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news
Two abreast (via Facebook)Cycling club chairman complains of being held up by cyclists riding two abreast
The chairman of Darlington Cycling Club has complained of “two complete planks” who he says ‘held up traffic’ by riding two abreast on the way into Yarm yesterday. The comments come as the government consults on a proposed revision to the Highway Code which would tell cyclists they should “ride in single file when drivers wish to overtake.”
Writing on the Darlington Cycling Club Facebook forum, Mike Drake said: “We came across these two complete planks riding into Yarm today. They were two abreast, well before Tesco’s roundabout and all the way to the traffic lights.
“I pointed out to them at the traffic lights that they weren’t doing the cause of cyclists any good, to be told the Highway Code tells them to ride like that.
“Read again mate, it applies in certain situations and riding the busy road into Yarm isn’t one of them.”
The current wording of Rule 66 of the Highway Code says that while cycling, “You should … never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends.”
While some club members expressed support for Drake’s comments, the majority were critical. Several people said they tended to ride two abreast on that stretch to deter drivers from passing as they felt the road was too narrow for safe overtaking.
“Perhaps the video doesn’t show the full picture, as I didn’t start recording it as soon as we came across them,” said Drake.
“We came across them riding two abreast between the Urlay Nook and Tesco roundabout and I just assumed they would go into single file after the roundabout, but they maintained their position all the way to the lights.
“You can see the volume of traffic going the other way and it was similar going into Yarm, albeit backed up behind these two.
“I’m a big fan of riding two abreast, where it is practical and safe, but don’t feel I have the right to hold up traffic because I think the [Highway Code] says so – which it doesn’t.”
He added: “The point I was making is that the image of cycling will not be enhanced by taking this approach. The [Highway Code] does also say you should not hold up a long queue of traffic.”
The Government this week launched a consultation on revisions to the Highway Code with Cycling UK asking cyclists to support 10 changes it feels will improve safety.
One potential update is to the wording of Rule 66.
The proposed new wording – which could potentially spell the death of the chain gang – would say, “You should … ride in single file when drivers wish to overtake and it is safe to let them do so. When riding in larger groups on narrow lanes, it is sometimes safer to ride two abreast.”
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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45 comments
Bit embarrassing uploading a section of video which clearly shows the benefit of riding side by side in a situation where riding single file may have encouraged an ill judged overtake into oncoming traffic with danger to the cyclists from the resultant close pass.
exactly why I think the proposed Highway Code changes, with the talk of 1.5/2.0m overtaking clearance and the onus to go single file if drivers wish to overtake, is so wrong. They need the other lane.
But the proposed changes do nothing to disuade them from believing they can somehow squeeze by despite oncoming traffic, if only the bloody cyclists would move out of the way.
i dont care. i want to know why there is oncoming traffic at all. this confuses me so much. What time was this at? why was everyone driving in the other lane coming on it again and again and again and again, at the exact time someone following the cyclists? why were the drivers of the other cars not at work? you can't all be on a day off or just happen to be on that section of road at the exact same moment, it makes no sense. you'd expect one or two cars to come towards you, then nothing as everyone is at work. Nobody should be behind you apart from a van or lorry either. Unless we are now deducing that the reason there is constant traffic on a busy road, is because nobody works more than 16 hours any more and instead spends my money on driving around for no reason. it really perplexes me, traffic levels. Anyway, if the cyclists were holding people up, then why is it ok for people in cars to sit in bournemouth hospital for two hours, holding the car behind them up? cars hold me up and van rivers, buses, lorry drivers, police, ambulances, ALL THE TIME. Cyclists don't. We only slow it down a little, we dont come to a complete stop and block the road like cars do. Yes i am serious about the jobs thing. I've just done 50 hours and at no point between 9am and 6pm was i on the road this week. Yet i hear stories about traffic queues all the way into and out of bournemouth in the middle of the day, whilst i was working..... how can all those people possibly not be at work and be able to drive at the same time? theyve all got the day off have they? so thousands of people all have the day off at once and all chose to drive to bournemouth on the exact same time and route? i dont get it!
Me neither. I nipped out of work yesterday to go to the local builders merchants. Ten minutes there, no problem. I was in the shop for ten minutes. On my way back, utter gridlock. It turned out there had been an accident on the motorway. My point is, many of these people had not left the motorway to avoid the delays, they were local traffic held up by a number who were leaving the motorway. Which shows just how many people are simply driving about each and every day. We are a mere ten minutes from gridlock. Do all these people really need to be out during the working day?
Yup. Motor traffic levels are frequently at or exceeding capacity, and all it takes is one collision in one part of the system and it all grinds to a halt. Clearly what we need is more roads to increase the capacity, a policy which has consistently worked over the past fifty years.*
*May contain huge dollops of BS.
Often demonstrated in the Bristol area, as I think you’d know, Burt: if there’s a collision on the M32 or the M4 or the M5 then the whole city grinds to a halt (more than usual) as everyone tries to avoid it.
but your reason for being out is fine, you wanted to get an item so briefly went out on the road to get it. But normally, you wouldnt be there, you'd be working. How come there were so many other people driving in the same area at the same time though? i would say ok, retired people, maybe part time workers, or care workers. But it still doesnt explain the consistent flow of traffic in both directions in every road in the country. And even if the people on the road at the same time and area as you were carers, or part time workers, how come they all just happened to be there at the same time? why is there never a gap? margaret the old lady is going for a hospital appt for two pm. Thats why she is there. Ella is a care worker, on the road at two pm, going the other way, going to look after a disabled lady. They should pass eachother, and then that should be it for several minutes. It shouldn't be car car car car car car car, truck, car car car car. I want to know the answer to this!!
Yeah, it's everyone else briefly getting in the car for a good reason who's the problem.
FML some people are petty, I wonder if he took a video of that couple in Tescos who cant decide what coffee to buy, that held him up for 30 seconds as well.
The club chairman is the plank.
Suppose the cyclists were in single file, and he overtook, allowing 1.5m clearance. That is going to place his nearside wing mirror somewhere level with the current position of the outside rider, and his offside wing mirror somewhere level with the face of the oncoming motorist.
So the thing that is holding him up is the motorist in the other lane, the lane which he would need to use to safely overtake the two cyclists, a manoeuvre which is facilitated by them being bunched up two abreast instead of strung out single file.
Well said.
If the chairman of a cycle club doesn't understand the need to use the other side of the carriageway to overtake a single cyclist (or side by side cyclists), and cannot do so because of the oncoming traffic, so feel that they must (just have to...) close pass the single cyclist, or is unable to do this because of primary position or riders side by side then there is truely no hope.
I agree. I sometimes think when I see stuff like this that the best advice for such people as said club chairman is "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". Why on earth get on social media to complain about such a minor thing? Also, the whole "these kinds of cyclists give us a bad reputation" is surely a complete canard. It seems to me that for an unfortunately large segment of the motoring population, it doesn't really matter how we behave - blameless or not, they hate us all equally.
There, fixed it for you
In other news:
my journey to Tesco's was "delayed by about 15 seconds" said one shopper
members hail new Chairman for Darlington Cycling Club
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