why do roadies..

If you're in a large group, you should always ride 2 abreast as it's easier for a car to overtake you. A group of 20 single file is a long old overtaking manouever. If the road is too narrow to pass a 2 abreast group, then they should single out or pull over if / when save to do so. If you can't pass a 2 abreast group because you'd go into the oncoming traffic then it's tough sh1t, if there isn't room to pass safely then there isn't room.

Well because obviously you HAVE to ride in a group of 20. Two groups of 10 with enough space between them to let the traffic overtake would be safer wouldn't it?

If you rode two abreast round where I lived there's a good chance you'd end up in hospital or dead.

Lots of windy narrow country lanes where the boy racers go so fast and recklessly they simply wouldn't have time to slow down or avoid you if they came flying round a corner and you were riding two abreast. They are always crashing their cars into deer, farm vehicles, cows etc At least riding single file and close to the gutter gives me a chance to get out of the way.

Roads are for cars, car races and handbrake turns to impress the girls. Why don't roadies go get their own stuff to ride on to stop getting in the way of all the fun? There we are, problem solved.

sometimes riding two abreast and taking the lane is safest

Fixed that for you.

Good point.
No-one else is allowed to race on the public highway.

If you're in a large group, you should always ride 2 abreast as it's easier for a car to overtake you. A group of 20 single file is a long old overtaking manouever. If the road is too narrow to pass a 2 abreast group, then they should single out or pull over if / when save to do so. If you can't pass a 2 abreast group because you'd go into the oncoming traffic then it's tough sh1t, if there isn't room to pass safely then there isn't room.

Well because obviously you HAVE to ride in a group of 20. Two groups of 10 with enough space between them to let the traffic overtake would be safer wouldn't it?

No it wouldn't be safer at all. If there isn't time and space to pass a 30 – 40 feet line of cyclists then it's not safe for anyone to try it. If an overtaking manouever is dependant on the extra second or two needed to pass a 40 feet line rather than 20 then you'd be a tool for trying it. Are you suggesting accelerating as quickly as possible on the wrong side of the road and then diving back into the correct lane, probably having to jump on your brakes to avoid wiping out the front group of cyclists ?

It's pretty clear from comments what sort of driver you are.

The number of cars I see swing out onto the wrong side of the road on a blind to pass a bike amazes me. The thought of having to slow down for 30 seconds for a cyclist is obviously just too painful for some people.

Very good point that. On country roads you can only drive as fast as you can see. Yet a lot of drivers play the odds, taking that gamble so they don't lose momentum.

I'm sorry but sometimes we ride 3 or even 4 abreast. Don't have problems doing it either.

Riding single file is for triathletes. You can't talk to each other single file.

And so you should be sorry. Thanks for admitting your wrong.

If you are so foucking serious about racing bike, why don't get in a UCI pro team. Or race on close roads?
And then people wonder why things goes bad between cyclist and cars

Utter utter cockernanny ill informed twaddle written in nooob as a pure troll post.

How do you get in a UCI team, you become an elite rider, how do you become an elite rider, you race, how many races in the UK use closed roads…..maybe 1, 10 at a push in the UK. So, you have to leave here and go somewhere abroad where the attitude and tolerance to cyclists is a world apart. I'm involved in organising and marshalling road races and it is nigh on impossible any more due to police and road user attitude.

Sadly I've risen to the shit you spouted. I'm off to flay myself with an ethernet cable.

If an overtaking manouever is dependant on the extra second or two needed to pass a 40 feet line rather than 20 then you'd be a tool for trying it.

So you are telling me you can overtake 40 bike as fast as you can overtake 20, wow I am so impress.

Guys come on on here. We have someone that can bend rules of physics 😀

And yes sometimes you can overtake 20 **** roadies, but not 40 it has to do with the safe amount of road available (not the safe here). So if you have 2 groups of ten with a 5-6 m gap in between you can hop the first one safely get behind the second one and to it again. Rather than just being stuck behing them for several hours.

So, you have to leave here and go somewhere abroad where the attitude and tolerance to cyclists is a world apart.

Well I don't live in the UK. So problem sorted. Or maybe they could start the races at 6 rather than 9, but you're going to tell me that poor poor roadies need to sleep?

Because obviously delaying several dozens of cars for a couple of hours is perfectly acceptable if it happen to able neighbourhood champions to race between themselves.

If an overtaking manouever is dependant on the extra second or two needed to pass a 40 feet line rather than 20 then you'd be a tool for trying it.

So you are telling me you can overtake 40 bike as fast as you can overtake 20, wow I am so impress.

Guys come on on here. We have someone that can bend rules of physics

It's not physics you need to review, it's English. Read it again, I said if you need the extra seconds needed to over take the longer line, then you shouldn't be attempting the manouever in the first place. There should be time to pass wide, safe and pull back in well ahead of the line. If you're calculating your overtaking in fractions of seconds then you are, as earlier alluded to, a tool

Well I don't live in the UK.

