Bike Hate

Doc07

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The irony of the lads driving round with four empty seats complaining of others taking up too much space. Do you pull over in heavy urban traffic when a faster cyclist comes up behind? What's the general consensus of this with drivist?

Would be no harm to emphasize this a bit more when the topic comes up on radio, letters to editor, chat in the pub etc.
The complaints of being held up behind cyclists applies mainly it seems to leisure groups at weekends and therefore the drivers being ‘held up’ are also not going to work so it’s a minor slowing down on way to shops, mass, visiting , sport etc.

On the other hand I am only really ever ‘held up’ by slower drivers on my cycle commute to work which is arguably a much bigger inconvenience.

SCOOP 64

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

The irony of the lads driving round with four empty seats complaining of others taking up too much space. Do you pull over in heavy urban traffic when a faster cyclist comes up behind? What's the general consensus of this with drivist?

If i am traffic always leave enough room on in side, not all car drivers against cyclist, just a point i was making as is it necessary for 2 abreast if a car is waiting to over take, but most reply's on here is most would pull in and then out, which i always acknowledge with a wave of thanks.

but you will get some cyclist if it irritates the driver, all well and good.

AndrewJRenko

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

If i am traffic always leave enough room on in side, not all car drivers against cyclist, just a point i was making as is it necessary for 2 abreast if a car is waiting to over take, but most reply's on here is most would pull in and then out, which i always acknowledge with a wave of thanks.

but you will get some cyclist if it irritates the driver, all well and good.

So you don't pull over to let faster cyclists pass, but you expect them to pull over for you? That's a bit twisted, isn't it?

You going to have to move out of your lane to pass one cyclist anyway, presuming that you leave safe passing distance, so what does it matter whether they are single file or not? Do you want to have a long narrow obstruction to pass or a short wide obstruction?

SCOOP 64

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

So you don't pull over to let faster cyclists pass, but you expect them to pull over for you? That's a bit twisted, isn't it?

You going to have to move out of your lane to pass one cyclist anyway, presuming that you leave safe passing distance, so what does it matter whether they are single file or not? Do you want to have a long narrow obstruction to pass or a short wide obstruction?

Meant if now stopped in traffic and have over taken cyclist earlier i will leave room if the cyclist if catch upon inside, always give cyclist all the room they need and time they need, i did expect abit backlash with my comment but you do come across a bit bitter, id say you are the cyclist that you would gladly sit 2 abreast and make if more difficult to over take , thankfully it seems you are in the minority.

tomasrojo

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

id say you are the cyclist that you would gladly sit 2 abreast and make if more difficult to over take , thankfully it seems you are in the minority.

Again, it's not an issue I have any practical experience of, but it's already been pointed out that part of the rationale of two-abreast is to make your manoeuvre take half the time,so it's not to make it more difficult to overtake. It might mean you can't overtake in the same lane, but in general you shouldn't be doing that, unless it's a really wide lane, in which case there's no difficulty with passing to begin with.

Fighting Tao

Duckjob

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Meant if now stopped in traffic and have over taken cyclist earlier i will leave room if the cyclist if catch upon inside, always give cyclist all the room they need and time they need, i did expect abit backlash with my comment but you do come across a bit bitter, id say you are the cyclist that you would gladly sit 2 abreast and make if more difficult to over take , thankfully it seems you are in the minority.

I can see where Andrew is coming from TBH.

With regard to cyclist positioning, Many motorists pursue a line of questioning which seems rooted in the notion that people on bikes need to "make way" for people in cars in all cases, and the people pursuing such lines of questioning are often tragically ignorant to the safety implications for people on bikes doing this.

Much as I would like to never be "in the way" of motorists, sometimes for my own safety is it necessary to be, counterintuitive though it may seem. I don't enjoy having cars behind me, and don't know any cyclist that does/would, since it's probably the most stressful part of any bike journey.

The motorists that want me in "out of the way" at the edge of the road are ironically the very same ones that necessitate I claim road space for my own safety, since they are nearly always the first ones to disrespect and disregard any notion of a minimum safe passing distance and put my life in danger by passing close and at speed. If I am already at the edge when they do this, I am squeezed in a highly dangerous situation with no space to escape to. At least if I have claimed space and I get a close pass I have some space to mitigate the danger they have created.

In an ideal world, No one group of road users would have to actively work out ways not to be killed on their journeys on the road, but unfortunately, if you try cycling on Irish roads for a couple of months you'll discover that, due to the borderline psychopathic tendencies of a significant minority of drivers, such defensive strategies are unfortunately an absolute necessity.

tomasrojo

With reference to the infographic above, unlike the UK, we do have a legal requirement not to cycle more than two abreast.

AndrewJRenko

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

Meant if now stopped in traffic and have over taken cyclist earlier i will leave room if the cyclist if catch upon inside, always give cyclist all the room they need and time they need, i did expect abit backlash with my comment but you do come across a bit bitter, id say you are the cyclist that you would gladly sit 2 abreast and make if more difficult to over take , thankfully it seems you are in the minority.

What does it matter whether you've overtaken the cyclist or not? If you're not pulling over for faster cyclists who come up behind you in traffic, why would you expect cyclists to pull over for you?



This might help you to understand why the cyclists are doing you a favour by staying two abreast.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJiixtKuVq8i

SCOOP 64

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

What does it matter whether you've overtaken the cyclist or not? If you're not pulling over for faster cyclists who come up behind you in traffic, why would you expect cyclists to pull over for you?



This might help you to understand why the cyclists are doing you a favour by staying two abreast.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJiixtKuVq8i

f..k me, im out of here now, don't know what i was thinking not being a cyclist mysel and making comment on here, thanks for the few who did make some very good comments.

ted1

tomasrojo wrote: »

With reference to the infographic above, unlike the UK, we do have a legal requirement not to cycle more than two abreast.

With exceptions for over taking

magicbastarder

asteroids over berlin wrote: »

i personally believe some drivers get pissed off seeing cyclists 2abreast etc, where as single file the motorist is more at ease

Of course, as a cyclist, my overriding concern is to keep motorists at ease.

magicbastarder

It's kinda ironic that most motorists who are the type who see no issue in close passing cyclists would probably have a **** fit if someone overtook them (car on car) with the same gap and same speed difference.

flatface

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

f..k me, im out of here now, don't know what i was thinking not being a cyclist mysel and making comment on here, thanks for the few who did make some very good comments.

I don’t see any posts being rude or aggressive so not sure why you are reacting. You seem to want people to only post in agreement with you.

AndrewJRenko

SCOOP 64 wrote: »

f..k me, im out of here now, don't know what i was thinking not being a cyclist mysel and making comment on here, thanks for the few who did make some very good comments.

Ah don't go, you're great craic. I'd really love to hear your reasoning for why cyclists should get out of your way, while you don't return the same courtesy.

Fighting Tao

@SCOOP_64. Good article here. http://www.safecyclingireland.org/road-positioning-safety-measure-or-guilty-pleasure/