Smithy said...
Not sure where you guys live with riders 6 abreast?? I live bay side in Melbourne and along with a couple of thousand other Lyra clad cyclist ride beach road of a weekend. At least during the earlier part of the morning when the more serious riders are out it is only ever 2 abreast. ...
It's 2 abreast until those 2 approach another group of 2 (or a parked car) then it becomes 4 abreast unless a faster group of 2 coincides then it's 6 abreast.
The riders moving over never look behind, never drop back to single file, they always just move over and force anybody behind them to deal with it.
This is usually done while chatting with mates and having a nice social time.
If you ride or drive Beach Rd with any frequency then you know this is true.
It is infuriating for drivers because it leaves them with no road and because of the attitude of entitlement and contempt for other road users.
Cyclists should ride single file so the faster cyclists can use the second space to overtake. Overtaking cyclists should wait in the queue to get past slower cyclists and not just weave into the right lane. The law says cyclists "... must not ride more than two abreast ..." It doesn't say you have a right to ride two abreast all the time.
http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/SafetyAndRules/RoadRules/Bicycles.htmCyclists should only move into the right lane after looking to see that it is clear for a reasonable distance, and signalling their intention.
As a result of the weekend morning parking ban on Beach Rd there is an expectation among drivers and residents that cyclists would stay in the left lane. Obviously there is no legal requirement but you would expect some sense of fair play to apply. This is not the case.
It is ok to move right and hold up the cars if there are parked cars and the move is done with sufficient space to allow the cars in the right lane to reduce speed without emergency braking.
Add to the road hogging the abuse of people as they get into/out of cars, skimming doors and lane splitting, is it any wonder people get pissed off?
As for Lycra, for commuting I wear lycra shorts or tights because they are the most comfortable and easy to maintain and to keep my street clothes clean for the destination. For noodling on the bike or going to the shop I just wear street clothes.
My shorts are mostly black. My tops are brightly coloured, non-logo. There is nothing worse than some hairy arsed man wearing transparent white lycra shorts. (There is nothing better than a hot woman cyclist in transparent lycra shorts [}:)] ).
There is nothing sadder than fat middle-aged dudes in $200 logo lycra and $5000 bikes slogging along at 20kph on the road.
There is nothing more infuriating than a whole team coloured peloton riding two abreast at peak hour blocking traffic chatting about crap.