The Downside of the Cycling Revival

[Robbied196]

Start of grumpy old man rant

I commute nearly everyday come sun, rain, wind, hail or snow. The beauty of cycling through the winter is that its 'quiet'...... I see maybe 7 or 8 other nutters cycling in all weathers. I started club riding in 1977 and it didn't take much explaining that we drive on the left, cycle on the left, walk on the left, go upstairs on the left, walk down corridors on the left.....in otherwords, we keep LEFT.

Now we've had a few sunny days and the fair weather cyclists have arrived in force this year. I've lost count of the number of times this week I've been riding towards another cyclist on a cycle path and they've tried to pass ME on my LEFT :facepalm: There have been a few near misses and this afternoon a complete front wheel to front wheel stop. I move to the left, they move further to the right....................

What is going on?

End of grumpy old man rant

 

[sherlylock]

Yep - I've had this happen on a few occasions on the cycle paths near me.....even to the point where I collided with someone because I followed the path and the other rider didn't!

I just assumed that if you drove a car then you'd go with the theory "stick to the left"......maybe these people don't drive?

 

[foz]

Maybe they're just idiots?

 

[royboy2cv]

Re:

Just state the obvious , all those other people ( across the waters ) drive on the RIGHT :facepalm:

 

[FINNEY1973]

Re:

Completely agree with the OP on this, using a towpath to & from work - it seems to attract those who are unwilling to use the roads - fair enough if they're not confident. Said towpath is my straightest & quickest route and my old route has been removed thanks to a tram extension, but man do I encounter some people who are quite frankly clueless. People riding whilst social media-ing, smoking, headphones in, riding on the wrong side as per the OP's gripe but the one that gets me the most is those folk on 'utility' off road bikes with handlebars so wide they resemble a tightrope walkers balancing pole! They ride slot dead centre of the path and won't dare go a wheels width nearer the water. Evasive action almost everyday. Given it's a shared path with many on foot plus the ducks, geese, moorhens, guy ropes on the barges tied to anchoring points, there's a lot that can go wrong considering it's only a few miles. As for etiquette, after 3 years of this I just shout 'your side' and point at the left - usually hear a 'sorry' on the wind as we go in opposite directions

 

[mjray]

Little trick for you: extend the fingers on your left hand to the left, with your palm forwards, on the hoods or tops or ends of your bars. Like a stop hand rotated ninety left. Move left long before you must and most people pass on your left. I'm not sure why the hand helps but it seems to.

However I admit I ride on the right on tracks on the wrong side of roads, to reduce being buffeted by oncoming trucks. I will still move left on blind bends or for oncoming traffic though.

 

[Jonny69]

And yet when you fly an aircraft you should always turn RIGHT

 

[Totoro]

I ride as far to the left as I can, I have to as I'm always being passed as I try to tempt my big heavy DH bike along the tarmac.
I have seen some awful riding along my local tow path by people who have probably been riding much longer than me though on all kinds of bikes.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Re:

Tourists?

 

[half cog]

Its not just bikes.We often walk along a two person wide riverside path to the local village. In summer when the tourist/walkers are about they walk towards you side by side as if you are simply going to disappear .Had a number of nose to nose encounters as we now simply stop and wait for them to realise what they are doing.We have moved into single file but it seems to be beyond them that that is what is required. Bikes or boots its people and they are not getting any better