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Riding back from the school run, one WeeRide, one kid’s bike on the tagalong, still decorated from the fancy-dress-bike contest earlier in the year. I’m not exactly inconspicuous...
It’s only half a mile.
In the space of 200m, I get two full on close passes. Both on blind corners, with traffic I could see coming to other way, both when I was riding primary or more, both close enough to touch without stretching
Both “must be in front. Because cyclist” overtakes, not even seconds saved because of other traffic in front.
It ruins my day. I’m not sure what else I should be doing.
Poor rant I know. But if I start sharing the vocabulary I’d rather use none of my post would make it through...
Not a lot you can do apart from give them various hand signals in their mirrors. I had a couple of rubbish ones at the weekend, not close, but if something came around the corner, the only place they had left to go was, yup, into me ! I gave them the universal signals and moved on.
If it's only half a mile, and no better route available, just walk. Probably quicker too with time spent faffing with gates, lock and helmets.
No better route: country village. There’s the road. That’s it.
Have you ever walked at the speed of a two year old? *not* quicker to walk, especially with their bags for the day! Panniers FTW. Plus I usually love the ride with them.
But really, I shouldn’t have to be bullied off the roads I have a perfect right to use. And to expect to use in relative safety, and not be imperilled by someone in a car and their selfish impatience.
That attitude is held by too many folk and it’s a big reason why people in cars get away with their poor behaviour, why cycling is often so stressful, and not more widespread.
“The roads are so dangerous” - no, the roads are roads. They're made dangerous by the way people act on them in their potentially lethal vehicles.
I wonder if it's worth reporting them?
What the chances that the drivers had just dropped their kids off at school?
I'm sure a lot think well I did hit them so its ok..
If there isn't space for a car to pass, then make sure they don't see the gap to squeeze past.
Of course don't put your self in a more dangerous situation but you can take charge of it a little more.
If you don't care too much about the look of the bike then add an accessory that makes you wider and "more visible" to aid with the appearance of there not being a gap to pass until it is safe.
I used to ride to/from school. The close passes were always by other parents. It's the worst combo - parents rushing to get somewhere and often distracted/stressed by the little oiks in the back.
Hoof/slats in the playground.
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The close passes were always by other parents.
Yup, im sure most of the traffic problems would be cured overnight if parents walked their kids to school.
I didn’t recognise the cars, but didn’t get numberplates.
Sadly renders playground hoof/slat or realistic reporting moot. (“Officer, the was A Car, I didn’t like it”)
I’ll just get on with things I think. Just ruins my day...
I've got one of these:
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Attached that to the Hamax child seat and I've no idea if it works, I ride pragmatically when i've got the nipper on the back. I refuse to ride on the road round the stupid one way system that needs us to cross multiple lanes of traffic. I've not had any close passes for a while though, so somethings working.
The other thing that might be helping is that I have a large rear light shining on to him at the back so people can see that there's actually a child on the back.
When i'm riding with my 7 year old we ride on the roads until we get to the main road, then mix it up with the pedestrians. Too many pricks out there.
The close passes were always by other parents.
I ended up in a shouty session with one parent of a classmate of eldest son - who thought that an overtake at a T-junction/cross roads of four of us on bikes was OK as we waited for traffic. Leaning my bike across front of her car probably didn't help the situation, but I am sure she still thinks she had done nothing wrong.
Move out further on blind bends so there is no prospect of them thinking about overtaking. This is a standard safety manouver which means that cars approaching from behind see you earlier so know to slow down - as you'll be further out.
I applaud you for not driving the kids to school OP. Unlike the chubby chain smokers dropping their equally chubby and probable chain smoking kids off at the primary school at the end of my road who make the whole area a proper danger zone with their double parking, parking on pavements, screeching round the corners coz they’re late, and general foul language. Knobs will be knobs.
I remember at primary school, the school crossing patrol lady (Ollie the Lolly) had a reputation for hitting cars that refused to stop with her Lollipop sign. Very few would turn up at the Police station to complain.
A few years further on, and a pal who used to horse ride on the roads would carry a big long schooling whip - not so much for the horse as for smacking cars that got too close - seems to be an approach that others took looking at this [url= http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/archive/index.php/t-447038.html ]thread[/url] from Horse and Hound.
Big sharp scratchy spikes, sticking out from a trailer towed behind your bike..... might work 😉
Of course don't put your self in a more dangerous situation but you can take charge of it a little more.
Move out further on blind bends so there is no prospect of them thinking about overtaking. This is a standard safety manouver which means that cars approaching from behind see you earlier so know to slow down - as you'll be further out.
I don't know about you, but whilst I'm happy to play Mr Assertive on my own, and even when I'm riding with my older one (I stay a little behind and further out than him), I'm not happy doing it when I'm towing my younger one. When she's being towed she's behind me, out of sight, and completely helpless. I can't put her first in the line of fire or use her as a tool for blocking the idiots.
bez+1
That said, while out with bike club or groups of youngsters, I regularly play mr_sit_in_the_frickin_middle and make eye contact with all drivers, hand gestures as required. Funny how so many drivers go to cut you up until they are really forced to slow / challenged over their behaviour. I don't even think we live in that bad a place for drivers behaviour...
