Pelotons

[RogerS]

Can anyone please explain to me the justification of a peloton riding 4 abreast for ten miles down a main road with minimal opportunity to overtake safely?

Why?

Why 4 abreast?

OK...we need to share the roads... Give and take works both ways IMO.

 

[monkeybiter]

I think I would have 'forced the issue' before I'd travelled ten miles.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Killing them is a little extreme, though, isn't it?

 

[Zeddedhed]

Isn't the phrase 'a little extreme' an oxymoron?

 

[monkeybiter]

Killing them is a little extreme, though, isn't it?

After one mile it might be, after five miles........nah!

 

[Droogs]

no reason at all other than they are inconsiderate tw*$%s, just what gives cyclists a bad name :roll:

 

[LancsRick]

No justification, they're just inconsiderant. Any cyclists that aren't in single file/overtaking as just being arrogant in my eyes.

 

[flying haggis]

no reason at all other than they are inconsiderate tw*$%s, just what gives cyclists a bad name :roll:

and of course they are never in the wrong...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No justification, they're just inconsiderant. Any cyclists that aren't in single file/overtaking as just being arrogant in my eyes.

I think you'll find there is a law against them riding in single file.

 

[lurker]

The problem is if you hit them it's a PITA getting the blood and gore off the bumper

 

[LancsRick]

No justification, they're just inconsiderant. Any cyclists that aren't in single file/overtaking as just being arrogant in my eyes.

I think you'll find there is a law against them riding in single file.

Care to share a link? First time I've heard that one, highway code actually advises you to ride single file!

 

[Logger]

I live in an area where there seem to be loads of 'races' and some where they ride in teams with all the gear on.

These are little country roads and in some areas, they are going round corners in the middle of the road.

A little while ago, i went to overtake in my van as they were going slowly up a hill, and as i chose to do it, a car appeared in the other direction. This meant i had to stop between the line of cyclists. No danger to them at all but they had to stop. I then received so much foul language, but some started wacking the back of my van.

Bearing in mind my. 3 year old was in the van and scared out of her skin, i decided to not get out, but drive off when i could.

I found out what amateur race this was and phoned to complain, but all i got was the "roads are for cyclists only" line.

 

[Logger]

By the way, i have subsequently moved one of the arrow signs they put up for these. I didn't get to see the results, but there must have been some confused riders!

 

[Jacob]

I've been cycling all my life and I've never seen anyone cycling four abreast (except in the tour de france etc). Just somebody having a moan about cyclists as usual. If you don't like sharing the road with cyclists then you should use public transport and/or motorways only.

 

[Wuffles]

I always give cyclists room, unless they are taking up more room than I deem necessary; two abreast plus and I don't give them any extra room. They like that, probably, they're always waving at me.

Sometimes they won't get any room at all, when they appear from nowhere around a single track lane, don't stop in time and are forced into a ditch - true story.

 

[Logger]

Then you haven't been down near Tormarton or badminton. I don't cycle as i am disabled, but my wife and kids are keen cyclists but ride safely.

The point is that i see loads of organised amateur races, and they ride as if in the tour de france with the roads closed.

The above with 4 abreast is an example of this.

 

[Jacob]

I always give cyclists room, unless they are taking up more room than I deem necessary; two abreast plus and I don't give them any extra room. They like that, probably, they're always waving at me.

Sometimes they won't get any room at all, when they appear from nowhere around a single track lane, don't stop in time and are forced into a ditch - true story.

Do you get angry at other wide slow moving vehicles like tractors or have you just got a weird thing about cyclists?

 

[Jacob]

Then you haven't been down near Tormarton or badminton. I don't cycle as i am disabled, but my wife and kids are keen cyclists but ride safely.

The point is that i see loads of organised amateur races, and they ride as if in the tour de france with the roads closed.

The above with 4 abreast is an example of this.

Races as such are illegal. Time trials are legal (but permission has to be obtained) but they set off at minute intervals and are not allowed to tail each other, even less to form a peloton.
What you saw (if you saw anything at all) would be a touring group - possibly a CTC club ride or an Audax event.

 

[Logger]

They often have numbers on and cycle in big groups. I do see people time trialing, including time trialing in groups of three.

 

[cedarwood]

I've been cycling all my life and I've never seen anyone cycling four abreast (except in the tour de france etc). Just somebody having a moan about cyclists as usual. If you don't like sharing the road with cyclists then you should use public transport and/or motorways only.

I have been a cyclist, a motor biker, a car driver and a tractor driver and have always treated others as I would like to be treated. as a tractor driver the law says that I am not allowed to drive along the road and unnecessarily hold traffic up and that when practicable I should pull over and let the faster traffic pass. That my friend should apply to all slow moving objects on the road, I have only ever seen a cyclist stop to allow traffic past once in all the years that I have been driving they are just ignorant of all other road users, even horse riders and pedestrians (when there is no footpath) get off the road when they can to let cars and tractors pass them.