Passing Cyclists

If there's a cyclist on the other side of the road (coming towards me), I always tuck in a bit closer to my side of the road -giving people room to overtake
 
daz said:
I'd rather be safe than sorry with when overtaking cyclists.

You don't know if there's a pot hole, grating, etc in the road that may cause the cyclist to move out a little further (either deliberately or accidentally), so giving them a wide berth is just common sense.
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This . . . absolutely!
 
I'm looking into fitting a ferry horn to my bike :p. I think the extra weight will be more than worth it!

Or maybe I need a flashing sign bolted to the back of it.
 
I have a left hand drive car so it's much easier for me to gauge distance and it gives me perfect opportunity to yell obscenities to those cyclists that cannot follow the highway code in Jersey, Ride properly or have no spatial skills past "dead ahead".
Secondary armaments include face full of v8.

As for other riders, I try keep the noise down and respect their presence.
If anything, I'm over curtious to bikes/cyclists and if they clearly are going faster than me because of traffic then I make sure to give THEM room/let them pass.
 
As a regular road cyclist, I'm glad to say the majority of drivers are good with us. Things that annoy me are;

A) Drivers that don't have the balls to just overtake when they can. I don't feel safe when someone drafts me behind, if I have to brake suddenly, you will go straight into the back of me.
B) Drivers who "tailgate" cyclists. This is very dangerous.
C) People who open doors without looking. This is probably my worst nightmare, so understand why we keep a distance away from parked cars.

As for space, enough space really so we can maintain our line and it's obvious for road users behind you that you are overtaking a cyclist. Generally, watch out for us. I have been hit a couple of times, as recently as 2 weeks ago, because someone didnt bother looking before they changed lanes.
 
A 1 foot gap? Are you having a laugh? Look down at your own body, how wide do you think your body is? :rolleyes:

I have found bus drivers and lorry drivers to be very good at overtaking (leaving around 2 metres). The two worst things I find are:

1. Impatient car drivers who HAVE to overtake you right there and then, even though you are cycling over 20MPH and generally overtake too close on blind bends, who then have to swerve into you

2. Impantient car drivers who try and overtake you on mini/small roundabouts, forcing you off the road (this has happened to me on a number of occasions, once even by a black cab driver).
 
rafster said:
As a regular road cyclist, I'm glad to say the majority of drivers are good with us. Things that annoy me are;

A) Drivers that don't have the balls to just overtake when they can. I don't feel safe when someone drafts me behind, if I have to brake suddenly, you will go straight into the back of me.
B) Drivers who "tailgate" cyclists. This is very dangerous.
C) People who open doors without looking. This is probably my worst nightmare, so understand why we keep a distance away from parked cars.

As for space, enough space really so we can maintain our line and it's obvious for road users behind you that you are overtaking a cyclist. Generally, watch out for us. I have been hit a couple of times, as recently as 2 weeks ago, because someone didnt bother looking before they changed lanes.
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Not trying to be rude or anything but,
A: you cant complain because somebody feels unsafe about overtaking you, besides the only cars that brake slower than bicycles are in museums now anyway :P
B: agree totally, this should come under dangerous driving as you should give a bike as much room in front as a car
C: not trying to be rude but that would be your fault if you hit them, your supposed to give a parked car a doors width of space if possible when passing just like cars are...
 
ubersonic said:
Not trying to be rude or anything but,
A: you cant complain because somebody feels unsafe about overtaking you, besides the only cars that brake slower than bicycles are in museums now anyway :P
B: agree totally, this should come under dangerous driving as you should give a bike as much room in front as a car
C: not trying to be rude but that would be your fault if you hit them, your supposed to give a parked car a doors width of space if possible when passing just like cars are...
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A: The issue is't the ability to slow, it's that bicycles don't have brake lights so if you are too close you can't react in time.

