A massive slew of roadies all bunched up riding four abreast on a narrow A road near the robin hood pub on the way to Ladybower.

I'm all for a bit of parallel riding on an empty or quiet road for a chat, but when it's one of the main roads and traffic is backed up for some distance my two wheeled solidarity tends to go out the window (along with a bottle of p155 if my wife had been allowed to have her way). It just gives us all a bad name.

Any idea who they were? I think the jerseys said Sheffield but a quick google hasn't come up with a team with same colour kit.

I'd just like to email them and suggest that they learn to look behind them or at least realise that the TDF is on closed roads and so emulating it in busy summer sunday traffic is not really a smart idea.

Four abreast 😯 charidee ride?

😯 Yeah I know!

I couldn't belive it, all decked out in team colours with nice bikes and yet no basic grasp of road protocol, or the law for that matter.

As I said it's one thing on a quiet back road but when you're risking being on the UK travel news due to your stupidity it's quite another.

Hmm, no Sheffield clubs i can think of in lime green – Rutland CC are blue and yellow, Sheffrec are blue and white, Phoenix are black and red.

I'm only curious because my last clubs team kit was Lime green. Wasn't them though.

Not a roadie by any stretch of the imagination (never even ridden a road bike) but presumably even 4 abreast they're not crossing the white line. So what's the problem? If it was a lorry that held you up you wouldn't be here complaining.

Or are you one of those people that thinks it's acceptable to pass a bike on the road without overtaking properly, preferring instead to squeeze past in the 4 feet of space between them, the middle of the road, and oncoming cars?

I'm very certain there is a Sheffield club that wears lime and white, you notice these little things when you've raced in the same colours.

Flaperon – Member

Not a roadie by any stretch of the imagination (never even ridden a road bike) but presumably even 4 abreast they're not crossing the white line. So what's the problem?

Because the highway code says ride 2 abreast, and remember to let traffic pass where it is suitable? 🙄

Have you checked Triathlon clubs ??

I'm thinking of Ashfield RC, the old brain takes a while to warm up these days.

This lot?

http://www.ashfieldrc.co.uk/gallery.php?album=/gallery/2009 – Matlock Hill Climbs/

Have you checked Triathlon clubs ??

Unless they were constantly falling off I'd discount that theory.

Cheers NBT,

yes you are right if I was held up by a truck I wouldn't be on here complaining as a truck is a single unit and therefore by it's tangible nature has no option but to retain its three dimensional space. If it was two trucks side by side I'd be equally peaved.

Or are you one of those people that thinks it's acceptable to pass a bike on the road without overtaking properly, preferring instead to squeeze past in the 4 feet of space between them, the middle of the road, and oncoming cars?

No I am one of those people who doesn't drive up the wrong side of a narrow country road round bends and blind corners in the name of overtaking. I slow down behind them until it is safe to pass.

When the cause of the slow carriage is someone or a group of people causing an unnecsary obstruction then that's a pretty poor show in IMO.

Are you one of those people that put their foot down and overtakes whole groups of cars and comes round blind bends on the wrong side of the road? If so sorry as I'm one of thsoe annoying types that chugs along obeying the speed limit and looking for safe passing places. Sorry to have held you up.

Yeah that was them, Ashfield.

Thanks all.

Sorry for being a grump Flaperon. I just get peaved at trying to be an example of good practise on my own and then coming accross whole groups doing their best to give us a bad name.

Or are you one of those people that thinks it's acceptable to pass a bike on the road without overtaking properly

Wasn't there some mention of the correct procedure on here a while back?

I for one am often more than happy under certain circumstances to give a cyclist something approaching 3 feet of space as I pass without crossing the central white line..

So what's the problem? If it was a lorry that held you up you wouldn't be here complaining.

There's militant cycling and then there's fundamentalism and extremism.. not really doing the cyclists cause any favours at all..

Careful, I objected to a group once in the Surrey Hills. My objection was mainly against the haphazard weaving let alone the bunched nature and right conversation with them followed after a couple of them had stuck fingers up and made ****-signs. So I stopped and asked if it was necessary considering their riding. A number of them them actually offered me out.

(A number of reasons stopped me from doing this; A groups word against one lone-driver. I'd just finished a ride and didnt want the chilled feeling sullied. etc).

At no point did I use aggressive or threatening language. I was some sort of target for their pent up frustration probably. 'A driver'.

I took it as a London city-banker road riding club (or similar).

If you beep- even a slight beep they'll act like a bunch of spoilt-immature children. Pity, not all roadies are like this.

Pendle Forest?

catch 22 i think for large groups on the road

go 2 a breast (oo er) or a long single file and vehicles will try to pass but then will force way back in if can't complete

not sure location but if where think you mean thats a fast downhill section and quite narrow for an A road and passing a long stream of cyclists would be hard, maybe patience would be best – maybe even more so if looked inexperienced

maybe we should have a vote "should off road cyclists on way to ride have absolute priority over cyclists on the road?"

Cardiff Jif ride in lime green and fluo pink. Yes, really.

antigee- see your catch22. In that case they should seek Police protection/cover surely?

I ride in large single file groups all the time, I'll happily ride alongside a car, be overtaken or have one cut in next to me.

It was on an uphill, but just after a downhill however that should make little difference. If you are riding on the road then ride safely. It's a no brainer.

I'm all for being patient and chuging behind them, I just would like to be met halfway by cyclists acting sensibly.

I don't want to cause a war here, I was just very suprised that a kitted out club would act this way although Hora's post has given me an insight into the fact that just cos someone has a bike that does not make them still a t0sser ( the club not Hora that is).

