[Closed] Is it illegal to ride two abreast?

Sorry to resurrect this one but two numpties on boris bikes chatting away in a busy bus lane is just insane, please please don't ride two abreast, it's selfish and dangerous, if you want to chat then pull over and get off the road, now get the **** out the way.

That's exactly the [b][u]same[/u] level of impatience[/b] that car drivers exhibit whilst endangering cyclists! Why not just wait for second or two, nip out of the cycle lane to overtake them and then get back in the lane?

same level of impatience

Two abreast hardly takes an entire bus lane?

And why not just cruise up behind and say "excuse me"? You seem to want them to improve their manners without regard for your own.

Try this:

"EXCUSE ME, COULD I GET PAST ON THE RIGHT, PLEASE!"

works like a charm most of the time.

What's usually going through my head when a motorist behind start hooting.
'It's Sunday, it's a village and it's a 30MPH limit so chill'
'It's sunny and dry and there's not another car for miles, so just pass and shut up'
'So are you going to drive up the **** of that horse up the road and start banging your fist on the horn?...no thought not. In fact I bet you tip your cap'

Oh believe me I and others did, they totally ignored us, or were totally oblivious to the danger they were potentially causing. And you're correct, two abreast in a bus lane should be plenty a room, but take into account pot holes and them swaying about because they were looking at each other rather than ahead meant passing on the outside very dangerous. There's a time and a place, a busy London commute ain't one of them.

so you argument is "please don't be an ignorant git" rather than "don't ride 2 abreast" ?

Edit: to clarify I'm pretty sure you'd get 100% thumbs up on here for the former, not so much the latter.

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rewski - Member

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so you argument is "please don't be an ignorant git" rather than "don't ride 2 abreast" ?

No, I think it's more along the lines of "Don't you know how much more important I think I am on my fixie in my lycra, all sweaty and racing to my desk."

@ ourmaninthenorth - you couldn't be further from the truth, nice attempt at generalisation though.

I remember a Famous five book from my youth, where the dog was usurped by an actual fifth person, and then because of the odd number, my namesake Julian had to keep chastising the rest of the group for going three abreast on a jolly trip out cycling. So I am with Blyton on this one. 8)

2 abreast can be a safety reason too, if I'm out riding with the missus, she's a bit nervous of traffic, so I ride slightly behind her rear wheel and offset, giving her a kind of shield from cars coming too close.

If I'm riding on my own, I ride almost one third out, this gives me plenty of gutter to move into if cars come too close, and it also stops drivers squeezing close by.

The thing that really pisses me off is seeing other cyclists jump red lights, ride pavements and ride the wrong way on the wrong side of the street....

2 abreast can be a safety reason too, if I'm out riding with the missus, she's a bit nervous of traffic, so I ride slightly behind her rear wheel and offset, giving her a kind of shield from cars coming too close.

+1

Rewski you sound like a total pleb.

Ah, rewski, DH bike, full face lid and outdoor pyjamas?

People ahead of you in a transport system are not a problem. Your assumption that everyone should move aside for you is.

Speak to your GP about some blood pressure pills.

To be honest I think it would be better for the default, [i]taught[/i], position to be to ride far enough out to allow space for a second rider on your inside.

Number one most vital road riding skill - force overtaking cars to recognise that they are overtaking you. Never - never ever - just let cars stream past as if you weren't there.

Unfortunately, it's not a question of what's rational.

My commute is on a busy B road where you have to properly cross the centre line in order to safely pass a cyclist. I ride sufficiently far out to make sure that even the chancers realise this, and in practice, the vast majority overtake safely and considerately.

You could probably get another cyclist to my left, but I bet that if you did, you'd get a torrent of abuse, despite the fact that it's shorter and therefore easier overtake than two bikes line astern.

I occassionally cycle two abreast around town if I want to talk to someone I'm with (another luxury that apparently only cars are allowed) but only if the traffic's light, and always singling out if there's a danger of slowing other traffic down. I've still been hooted at by a car who had absolutely no difficulty overtaking anyway, and who we filtered straight past less than 10 seconds later as he joined the obvious queue in front of us.

People assume that riding two abreast is automatically inconsiderate, without actually thinking about whether it is or not.

The only solution is to get more people on bikes to see it from the other side...

I've still been hooted at by a car who had absolutely no difficulty overtaking anyway, and who we filtered straight past less than 10 seconds later as he joined the obvious queue in front of us.

If you are not meant to ride two abreast on busy roads, narrow roads, or when going round bends - that means there are very few occasions when you should be riding two abreast really doesn't it.

If you are not meant to ride two abreast on busy roads, narrow roads, or when going round bends - that means there are very few occasions when you should be riding two abreast really doesn't it.

Except that guidance is 180 degrees wrong, isn't it?

seems it as in these places. busy/ narrow roads and blind corners i would have moved out to allow a cyclist underneath me anyway.

almost had a smash in the van last night as some numpty coming the other way was overtaking a cyclist on the inside of a blind corner. poor lad on the bike almost shat himself when he saw me.

danger they were potentially causing

How are they causing any danger? Or are you using the "by annoying me they forced me to ride / drive like a ****" argument?

What is with everyone riding two abreast? You should be cycling, not talking. 😛

Sorry to resurrect this one but two numpties on boris bikes chatting away in a busy bus lane is just insane, please please don't ride two abreast, it's selfish and dangerous, if you want to chat then pull over and get off the road, now get the **** out the way.

Just out of interest, if it was just you riding down a bus lane and a bus comes up behind you, unable to overtake due to stop:start traffic in the other lane, do you stop, lift your bike onto the pavement and allow the bus to overtake you?

Or are you so manly and awesome that you sprint everywhere at 50mph? So that could never happen?

One of the closest shaves I had in the car was going north on the A49 at Marshbrook - very blind right hander, cyclist coming the other way and a car swings very fast around him on my side of the road. It was so fast I had no time to do anything at all - not brake, swerve, nothing; fortunately he made it in just in front of me. Very scary.

Get off the moral high ground people, it's plain selfish to block a busy road in rush hour and cause congestion, especially when you ask to get past. I don't assume or expect people to get out of my way, I get out of the way for others going faster, it's common sense.

njee20 / prezet - I don't usually approve but I think your missus would be better off on the path.

Just out of interest, if it was just you riding down a bus lane and a bus comes up behind you, unable to overtake due to stop:start traffic in the other lane, do you stop, lift your bike onto the pavement and allow the bus to overtake you?

Yes, I've pulled over a few times, especially on hills, but to be fair there's usually either a bus stop so they stop or a set of lights on my commute so they have a chance to pass then.

What is with everyone riding two abreast? You should be cycling, not talking.

Exactly

Fair play to you then.

[b]rewski[/b] - I don't assume or expect people to get out of my way,