overtaking ettiquette

memorex

Over the last year or so of cycle commuting I've seen a couple of different styles of overtaking by cyclists. I was wondering what your thoughts on this matter are... Personally I like to get as much as I can out of my commute and try and keep my speed over 20mph. I'm lucky to commute on the N11 where this is possible.

So my thoughts... when I am doing the overtaking I'll definitely drop slow cyclists, and they generally seem happy to be dropped.

Medium speed cyclists seem to fall into two categories: those that don't mind being dropped and those that do. The latter seem to take it as some form of challenge (or insult?) that they've been overtaken and will immediately increase their speed, trying to slipstream or simply reovertake. This can be pretty annoying or sometimes a bit of fun...

Fast cyclists (i.e. those close to my own speed, and those going really fast) I generally leave alone. My philosophy is that if I can't drop the cyclist I won't overtake, instead I'll probably just hang back a respectable distance behind them and just keep up.... I think in a commuting perspective its pretty rude to accelerate just enough to overtake a cyclist, not having the speed to actually drop them, and instead just manage to stay two feet ahead of them...

Of course this is all just a bit of fun, most of the time I don't pay attention to other cyclists. Just today some fella overtook me as I was starting off from a set of lights (he had momentum I didn't). As I neared my cruising speed I overtook him - he was going probably 15mph. He took great umbrage at this and cycled after me agressively for at least another mile. Even just glancing at him he looked like a pretty agressive sort of person, so its was probably to be expected.

cheers,
-mem.

Downtime

Hilarious - i was just thinking about this earlier. Last night I was pedalling along at an average enough speed as I like to do. I know I have more speed in me and sometimes extert myself. Anyway I was behind this guy and we both got passed by another fella. Guy in front puts the pedal down and chases after him. Very unhappy. Anyway they both get stuck behind a bus as I over take the bus which made me laugh.


I guess if you are faster pass em out, if happy behind them stay there but dont look like a fool and chase after someone who passes you out.

memorex

Yeah, I'd say most cyclists on here have experienced some form of aggressive cycling. Personally I think this is crazy. Given that we are the underdogs on the road you'd think that fact would create more of a sense of community and mutual respect. But I guess the reality of it is different... Maybe I should join a cycling club.

rubadub

I also stick behind people if they are going just slightly slower than me. When I started cycling to work I went very slow, unfit and would sweat like a pig, took me 50-60mins, no I am doing it in 20-30mins. I remember an old man about 70 passing me on a rickety old triumph 20, thank christ I am fitter now!

I go on the N11 too. I got a new high geared freewheel recently, and I know the traffic light system well so can get up great speeds. I love passing out the guys in all the gear, spandex, glasses, the ones refusing to go on a cycle lane. There they are, going steady, and a fat bastard (me) on a mountain bike in jeans with buckled wheels and a big bag flies past them, they nearly always try to catch up again. I think they may be practicising for races, or just use me as a pace-maker. There is a guy/girl on a yellow moped on the N11 that I have passed out a few times. Aldi are selling cheap speedos now, I must get one.

What I hate is people cycling dead centre on cycle tracks or weaving along. I had a woman about 50 I was passing out, slowed down totally, went one side and back a few times, passing by I clipped her elbow, she started screaming!, we were so slow there was no chance of her falling off.

daymobrew

My grip is those that overtake me when I'm at lights. I stop at the line and these cyclists, who I've dropped earlier, park themselves in front of me. It forces me to drop them again, and again. Most annoying.

rubadub - Get a speedo. Quite motivating (I'm always trying to keep my average over 15mph - darn lights don't help) and it's great to see the odometer figures mounting up.

If I'm passed by someone I'll use them as a pace maker, if I can. Something to motivate me to push it.

Trojan

I generally cruise at 14-18mph, depending on wind. If I'm passed by someone going only a little quicker, I'll almost always try to catch up - not because I'm annoyed, but because I know that I'll be able to draft him at his speed for the same amount of energy at my lower speed. I particularly like doing this along the coast because of the wind Non hardcore cyclists start glancing around a lot when you draft them ("wtf?!")

I generally treat every cycle as a time trial, because I'm almost always late - a habit I need to break. My regular TT is East Point Bus. Park to Dun Laoghaire Marina, as I have to be on the boat by 6, and always leave after 5.15. That's fun

If you were along the coast before the Dart gates at Merrion yesterday 5.30ish, you may have seen me with my bike upside down, fixing a rear pinch flat...

Cabaal

I tend not to meet to many bikes on the cork road here in waterford but from time to time I do come across teenagers on BMX's and its hilarious when you overtake then and they try their best to catch up and overtake you

kjt

I usually cycle quite fast. lol @ rubadub and the old man passing you out.

I'd never get angry at somebody for overtaking me, it can be a little annoying if somebody passes you out and then is going far slower when they overtake you.

+ When I am overtaken I will almost always follow them as it motivates me and makes me go faster, I wont necessarily re-overtake them. I always like when I catch up to somebody and their going the same pace as me as it keeps me going fast and at that pace.

Umm gotta get back on my bike more often, Damn car is after making me lazy Grrr

Johnny Jukebox

LOL, gotta admit I look for a bit of racing on every commute, particularly on the way home which is uphill and with a shower at the end. Best of all are the bike couriers on the way home from work !

You can generally tell from the rider and bike if there will be a competitive response. Last couple of weeks have been good with the TDeF on the TV...

Downtime

daymobrew wrote:

My grip is those that overtake me when I'm at lights. I stop at the line and these cyclists, who I've dropped earlier, park themselves in front of me. It forces me to drop them again, and again. Most annoying.

