Originally Posted by
GetUpnGo
As a cyclist I have full respect for the sport and no love for drivers who pass me too close, cut me off, etc.
Now, as a DRIVER, I'm irritated by the weekend club riders who ride double, claim a strip of pavement 5' wide when riding single file, or weave from side to side. I can't understand this. When I ride in traffic I try to ride in a straight line and take up as little space as possible. If I can safely ride on the right side of the white shoulder line I do so.
I live in an area with narrow, winding roads with little opportunity to pass these road hogs safely. Sometimes I drive along at 16 mph for several minutes before it's safe to pass them. They seem oblivious to the traffic behind them.
What's the thinking behind this behavior? "We have a right to one full lane"?
What's the best way to deal with these folks?
For me as a cyclist, what is the proper etiquette and safe riding habit in traffic?
You are not going to like this, friend.
If a cyclist riding taking a five-foot ribbon of road makes it unsafe to pass in that lane, as it certainly seems from your "narrow" description, a single cyclist really should be taking a position to occupy the WHOLE lane to keep people like you from trying to do an unsafe pass. Imagine the rider two feet from pavement edge and the required three-foot safety zone and do the math for yourself. If there's not enough room left for you and your motor vehicle, a pass is unsafe. If cyclists are riding two or three wide on that same road they are doing you a favor by shortening the lane you must pass.
You might ask yourself about your sense of entitlement to travel at a speed exceeding 16 MPH. Are you so important that the police should be closing intersections as you approach? Do you hire a helicopter to free you from those odious traffic jams? Do you hire your own jet rather than endure those airport waits?
If a group rides two or three wide on a road or street with the lane wide and otherwise safe enough for single-file sharing, I think they are being inconsiderate and their mothers and fathers should give them a stern lecture. This, however, does not seem the case from your description thus you are awarded the parental lecture.
It happens that I have been known to pull off the road to let faster vehicles through when traffic is too heavy or sight lines bad for safe passing. You would still, however, find yourself behind me for "several minutes." Grow some patience and enjoy your life.