Letting motorists past on hills

Steve236

Do people do this or think it should be done?
If there's been a car/lorry or whatever behind me for a long time I try and slow down or even pull in to let them past out of politeness and to do my bit for the good image of cyclists.
I don't really do it on hills because who wants to stop if you don't have to when you're tackling a climb and most hills around me are short enough that motorists don't have to wait too long. But I was grinding my way up Ditchling Beacon recently and held up a car for a good few minutes. When he went past he (not too rudely) suggested I should have pulled in and let him past. I can understand his frustration - its a bendy hill and difficult to get past a cyclist but I was buggered if I was stopping to let him past. I'd never have got going again. Not that there's many places to stop going up there anyway.
So do folk just let motorists stew behind them on hills or let them past?

simonhead

For me depends on the hill itself and the amount of room to let a car past safely. Ditchling is a tough one as there are places but they are all towards the bottom.

drlodge

I will pull in if there's a passing place type area where I can continue moving forwards while letting the cars past. But it can create another problem if there are few cars to go by - I'll find myself pulling out again potentially causing an accident or a car having to suddenly slow down.

Tricky one this, particularly if you're not on your own. There's nothing to say you should pull in, it really depends on the situation.

Steve236

drlodge wrote:

I will pull in if there's a passing place type area where I can continue moving forwards while letting the cars past. But it can create another problem if there are few cars to go by - I'll find myself pulling out again potentially causing an accident or a car having to suddenly slow down.

Tricky one this, particularly if you're not on your own. There's nothing to say you should pull in, it really depends on the situation.

This is what I do on the flat but I don't often find suitable laybys or similar on hills to keep moving. Its usually a case of ploughing on or actually stopping and unclipping. Incidentally, the one time I did this was on the latter steep part of Barhatch Lane. The performance I had trying to get going again in clipping back in is what convinced me to abandon the practice!

norvernrob

If I'm in front of a car on a hill I'll keep an eye ahead and signal the car past if I can see its safe and they can't. If I can safely pull into the edge and carry on whilst they pass me I'll do that too. If none of the above then they can wait because I'm not stopping!

darkhairedlord

I ride up a very short but very steep rise every day, about 15meters ascent (if thats the word for 15m) with a 10% gradient, one way road as a single lane. It only takes a 20 seconds at most yet I get people revving their engines up behind me, hooting horns etc, I had one idiot lady overtake by driving along the pavement... I overtook her at the top when she was in in the traffic queue!
In general, If i'm holding people up on a ride, out of town for example, I do pull over. They are being patient enough to not try some nintendo death move so fair enough, especially if its a combine harvester or the like!

danlikesbikes

Trying to recall exactly what I do but my norm is stay in a positive position on the road and if it's single track with enough space I will pull to the side but maintain my riding mad signal for the driver to pass. If it's wide enough and they can not see or as often happens are unsure I will also signal them to pass.

If I'm on the flat and it's safe I just signal them to come by as some drivers seem nervous about overtaking others not.

We do have a few biggish hills will a few twists and turns with steeper gradients so drivers tend to be a bit more nervous as it's properly unsighted but I do still try to signal but not always possible and I'm not stopping for such a relatively small length of time only a couple of minutes max. No different from if I were driving and following a tractor/bin lorry. I don't get off to let others past though

Brian B

drlodge wrote:

I will pull in if there's a passing place type area where I can continue moving forwards while letting the cars past. But it can create another problem if there are few cars to go by - I'll find myself pulling out again potentially causing an accident or a car having to suddenly slow down.

Tricky one this, particularly if you're not on your own. There's nothing to say you should pull in, it really depends on the situation.

Agree with the above - depends on the situation. I do it if I can but not if its going to put me in danger or if I will have difficulty getting going again

kajjal

I tend to get out if the way if I am holding up traffic but ride mainly quiet country roads. Most drivers appreciate this and we do have to share the roads safely. This doesn't mean I don't ride confidently and if needed will take up positions to stop cars cutting in or putting me in danger.

chrisaonabike

Kajjal wrote:

I tend to get out if the way if I am holding up traffic but ride mainly quiet country roads. Most drivers appreciate this and we do have to share the roads safely. This doesn't mean I don't ride confidently and if needed will take up positions to stop cars cutting in or putting me in danger.

+1

Initialised

I think the general rule is don't me an abbreviated Richard.

Steve236

madasahattersley wrote:

Hate to kick the beehive but how about getting on with it, riding on the left of the road, holding your ground and not whinging or moaning?

It's not really a beehive-type issue though is it. Maybe there's a helmet thread somewhere you can go and be controversial on.

Mikey23

And a bit of RLJ in the mix, and perhaps a hint of using earphones while riding...

bobmcstuff

BUT WHAT ABOUT MY STRAVA TIME??!?!???

homers_double

I just flick the elbow, if the car behind doesn't understand then it isn't my problem*










may not be 100% accurate

DeVlaeminck

Cars these days are too big for the roads - look at the width of a 70s ford Escort compared to an equivalent family car of today - if they want to get past on narrow roads buy a smart car.

drlodge

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Cars these days are too big for the roads - look at the width of a 70s ford Escort compared to an equivalent family car of today - if they want to get past on narrow roads buy a smart car.

