This morning's commute and other commuting stories

just pub bike cruising speeds

So only about 35mph (avg)?

That beer will go flat if not drunk quickly.

Full fixie skidder wide bar jerk mode this morning. New wheels, headset bearings, chain and cog means it actually turns and doesn't roll like a bucket full of bricks anymore. Many unnecessary skids, track stands, prommuter chasing and bad driver swrvng.

chuffed/10

No, I was in jeans and riding with the missus trying not to shake up my beers so it was properly slow but quite nice to be on a nimble little bike with no crunchy cranks.

Obviously, I was talking about the ride TO the pub.

Don't tell me you drank all the beer at home. :)

Lol'ed

If they're already overtaking then you should give way (I assume we're talking about the "Giving way if you have right of way" situation). If you've already passed the first car before they've had to move out then they should be waiting for you.

Being on a bike doesn't change this. The red car in that situation wouldn't need to cross the centre line either but it should give way if the approaching car is already in the middle of its passing maneuver.

Of course, you can choose to go anyway, and keep to the left, but you can't have a go at the oncoming car for using your lane if it was already overtaking when you got to the parked cars.

tl;dr it's not as simple as "you're over the dividing line therefore you should cede priority to me"

Hahaah! :)

I confess mine is lingering as there's a nice steep hill on my new route...it's not the uphill I fear, it's the downhill! A buckaroo there and i'll fly all the way down to the Belfast harbour ;)

I should get pastries. That should work :)

The whole street is normally lined both sides with cars. If they've left a bus stop then they should be waiting for me, since they were the ones having to move into my lane to pass the cars in front of the bus stop, but, the bus stop is a fair way from the top of the hill so it's not likely they'll see me. What then?

there's a rule in the highway code which says you should give way for buses, which may trump some of the principles already discussed eg. who was overtaking the parked cars first etc:

Rule 223. Buses, coaches and trams. Give priority to these vehicles when you can do so safely, especially when they signal to pull away from stops. Look out for people getting off a bus or tram and crossing the road.

i always assumed the kind of issue you describe was bus drivers being dicks, until i read that rule. and now i don't know what to believe.

How do I give way when I've got cars on my left and a bus using most of my lane on my right?

If I stopped at the top of the hill and waited for them to pull out from the bottom of the hill bus stop I'd have 20 irate drivers behind me. The buses slow down and move over for the cars, but not me, which is kind of my point.

The buses slow down and move over for the cars, but not me, which is kind of my point.

Then they're being dicks.

So, how do I fix this?

I'm tired of playing chicken and my land mine order was stopped by customs.

that's the thing, it seems like a real pickle. as far as the bus driver is concerned they may assume they're doing it by the book. there's a couple of streets near me where this happens and if the street is entirely filled with parked cars the problem seems irresolvable without waiting until the street is completely clear of buses or going on to the pavement like i've seen other naughtier folks do.

sorry my previous post wasn't particularity helpful ^^ - didn't mean to seem flippant!

1. Continue to play chicken, including slowing down to a stop in the middle of the road, the pool of drivers should be finite so hopefully the message will get through eventually
   
2. Complain, with footage, to the bus company each time
   
3. Extreme violence
   
4. Slow down and follow a car for that section
   
5. Change route
   

I always took the give way to buses rule to mean when you were behind them and they were indicating to pull out.

#1 for now and #2 when I get a front cam. #3 if one of them kick off :) #4 umadbro #5 might actually have an option but would be breaking a 10 year habit..

Piss in your bidon before ride.

Squirt bidon through inevitably open window of driver as you squeeze past.

Do not swig on bidon, unless you like that sort of thing.

Something with frozen poos as well.

This whole thing is really just me trying to prove my arse isn't as wide as a car...

#hippyisfat

Have you considered Cycle Training ?

Does it make bus drivers move over and slow down?

Depends if trained by dj or not

I wonder how many of them would actually stop if I just pretended I was a car and started slowly reversing out of my parking spot...

Need one of those bear attack suits the guy used to test by getting his mates to drive a car into him. :)