Cycling passing 'rules'

No rules or requirement to say anything.  I am BBOP swimmer, and Front MOP cyclist, so I pass a lot of people on the bike.  I rarely say anything and when I do get passed rarely have warning.  There are rules that you have to stay far to the right of the road, and you should stay in a straight line and anticipate getting passed. 

If I am passing someone that seems to be a little more unstable on the bike I will either try to give them a little more room or occasionally let them know - "on your left".  I'm sure wrecks happen, but I've never seen one because of passing.  

When passing, it is the responsibility of the passer to pass safely.  The person being passed bears some responsibility to hold their line in a reasonable manner.  Communication is optional

This is the perfect opportunity to vent...  Happened to me on Saturday... 

But first my point.  PLEASE pass on the left.  I rarely, if ever, pass on the right.  I would rather yell at someone to move over first, before passing on the right.

Ok, Saturday.  A buddy of mine and I were out for a decent ride, and got passed a couple of times by a strong groups of cyclists hauling butt in a pace line.  I sort of with they said something first, but I realize it's not required and if they are passing on the left, and I'm holding my line, I can live with it....

WELL, a group flys by, and startles me a bit, so I probably shyed away to the right just a touch, when all of a sudden, a rider comes flying by on my right as well.  Then hits his brakes hard enough to fish tail and almost run into the back of my buddy who I was drafting (he was forward right, as the winds were coming from the front right).

The guy sits up and to be honest, I think he needed to check his shorts for any "accidents".  But I was PIZZED.  I was doing everything right (as well as my buddy) and this yahoo almost takes us all out.

I WILL give the guy credit.  After gathering himself, he didn't just take off, he rolled back and appologized saying that when the pace line yelled back there were cyclists on the right, he didn't have enough time to go left and bailed to the right.  I'm just glad I held my line instead of bailing to the right and he had enough control to stop from running up my buddies back side...  I was hoping to catch up at a light and maybe have a word with them (calmly), but they were long gone by the time we got into town/lights.

You should see the Chicago Tri. The way they setup the bike course everything is reversed so you stay to the left and pass on the right. You can tell all the people who didn't attend the race talk because they are on their beach cruisers hanging out on the right. And there are a lot of them because the race is huge!

In that case I felt like I was talking non-stop calling out my passes because who knows which direction they would veer when I got up near them. I like the better safe than sorry approach!

Technically, yes.

If you attempt to pass, you need to pass or it's considered drafting.

Here ya go:

http://www.usatriathlon.org/about-multisport/multisport-zone/multisport-lab/articles/video-rules-of-the-bike-riding-and-passing-082311.aspx

x2. I suppose if you were hammering it so hard that you had no breath to call out "left!", you could just pass. But it seems like a point of common courtesy to give some sort of warning. Not everyone on the bike course is going to be a practiced rider. If you pass by someone who is not as experienced and not expecting to be passed, they may swerve out of shock. 

I sort of agree, but it is definitely situational.  I've done races (sprints) that involve three loops and by the time I'm on my third loop I'm going 10-20 mph faster than the slower riders.  (I'm not bragging; that's just the way it is in a local sprint with three loops.)  I don't think it makes sense to call out anything.  I've got a full lane (12-15 feet) to get around them.  They are (a) unlikely to hear 'on your left' in time to do anything (b) likely as not to do the wrong thing if they do hear and (c) more likely to be spooked by somebody yelling 'on your left' from behind than by somebody flying past at 28mph to their 15mph.  IMHO (a)-(c) = just pass and don't say anything, which is what I usually do.

I thought the rule states that if you are being passed you are required to hold your speed and let them pass.  I didn't think you were allowed to speed up.  

I don't come from a cycling background and I generally call out "on your left" when passing.

Don't have to hold your speed or "let" them pass, but once their front wheel overtakes yours it is your responsibility to drop out of the passing zone. This can suck when someone hammers to pass you then slows once they overtake you. 

Got it.

"This can suck when someone hammers to pass you then slows once they overtake you. "   I've had that happen. Very annoying. I try not to do that to other people. If I pass I'm not hammering but maintaining my speed, so should they want to pass again usually it's cause they've sped up.

Pretty sure the USAT rules state you must ring your aerobell.

I want to install this on my aerobars and ring it every time i pass someone.  I would love to see the faces