Guess I was a bit nieve.

In that case they should seek Police protection/cover surely?

or not ride on the road at all

or have the highway code better reflect input from minority/vulnerable user road groups and vehicle road users have some respect for cyclists and pedestrians

Now call me old fashioned but I tend to think that an experienced road cycling group – team colours – are in a better position to decide how to maintain their own safety from car drivers than a MTB on their way home from the trail. I would rather anger/delay a driver than have the fool overtake me inappropriately and then swerve in at me risking my life and those of the group.

If traffic is overtaking, then the cyclists should be leaving gaps. I know this goes against everything roadies stand for, but they're wrong about that.

If they're four abreast, just run the outer two over, it'll soon sort them out.

There's some tools on here! A cyclist calls a group of cyclists on riding like dicks – which it sounds like they were being, and there's always someone foaming at the mouth that he's in the wrong. If a fellow cyclist thinks riding four abreast was wrong and held up traffic, then it wouldn't be doing much for the general public's perception

RichCC, thank you.

Junkyard,

So if you came across a group of teenagers on BMXs riding spread out across the road would you opinion be the same or what about a load of tourists pootling along ignoring traffic and weaving accross the lanes?

Cyclists are cyclists team kit doesn't give them exception to break the law or be inconsiderate anymore that an MTBer wandering onto private land just because there are some nice trails on it.

To be honest I wasn't on my home from a ride I was taking the kids for a hike and my view is that of a dissenchanted keen cyclist there were plenty of people swearing and hooting who will probabaly be tarring all cyclists with the same brsuh now and that is my point. I just held back behind them and then drove past where it was safe.

So. if a large/wide-load has to drive slowly through winding roads it would have support vehicles no?

Why is it different for a large organised road ride?

Surely even if its not a legal requirement you should have support vehicles or notify the authorities/Police?

Otherwise you are going to get frustrated and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

Can I get one thing clear? Im not a 'motorist' and I am not a 'cyclist'.
Im a human being. Thanks.

Junkyard – I think you might be missing something here. Riding four abreast and pissing off a lot of motorists is much more likely to provoke them into driving more dangerously and therefore put the cyclist at greater risk.

Chances are they weren't riding like that for safety reasons, more likely they are just a bunch of selfish wan*ers.

matt doee this help answer your question?
but I tend to think that an experienced road cycling group – team colours – are in a better position to decide how to maintain their own safety from car drivers
When I cycle I do what is safest for me rather than what is quickest for a car. Even on a dedicated cycling forum people still favour the car is king approach so if it is my safety versus their need for speed their is only one outcome. Perhaps they were being c0cks but I assume this means delaying a car when they could have taken more risks with their own safety to help the nice car drivers[ who always think of our safety and well being] get their quicker?
Perhaps they were four abreast to take up less space as two abreast still blocks the road but it also gives a longer train?
PS mat my dig was at road/keyboard warrior Hora not you.

more likely they are just a bunch of selfish wan*ers.

as I said two abreast still blocks the road.

more likely to provoke them into driving more dangerously and therefore put the cyclist at greater risk

It passes that danger to the car though as they have to have enough space to overtake the whole chain and they realise how foolish/dangerous this is. Weaving into the chain is only dangerous for the cyclist
As I was not there I have no idea whwether I would have done it or not but I am sure my safety comes before the need for a car driver to drive quickly.
For sure a lot more understanding on both sides would be the best solution.

there would be people gesturing and hooting irrespective of the cyclists behaviour i suspect

here is what the ctc submitted to DfT when Highway Code was last revised
makes much more sense than the "rigid 2 a breast max"

63 / 19:
Cycling single file Third bullet point, reword as follows: “Whether riding alone or in a group, you should allow other drivers to overtake so long as it is safe for them to do so.” There are circumstances when riding single-file is advisable, however at other times riding as a pack is beneficial for cyclists’ safety. For instance, groups often ride as a pack on narrow lanes for their own safety, to deter drivers from overtaking dangerously. The police have advised horse riders to ride two abreast where it is in their interests to restrict the actions of others. This advice is appropriate for cyclists too. We feel it is simpler to spell out a general rule about not unjustifiably preventing drivers from overtaking, rather than stipulating the number of cyclists who can ride alongside one another – any such rule is bound to be inappropriate in some situations.

but I tend to think that an experienced road cycling group – team colours – are in a better position to decide how to maintain their own safety from car drivers

You'd have thought so, but I stopped riding with a road club years ago because the opposite seemed to be true.

I'll happily ride alongside a car, be overtaken or have one cut in next to me.

The first part of that would depend on the width of the road, the bit in bold is bloody dangerous and I for one would certainly not be happy.

We don't know the full facts but chances are riding two abreast drivers would try to pass without leaving enough room anyway and then force their way into the middle of the cyclists when faced with on coming traffic.

Paulrockcliffe mentions leaving gaps which is fair enough but drivers should leave gaps when they can't/won't overtake the caravan/slow mover in front but I've never seen that happen either.

I stopped road riding years ago as I was sick of men telling me that they were right and there was no such thing as opinion.

Given that pretty much every time I go out on the road bike, someone tries to kill me, I'd suggest that the balance of bad behaviour on roads falls at the door of inconsiderate, brain-dead motorists. I know that this is primarily a car forum and about driving sporty, high-performance, diesel turbo estates as fast as possible, but I think it's not unreasonable to make some allowances for cyclists who stumble onto here by mistake.