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Complaints about groups of cyclists...

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  1. Claggy Cog
    Member

    Out on Saturday cycling with a friend two abreast, as you do, chatting...Lost count at the number of times we were tooted and shouted at by car drivers, on quiet two way straight country roads, which goes to show how many drivers actually think it is your duty as a cyclist to travel in a single file in the gutter preferably.

    I tend to get out of the way of tractor drivers, have you seen the size of the bally things, with lethal looking bit of tillers and ploughs attached to the front as well as those fork lift attachments to put their huge hay/straw bales on and their trailers. Possibly my least favourite time of year for cycling around E Lothian, harvest time, busy for the farmers, and all the detritus and mud that they deposit on the roads. Ah well, give and take.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  2. Claggy Cog
    Member

    On one occasion we, as a group, were out on a Saturday on a stretch of dual carriageway that runs parallel to the coast at Longniddry, when we could hear shouting behind us, quite a long way away, and before we knew it we were surrounded by the overtaking ERC peleton, hacking along at about 25 mph. We wanted to turn right into the central reservation and across the other carriageway to cross the railway line, but mass confusion was caused by the peleton as to which way to go, we opted to pull over whilst they rushed past...it was all over in a couple of seconds! Phew. They did occupy the whole of the left hand lane but they were, in fairness, really shifting, just not at 60 mph.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  3. amir
    Member

    Some of the peletons seen go beyond what is a sensible size, both for the group itself and other road users. I have complained about this but it is difficult to police as the ERC Saturday rides are unofficial. The recommended group size for ERC rides is 12-14.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  4. recombodna
    Member

    I think if people are taking time out of their day to complain about groups of cyclists on country roads at the weekend these people really need to get a life.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  5. crowriver
    Member

    Ahem. PelOton.

    I presume a pelEton would involve a troop of footballers cruising in formation, or somesuch...

    /pedantry>

    Posted 12 years ago #
  6. Calum
    Member

    @Wilmington's Cow: I said perception - that is, I think it's a common belief that cyclists have to stay to the left and ride single file in order to "stay out of the way" of the "traffic". On that War on Britain's Roads programme, "take the lane" was phrased as "taking over the roads", as if cyclists have no right to cycle in the middle of the lane. As with most sticks used to beat cyclists it is of course nonsense.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  7. amir
    Member

    Al that speling nonsence is why I choose the degree course wot I did.

    Posted 12 years ago #
  8. Apologies Calum, I was mid-rant and meant to add a little more commentary to that post - certainly understood where you were coming from!

    Posted 12 years ago #
  9. Calum
    Member

    No bother :)

    Posted 12 years ago #
  10. Dave
    Member

    As a driver, I prefer cyclists to ride abreast to make them easier to overtake. That's probably because I actually think about the overtake sensibly (I don't want to try and overtake something as long as an HGV if I don't have to).

    Singling out is great when the road is otherwise too narrow to overtake (i.e. no room for one car plus two cyclists between verges) or when it's so wide that passing motorists don't need to 'overtake' at all (wide enough for one cyclist and two cars between verges, with space between each). Otherwise, nah.

    Although, worse than cyclists who single out into dangerous ribbons are the ones who split up into groups (so you can overtake a few at a time) but ride too close to the other groups. It needs to be a hundred yards or so for me to get past and comfortably slow the car down, not just a few car lengths!

    Posted 12 years ago #

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