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While riding around the highlands I have mainly been off road but done a few road miles. Who has been ckose passing is not what i expected. The worst offenders have been motorcyclists usually german. Hired campers second but that i expected Commercial vehicles have been great
With the bikers why on earth would you not cross the white line into an empty lane instead of going thru the 2m gap between me and the white line? One pair did it twice in half a mile. Close pass and got the usual loud swearing and gestures. They then pulled over to let the queue of cars behind them pass( yes really) i went past as well and then they close passed me again.
Is there a special german license for bikers who cannot ride?
I was also amused to see a 8 bike gruop of harley riders holding up a queue of around 30 cars. Born to be mild?
Out on a motorbike I always slow down and give cyclists loads of space, crossing right over the line (when safe to do so). I'd do this even if I wasn't also a cyclist, because as a motorcyclist I can empathise with other vulnerable road users. Dicks in all walks of life, you encountered a few. Nowt to do with them being bikers. Or German!
I alway get close passed by roadies.
I think it's a dominace thing!
Its not just a few. Its been loads of them
I guess two things germans are not used to bikes on roads and unfamiliarity with highland roads
Gwrman reg cars have been bad as well
German bikers also hog single track roads refusing to move off the centre line when coming towards me.
Its been really obvoius. French Dutch and brit bikers have been fine. Probably 20 close passes or refusal to give room on single track roads from german bikers. No bike with any other plate has close passed
ive just started cycling to work again, on a really busy 'A' road, no path or kerb just grass verge. im torn between doing what i thinks right (positioning some distance from the kerb so cars and lorries only pass when they would if i were a car), or hugging the edge of the tarmac to give them more room.
even when right out they still squeeze past and go through the narrow gap between me and the oncoming traffic, so i tend to plump for self-preservation and keep as close to the edge as possible.
And there's loads of them around this week as it's the TT races coming up and it's a long-standing tradition to tour Scotland before heading to the IOM.
I was also amused to see a 8 bike gruop of harley riders holding up a queue of around 30 cars. Born to be mild?
A mate rides with a Harley group who refer to themselves as the "Sons of Alzheimers" so who knows?
I'm always surprised by the type of driver that pass extremely closely on the Peebles to Edinburgh road. Guaranteed every single one of the worst offenders will have a bike on the roof!
In the interests of balance one dutch campervan and one uk car today
The worst offenders have been motorcyclists usually german.
I remember being overtaken on a bend by a motorbike, where there would have been plenty of room except that he banked over so much it felt like his helmet was going to hit me. He was seemingly unaware of how much space a banking bike takes up on the road. His mate behind apologised.
Gwrman reg cars have been bad as well
LH drive, so they can actually see how space they are allowing you and aren't guessing like so many drivers do, but ARE guessing how much space they have towards the middle of the road and oncoming traffic? (I probably drove closer to the kerb side when I had a LH drive car in this country.)
even when right out they still squeeze past and go through the narrow gap between me and the oncoming traffic, so i tend to plump for self-preservation and keep as close to the edge as possible.
Then I'd suggest you're not far enough out! But you do have my sympathy for having to commute on an A road.
I've also noticed that with motorbikes. Open road, nothing coming the other way, don't even bother to cross the centreline. Relative speeds of 50+ mph. Not a pleasant experience.
One issue the Dutch might have is that they won't be used to passing cyclists as they have cycle paths almost everywhere so coming across a cyclist on the road is quite rare
I ride around Brecon a lot on the road bike and motorbikes are the absolute worst of all. Fly passed your shoulder doing 80mph giving as little room as possible and obviously swinging out at the very last moment as if you are some NPC in their strange little game. Always spend the next ten minutes dreaming of kicking their teeth out before the moment passes and cycling does what it does to the mind.
One issue the Dutch might have is that they won’t be used to passing cyclists as they have cycle paths almost everywhere so coming across a cyclist on the road is quite rare
Germans as well
On open roads, then I've had some right arse holes on crotch rockets go past at warp speed with no space.
When younger, we used to chase the buggers down off hills as road bikes are pretty good cornering. Axe Edge and Cat into Buxton are good places to out pace big motor bikes.
Got close passed by a lady in a BMW the other week, straight country road clear for 300m,she then fully crossed the white line to avoid a pothole, so basically an alloy on her 15 year old BMW is more important than a fellow human, bloody cyclists.
One issue the Dutch might have is that they won’t be used to passing cyclists as they have cycle paths almost everywhere so coming across a cyclist on the road is quite rare
Wasn't my experience there. Away from the cities and main roads there was a lot of roads with shared space and the drivers were far more aware and considerate of passing me than in the UK.
I alway get close passed by roadies.
I avoid road riding like the plague but yeah, out on my fatbike a load of roadies in one of them pelicans passed me sooo close.
I shouted but they couldn't hear me above the whooshing I guess.
Don't be too offended by the roadies. When riding in a group, 1 foot between handlebars when riding two abrest is a nice relaxing spacing whilst you chat. Giving 2-3 feet of room as you pass another cyclist would then feel very generous. It's just a question of perception not malice.