Just another in the long line of bad habits cyclists (probably triathletes too) have that I don’t understand. I’m driving on a fairly busy road today with not too much shoulder and only two lanes, one in each direction. Up ahead I see three cyclists, two in single file by the side of the road with the third out beside them. Of course I think,“No problem, when I get closer they’ll go to single file and move closer to the side,” because every time I ride with other people you get a “Car back!” and everyone moves over. Not these guys. I slow and pull behind them, but with plenty of room, since I obviously know what it’s like to be a cyclist. These guys, who are pretty much just cruising, and are fully decked out in various team gear, don’t go single file, and don’t move over. I give them a little honk. Just a short one to let them know I’m there, since I can’t go around, and they’re only moving about 13mph. Instead of looking back, or moving over, or getting into single file, one of the two by the side gives me the finger. I am not one to blame cyclists when they get hit by stupid or inattentive drivers, but these are the types of guys that give cyclists a bad reputation.
Until you remember that they have as much right to the road as you do, even if they are moving slowly. A Honk is never a good thing for a cyclist. It scares the piss out of us, even if it is meant with good intentions.
Just go around them, eh? How much of your day could be lost by the extra 10 seconds that it would take you to make your move?
Dude if you are a cyclists like you say take a chill pill they’re just out riding and talking. If you honk your horn at them it gives them a start and they get pissed off. Were you in that much of a hurry? Yes it gives all cyclists a bad name, but ease up some we all should when we’re driving. I’ll tell ya I had a 3-week vacation in France two years ago, and riding there is the best! Every driver would drive slow until they could pass then they would wave and move way out to give us lots of room. It was Heaven!!!
Take it easy maybe some day the US will feel the same? I don’t think so but I can hope!
Dan…
I think slowguy has a point on this one… but so do you. I ride side-by-side all the time, but make the effort to get single file when a car approaches. Mostly for my own safety, but also because it is the courteous thing to do. I feel I have as much right to be on the road as a vehicle too…but at least slowguy slowed down and didn’t give them the 60mph 2 inch clearance fly-by. I do think that trying your best to be accomodating to motorists helps with cyclings image.
Why can’t we all just get along?
Andy
Shouldn’t have flipped you off.
It’s usually safer for cyclists to ride farther to the left, especially on the type of road you’re talking about (busy, narrow shoulder, only two lanes). It’s safer for all for the motorist to wait for a safe time to pass rather than try to squeeze past. There’s a “Road I” class taught in Austin and I belive they recommend that cyclists ride farther to the left in situations like this.
I agree that flipping you off gives cyclists a bad reputation. I think they should have held their position in the road, and traffic should have passed when it was safe to do so.
Slows you down, but oh well. What’s that, 2 minutes?
“they’re just out riding and talking”
If they wanted to ride and talk, there are plenty of roads with room and appropriate traffic levels to do that. As it was, they were on a pretty busy street, with no room for traffic to go around since there are only two lanes. I didn’t sneak up on them and honk, I rode behind them at a safe distance for a good long time before I gave a toot on the horn.
“Were you in that much of a hurry?”
Well, actually I was in a hurry, but I’d have been fine if I was able to go the speed limit, which was 35, instead of 15 like these guys were doing.
They must have been triathletes
.
They must have been triathletes
Nah if they had been, they would have come up with something a lot more clever than the finger.
Until you remember that they have as much right to the road as you do, even if they are moving slowly.
What would your opinion have been if a car were driving 12 mph in a 35 mph zone? If you’re like 99% of the drivers on the road, you’d be pretty pissed off. Sure, they have a “right” to do what they’re doing, but exercising their right isn’t always in everyone’s best interest. I have a “right” to ogle some guy’s cute 13 year old daughter, but it’s still considered obnoxious behavior.
I’m with Slowguy on this one.
Is the sitution was as described, that slowguy couldn’t pass them due to the amount of traffic, then I’m gonna have to side with him. On the other hand it really pisses me off when motorists honk theire horn for now apparent reason at all. If me and my buddy are riding on a country road with very little trrafffic we sometimes ride next to each other. If a car’s coming they have tons of room to pass us, if then they choose to honk they’ll know my opinion right away.
I remember one Saturday morning here riding with my buddy on a straight two lane country road (Britannia Rd. in Milton for the locals) and we’re cruising next to each other having a chat. This idiot pulls up honking his freakin horn, so I show him my freshly cut nail on my middle finger. Doesn’t that idiot stop his car, jumps out and tries to push us over.
On the other hand coming from Belgium (where cycling is almost a religion) people don’t even mind if you lean on their car while waiting at a red light. One day I riding a 2 lane twisting road outside of Brussels and a car pulls up behind me. He couldn’t pass because the raod was so twisty that he couldn’t see far enough ahead. Did he honk his horn, no, he stayed behind me. Seeing that, I pushed as hard as I could. About 3km later the road straightened out and he could finally pass me. Honked the horn as he pulled up next to me and gave me the thumbs up. I felt great 
maybe they were using that road to get to another area to ride. Don’t be a jackass and honk! They were probably riding that wide so some other jackass didn’t try to squeeze by them.
