TJ – that almost reads like I was right and you were wrong. I’ll get my specs on and have another look…. 😉

Only ‘cos they changed the rules

Update*

Found this
“According to CTC’s Roger Geffen, there used to be an element of doubt about whether or not lane splitting was contrary to the UK Highway Code and hence whether cyclists who did it could potentially be prosecuted for a general offence such as “careless” or “inconsiderate” cycling. But this has now been cleared up in the latest version of the Highway Code.

The old Highway Code (1998 version) had two rules which, in different ways, told drivers not to change lanes to overtake on the left. The old Rule 129 (which was about driving in slow-moving traffic) said:

129. You should

• […]

• not change lanes to the left to overtake
And old rule 139 (which was about overtaking) said:
139. Overtake only when it is safe to do so. You should

• […]

• only overtake on the left if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right, and there is room to do so

• stay in your lane if traffic is moving slowly in queues. If the queue on your right is moving more slowly than you are, you may pass on the left
The problem was that it was never really clear how this last bullet-point applied to a cyclist. The traffic on his/her right might be moving more slowly, but the cyclist him/herself wouldn’t be moving slowly in a queue, nor was there a lane that they should stay in (unless there was a marked cycle lane).

The new Highway Code has cleared up the uncertainty. Old rule 129 has been replaced by new rule 151, which has a new bullet-point on the end:
151 In slow-moving traffic. You should

• […]

• be aware of cyclists and motorcyclists who may be passing on either side
So cyclists and motorcyclists overtaking slow-moving traffic on either the left or the right can now say that this is sanctioned by the Highway Code, as it alerts drivers to both possibilities. “

From http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

Still not 100% clear tho

National cycling training stuff has a section on how to filter safely but I can find no definition

What Druidh says
If the road is too narrow for vehicles to overtake safely get out into the road so they can’t. Make obvious eye contact with the driver – stare right at them. Shout at them to alert tehm to your prescence. Sit up and stick your elbows out to look wider and if a vehicle pulls in while still alongside slap the side of it with the flat of your hand – it does no damage but makes one heck of a noise. Often makes them move away from you again. If the vehicle is close enough you can touch it it is too close.

When I am being overtaken I move out slightly before they overtake so if they come too close I have room to move in again.

Make sure you have an escape route at all times.

Defensive riding – ride as if everyone is out to kill you and are going to do the most stupid thing possible – that way you are never disappointed.

Above all else don’t get wound up – don’t let it spoil your day and if possible make sure it spoils their day more than yours. A nice cheery wave as you overtake them in the next jam, a interesting line in insults (thrombus) being my favorite

Really good advice but unfortunately nothing there prepares you for some of Bristol’s finest Bus drivers.

I needed to turn right into mud dock, turned, bus about 50 yards back, signalled and started to slow in the middle of the road, looked back again and saw the female bus driver waving her fist and heard the bus accelerate, with about 20 yards to impact I gestured and mouthed ‘slow the **** down’ – still accelerating and gesturing back. I ended up dropping the bike to the ground and dragging it along the ground as I ran to the pavement to get clear of this psycho!

Jesus!

I have always thought that it was OK to slowly filter on the inside of traffic that is stationary. I always lookout for people who are either going to turn left, or move into my path.
At the roundabout in question there was about 20 cars waiting to join the roundabout, with perhaps 1 car every 10 secs actually joining.
When i filter up the inside, I always stop a couple of cars back from the roundabout/traffic lights etc. in case the situation changes and the cars at the front need to move and wish to turn left.

tootall, this area does seem to be full of ‘special’ people!

stuf defensive cycling, go for offensive cycling!

stick to the outer third of the lane untill your up to speed, then pull back over, stops car drivers buyylying their way past as you pull away from lights. Same applies between closely spaced roundabouts/junctions. If your in the middle of the road theres no chance of them running you over without seeing you first.

And if someone does something stupid follow them, best aerobic workout is chaseing down some school run idiot who just couldnt wait for you to get past before she pulled out of the rugby club gates mid way between picking up johny from his game and dropping jemmima at her piano lesson.

thisisnotaspoon…….not sure I agree with the whole cycle in the middle of the road thing. That is what half of the students at cambridge do and it gets very annoying stuck behind them while the accelerate their knackered shopping bikes up to speed.

As for chasing after people…..I used to do that in London…..but when you are on an NSL road and the nearest place they are likely to slow down at is 4 miles away…..it’s kinda pointless.

TandemJeremy – Member

The new Highway Code has cleared up the uncertainty. Old rule 129 has been replaced by new rule 151, which has a new bullet-point on the end:
151 In slow-moving traffic. You should

• […]

• be aware of cyclists and motorcyclists who may be passing on either side
So cyclists and motorcyclists overtaking slow-moving traffic on either the left or the right can now say that this is sanctioned by the Highway Code, as it alerts drivers to both possibilities. “

From http://www.bikeforall.net/content/cycling_and_the_law.php

LOL – you’re pushing it now 😀 Being aware of someone making a manoeuvre doesn’t make it suddenly legal for them to do so.

thisisnotaspoon – Member

stuf defensive cycling, go for offensive cycling!

stick to the outer third of the lane untill your up to speed, then pull back over, stops car drivers buyylying their way past as you pull away from lights.

