A Peloton of Knobs

Out today in the car when I caught up with a bunch of cyclists riding two
abreast on a quite B road. About twenty-thirty in number - with the necessity
to overtake them all in one go as they were inconsiderate enough to leave no
gaps between themselves.

There was quite a build up of traffic as they waited/tried to overtake them.

Of course when I overtook them I found it necessary to wash my windscreen: it
really is a pity the windscreen washers are so badly aligned. I would guess
that something like 80% of them got their mandatory sun-shades splattered

"Judith" wrote in message
...


Out today in the car when I caught up with a bunch of cyclists riding two
abreast on a quite B road. About twenty-thirty in number - with the
necessity
to overtake them all in one go as they were inconsiderate enough to leave
no
gaps between themselves.

There was quite a build up of traffic as they waited/tried to overtake
them.

Of course when I overtook them I found it necessary to wash my windscreen:
it
really is a pity the windscreen washers are so badly aligned. I would
guess
that something like 80% of them got their mandatory sun-shades splattered

I passed a bunch of the ****s early this afternoon riding in exactly the
same way. They were doing their best to occupy as much of the width of the
road as possible Again there were probably around 20+ of them.
Fortunately, I was travelling in the opposite direction so I wasn't delayed
but there was quite a tailback of traffic behind them. Why don't they stop
to allow faster traffic to pass? Don't they ever think about the
inconvenience caused to other people wanting to use the road? They are
nothing more that a moving roadblock. I was thinking after I passed them
that they were doing considerable harm to the reputation of cyclists.

This was on a minor road.

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:55:52 +0100, "John Benn"
wrote:

"Judith" wrote in message
.. .


Out today in the car when I caught up with a bunch of cyclists riding two
abreast on a quite B road. About twenty-thirty in number - with the
necessity
to overtake them all in one go as they were inconsiderate enough to leave
no
gaps between themselves.

There was quite a build up of traffic as they waited/tried to overtake
them.

Of course when I overtook them I found it necessary to wash my windscreen:
it
really is a pity the windscreen washers are so badly aligned. I would
guess
that something like 80% of them got their mandatory sun-shades splattered

I passed a bunch of the ****s early this afternoon riding in exactly the
same way. They were doing their best to occupy as much of the width of the
road as possible Again there were probably around 20+ of them.
Fortunately, I was travelling in the opposite direction so I wasn't delayed
but there was quite a tailback of traffic behind them. Why don't they stop
to allow faster traffic to pass? Don't they ever think about the
inconvenience caused to other people wanting to use the road? They are
nothing more that a moving roadblock. I was thinking after I passed them
that they were doing considerable harm to the reputation of cyclists.

This was on a minor road.

Extraordinary...

I too had need to drive today, and went to Royal Tonbridge Wells. I
saw no peloton of cyclists, and although I had to wait behind a
cyclist for a short while while it was too dangerous to overtake, it
didn't affect my journey time in any way as I was later delayed in
traffic.

The cyclist, on the other hand, didn't appear to experience any delay
whatsoever, and sailed past a queue of fuming cars and their drivers
and passengers.

"Bertie Wooster" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:55:52 +0100, "John Benn"
wrote:

"Judith" wrote in message
. ..


Out today in the car when I caught up with a bunch of cyclists riding
two
abreast on a quite B road. About twenty-thirty in number - with the
necessity
to overtake them all in one go as they were inconsiderate enough to
leave
no
gaps between themselves.

There was quite a build up of traffic as they waited/tried to overtake
them.

Of course when I overtook them I found it necessary to wash my
windscreen:
it
really is a pity the windscreen washers are so badly aligned. I would
guess
that something like 80% of them got their mandatory sun-shades
splattered

I passed a bunch of the ****s early this afternoon riding in exactly the
same way. They were doing their best to occupy as much of the width of
the
road as possible Again there were probably around 20+ of them.
Fortunately, I was travelling in the opposite direction so I wasn't
delayed
but there was quite a tailback of traffic behind them. Why don't they
stop
to allow faster traffic to pass? Don't they ever think about the
inconvenience caused to other people wanting to use the road? They are
nothing more that a moving roadblock. I was thinking after I passed them
that they were doing considerable harm to the reputation of cyclists.

This was on a minor road.

Extraordinary...

I too had need to drive today, and went to Royal Tonbridge Wells. I
saw no peloton of cyclists, and although I had to wait behind a
cyclist for a short while while it was too dangerous to overtake, it
didn't affect my journey time in any way as I was later delayed in
traffic.

The cyclist, on the other hand, didn't appear to experience any delay
whatsoever, and sailed past a queue of fuming cars and their drivers
and passengers.

Please excuse me then, I must have been mistaken. Maybe it was all a dream
and I was asleep in bed all Sunday afternoon.

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:15:15 +0100, "John Benn"
wrote:

"Bertie Wooster" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:55:52 +0100, "John Benn"
wrote:

"Judith" wrote in message
...


Out today in the car when I caught up with a bunch of cyclists riding
two
abreast on a quite B road. About twenty-thirty in number - with the
necessity
to overtake them all in one go as they were inconsiderate enough to
leave
no
gaps between themselves.

There was quite a build up of traffic as they waited/tried to overtake
them.

