Passing when group riding - important especially for newbies

[Metastable]

ya no kidding

I guess I'll just have to tag along on a kiwi ride one day to see how it's suppose to be done.

[R-Soul]

LOL, you can quite safely pass cars in the opposing lane "all day" too, but you might move back into your own lane if someone came the other day.

You can probably ride at 110km/hr "all day" too, but you might want to slow down for roundabouts.

You can hum along in town at 55km/hr "all day" as well, but you better stop for red lights and stop signs.

Of course I thought it through, you dolt. It's you who isn't thinking.

Steve

So are you still saying that its safe to pass a car on the centre line with another car coming towards you? Even if you do move back into your lane afterwards?

That leaves you in the same situation as I described below. At the mercy of others. My thinking is fine thanks.

And if you are proposing to only pass when there are no oncoming cars, then you might as well use the outside lane properly.

[CookMySock]

So are you still saying that its safe to pass a car on the centre line with another car coming towards you? Even if you do move back into your lane afterwards? That leaves you in the same situation as I described below. At the mercy of others. And if you are proposing to only pass when there are no oncoming cars, then you might as well use the outside lane properly.

Sorry, I criticised a bit there.

Passing in between two lanes of traffic, takes you about 1.5 meters from the cars. Provided you do not do this with a very high speed differential, you can idle along the centerline and nip in between any car at any time. Obviously, if an oncoming car moves up the centreline, then you withdraw. Same goes for a car that you are following - no room, no go! If you stop and consider, it makes little difference if the two lanes are going your direction, or one is opposing - it is just that the speeds feel different.

Consider also, in heavy traffic on a two-lane, two-way road, the cars are physically unable to pass - it is really unlikely that any car can or will pull out in front of you. This is not the case if there is no opposing traffic, where cars you propose to overtake can and will randomly pull out on you. The biggest danger in this case, are bikers coming the other way who are thinking the same - never execute a sudden swerve onto the centreline.

If you don't feel confident lane sharing in these circumstances, as with all things biking - don't do it.

Steve

[sinfull]

Sorry, I criticised a bit there.

Passing in between two lanes of traffic, takes you about 1.5 meters from the cars. Provided you do not do this with a very high speed differential, you can idle along the centerline and nip in between any car at any time. Obviously, if an oncoming car moves up the centreline, then you withdraw. Same goes for a car that you are following - no room, no go! If you stop and consider, it makes little difference if the two lanes are going your direction, or one is opposing - it is just that the speeds feel different.

Consider also, in heavy traffic on a two-lane, two-way road, the cars are physically unable to pass - it is really unlikely that any car can or will pull out in front of you. This is not the case if there is no opposing traffic, where cars you propose to overtake can and will randomly pull out on you. The biggest danger in this case, are bikers coming the other way who are thinking the same - never execute a sudden swerve onto the centreline.

If you don't feel confident lane sharing in these circumstances, as with all things biking - don't do it.

Steve

Sorry steve, but once again you come into a thread which is aimed at those not so experienced and tell them it's ok to do shit once they are confident in doing it lol whens that ? 6 months into riding ?
Wide open, knew there was no need for me to depress myself by filtering through all your posts to find those where ppl have said OMG are you serious ?

Sure there will be no overtaking by cars where there is heavy traffic, but what about the driver that loses concentration and drifts out to the centre line or sticks his nose out to look when the next gap is coming, just as you get beside the car your passing at idle ?

And do this with very little speed differential ?? lets hang out there for as long as posible to increase the odds of shit happening while your beside the car !
Jesus man ! Stay out of advice threads is my advice lol

[Toaster]

When you are in a group, the bigger the worse this scenario will become.

If you are all passing a vehicle, the guys who have completed the pass MUST stay on the gas until the entire group has made the pass. Generally speaking you are accelerating when making the pass, therefore lets say the group is 10 riders long. By the time the 5th guy goes to pass, because he has had a much longer acceleration run, when the is level with the vehicle being passed he/she is going much faster than the first rider. ...

I was thinking about this the other day after a group ride. It's almost like a giant slinky... the front goes ahead and the middle and arse-end have to race along at warp speed to catch up only to end up braking hard in an array of taillights and butthole shrinkage.

[scumdog]

Well, it confused me

I see the point on long straight roads, with all bikes being similar.

But add corners and some bikes a lot slower than others ??

And chuck in a rider or two from a different group catching up.

Or travelling slower the the 'pack'

[Jacko2]

Sorry, I criticised a bit there.

Passing in between two lanes of traffic, takes you about 1.5 meters from the cars. Provided you do not do this with a very high speed differential, you can idle along the centerline and nip in between any car at any time. Obviously, if an oncoming car moves up the centreline, then you withdraw. Same goes for a car that you are following - no room, no go! If you stop and consider, it makes little difference if the two lanes are going your direction, or one is opposing - it is just that the speeds feel different.

Consider also, in heavy traffic on a two-lane, two-way road, the cars are physically unable to pass - it is really unlikely that any car can or will pull out in front of you. This is not the case if there is no opposing traffic, where cars you propose to overtake can and will randomly pull out on you. The biggest danger in this case, are bikers coming the other way who are thinking the same - never execute a sudden swerve onto the centreline.