ASLs actively encourage you to do this by taking up the whole width of the carriageway.

Correct Druidh – was it not clear I was quoting someone elses opinion and I did state – “still not clear tho”

It would appear to me if huckled by the polis you would have a defence to make but I wouldn’t like to bet on it.

I wonder how you are supposed to get to the ASLs that have 20 yds of cycle lanne before them?

I stick to the principle of doing whatever is safest for me. Lane splitting, left filtering, right overtaking. Almost always slowly and carefull watching the drivers and their passengers like a hawk and expecting that they will do the most dangerous and stupid thing possible

TJ – make the vid!

I miss cycling in Edinburgh, I did enjoy it more than my current commute, especially seeing drivers faces as you cruised home past them stuck in traffic.

My commute is now from Fife to Heriot-Watt and a couple of the sections of road get a bit hairy. The other day it was a nurse trying to kill me to then park 2 metres up the road.

A couple of years ago I slapped the side of a 4×4 that was trying to cut across the front of me rather than using the filter lane to my left that was traffic free. I presume, (as there was no way he had time to drive up to the next junction to turn) the driver then reversed out of the junction (the Calder Road roundabout that goes up to Wester Hailes)back onto teh roundabout to chase me down the road. He forced me off the road at a bus stop and jumped out to start screaming at me to “touch my car again, go on!”. I was young naive and was turning my underwear brown at teh time so didn’t think to take his reg and report him – phew! I think I’ve needed to get that off my chest for quite some time!

Think I’m going to attach a wee bit of plastic and a small chinagraph pencil to my bars for taking down car reg’s and bus numbers.

not read all the posts but yes, all rides are like that if you ride defensively or not. Nope, I don’t notice quite as many idiots when i’m in the car so it’s clear people treat cyclists a lot worse than car drivers (probably because there’s a much greater chance of you being able to catch them).

I used to get very angry with even the smallest mis-demeanour and would chase people down, bang on their windows, kick cars, lift windscreen wipers up, scream through open windows etc. etc. One night a little hard looking bugger got in an argument with me and pointed out that sooner or later someone was going to drive over me and that opened my eyes a bit. I’m calmed down a huge amount now but will still have a go at people who I think are being very silly/inept. I try and explain things calmy now rather than ranting and getting aggresive.

I just never seem to have these problems. I might have a small issue when I’m going faster than the average motorist would expect a cyclist to be going. But that’s about it.
I never undercut not worth it. And I always ‘cover’it when approaching someone that looks a little confused. And I overtake early, rather than pull out when I get to the obstruction as that means you take up more road.
I gave up confrontation years ago, but I still pull up next to the car at lights etc fully clipped in whilst supporting myself on their cars roof.

And the best one of all, I mean it. Regular gobbing or clearing your nose into the road. They don’t mind killing a cyclist but would die themselves if they got flob on their cars.

Stumpy – try riding through the middle of Stamford on a Saturday – down the hill across Scotgate then through town and over the bridge. It is an EXTREEEM thrill only for the rad and gnarly – and several dozen pedestrians who will do their damndest to not see you. Then there will be the motorists.

Stick with it, you’ll have good days and bad days the same as anything else. My parents live round that area and every time I go back there it seems that there are tonnes of really quiet roads with very little traffic, so perhaps picking your routes to go a bit more off the beaten track would result in a more pleasant ride. Perhaps joining a local cycling club would be good support?

Thanks for putting the effort in to clear that up TJ – appreciated. Think I’ll have to get me a copy of the latest HC printed out.

oldgit – Never touch someones car – there’s just no need and it’s bound to make the driver angry. I personally would find it very annoying. I dont have a problem hanging onto the tail of a wagon while at lights as they generally are not easily damaged and trailers are company owned but a private car it’s just asking for trouble (not to mention rude).

wonder how you are supposed to get to the ASLs that have 20 yds of cycle lanne before them?

That would count as your lane being clear though wouldn’t it? a bit like when you get a left turn only that is empty.

Coffeking – as Druidh and I both said I don’t think it actually does clear it up altho the CTC legal bod thinks it does. Still open to interpretation

Oldgit – do you ride in urban rush hour? How on earth do you manage in treaffic jams if you don’t filter? There is a stretch of a couple of miles in Edinburgh (queensferry rd)that is total nose to tail in rush hour – it takes about 30-40 mins to get thru in a car. If you filter on the right there are right turn filter lanes that you get cars jumping into without signalling and before the lane actually starts so the right is IMO the most dangerous, the middle of the two lanes is the safest place and if you don’t filter then you lose about 1/2 an hour

Owen – but the cars are stacked up for 40 yds so you are not in a lane on the left 40 yds before teh junction

“oldgit – Never touch someones car – there’s just no need and it’s bound to make the driver angry. I personally would find it very annoying. I dont have a problem hanging onto the tail of a wagon while at lights as they generally are not easily damaged and trailers are company owned but a private car it’s just asking for trouble (not to mention rude)”

Saved for the occasions when the motorist knows they’ve put me at real risk, and yes it is rude to touch someone car that’s the point! when they’ve just missed touching you with their’s.