That gives me some comfort. Thanks

Amen to that

juan is in France.

You know, the place where they haven't produced a champion of their own grand tour for 25 years.

FFS, juan, I know you are a reactionary fool on occasion, but your "MTBing is wonderful; road riding deserves death" schtick is wearing thin, even for on here.

Pack of roadies pah, scum the lot of them. Ask people who have been delay more than 2 hours for a bloody local race on a open road their feeling about it.

Juan, have you lost, or never had the ability to use a road atlas or even Sat Nav to seek an alternative route? I'm sure there's more than just one direct road to each location in France!!

I'm sure there's more than just one direct road to each location in France!!

Well not when you're going up valley de la tinée… Or you are making such a detour it will take you at least one and half hour more.

It's not physics you need to review, it's English. Read it again, I said if you need the extra seconds needed to over take the longer line, then you shouldn't be attempting the manouever in the first place.

Well sorry but I quite not follow you. Seconds are ok to overtake If I read you correctly. Overtaking half the **** peloton should take me about half the time. So I should be able to do it safely, pull back in the gap a second or two before the end of visibility and jump the other half again.
Or am I a tool? Because obviously, you ALWAYS overtake with at least a minute of visibility.

You know, the place where they haven't produced a champion of their own grand tour for 25 years.

Nope too busy producing MTBing and tracks champions. Like it or not roadies have no respect for other road users. Have you actually tried to stay behind a roady until you have clear view for overtaking? Well after more than 20 second the fricking lycra brigade starts shouting because you don't follow their signs to overtake them…

Or am I a tool?

You answered your own question later in the post

100!

It's no wonder Juan finds all the froggy roadies impossible to overtake – they must take up half the road even when riding singlefile!

😉

If you're delayed for more than two hours and an alternative route will take you one and a half hours then you'll gain half an hour anyway. Everyones a winner. 😉

Again the only solution here is greater tolerance on both the part of the car driver and also the odd inconsiderate cyclist. Juan areyou helping or exacerbating the problem?

Like it or not roadies have no respect for other road users.

I know jumping red lights, parking outside schools on the zig zag area, breaking the speed limits, overtaking on blind bends, loud music blaring from their souped up and lowered steeds the list is endless…. not like those safe law abiding cars driver the French [and British]are renowned the world over for 😯
I like the way coogan keeps trolling despite the fact no one has bitten

Riding single file is for triathletes. You can't talk to each other single file.

Yeah and I suppose for drivers having to stop to chat on your mobile is inconvenient too 🙄

Roadies are sadists. Why try to explain their actions?

Triathletes aren't allowed to ride singlefile – that's drafting – they have to ride 2 abreast to avoid penalties 😉

Roadies are sadists

Meaning masochists, yeah?

Same thing….they like pain not terrain

Oh dear – Why can't roadies and MTB's live in harmony – I don't care really. Some roadies are Knobs and some MTB'rs are knobs (maybe I am I don't know) but I like to ride both – I don't shave my legs as I have a 5 o'clock shadow most of the time so can't be arsed but I think most people on here who are complaingin about "defensive" riding don't do a lot of road riding and are purely seeing it from the car drivers view.

I say why don't a lot of you on the other side of the argument do a load of road riding/commuting and then you can then have a leg to stand on rather than procrastinating about others "holding up" car drivers.

Overgeneralisation is also the basis for racist beliefs and prejudices – a person will infer an attribute to be common to all members of a group based on knowledge of only a small sample size of that group. For example, the belief that a given person who is Jewish will be a greedy, nit-picky, stingy miser or the belief because a person is black, (s)he will be loud, poor, and criminal. This includes positive racist ideologies as well, such as the belief that Asians are better off academically than other racial sectors

**** me!

Have I stumbled into pistonheads by mistake.

Yes roadies riding two abreast are a bit annoying but so are tractors, caravans and pensioners in Honda Jazz's. And cyclists are a lot easier to overtake. In fact if you follow them at a reasonable distance for any length of time most of them will signal you when its safe to overtake.

I commute most days and really hope I don't meet some of you on my way to work

riding bikes two abreast is generally ok.

I find the attitudes on here unbelievable sometimes. So many STWers worship the great god car and have so little consideration for bikes on the road. Its clear a lot of you are car drivers and occasional cyclists only

+1 well said!

Sorry, I must have the wrong forum, I thought this was Singletrackworld NOT pistonheads!

Nah, STW has always had its fair share of c0cks 😉

Wow Ive been living in a world for the past five decades where this isnt an issue. Do you Google How to overtake a cyclist on your i phones as you approach one?

No need. I have an app for that.

On a lighter note, can you wheelie a road bike? I'd like to see that.

He can: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcM59itMCLk

Robbie McEwan – ex BMXer and TdF green jersey winner – wheelies at the top of the big mountains too…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0jBOQEAJyA