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Right-of-way question
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 2009-06-29 9:46 AM |
Veteran  196   Arlington, VA |  Subject: Right-of-way questionIf a road for the bike segment is only wide enough to accommodate two bikes across, who has the right-of-way in this situation. Bike A is riding on the right at 15 mph. Bike B is approaching from behind at 20 mph and wants to move over to pass, but Bike C is approaching behind at 25 mph and is already in the left lane having planned to pass both A and B at once. If Bike C has not yet passed bike B, it seems to me that Bike B can pass Bike A, even if it means that Bike C has to slow down to allow it. On the other hand, if I'm riding Bike B, it seems as though I'm totally cutting off Bike C. I would never do that on the highway if I'm driving in a similar situation, but in a race, why should Bike C be able to plow ahead and make all the Bike B's of the world wait to pass. I was in a crowded race on Sunday with three loops of a six mile course, so this situation came up all the time. (Usually, though there were actually four bikes abreast with Bike D riding at 10 mph, so Bike A was already a passer and not just the passee. |
| 2009-06-29 10:13 AM in reply to: #2249883 |
| Subject: RE: Right-of-way question Ahhhh, the Montclair scenario  If you're B, glance over your shoulder before pulling out to pass. If you hear the death star sound and/or see someone about to slam into you, wait. If you've got some room, go ahead and start your pass, C will slow to your speed and then when you slide back right (s)he'll continue the pass by you as well. |
| 2009-06-29 10:18 AM in reply to: #2249952 |
Champion 8766    Evergreen, Colorado | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question DanielG - 2009-06-29 10:13 AM Ahhhh, the Montclair scenario If you're B, glance over your shoulder before pulling out to pass. If you hear the death star sound and/or see someone about to slam into you, wait. If you've got some room, go ahead and start your pass, C will slow to your speed and then when you slide back right (s)he'll continue the pass by you as well.Couldn't have said it better myself! This is a race...it isn't your responsibility to make sure everyone behind you can easily pass you! Yes, you have to follow the rules...no blocking, etc. But don't avoid making YOUR pass just because someone behind you is coming up on you to pass. |
| 2009-06-29 10:19 AM in reply to: #2249952 |
Champion 10020 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question Sounds a lot like a race I did a few weeks ago... Everyone just gave up on polite passing and gunned when they saw an opening, even if on the right. Just like if you're in a car, you look and if it's clear to pass then signal and go for it. By signal, I mean say "on your left" and I think that looking over your shoulder is a signal to riders behind. Then when you're safely past, Bike C can go ahead and make their move. You can't assume that Bike C will continue at the same rate, or know what their plan is. They may be going that fast after passing someone else and want to hang back a bit. How long could you wait? Just pass safely when you need to and only worry about yourself. |
| 2009-06-29 10:31 AM in reply to: #2249972 |
Veteran 196 Arlington, VA | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question As Bike B, I certainly wouldn't cutoff Bike C in a way that would cause an accident. But it seems to be OK to pass knowing that C is coming behind and that I'll have to make him slow down before I'm back on the right. And to the poster above, it was the Montclair triathlon. The road should have been plenty wide, but it seemed as though I was getting jammed up quite a bit. At six miles and 600 competitors on the course at once, that's 53 feet of road per bike. Supposedly the Nation's Tri will have 6000 people on 24.8 miles of road, or 22 feet of road per biker if we're all out there at once. Yikes. (Of course, it's one loop so hopefully there won't be as much passing depending on how they handle the swim starting groups.) |
| 2009-06-29 10:47 AM in reply to: #2250013 |
| Subject: RE: Right-of-way question kcb203 - 2009-06-29 11:31 AM As Bike B, I certainly wouldn't cutoff Bike C in a way that would cause an accident. But it seems to be OK to pass knowing that C is coming behind and that I'll have to make him slow down before I'm back on the right Absolutely correct. And to the poster above, it was the Montclair triathlon. I figured that one. I was B a number of times, C more than a couple and bike D (looking to pass C) at least once. It was an interesting bike, that's for sure. Oh, numbers about how many feet you should have per cyclist only works if everyone's the same speed. When you have 600 people with anywhere from 12 MPH to about 25 MPH on the same course, it's going to constrict at the 12 MPH cyclists. |
| 2009-06-29 11:13 AM in reply to: #2249883 |
Champion 6962 Atlanta, Ga | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question What I don't understand is the part about a road segment that is only wide enough to fit 2 bikes across. It never ceases to amaze me how much room people think they need when passing. You only need 6-8" of passing room. Even if you gave them a foot, we're talking about 3-4 bikes passing each other in a 'standard' road lane. I've been rider C in this situation and continued my pass while making sure that rider B did not leave 3' of space between them and rider A. |
| 2009-06-29 2:31 PM in reply to: #2249883 |
Member 57 Buena Vista, CO | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question first post, first sprint in 20 days and counting... Saw this thread and wanted to add a twist to the question. The second of two sprints I've signed up for is a single track 'fat tire' tri and I was wondering about the passing issue as well. I'm an intermediate level rider at best and I'm sure I'll be passed often in the race. Wondering if anyone has any experience with a single track race and what the proper etiquette would be when there really is no room to pass. I know I won't be the fastest person out there, but I really don't want to stop all my momentum every time someone catches me. Any thoughts... thanks in advance -eddie |
| 2009-06-29 3:30 PM in reply to: #2249883 |
Expert 1207 Liberty Lake, WA | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question So, three bikers are going 15mph, 20mph, and 25mph. If it were not for the part about it being a multi loop race I would say that biker C and B need to learn to swim.
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| 2009-06-29 8:53 PM in reply to: #2250940 |
Extreme Veteran 591 New Port Richey, FL | Subject: RE: Right-of-way question eddied - 2009-06-29 3:31 PM first post, first sprint in 20 days and counting... Saw this thread and wanted to add a twist to the question. The second of two sprints I've signed up for is a single track 'fat tire' tri and I was wondering about the passing issue as well. I'm an intermediate level rider at best and I'm sure I'll be passed often in the race. Wondering if anyone has any experience with a single track race and what the proper etiquette would be when there really is no room to pass. I know I won't be the fastest person out there, but I really don't want to stop all my momentum every time someone catches me. Any thoughts... thanks in advance -eddie
MTB people tend to encounter much friendlier passing, especially on singletrack. When I hear chainslap coming up from the back, I ask if they want to go buy. 75% of the time the answer is no (they're ready for a rest). It's probably a bit different at the FOP, but I'm a MOP biker. The main difference from a road tri is that there are many areas that passing is not physically possible. I don't expect someone to stop and dismount to let me go by just because I'm a slow swimmer. Be prepared to wait until the trail opens up enough for the rider in front to get over. |
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