Was driving to Edale today to do the Grindsbrook Clough scramble with the offspring and happened across stacks of cyclists [on mtbs] doing the short section of road up to behind Mam Tor (from Chapel sort of direction, although I guess they had come up the landslip).

Anyway, there were absolutely loads of them, and no spaces in between for overtaking so I just tucked in and pootled slowly up the 300m long hill, assuming they’d either be heading along Rushup or down to Edale very fast. There were a few cars behind me, including a couple who couldn’t be bothered to wait and just overtook me and the bikers by driving up the completely wrong side of the road. Luckily nothing came the other way, but if it had then the only way they’d avoid a collision would be to barge in amongst the cyclists to get onto the left hand side of the road. In my opinion the bikers had the right to be there and I wouldn’t overtake unless it was safe to do without forcing them off the road.

The other cars didn’t seem to agree, and interestingly enough, it appeared the mountain biker directly in front of me didn’t either. He kept looking round as if to say “what the heck are you up to?” To which the answer was that I couldn’t overtake him because there wasn’t a car length to squeeze in between him and the rider in front.

What do you think? Especially if you were one of the riders.

<<<edit. Sorry Mr Neil, should have mentioned they were mountain bikers>>>

That’s mtb-ers on the road for you. 😉

they were MTBers

Lots of people do not realise that a long line of bikes is more dangerous for exactly this reason, than riding three abreast in ‘snug’ peloton stylee.

And if you are in a big group, split up.

Hmmm – interesting one. It’s not as clear cut as you may think it is though.

I went out with a group who ride Saturday mornings just outside of Bristol (only once) and they did not seem to appreciate how a large group should ride on the road. One mass bunch, three abreast at times, crossing the central white line, running red lights…..

Split into smaller groups and leave decent gaps between the groups, obey the laws of the road and there is maybe a chance that the drivers stacked up behind will acknowledge that you are making an effort to consider them.

loads of people either don’t know how to overtake, or want to – are you actually Molgrips? 🙂

people in people being crap shocker!!

most cyclists have no idea on how to ride on the road for their own safety and most drivers have no idea how to deal with cyclists.
The guy at the back was probably checking to see what was going on and expecting you to do something stupid as thats what most drivers do and hoping you would just get out of there.

That bit of road is a nightmare in reality, I used to cut through the field and push up the footpath to avoid it.

And if you are in a big group, split up.

depends on how big is big, the last place you want a car is within the group!

I am happy to sit behind a cyclist when driving, but as a cyclist i tend to be wary of any car behind me. I know what i am going to do when driving but i don’t know what a driver is going to do when i am cycling.

End of the day i am the driver, i am overtaking and if i make a mistake i am not the one who is going to get hurt. If it means sitting behind a cyclist for a couple of miles, so be it.

I hate drivers who sit behind me on’t road, especially up hills where I then feel I have to rush. Having said that, the big groups should split up ideally, but there is always a tendency to bunch up in a group.
Nobody died so meh…

If I get stuck behind a rider, I stay well back, so they know I’m waiting. Much the same as when I’m the rider, I don’t think the driver’s need to get where they are going 30 seconds earlier overrides the cyclist’s need to get where they’re going in one piece. If they needed to be there 30s earlier absolutely they should have left 5 mins before they did.
From our side, we should not delay motorists unduly, hence splitting to allow overtaking gaps, or even pulling in briefly.

Give and take, innit?

The other cars didn’t seem to agree, and interestingly enough, it appeared the mountain biker directly in front of me didn’t either. He kept looking round as if to say “what the heck are you up to?” To which the answer was that I couldn’t overtake him because there wasn’t a car length to squeeze in between him and the rider in front.

Fair enough if there wasn’t a gap ahead.
There’s a country lane on my daily commute where cars can only overtake through a bit of co-operation and an awake driver. I’ll move right to the edge of the road where it gets fractionally wider and they’ll nail it.
9 out of 10 times it works fine, but occasionally you’ll get a driver who hasn’t got the awareness to get past, and just sits there, which is incredible frustrating when you keep moving over and they keep failing to make use of the opportunity.
Your situation doesn’t sound like this, however the cyclists might have a similar Pavlovian frustration response to people who don’t overtake.

You want to try driving up Alp D’Huez during the later part of the Marmotte!

I was riding in a time trial last Sunday and approaching the first t-junction, I encountered a large group of about 40 or so cyclists who had stopped, apparently for a chat, filling the entire width of the left hand lane. I would have been disqualified if I’d crossed the white line to overtake so close to a junction so I just bellowed “coming through!!!!” and charged through the middle of them. Got a disgruntled look from one woman, but they chose a really stupid place to stop! They cost me a few seconds but I got a PB anyway 🙂

You want to try driving up Alp D’Huez during the later part of the Marmotte!

Why exactly would you want to do that?
Most if not all people around the Alpe on that day are associated with the Marmotte and so know damn well whats happening and what the road is going to look like.
Shirley

OK back on topic
The OP has demonstrated why I hate riding in big groups on the road and also why some road clubs are antisocial tossers, just funy how the point has been illustrated with a bunch of MTBers

When in the car I sometimes get frustrated being stuck behind a badly disciplined and selfish bunch of cyclists and cant help but think if its winding me up what chance does your generic yoof in a Corsa have of holding it together instead of getting the red mist and behaving as we expect yoofs in Corsas to behave?

cheers

vickypea. That’s rather like the bunch I used to take out. Except they’d stop at junctions to regroup, then just stand there chatting, filling up one whole side of the carriageway.
Likewise if someone had a puncture they’d all stand in the road waiting.

IanMunro. I get that, sometimes trackstanding on a muddy embankment so they can pass

It’s just how it is, yesterday I got ‘buzzed’ on purpose by a speeding Megane bellowing black smoke. Some folk are just slow/dim/useless/drunk/onthephone/stoned/eating/tired/angry/havesmallwillys.

No simple answer. Every situation demands a different action. No way are both parties (bikes and cars) ever going to completely mesh on this. Every now and again you get both who are clued and it goes smoothly. More often there will be someone on here griping because things went as they normally do.

Why exactly would you want to do that?
Most if not all people around the Alpe on that day are associated with the Marmotte and so know damn well whats happening and what the road is going to look like.
Shirley

Try reading my post again, but imagine it’s conveying the idea that he doesn’t really want to do it.

😉

And to answer your question, you might have to arrive that afternoon because all the accomodation in France hands over on Saturday.

One day every year the BHF do a sponsored bike ride in the peak district, as they did on Saturday.
They let riders out the gates in groups of 75 to 100 and those groups would still be together when reaching Mam Tor having had no major hills to separate them.
So riders from all over the place come together for one day to raise money for a charity, there are sign posted all over the area, giving a boost for the local economy and all STWers have to go on about is group ethics!
I rode it yesterday and praise the BHF for the way they started these events which mostly allowed traffic to flow normally, I hope there weren’t too many people held up, but to coin a phrase the guys on the mountain bikes pay road tax too.