This is a good point. Quite often the car that's itching to get past is some kind of 4x4 Chelsea tractor. If the car were smaller it would be easier to get through.

BTW I drive a Chelsea Tractor :roll:

Steve236

madasahattersley wrote:

Steve236 wrote:

madasahattersley wrote:

Hate to kick the beehive but how about getting on with it, riding on the left of the road, holding your ground and not whinging or moaning?

It's not really a beehive-type issue though is it. Maybe there's a helmet thread somewhere you can go and be controversial on.

It is a bit of a beehive type issue, seeing as this forum is full of militant cyclists who just don't seem to be able to get along on the roads.

Well maybe, although I didn't start the thread to wind people up; I just wondered what others did as I don't ride in a club, just by myself, so don't get much opportunity to pick up good road etiquette. Most of the regulars on here seem fairly reasonable though don't they?

drlodge

I've probably pulled in only 2 or 3 times over the past 2 years so it is a rare occurance.

bobmcstuff

To be a bit more serious, I will get as far to the left of the road as possible if it'll allow someone to squeeze through, if there's a passing place I'll normally let people past (particularly if I know the road and they'll be stuck behind me for a while otherwise), but otherwise they can just put up with it. I'm not getting into the verge just to save someone a little bit of time on their drive.

Drivers on the Aberdeen back roads where I cycle have been pretty polite though so I don't worry about it really.

Dippydog2

I ride a lot of narrow roads and will wave cars pass whenever I can AND it is safe to do so.

The issue for me is safety. If the road is narrow I do not want to tempt them to move past me in an unsafe way. So, I hold my road position, effectively stopping them from going past (if they attempt a suicide pass I have space to go into). As soon as I am willing to let them go I move over and wave them on. Nearly everyone waves a thank you.

I guess this happens a half a dozen times on each ride I do.

The problem occurs when there are multiple cars behind. It's not my problem to guage their reaction times and make the decision how many can get past. Too often they all just go for it, so in those circumstances I tend to just make them wait until the road is wide enough. I never pull over and stop. I guess I might of the hill was 10km long, but we don't have anything like that here.

I occasionally get the idiot who wants to have a discussion about how much road tax he pays but as we have five cars I always welcome that approach.

holiver

This was on reddit and was getting a lot of attention.

http://instagram.com/p/rs4NFpyLuj/

Cyclum

I'm the same. 99% of my cycling is solo and I often find myself in situations where I wonder what the standard response is - usually at times where other road users are involved. In this case I would pull over, but I don't like cars hovering behind me.

drlodge

madasahattersley wrote:

holiver wrote:

This was on reddit and was getting a lot of attention.

http://instagram.com/p/rs4NFpyLuj/

What sort of tugger rides his bike slap bang in the middle of one of the most famous driving roads on the planet? IDC if he has the right to that's just asking for trouble.

Well said, I was think exactly this. He should be riding (as I would) as near to the side of the road as is safe giving the motorists behind a fair chance to pass. Sitting in the middle of a road lke that is just asking for trouble.

qube

drlodge wrote:

I've probably pulled out only 2 or 3 times over the past 2 years so it is a rare occurance.

FTFY

drlodge

Qube wrote:

drlodge wrote:

I've probably pulled out only 2 or 3 times over the past 2 years so it is a rare occurance.

FTFY

Oh no, I've pulled out many more times than that!

debeli

The highway is a shared environment and many of us use it on foot, in motor vehicles and on bicycles.

The trick is to see it as a shared space and try to anticipate and accommodate the needs of oters in a way that doesn't inconvenience you too much.

I find that non-cycling motorists and non-driving cyclists tend to make up a good part of the "Them-and-Us" brigade of frictious, aggressive, disputatious road users.

I do find that occasionally pull in for cars on narrow lans or when climbing. Not as much as I might, but enough to keep my smug sense of piety in tact.

CocoRide

It depends on the road and the circumstances but it's unlikely I would actually stop on a hill to let a car past.

jameses

If it's a narrow road with no room to pass safely, I'll usually take a position that prevents a driver from attempting it until there's a passing place, at which point I will pull in.

If it's a decent width road, I'll keep to a normal position on the left and let the driver decide when is a safe time to overtake.

southdownswolf

drlodge wrote:

madasahattersley wrote:

holiver wrote:

This was on reddit and was getting a lot of attention.

http://instagram.com/p/rs4NFpyLuj/

What sort of tugger rides his bike slap bang in the middle of one of the most famous driving roads on the planet? IDC if he has the right to that's just asking for trouble.

Well said, I was think exactly this. He should be riding (as I would) as near to the side of the road as is safe giving the motorists behind a fair chance to pass. Sitting in the middle of a road lke that is just asking for trouble.

Whilst I agree that he is more than a bit of an eejit for riding like that, I guess he is not actually doing anything wrong or else the cop in the 4x4 would pull him over.

drlodge

He's not doing anything illegal, debatable whether he's doing anything wrong. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should...