Never touch someones car – there’s just no need and it’s bound to make the driver angry.

Disagree that one shouldn’t do this. You’re right in that people get so very precious about their tin boxes (which is why the country’s clogged up with people driving to the corner shop), but just because it annoys them or makes them angry is insufficient reason not to attract their attention to their dangerous driving.

I haven’t hit many cars, not least because I consider it an action of last resort, but those I have i have felt entirely justified in doing so. Only one person has threatened (to shoot) me as a result. The last one, I very calmly told the driver that she was lucky I was an experienced cyclist as she would probably have killed someone less experienced (and then gave her the guilt trip about how awful she’d feel if one of her kids didn’t return hom because someone had lazily crushed them into a wall with their car – seemed to do the trick).

TJ
My commutes were;
Hemel Hempstead to Staples Corner (N London)
London to St Albans.
North London to Lecester Square.
Well I guess and just as bad, I’d overtake and if anything was turning right I’d slow up or pull in behind them.
undertaking in rush hours a big no no, Police cars and commuter being droped off are the two biggest problems i.e sudden lane changes and opening doors.
I don’t commute any more though as I need my car for work.

Thing is oldgit – on that stretch of road many times I have seen a car pull onto the wrong side of the road suddenly in anticipation of getting into the turn right filter lane which is an extra lane in the middle of the road – going down the outside of the lines of traffic on that one is deffo the most dangerous and to do so you would be crossing a double white line in places.

Owen – but the cars are stacked up for 40 yds so you are not in a lane on the left 40 yds before teh junction

When this happens to me i go on the right till the lane is there then cut through to the left.

Thing is oldgit – on that stretch of road many times I have seen a car pull onto the wrong side of the road suddenly in anticipation of getting into the turn right filter lane which is an extra lane in the middle of the road – going down the outside of the lines of traffic on that one is deffo the most dangerous and to do so you would be crossing a double white line in places

If they pull out and hit you with out indicating or looking then they are in the wrong Where as you would be in the wrong if you were going up the inside. When i am filltering past on th eright and there are right turns up ahead i ride slow and try to second guess what they will be doing.

Never touch someones car – there’s just no need and it’s bound to make the driver angry.

Disagree that one shouldn’t do this. You’re right in that people get so very precious about their tin boxes (which is why the country’s clogged up with people driving to the corner shop), but just because it annoys them or makes them angry is insufficient reason not to attract their attention to their dangerous driving.

Did you every see the fiat (i think) add where the cyclist kept leaning on the car at the lights and the drive got so upset he just backed up at the last second on the final set causing the cyclist to fall over

I had an egg chucked at me from a moving car last summer while going quite fast on an A road. I got the reg plate and told the police who were really good in following it up and keeping in touch with me over it. Car was registered in Gloucester, and the driver was not the owner which made it a bit more complex. Hopefully he got a telling off via his dad, who the police did talk to.

It was treated seriously – stuff like this is not insignificant and I’d tell the police in the future with incidents like this.

whereas when I had some stinging liquid that smelt a bit like petrol sprayed over me from a moving car and had the reg the police pretty much shrugged their shoulders and said without a witness there wasn;t much they could do.

I think this is psrt of the reason different people have different experiences. Different areas of the country do seem to have quite differening attitudes to cyclists. Here in Lancashire it’s absolutely appalling IME whereas when I’ve ridden in Brimingham, even in the city people seemed fairly relaxed and courteous.

TJ
It worked for me for years. I just don’t ride like I’m entitled to be there because the average driver clearly thinks your not.
I have been hit. I was knocked out cold from behind and that was a country road and I’ve been over the roof of a car on the A41 because the driver turning in front of me was blinded by the sun.
But generally the combination of wits and good brakes have always helped.
And good luck I suppose.

I prefer to ride like an idiot making sure everyone around you knows there is a “crazy cyclist” and they will stay well clear. You must be prepared for the stupidest things to occur and take action to avoid them my two favourite are women pushin prams half into the road while waiting to cross solution; appear out of control and skid like a 10year old.
bus drivers are the enemy of every other form of transport ; kick the bus , bang on the windows and my personal favourite after the closest ive come to death, get in front lie your bike down in the middle of the road and attempt to kill the bus driver who is to scared to get out of his cabin. it is after all self defence your honour.

Olgit – its clear you are thinking about what you are doing and making good decisions. I wasn’t really criticising you – just pointing out that IMO sometimes between rows of cars or on the inside seems safer. I use any of the three possibilities depending which I think is the safest – which depends on the road layout.

Safe commuting

I have to say here the buses are not bad – I often have them giving way to let me out of junctions or hanging back to let me pull out. School ruin mums are the worst IME

annabanana & samuri it is good that you followed it up. Even if you did have fairly different outcomes.

Next time I will definitely get reg no, but yesterday by the time I realised what had happened, the car was well past me and I coul just see the smug smiling cow looking at me out of the back window.

Her indoors is training for the police, so hopefully if I did need to report something like that, it would be dealt with! 🙂