Was never a problem on my tandem with and without a babyseat. Positioning removes the option of an overtake immediately and I suspect subconciously, hence is a safer option for riders AND drivers on blind bends.
Advanced drivers also know they should be positioned further out/in on blind left/right hand bends for better visibility of hazards. Ordinary drivers should just think "there's a bike in the middle of the road blocking my way!".
Aldi are doing rear light with an HD camera built in so at least you can get footage of the close passers and hopefully capturing their number plate. Not sure who you could report them to or if anything can be done as they're not strictly breaking the law, or at least don't think they are.
Just where we are unfortunately - lots of impatient drivers out there who drive too fast and don't want their progress to be impeded.
in the good old days with slower, smaller cars it was less of an issue, or seemed to be. I now just avoid roads and try to navigate via cycle lanes and off road trails/tracks even if it means going out of my way.
Positioning removes the option of an overtake immediately and I suspect subconciously, hence is a safer option for riders AND drivers on blind bends.
Yeah, I understand very well how it works, but the conscious decision to put your young child in that position is not as simple as understanding how it works. It's one that I only take on very few roads.
Advanced drivers also know they should be positioned further out/in on blind left/right hand bends for better visibility of hazards. Ordinary drivers should just think "there's a bike in the middle of the road blocking my way!".
I struggle to tell if the driver that approaches at 40 mph from behind me is the Advanced version or dumbass version. With kids (or groups) I won't take the chance I might as an adult.
+1 for stick out reflector as above, or pair with one of these - [url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wave-120970-M-Wave-Safety-Flagpole/dp/B003LHO6S6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_200_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=237WW77C7DAA3613XYDK ]stick out flag[/url] for extra emphasis...
It's amazing how much more room you get when close-passers think they might scratch their paintwork...
I've often thought, after the odd close pass on my commute, or getting a longish stick out reflector and a wire brush. Tape wire brush to the end. If you come too close your car is going to get a proper scratch
Problem is for the rest of the time it'll be really annoying
You could drive a car, it will be safer... and warmer.
Problem is for the rest of the time it'll be really annoying
This. Though if you made it sprung for getting through trailer width gates etc. it might not be too bad for riding with kids.
It does amaze me how idiotic people can be even when there are clearly kids on board.
It ruins my day. I’m not sure what else I should be doing.
Not sure what I would do if I had a child tag-along, but when it is just me, and I know it is a section where people consistently pass dangerously, I take the 'primary' position in the middle of the road, so cars cannot overtake. Only ever do it for short stretches, but what other option is there when every other car driver thinks it is okay to overtake with no room to spare? Drivers hate it of course, so you leave yourself open to 'punishment passes' when you move back in and they do overtake. White van men particularly bad for this.
It does amaze me how idiotic people can be even when there are clearly kids on board.
Some people think cyclists have no business being on the road, and if they get hurt, it's their own fault, even if it was someone else's fault. This reverse strict liability probably extends to children that cyclists introduce to the dangers of the road.
"This one's got so little common sense that he's towing his kid around! I'll show him how dangerous it can be!"
Those of us who are Bikers have learned to hand them their wing mirrors back to them in such cases.....
What Bez says.
I regularly ride to nursery with my daughter in the hamax. She really enjoys it, me not so much as I'm riding so much more cautiously. Close passes (up to a point) when I'm out riding don't faze me much as it happens so often, but close passes when I have my daughter on the back really boil my piss.
I've only twice initiated a "conversation" with a driver due to their dangerous driving, both times I had both kids in the trailer.
I towed a trailer for a few years, then a cargo bike.
I must live in the UK’s most placid town as we never really had any issues. I was always subservient to cars, lots of arm signals, waves of thanks. If in doubt pull over. Might have cost me a few mins over the week but I can recall friendly waves & folk leaving us plenty of room. I’d sooner pull up before a blind bend & wave someone on than have them barrelling up behind.
There will always be idiots on the road, all you can do is keep out of their way.
Keep the faith though Op, you’ve just had a bad day.
I'm not sure if the world's gone mad lately, but I've had to report 3 acts of dangerous driving to the police in the past month. 2 of those were drivers colliding with my car while trying to change lane neither of which stopped. Never happeneded to me before in 25 years of driving. Police are onto one of the drivers at least. Also got side-swiped by RangeRover cutting me off approaching a roundabout at high speed. Police couldn't do anything about this and advised me to get handle-bar mounted camera. I've since installed F&R cameras and DVR in the car...can't be bother with the bike yet !
If I ever rode with my kids in the trailer or on the back to nursery (or ride with my kids now), unless it's a very quiet road they ride on the pavement
I live in London and most roads have a pavement. Only NSLs or country lane style roads don't have them (I'm on the outskirts)
Anyone see "Fight, Camera, Action" last night? Oh my, what an eye-opener. Utterly hilarious, most of it. Some of it downright scary (acid in the face for trying to stop someone from stealing a motorbike!)
I'm never going to road rage anyone ever again! 😆