Of course when I overtook them I found it necessary to wash my
windscreen:
it
really is a pity the windscreen washers are so badly aligned. I would
guess
that something like 80% of them got their mandatory sun-shades
splattered

I passed a bunch of the ****s early this afternoon riding in exactly the
same way. They were doing their best to occupy as much of the width of
the
road as possible Again there were probably around 20+ of them.
Fortunately, I was travelling in the opposite direction so I wasn't
delayed
but there was quite a tailback of traffic behind them. Why don't they
stop
to allow faster traffic to pass? Don't they ever think about the
inconvenience caused to other people wanting to use the road? They are
nothing more that a moving roadblock. I was thinking after I passed them
that they were doing considerable harm to the reputation of cyclists.

This was on a minor road.

Extraordinary...

I too had need to drive today, and went to Royal Tonbridge Wells. I
saw no peloton of cyclists, and although I had to wait behind a
cyclist for a short while while it was too dangerous to overtake, it
didn't affect my journey time in any way as I was later delayed in
traffic.

The cyclist, on the other hand, didn't appear to experience any delay
whatsoever, and sailed past a queue of fuming cars and their drivers
and passengers.

Please excuse me then, I must have been mistaken. Maybe it was all a dream
and I was asleep in bed all Sunday afternoon.

That would be a plausible explanation.

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:04:59 +0100, Bertie Wooster
wrote:

The cyclist, on the other hand, didn't appear to experience any delay
whatsoever, and sailed past a queue of fuming cars and their drivers
and passengers.

There was extensive discussion recently in a national paper about the
danger caused by cyclists overtaking horses and how best it could be
done (shouting, blowing horns, ringing bells etc). Despite their
enthusiasm for impeding other road users by "taking the lane" (In the
interests of safety of course) not a single cyclist suggested that
cyclists should wait behind the horse and rider until it was safe to
pass.

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:06:29 +0100, Peter Parry
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:04:59 +0100, Bertie Wooster
wrote:

The cyclist, on the other hand, didn't appear to experience any delay
whatsoever, and sailed past a queue of fuming cars and their drivers
and passengers.

There was extensive discussion recently in a national paper about the
danger caused by cyclists overtaking horses and how best it could be
done (shouting, blowing horns, ringing bells etc). Despite their
enthusiasm for impeding other road users by "taking the lane" (In the
interests of safety of course) not a single cyclist suggested that
cyclists should wait behind the horse and rider until it was safe to
pass.

Presumably because waiting behind until it is safe to pass is assumed
as a given.

Waiting until it is dangerous to pass, and then overtaking, is simply
daft.

Did the article indicate the scale of the problem, i.e. how many
equestrians are killed as a result of dangerous overtaking by cyclists
each year.

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:52:38 +0100, Bertie Wooster
wrote:

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:06:29 +0100, Peter Parry
wrote:

There was extensive discussion recently in a national paper about the
danger caused by cyclists overtaking horses and how best it could be
done (shouting, blowing horns, ringing bells etc). Despite their
enthusiasm for impeding other road users by "taking the lane" (In the
interests of safety of course) not a single cyclist suggested that
cyclists should wait behind the horse and rider until it was safe to
pass.

Presumably because waiting behind until it is safe to pass is assumed
as a given.

One would assume so but apparently following cyclecrafts mantra of
"maintain momentum at all costs" being able to travel without the push
bike user ever having to slow down or wait for a horse was considered
to be far more important than the safety of the horse or rider. Some
bicycling correspondents questioned whether horses should be allowed
on roads if they got in the way of push bikes, especlally in
situations where they had the potential to disrupt essential bicycling
activities such as road racing (time trials) or club training runs.

Did the article indicate the scale of the problem, i.e. how many
equestrians are killed as a result of dangerous overtaking by cyclists
each year.

Do only those killed count?

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 23:06:29 +0100, Peter Parry wrote:

On Sun, 25 Aug 2013 21:04:59 +0100, Bertie Wooster
wrote:

The cyclist, on the other hand, didn't appear to experience any delay
whatsoever, and sailed past a queue of fuming cars and their drivers and
passengers.

There was extensive discussion recently in a national paper about the
danger caused by cyclists overtaking horses and how best it could be
done (shouting, blowing horns, ringing bells etc). Despite their
enthusiasm for impeding other road users by "taking the lane" (In the
interests of safety of course) not a single cyclist suggested that
cyclists should wait behind the horse and rider until it was safe to
pass.

I normally ring a bell while I am still well behind the horse and rider.
Even if the rider does not hear it the horse always seems to, and is
therefore much less likely to be "spooked."
Then of course I wait, trundling along at a safe distance behind the
horse, until it is safe to pass, giving a wide berth.

On Mon, 26 Aug 2013 09:41:30 +0100, Peter Parry wrote:

One would assume so but apparently following cyclecrafts mantra of
"maintain momentum at all costs" being able to travel without the push
bike user ever having to slow down or wait for a horse was considered to
be far more important than the safety of the horse or rider. Some
bicycling correspondents questioned whether horses should be allowed on
roads if they got in the way of push bikes, especlally in situations
where they had the potential to disrupt essential bicycling activities
such as road racing (time trials) or club training runs.

Umm who was using roads or paths first? Horses or bikes?