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Why must cycle club riders hog the road?

3:08pm Monday 3rd August 2009 in Staff Blogs

I know everyone who uses the Queen's highway - whether they be truckers, car drivers, bikers or horse riders - think they have priority.

But a Sunday drive up Swaledale has revealed a new - to me at least - hazard on the road. Cycle clubs.

Firstly, I got stuck behind two club riders, the first towards the verge, the second trailing him hanging out half way towards the white line.

This made it impossible to overtake safely on a bendy road. If they had both been riding in line towards the verge, I would have been able to get past smoothly and without inconvenience to them or me.

Secondly, I was in a (very long) queue of traffic stuck behind a large pack of riders from Darlington Cycle Club heading up the long hill from Skeeby corner to Scotch Corner - with riders bunched up five abreast out to the centre line.

After several minutes several (absolutely stupid) car drivers got fed up at travelling so slowly and decided to chance it, overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic - putting both cyclists and motorists in danger.

I'm a cyclist and I appreciate the difficulties of riding on a busy road - but I also wouldn't position myself half way over to the white line so as to impeed traffic.

I'm also a motorcyclist and witnessed one cyclist swerve out to overtake in a racing manoevre. He knew I was behind him but he didn't bother to look behind before he made his move.

A responsible biker would at least look in his mirror, then hopefully carry out a 'lifesaver' check over the shoulder before overtaking I'm not having a rant against organised cycle rides or arguing that any group has more of a right to be on the road - but by riding out to the centre line and not allowing other traffic to pass, I fear it is only a matter of time before there is a fatality.

Comments(9)

Matthew Wright says...
11:19am Wed 5 Aug 09

You've got me to bite, well done ;)

re: the cyclist "..hanging out half way towards the white line. This made it impossible to overtake safely on a bendy road."

Sounds like the cyclist was in the 'primary' position, which we are advised to take by all recognised cycling manuals - most notably the book Cyclecraft, endorsed by The Department For Transport and the Cyclists' Touring Club. The primary position is generally the safest for the cyclist and is especially useful on narrow roads when you consider there isn't enough room for those behind to overtake safely (even though they might feel tempted).

If it was safe to overtake, cross the white line & overtake; if it isn't safe then wait. What's the problem?

re: "Darlington Cycle Club ... bunched up five abreast out to the centre line". I'm not a member of DCC but on a recent ride organised by Darlington Council, I caught the DCC 'peloton' & saw them telling off none club riders who tried to ride 3 abreast, saying they would 'give the club a bad reputation, as no one would remember the 1 guy in a plain jersey but they would remember seeing 20 DCC jerseys'.

Having witnessed how seriously DCC take their reputation, I can't believe they would be riding 5 abreast uphill and feel you must have witnessed non-DCC riders in the proximity of the DCC peloton & assumed they were together.

There are some inconsiderate cyclists (and drivers) out there and I'm sorry you met some of them.

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Super steve says...
10:41pm Sun 9 Aug 09

I saw a cycling club cause total chaos on the A1 down towards Dishforth. We were heading North towards Scotch corner the A1 is only two lane for most of the distance and the lanes are not that wide. In a space of 15 minutes I saw a coach, a 16 ton quarry truck and a Stobart 38 tonner have to take emergency braking and avoiding action as cyclists simply swerved out to overtake others or to avoid potholes, or to pull alongside associates. They cause absolute misery for thousands of motorists for over an hour as their very poor cycling skills caused traffic to have to back up behind them on the norths main trunk road. I have seen very similar stupid actions by cycling clubs on the A689 between Wynyard and Sedgefield where upon cyclists who dont appear able to look over their shoulders simply swing out or jink to avoid a pothole or piece of litter causing motorists to take hard action to avoid a collision. Our roads are now to busy to allow these people to cause problems without being held to account. All cyclists esp these mobs masquerading as clubs should require number plats fitting to their toys, if they are going to share the roads with the rest of us they should pay road tax, and of course they should have insurance. Personally I would ban them as they dont show the adult responsibility or courtesy you see from things like motorcycle clubs, and clasic car clubs, But I know that wont happen, but they must be made more asccountable and pay their way.

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Super steve says...
10:44pm Sun 9 Aug 09

Matthew Wright wrote:
You've got me to bite, well done ;) re: the cyclist "..hanging out half way towards the white line. This made it impossible to overtake safely on a bendy road." Sounds like the cyclist was in the 'primary' position, which we are advised to take by all recognised cycling manuals - most notably the book Cyclecraft, endorsed by The Department For Transport and the Cyclists' Touring Club. The primary position is generally the safest for the cyclist and is especially useful on narrow roads when you consider there isn't enough room for those behind to overtake safely (even though they might feel tempted). If it was safe to overtake, cross the white line & overtake; if it isn't safe then wait. What's the problem? re: "Darlington Cycle Club ... bunched up five abreast out to the centre line". I'm not a member of DCC but on a recent ride organised by Darlington Council, I caught the DCC 'peloton' & saw them telling off none club riders who tried to ride 3 abreast, saying they would 'give the club a bad reputation, as no one would remember the 1 guy in a plain jersey but they would remember seeing 20 DCC jerseys'. Having witnessed how seriously DCC take their reputation, I can't believe they would be riding 5 abreast uphill and feel you must have witnessed non-DCC riders in the proximity of the DCC peloton & assumed they were together. There are some inconsiderate cyclists (and drivers) out there and I'm sorry you met some of them.
Sir I saw a bunch of guys in Yellow shirts last summer that were seven abreast at one point and in a cluster of about 15 to 20 cyclists .

They completely ingnored the needs and wishes of other road users.

I think the cycling clubs blind arogance come from them knowing full well it does not matter if THEY caused and accident the cops will always blaim the motorist.

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miketually says...
10:40am Mon 10 Aug 09

If there is a group of cyclists, it's often safer for them to ride as a shorter, but wider group. If they're in a long line, people will try to overtake, find that they don't have room and have to pull back in before they're past.

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Matthew Wright says...
11:43am Mon 10 Aug 09

Super steve wrote "All cyclists ... should require number plats fitting ... if they are going to share the roads with the rest of us they should pay road tax"

Apart from 'road tax' not existing anymore, as versions of Peugeot 207, VW Polo, Toyota IQ & Prius, Seat Ibiza etc are exempt from vehicle tax how much revenue does super steve expect the taxing of bicycles to raise?

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clubrider says...
7:01pm Tue 11 Aug 09

Dear motorist, you who posted the first story, if you are a cyclist as you claim them you should understand that we cannot always ride in a straight line , in single file up a hill like you describe. Get a life. !! or better still get out on your bike instead of your car on Sundays.

Clubrider

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schilbach says...
10:19am Thu 13 Aug 09

http://www.direct.go
v.uk/en/TravelAndTra
nsport/Highwaycode/D
G_070314

Maybe if more motorists took heed of the above, cyclists wouldn't have to ride so defensively.

In a collision between a motorist and a cyclist, there's only one loser.

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John Parrott says...
12:39am Thu 20 Aug 09

Cyclists. O.K. they do have right to use the public highways and byways.However they should use them with the consideration that they themselves wish to be given.
Riding with no lights on. Riding on the pedestrian pavements, (Isn't the last against the law)
I would suggest that they pay a road fund license to enable this governement to build into the Highways and byways a cycle path. After all the government is trying to encourage the use of so called 'green' transport.

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miketually says...
10:22am Thu 20 Aug 09

Would the road fund licence be set at the same level as the current smallest least polluting cars?

How would charging encourage green transport?

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