roadies riding side by side

surely its not just me that gets pissed off by this?

no there are a whole heap of other trolls and simple people who don’t understand the highway code and simple logic who also get frustrated.

Is this while you are on your bike?

I’d rather see cyclists using the space they are entitled to than getting mown down by cars.

What Jonba said

A bit of simple courtesy to other road users from both sides of the fence, and life would be much better for everyone.

Here, in Spain, the roadies are rather miltant about it, they occupy their bit of road and wont move over, no matter how far the traffic builds up behind them. I understand why they do it but it some take it too far. On saturday i saw a group of about 5 strung across their lane, the vehicle immediately behind them was an ambulance with it’s lights flashing, stupid pricks could have at least let them go past.

nope while driving. I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.

Even if it’s not just you, it just means we have more than one dimwitted tool lurking in our midst. Do horses on roads make you fume as well?

I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.

It concerns me that you managed to pass your test then.

I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.

It concerns me that you managed to pass your test then.

I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.

It concerns me that you managed to pass your test then.

I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.

It concerns me that you managed to pass your test then.

matt500 – Member

nope while driving. I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.

1) have a read of the highway code
2) they occupy less space on the road

Or do you want them in the gutter as well out of your way mr important car driver?

^ 4 for the price of one!

sc-xc – Member
I missed the memo about them being entitled to blockng other traffic.
It concerns me that you managed to pass your test then.

Yeah but I think it needs repeating once more.

This is what the highway code has to say if you want to be specific.

keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
keep both feet on the pedals
never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
not ride close behind another vehicle
not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted

im not saying im militant about it and try to knock them off, i just dont see the mentality to happily ride along at 20-30 in a 40 for mile after mile ignoring the traffic behind. its just inconsiderate.

I agree,car drivers are generally very inconsiderate.

Let them have their fun, riding on the road is boring enough as it is…

Even when they are rideing side by side and doing the speed limit some idiots in there cars will try to overtake them yet will sit behind a tractor or a horse rider going a lot slower.

Now go and do the maths and see just how many extra SECONDS you were delayed by over the distance you waited for a clear overtake.
Then have a think, then adjust your attitude.

If you overtake a single cyclist properly you need almost as much width in the road as you would overtaking two side by side, and if they are in line the space they occupy would be longer thus they would be more difficult to overtake.

Are you proposing they should ride in the gutter so you can squeeze past where there is not enough room for a safe overtake?

Just how long did they “hold you up” for I bet nothing at all. I bet once you were past yo ended up in the same place in the next queue of cars

fair enough, these responses explain a lot.

Non Stop Nun, yes they will. This is wrong. good point well made.

The official advice here in Tasmania is that riding 2 abreast is good and safe, when riding on 2 lane roads (each way) to occupy the whole lane as there is plenty of room to pass. You also must pass with a 1m gap.

If you have to overtake a cyclist you need to cross the white line. If there is something coming the other way then don’t pass.

It annoys me. Means you have to cycle into oncoming traffic to get around them. If they drafted each other they might just attain something like a credible pace.

It tends to be the MAMILS that are the worst… “look at me on my £4k race bike riding to the cake shop”. Go and play golf.

Matt500 – Next, if you haven’t already, go out for a ride on the road through a mixture of country lanes, A & B roads when there’s traffic about, then maybe you might begin to understand why road cyclist adopt this approach, thus educating yourself to the potential dangers and hopefully changing your dangerous attitude towards them.

It annoys me. Means you have to cycle into oncoming traffic to get around them

hadn’t thought about another bike passing them before – that is a good point!

seems like a self perpetuating danerous environment to me. Mullet adopts the arogant inconsiderate attitude to get in the way on purpose as most car drivers are dangerous. Car drivers then get annoyed and do stupid things. what came first?

Tasmania seem to have it right.

<yawn>

hadn’t thought about another bike passing them before – that is a good point!

Just nip smartly through between them – problem solved. And you’ll find you often get a cheery greeting from them in tribute to your sporting approach too!

On my way to the quantocks yesterday I saw a group of roadies. Just next to morrisons in bridgewater one of them just threw his gel packets into a hedge. Why the f@@@ could he not just keep it in his pocket? Inconsiderate litter bug.

And relax 🙂

There’s a problem with car drivers thinking they have superior rights to the road, and some being inconsiderate too and passing and cutting very close for no reason, so some cyclists ride 2 abreast to push back on this.

But we’re not going to solve that problem here.

Matt – put the keyboard down and go polish the 456 instead. This way lies madness, you know I’m right.

Just nip smartly through between them – problem solved

Treat them like fellow sprinters at the finish and give ’em a headbut.

ha ha i know, funny though isn’t it!

see you wednesday, unless i get nailed on the way to work by one of these “car drivers!” oh the irony….

This is what the highway code has to say if you want to be specific.

keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
keep both feet on the pedals
never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
not ride close behind another vehicle
not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted
Two important words precede the above – “You should”…

Got passed on an empty road yesterday by a cattle lorry. Felt way too close and I was the inside rider…

I only really ride on the road on my own, and when I do Im sure to ride in the middle of the lane to simulate “two abreast” riding.

I like to test the patience of motorists. The ones that tend to crack first are those who drive the fastest cars (the bellends)

Cyclists/horse riders/runners etc are first tier road users.

Drivers are second tier road users because they’re unfit, lazy, dangerous and they pollute the air. Therefore they should be made to wait.

Mullet adopts the arogant inconsiderate attitude to get in the way on purpose as most car drivers are dangerous. Car drivers then get annoyed and do stupid things. what came first?

It’s not inconsiderate or arrogant at all. You have to ride in a manor that’s safe for you. If that means riding a metre out form the verge or occupying the centre of the road coming up to a pinch point then I’ll do it, as will most road cyclist/ commuters.

Remember, we are traffic too and it’s the person in the car’s responsibility to overtake in a safe manor.

Edit, I must also add that when It’s safe to do so, I will wave a car through with a cheery wave and thank you so not to hold them up on purpose. This apply’s more when riding on small country lanes.

Motorists always drive 2 abreast even when there’s only one in the car.

My commute every morning is held up massively by cars driving slowly in front of me taking up the whole width of the carriageway, even though there’s only one person in them…do they get out of my way and let me through – well one or two do, but the bulk of them…do they ****.

if only there was some sort of cheap, single person transportation device that was fast and efficient that they could use around town instead of having them just being sat there pumping poison out into the city whilst expecting the majority of the population to subsidise their antisocial behaviour and yield to their demands.

Lots of roadies out near us yesterday and great to see. Including long chains of club cyclists. On the whole cyclists and motorists behaved very well and with due consideration.several times, I came behind two abreast cyclists and slowed to wait for opportunity to pass. They then moved into single file and I went past at the corre t time giving them ample space. As others have said, basic common sense from everyone involved. Of course there were also examples of equally militant cyclists and motorists both blinkered, both inconsiderate and both dangerous.

Good to see folk on the road instead of trashing the sodden trails. Chapeau to yesterday’s roadies!!!!