Hazards of gaggle of cyclists

[JMemonic]

A bit of backpedalling by the cop quoted - I've also heard some mutterings in the competitive cycling community that the ute might have been a support vehicle for one of the competitors - which is banned.

Good link interesting to read the police were concerned with the behaviour of the cyclists, no matter the circumstances they must obey the law, I ought to know having been in a former life a competitive cyclist and occasional race official, the law is clear they must not impede the flow of traffic, must obey all the road rules, and certainly included in that is the no crossing the centreline unless the road is closed of course.

Many of these lycra louts (love that term) will point out the 1.5 meter passing rule etc to you (well if they get the chance) to which when they are informed they are only allowed to rid two abreast and not imped the flow of traffic the get a bit defensive.

To ride a push bike involves no compulsory testing to ensure the rider has even a basic understanding of the rules and laws, a child is allowed to ride on the road as long as the parents give them a helmet, those habits are ingrained by the time they get a licence for a vehicle, far to late by then.

Interesting that you have a photo of a rear derailier as you avatar

[Swoop]

Many of these lycra louts (love that term) will point out the 1.5 meter passing rule etc to you

If the psyclist is sitting out in the right hand part of the (LH) lane (not that they would ever do that, of course...) that would place the overtaking vehicle off the edge of the right hand side of the road...
Their lycra-leaders are calling for this distance to be increased???

[James Deuce]

Did some research. The ute was well past the cyclists before the tanker hove into view.

The ute did not collide with the cyclists. Two blokes in the lead bunch tangled wheels and fell. How they came to tangle wheels is conjecture, but other road users weren't involved.

As much as I hate cyclist gaggles, I always overtake any cyclist/s as I would any other vehicle/s. Indicators and stuff are involved.

[Mikkel]

I get pissed off everytime I see cyclists riding two abreast on narrow roads with tight/blind corners. I know exactly what is likely to happen if a car comes up behind them - he'll go straight into my lane and then I die.

Regarding the 1.5 m rule - if the road isn't wide enough for a car to pass a cyclist in this manner without crossing the center line, the bicycles should be banned from said road.

Some very good points in this thread - especially about racing on the public road.

[scracha]

That's the game. Ban cyclists. Then ban horse riders. Then ban pedestrians. Then ban drivers who can't go above 80. Then ban tractors. Then ban motorcycles.....

[PirateJafa]

A gaggle of psyclists spreading out across the lane, let alone the entire road, needs some Gene-O-Clean.

Or a ute...?

[Jantar]

.....
Regarding the 1.5 m rule - if the road isn't wide enough for a car to pass a cyclist in this manner without crossing the center line, the bicycles should be banned from said road.....

No need to ban the cyclists from such roads, merely enforce the law. In Central Otago we have many narrow roads and cyclists do not pose any problem if they keep well to the left. Its the ones who insist on riding 2 or more abreast and take up the whole lane that cause issues.

I have no sympathy for cyclists who get injured when they are hogging the road, and I have heard of very cyclists being injured when they are keeping to the left.

[jrandom]

There are two real problems here:

Firstly.

The K2 is a pretty fuckin' prestigious bicycle race, and guys train hard all year for it. And, in a race like the K2, the place to gain time on other competitors is when you're pedalling uphill. Which means that on all those big hills on the Coro loop, every cunt is full-on red-misting, trying to pass and gap every other cunt with no thought to road safety.

That approach works fine in the Tour de France and other bicycle races that go up mountains where the roads are closed on race day. Unfortunately, on roads that are still open to traffic, it causes major pains in the arse for everyone else who is trying to get through the typically narrow hilly roads where those crucial parts of the race are happening.

Secondly.

Most car drivers are thoughtless, semi-homicidal oxygen thieves.

I really don't see much that can be done. You're never going to manage to close the Coro Loop for several hours on an October weekend. And you're never going to convince cyclists that they shouldn't race around it once every year regardless. And you're never going to make car drivers not be thoughtless, semi-homicidal oxygen thieves.

Shit happens. Nothing to do but accept it and carry on and try to keep your skin intact.

When I get to the point where I can ride the K2, I'll be sticking to the left on the climbs.

[MisterD]

When I get to the point where I can ride the K2, I'll be sticking to the left on the climbs.

Next year? I'm up for it!

[jrandom]

Next year? I'm up for it!

That's the plan! See you there.

Loser shouts the post-race feed at the Thames KFC?

[MisterD]

That's the plan! See you there.

Loser shouts the post-race feed at the Thames KFC?

Oh bugger, that'll be my bluff called then...yer on.

[puddy]

I rode a mountain bike to work for nearly five years. I loved it so much, that I had a 1000cc bike and a car in the garage with flat batteries! But SKY has to STOP showing the Tour de France/Italy etc, because weak minded roadies (lycra-clad fags riding racing bikes about 3-4 metres off the kerb, who travel in groups 3 or 4 abreast) get all carried away.........
Three of the last four times I've crossed the Coro there have been groups of them! I wish that I was in my ute, so I could have run a few of the FAGS over! I love the MotoGP, WSB, WRC, Formula 1, but PLEASE, no more cycling!

[puddy]

The ute driver sounds like a real arsehole. How hard would it have been for him to wait for a clear passing opportunity?

String him up.

If it was a HOLDEN ute, would that be different? (Bloody Aussies!)

[jrandom]

SKY has to STOP showing the Tour de France

But not until after the 2009 edition. A summit finish on Mont Ventoux for the penultimate stage, oh my!

My money's on Contador.

/Italy etc

Oh, that's right, Lance Armstrong's staging a 2009 comeback, and he'll be racing the Giro for the very first time!

I, for one, welcome our new Sky Sport live programming overlords.

[Maffoo]

you wanan try changing down 8-10 gears in 40ton because some nonce's in spandex jockeys are doing 10mph down the middle of the road

lots of cyclists round havelock/hasting, all h'ignorant