Doesn’t matter what the traffic was like, one lane in each direction and car coming up on you—single file. No excuses. If the road is busy and one feel the need to be chatty, pick a different route or wait until you stop for your rest break to catch up on the gossip. Consideration for all involved would be great.
Like Slowguy, as a triathlete I’ll give all cyclists a wide berth, but as described it sounds like the riders in question were out on a social ride, or on a portion of their ride that was the easy part and picked an inopportune time to be social with one another.
Cyclists do indeed have as much right to the road as vehicles do, but head to head I think we lose. Use your head, and not as an impact point.
I think slowguy has a point on this one… but so do you. I ride side-by-side all the time, but make the effort to get single file when a car approaches. Mostly for my own safety, but also because it is the courteous thing to do.
In CA it is the law to ride single file, not just courteous.
The cyclists were wrong.
They should’ve gotten back into single file and allowed you to attempt to pass when it was safe for you to do so…in fact, in my state they would’ve been breaking the law riding 2 abreast.
Giving the finger was also inappropriate and uncalled for…
This is just another example of a situation where haveing TWO horns on a car would be helpful; one (the standard horn) for “oh crap” traffic situations and one (a cute tooter) for “hey cyclists, move over” or “hey man, whats up” situations.
c
Here in Austin, I’ve had the sheriff pull up along a few of us riding on a two-lane country road, and tell us to ride single file. This is while we were moving.
I expect the same courtesies from cyclists as I do motorists. If someone is going down the road in a tractor, or just moving really slow, I expect them to pull over onto the shoulder and allow people to pass them. I do the same while driving if I’m holding someone up.
I like how people seem surprised that a driver would get out of his car to confront, or otherwise respond, to cyclists who give them the finger. Duh !
I agree with you Slowguy. Motorists need to share, but cyclists need to share too. For safety reasons, I never ride side-by-side. Y’all may want to check your state laws. I got involved in a lawsuit related to cycling and FWIW, here are our Alaska statutues (which I did not know until after being named in the lawsuit):
13 AAC 02.400. Riding Bicycles On Roadways and Bicycle Paths
(a) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, and shall give way to the right as far as practicable to a motor vehicle proceeding in the same direction when the driver of the motor vehicle gives audible signal.
(b) Persons riding bicycles on a roadway may not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. Persons riding bicycles two abreast may not impede traffic and, in a laned roadway, shall ride within the farthest right lane.
(c) When a shoulder of the highway is maintained in good condition, an operator of a bicycle shall use the shoulder of the roadway.
(d) A person operating a bicycle on a trail, path, sidewalk, or sidewalk area shall
(1) exercise care to avoid colliding with other persons or vehicles;
(2) give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian; and
(3) yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian.
(e) Repealed 6/28/79.
(f) A person riding a bicycle intending to turn left shall, unless he dismounts and crosses as a pedestrian, comply with the provisions of sec. 200 of this chapter. The operator of a bicycle must give a signal by hand and arm continuously during the last 100 feet traveled unless the hand is needed in the control or operation of the bicycle. When stopped to await an opportunity to turn, a hand and arm signal must be given continuously by the operator.
(g) No person may ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk in a business district or where prohibited by an official traffic-control device. (h) No bicycle race may be conducted upon a roadway, except as provided under AS 05.35
Sure, you say “just go around them”. That’s not so much a problem when you are talking about 2 or 3 riders. How do you feel about the massive groups of 30 to 50 or more who think they own the road and won’t move out of the way for anything or anyone? I have a very big tolerance for the 2 or 3 guys and can wait for the short clearing necessary to pass them when it’s clear. The large group of idiots that require enough room to pass the equivalent of 2 or 3 semi’s are another story! Down my way, these guys usually ride on our two lane narrow roads, 2, 3 or 4 wide and take up the entire lane. Even as a cyclist, I don’t sympathize with their “right to the road” story. How would you feel if a team of O.J. drive-a-likes took up all lanes of the interstate and wouldn’t let you pass? Would it piss you off? But they have a right to the road! And flipping the finger? In some areas, that’s just asking for trouble whether you’re riding or driving!
Regardless of the size of your group, I abide by the single-file rule when traffic is coming and let them by. God knows, some drivers get pissed off even if it’s just 1 rider on the road! It’s only in YOUR best interest to single up!
Dude, always have your bike on your car and just get out and join them.
Lighten up, you’ll give yourself an ulcer - how often could that possibly happen - running into pack riders? You’ve made it so far…
I agree that sometimes cyclists think they own the road but others think the same thing as well. It definately is a pet peeve of mine that a number of bike teams here locally seem to think they have sole right to the road. The roads here are very narrow with no shoulder and hilly with many blind turns and these guys will be 3 abreast and not even attempt to move over in fact they ignore what is going on behind them. I am amazed that more dont get hit or killed. Ive been riding for many years and these roads scare me when Im by myself riding the white line!