adults - time those little feckers realised just what an imposition on society they actually are!!

DirkVoodoo

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

10 cyclists strung out in a line is very dangerous. Driver's perceive that they have a better chance of overtaking, even though it is obviously going to take longer. What inevitably ends up happening (you see it a lot on spins) is a driver goes to overtake, ends up going quite close, car comes the other way, driver pulls in dangerously between the pack, etc.

Cycling abreast means that drivers don't take as big a risk, they wait for the right time to overtake like they would any slow moving traffic and are able to do it quicker because the riders are in a more compact arrangement.

The number of times I have seen cars weaving in and out of riders in single file, going around bends, is truly unbelievable.

Safety first, I wouldn't call self preservation a "chip on ones shoulder" pburns.

Sorry for spoiling your thread Raam.

Saw that on Saturday actually when there was a big group of us. Think you were at the back at the time with someone else, and a car came up and was beeping to get past. Think there was a blind enough corner towards the end of the overtake.

Have to say though, I'm not used to cycling in a group so my first reaction when a car was coming was to slow and let them by.

cyclopath2001

Crippens wrote: »

A few months ago on the way to work I was riding in the hard shoulder on the N81 as I approached the Tallaght vilage x-roads. A Garda car squeezed by and a guard in the back seat put his head out the window and shouted that I neeed to cycle closer to the side of the road!

He was legally in the wrong. The broken yellow line indicates the side of the roadway so you could have moved out to to the right of that line. It's technically illegal to cycle on the hard shoulder.

pburns

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

10 cyclists strung out in a line is very dangerous. Driver's perceive that they have a better chance of overtaking, even though it is obviously going to take longer. What inevitably ends up happening (you see it a lot on spins) is a driver goes to overtake, ends up going quite close, car comes the other way, driver pulls in dangerously between the pack, etc.

Cycling abreast means that drivers don't take as big a risk, they wait for the right time to overtake like they would any slow moving traffic and are able to do it quicker because the riders are in a more compact arrangement.

The number of times I have seen cars weaving in and out of riders in single file, going around bends, is truly unbelievable.

Safety first, I wouldn't call self preservation a "chip on ones shoulder" pburns.

Sorry for spoiling your thread Raam.

OK, I can see your point, especially when cycling in a big group.

DirkVoodoo

pburns wrote: »

OK, I can see your point, especially when cycling in a big group.

I'm not actually an asshole out to block cars, I just put safety first for myself and the group (well, I try).

For example, on saturday after myself, kenmc and decrrr left Donal and Nietz-sh-chihuahua (spelling eludes me) to head on toward Laragh, we went along a very narrow road, literally a car's width.

A car came up behind and very patiently waited until we found a suitable driveway to pull into and beeped his appreciation as he drove off (I hope it was appreciation).

Raam

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

He was legally in the wrong. The broken yellow line indicates the side of the roadway so you could have moved out to to the right of that line. It's technically illegal to cycle on the hard shoulder.

For real? The ROTR advises it.
http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/traffic-signs-road-markings/road-markings.html

A single broken yellow line along the side of the road This road contains a hard shoulder, which is normally only for pedestrians and cyclists.