Oh yes - how annoying is that - WTF are they thinking. Then you just have to pass em out again - pointless.

Downtime

rubadub wrote:

What I hate is people cycling dead centre on cycle tracks or weaving along. I had a woman about 50 I was passing out, slowed down totally, went one side and back a few times, passing by I clipped her elbow, she started screaming!, we were so slow there was no chance of her falling off.

I agree but on the flipside near the kerb is where all the sh1te is, I usually cycle towards the outside myself.

randomname2005

Downtime wrote:

I agree but on the flipside near the kerb is where all the sh1te is, I usually cycle towards the outside myself.

I would also stick to the outside for the same reason, but also because there is room on the left to move into when some halfwit driver tries to pass you out leaving 2 inches between you and their mirror.

I would be one of those cyclists the OP was talking about, but like JohnnyJukebok and kjt it helps motivate me to cycle faster. If i pass out someone who has passed me out (unless its at a traffic light - grrrrr) it is generally to reciprocate (sp?) the slip-stream!

R

FergusF

daymobrew wrote:

My grip is those that overtake me when I'm at lights. I stop at the line and these cyclists, who I've dropped earlier, park themselves in front of me. It forces me to drop them again, and again. Most annoying.

I find it even more annoying when I've passed someone, I have stopped at a red light and they come past me and sail through the lights! Then I need to pass them again a few minutes later. I stop at all red lights and only break the lights when it is safe, e.g. no other traffic around at all, these red light jumpers are not only annoying, they just reinforce the some motorists' image of cyclists as a lawless bunch of yobs.

rubadub

Downtime wrote:

I agree but on the flipside near the kerb is where all the sh1te is, I usually cycle towards the outside myself.

I have no problem with that, I change between cycling on the outside and inside of cycle tracks depending on driveways and quality of surface, but I always stick to one side or the other so people can pass me, if I cross sides I always look behind first.

I have stopped at a red light and they come past me and sail through the lights! Then I need to pass them again a few minutes later.

I don't break the lights but I know when they are going to turn. On the N11 I slow down on certain stretches knowing when I reach them they will be just green, at foxrock church I stop at the top of the hill and start again when I know the lights are just about to turn. Going into town there was one guy who kept passing me for weeks, again in all the gear, he would fly past me but be stuck at lights only to have me cruise on by in perfect timing for the green light.

Raam

was heading towards the city along the coast beside Bull Island, against a fairly strong head wind. I was doing about 25kph. A lad comes down the Watermill Road (leads onto Bull Island causeway) with momentum and with the lights in his favour, he slips in behind me on the cycle track. Obviously not aware of the headwind, he get's "tired" of my slow speed and overtakes me only to slow down to less than 20kph within a few hundred meters once the wind got him. It was annoying because I didn't want to be one of those people who has to try and overtake the person who has just overtaken them, but he slowed down so much that I had no choice. Well, no choice other than to slow down, which I didn't want to do!

FergusF

rubadub wrote:

I don't break the lights but I know when they are going to turn. On the N11 I slow down on certain stretches knowing when I reach them they will be just green, at foxrock church I stop at the top of the hill and start again when I know the lights are just about to turn. Going into town there was one guy who kept passing me for weeks, again in all the gear, he would fly past me but be stuck at lights only to have me cruise on by in perfect timing for the green light.

I meant ppl who sail through the red lights. Yeah I hear ya it is a great feeling when you have the timing right and don't need to stop, it is all about momentum on a bike isn't it?

uberwolf

if someones drafting me I'll always flick a hand out to gesture at potholes that I'll be skirting by, just to give them the opp to get out of the way of them with reduced visibility. A habit I picked up in the 'peleton'.

Gavin

Ah yeah I was cycling home through Ranelagh, Clonskeagh behind a geezer a few months ago and he was doing this for me, very considerate.

I like having a race on the way home, although sometimes I do take it a bit too far. I need to calm down a bit sometime. The stopping at traffic lights and slow ****er overtaking you is intensely irritating though.

One of my mates has rules on winning these impromptu road races.

1. If they go through a red light, when you haven't, they lose.
2. If they are wearing all the gear and you aren't, they lose.
3. If they are on a racer and you're on a mountain bike, they lose.

And so on. Obviously these rules are flexible. I mean if you are on a mountain bike and beat a racer, you are far superior.

Gav

air

I'm cycling to Ennis from Limerick a few days a week atm (about 34km) on a mountain bike with road tires. Theres one or two lads that head in the same direction as me on road bikes with all the gear and they pass me with about 2km/h advantage over me (I usually average 27-33km/h depending on wind).
Just this morning one of them passed me about half way & I kept him reasonably close for about 6k more, a great spinning session.
If I invested in a roadie I'd probably pass them but then again they could be on much longer runs than me.

All in all though, I'd be against all this passing / repassing ****e but it's great motivation to spin it up a bit when someone goes past.

Civilian_Target

Yeah - hear hear.
I'd usually be a medium speed urban cyclist - I have no speedo, but I'd hazard a guess at about 20km/h since Ranelagh->Mulhuddart takes about an hour. Always ignore people behind me, completely and totally, just stick on the middle of the cycle lane and let them figure their own way past. If someone goes for the pass on me, I'd generally slow a little, and then follow them as closely as I can until I run out of steam, after all, its a bit of a motivator, isn't it.
Only downside is that my cheap MTB tends to vibrate really disturbingly at about 30-35km/h...