If you don't feel confident lane sharing in these circumstances, as with all things biking - don't do it.

Steve

PLEASE post-up when you're on the road.
I don't to be coming other way, if you're out there, EVER!

[CookMySock]

Sorry steve, but once again you come into a thread which is aimed at those not so experienced and tell them it's ok to do shit once they are confident in doing it lol whens that ? 6 months into riding ?

No mate I didn't. Clearly stated it was for the more experienced rider. Re-read.

Steve

[sinfull]

No, you should not be facilitating anything for anyone. Pass the car and get outa there pronto. Rider behind you will roll their OWN dice.

Here you are thinking like a cager. On a bike, you can ride all day on the centreline and it affects no one. Sure, the fuzz will take a dim view, but at any time during a passing manoevre you may revert to the centreline in complete safety. In fact, I rarely use the opposing lane except where I am forced to. I have many many more options on the centreline, and I feel far more comfortable there.

You don't need to throw great gobs of throttle at passing for it to be safe - that rule only applies to cars and you are not a car - the rules are different.

Heres an exercise for more experienced riders; Select a lane-sharing situation where there is (at least) two lanes travelling in the same direction as you. From the left lane, lights to fullbeam, right indicator on, and move to the dashed line to your right, select a 10-15km/hr speed differential (no faster!) and start moving ahead in the traffic. Take note at this point how you feel! Are you inclined to accellerate out of your "passing manoevre" ? Practice keeping a constant speed differential of 10-15km/hr and letting your feelings subside. When you are comfortable with this, try doing the same on a two way road. Use great care! Keep speed differential constant! Look well ahead! If any problems arise, simply complete the current pass and brake gently and move back in. As soon as you pile loads of speed on you are up shit creek, so don't do it. The point of the exercise is demonstrate to you that there is no need for panic manoevring when you are on the centreline. You are quite safe here - particularly so if the line of cars you are passing (on their right - to your left) are physically unable to pass - unlikely they can or will pull out on you. Completely different story if the cars (that you are passing) have a clear road to pass - take great care on the centreline in those situations.

Curiously, it is possible to feel safer splitting forward into oncoming traffic. Suggest you explore that with great caution though.

Agreed. Select an appropriate speed differential. Use your experience.

Steve

Oh you must mean this one !!!

[sinfull]

That happens by default. How did you arrive behind the cars to begin with if you were going slower than them? Did you pass them and slow down?

Sure, after passing, you mustn't throttle off and leave other bikes nowhere to go, but the road is plenty wide, and bikes are plenty narrow.

Either your suggestion is not well thought out, or else you have a fault somewhere in your riding habits that is causing this to happen.

I suggest just GO! and get the hell past the cars and don't dick around with it, and don't linger in front of them, which is probably the same thing you are suggesting.
Steve

or was it this one ?

[CookMySock]

PLEASE post-up when you're on the road.
I don't to be coming other way, if you're out there, EVER!

So tell me how how might I affect you, if I aren't even in your lane?

edit: btw, I might be going to taumarunui tomorrow, so stay the fuck off that road.

Steve

[Jacko2]

So tell me how how might I affect you, if I aren't even in your lane?

edit: btw, I might be going to taumarunui tomorrow, so stay the fuck off that road.

Steve

Funny Cunt Hah?
Seen your sort before, all talk.

[CookMySock]

Funny Cunt Hah?
Seen your sort before, all talk.

LOL nah you got me all wrong. I'm "know it all cunt". Prove me wrong - I invite you.

How, precisely and exactly, will I interfere with you on the road, while you are in the opposing lane, when I state I don't enter that lane - even while overtaking? Hrm?

Now we will see who is all talk. Put brain in gear before mouth, mate.

Steve

[Jacko2]

LOL nah you got me all wrong. I'm "know it all cunt". Prove me wrong - I invite you.

How, precisely and exactly, will I interfere with you on the road, while you are in the opposing lane, when I state I don't enter that lane - even while overtaking? Hrm?

Now we will see who is all talk. Put brain in gear before mouth, mate.

Steve

Grow up...

[diggyduo]

Good advice. Unfortunate that some members see this as a good opportunity to nit pick your reasoning and beat their chest at a newer member. The OP provided an example where this is an issue but some seem to have misinterpreted the given scenario as him dictating the doctrine on how groups should overtake vehicles.

In a nutshell, the point being made is:

When overtaking a vehicle on a group ride, be mindful that there may be other riders following behind you so once you merge back into your lane, maintain your current speed and keep left if practical until the following rider(s) have completed their overtaking manoeuvre.

Simple isn't it? The decision of when to overtake or if the 5th rider should exceed the speed limit because the 9th rider is a newbie and you had BK for dinner last night is irrelevant.

i agree. the originator may have been side tracked by the multitude of responses, but ultimately, this is good advice. Obviously, this is dictated by the road (and how well you know the others), but I think the rider following should be afforded the decency that you wont haul on the anchors once the A pillar is passed if there is 500m of clear road ahead. I think this is the scenario he is getting at.