C: That was his point, and actually in most cases there is a payout to the cyclist since the person opening the door should have checked their mirror. I don't know a single case of insurance or court siding with the driver, although there probably are some. I think rafster was complaining that cyclists get a lot of abuse for 'blocking' the road when we are actually giving good clearance to parked cars.
 
Robbie G said:
Now that I've been commuting on my bicycle for six weeks, I've seen an hilarious range of methods used to overtake me. Bear in mind that I try to cycle as close to the kerb as is safe without cycling in the drain lane.

I've had the people that won't overtake unless they can leave a car's width gap between me and them.

I've had people that think they can do the above, even if there's another car coming towards them in the other lane (cue flashing, beeping of horns etc. by oncoming car).

I've had the articulated lorry passing within 30cm of me at 50 mph and felt the breeze wobble me about quite strongly.

I've had someone in a Subaru Imprezas drop a gear and beep me on the way past (no idea why).

I've also had people get annoyed when I overtake them whilst they're queuing to get out at a junction.

I've heard that some people are taught to leave an enormous gap in case the cyclist spazzes out and falls into the path of a vehicle. I've got no problem with cars coming close to me as I cycle in a straight line, but lorries cause problems if they leave less than a metre.
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Pretty much sums up why I don't cycle to work anymore.

OP- anyone passes me on my bike leaving just 12" of room and they receive "the rage".
 
I am uncomfortable in passing cyclists, if possible I leave a massive load of space when passing them, when I can't I'll overtake then at a very small speed difference.

I've had the articulated lorry passing within 30cm of me at 50 mph and felt the breeze wobble me about quite strongly.
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It is a shame you have to share the road with cars where the cars do this type of speed, I can honestly think of no place where cars and bikes share the same road where you can go faster than 30 mph here.
 
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snowdog said:
It is a shame you have to share the road with cars where the cars do this type of speed, I can honestly think of no place where cars and bikes share the same road where you can go faster than 30 mph here.
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I find country roads are the worst. Narrow, blind bends, 60 mph limit, crumbling to bits at the edges, people out trying to be the next Colin McRae...

Cycling further from the curb is a good idea. It gets rid of the "Maybe I can just squeeze past?" uncertainty from drivers forcing them to wait or overtake safely.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;16620274 said:
Try cycling further out. If you take a more active defensive position then you will be a lot safer.

Get a copy of Cycle Craft for the best advice on safe cycling.
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When cycling I will stay as close in as is safe, however I vary this as to the road. So on a piece of road where overtaking me would be safe I cycle about 1m out, if I come to a piece of road that I think it would be very unsafe to overtake me on I will move further out to force cars to overtake properly, I have been just right of the white line before!
 
A foot of space is fine as long as the speed is low enough. I'd be very unhappy if a lorry banged past at 30mph at that distance.

Closest overtaking encounter wasn't a car at all, while I was cycling along a fairly empty main road I was clipped by a cretin on a scooter. Physically hit my handlebars with his.

Should have got the gits plate :/
 
bledd. said:
If there's a cyclist on the other side of the road (coming towards me), I always tuck in a bit closer to my side of the road -giving people room to overtake
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This. I've also seen a tractor on an NSL single carriageway with one wheel fully over the edge line (plenty of space for it) to allow more room for overtaking, very considerate :)
 
ThomP said:
I used to cycle 13 miles daily to work, but I stopped due other road users driving dangerously around me.

If i overtake cyclists I give them as much room as I would expect in there position.

A vehicle doing 60mph skimming a cyclist causing them to wobble is not funny. :S
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This. Similar situation too.
 
Must admit, its very annoying when you have to pass a cyclist when there's a mile long, totally empty path right next to where they are. There's just no need for it.

*runs away*

I do give them more than enough room though. Otherwise it just doesn't feel safe enough.
 
try riding in london :) a two floor bus passes at 30mph like 20" from your handle bars is annoying.. thats why i ride 50% of the time on the footpath yes im not allowed to but i can't do it differently.. just to many potholes in a cyclist path.. and try avoiding one in front of a bus ;D
 
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