Ride 2 or 3 abreast, even when road is narrow?

Because the sight of another roadie's posterior makes them go all hard in the Assos department.

If the road is narrow it's more likely that a car will try and squeeze through even if there isn't really room, so ride 2 abreast to make sure they don't.

So they all get that perfectly even tan line

😀

If you're in a group, it's safer.

If riding in a long line, a car may try to overtake but not pass the whole group before a car comes the other way. Where's the car going to go?

miketually – Member
If you're in a group, it's safer.

If riding in a long line, a car may try to overtake but not pass the whole group before a car comes the other way. Where's the car going to go?

It'll sit behind you for a long time, getting more and more angry and the bl00dy cyclists hogging the whole bl00dy road and then scream past you in a fit of rage cutting rapidly in front, taking out your front wheel etc. etc. etc.

Same reason I would ride the same road just to the left of the crown at a guess – it makes you more obvious and makes a car driver have to think about getting around you rather than trying to drive over you.
Having said that riding in a bunch two abreast you should always be prepared to single out when it is safe for a car to pass.

Its exactly the same reason incidentally that advises Moped riders not to ride in the gutter in the highway code – same principle riding defensively and ensuring that you are seen.

Sadly it can also be caused by bloody minded arrogance but that is hopefully not common

Because it's often safer. If the road is too narrow to allow two cars and one cyclist abreast, then what's the loss?

riding close to the centre of the lane/crown approaching a left hand bend is also a sensible practise if conditions allow as it will give better visibility through the bend

A vexing issue without a doubt. Pure roadies I know insist on doing it and over the course of a 50-80 mile ride will always get hooted at by some oaf even though they move in if it is narrow (eg a single width country lane). They do it so they can chat and for no other reason.

Personally I thinks it suicidal madness on all but the quietest roads and even then I always move accros as soon as a car comes but if you dont ever go on the outside you get described as unfriendly etc.

I prefer to ride through and off.

Just to make you late getting to the trail centre car park and eating into your valuable faffing time with other IT middle managers.

😀

Today's incident was narrow country road, but stll with white line. They were coming towards me overtaking a parked car, one on my side of road!

Is it because although you are in a car, you don't actually own the road?

'It makes me angry'…. that would be your problem then.

And where are you going that's soooooooooooooo important that you have to drive there completely unimpeded?

As the Dalai Lama once said " If you wanted to get there quicker, you should have set off earlier".

Because you can.

I do it as i know it confuses MTBers

why do drivers slow down for horses but do 70mph 2 inches from cyclists?

crikey, it's not about a car being more important or any such pathetic Dalai Llama claptrap. Cars go faster than bikes. Let them overtake. As mentioned above, it's fine to ride along chatting on a quiet country road, but don't ride like a tw@ and hog the road when there's traffic around.

Trouble is it's inconsiderate and makes motorists hate cyclists even more. Stupid really as many don't wear helmets and are built like 12 year olds so aren't best placed to take a fall.

Trouble is it's inconsiderate and makes motorists hate cyclists even more.

My point exactly, and far better made than my current beer induced state would allo!

bikes are traffic though.
cars and their drivers are not more important than bikes they have to share the road with every other form of traffic.

why do drivers slow down for horses but do 70mph 2 inches from cyclists?

Probably because a Trek Madone doesn't get spooked by loud noises, resulting in it completely flipping and galloping head on into the bus approaching from the opposite direction.

Seriously, I accept your point, but I would take more time and effort to pass slowly (and quietly) a horse and rider than a cyclist, who I would try to give as much room as I can also. 😉

Flash, he didn't really say it you know.

It's the arrogance that pisses me off; cars are one part of the things on the road, they don't have any special rights, they don't have any special need to travel asfastastheycantotheplacetheyaregoingwithoutanyonedaringtogetintheirway.

As above, no-one moans about horses, no-one moans about milk floats, but cyclists? **** me, they slowed me down by 15 seconds, burn them all…

backhander – Member

Trouble is it's inconsiderate and makes motorists hate cyclists even more. Stupid really as many don't wear helmets and are built like 12 year olds so aren't best placed to take a fall. ]
I dont have a source but i read a study in which cars gave bikers with no helmets more space as they are considered to be less safe and less predictable by the driver.

By riding two abreast the cyclists are trying to protect themselves from people who feel superior in their two tonne metal boxes. Drivers need to change their attitudes in a big way.

Jeez even on a biking forum bikers are getting slayed for using the road.

+1 @ Jedi

To become the 3rd most annoying thing on the roads after JCB's & caravans?

I think the point isn't that mototists are held up by cyclists as such, I'll happily wait for a safe place to overtake a rider for as long as it takes. I think it's a bit galling when there are riders 2 abreast, chatting away with no thought for other road users at all and I'm a cyclist myself, imagine how het up white van man gets!
Motorists attitudes have to change for sure, but I think some cyclists attitudes have to change too.

@flash

So, how close do you think is reasonable to pass a cyclist on a country road whilst travelling at 30-40 mph?

Would you pass the same cyclist with a car coming the opposite direction?

2 abreast is ok for horses and bikes

So they were overtaking a parked car on a road with a centre line. to be safe the cyclist nearest the car should have been at least 3 foot clear of the car in case the door opened whihc would probably have put both of them on the other side of the road. If only one of them was then one of the following scenarios could have been happening

a) they were giving you space to approach
b) the cyclist on the outside was not confident enough to move far enough out to give his mate space.
c) you should have been waiting for them to negotiate the obstacle as they had already started the manouvre when you approached
d) live and let live just be aware that cyclist and motorcyclists will often use as much of the road as they feel they need to be safe.

not an exhaustive list by any stretch and there is of course the fact that the bloke on the bike could have been a bit of a nob too

i do it for the attention 😉

I'd rather be annoying and seen than in the gutter and overlooked.

+1 druidh

SMIDSY accidents shouldn't in theory happen if the cyclist/motorcyclist has done everything possible to be seen

High Viz not an option?

Do they do BMWs in High Viz Yellow?

Cars don't move out of the way when they hold me up on my bike, selfish *****.

2 years ago an X5 overtook me round a blind left hand bend, he was quite close, and fast.

not a scary encounter, but enough to make me curse.

200 metres later he braked hard and screechey to avoid hitting a pheasant!

why do drivers slow down for horses but do 70mph 2 inches from cyclists?

Horses are beautiful animals that'd leave a hell of a dent in your car. Roadies are lycra'd weirdo's that'd leave a wee scuff at best. Braaappp!

Unless they have a key to hand eh?

+1 Backhander
Both groups have to change their ideas and accept we share the roads.