A typical complaint from motorists, and even from some of my fellow driving instructors,
is that cyclists ride two abreast. Well, according to the Highway Code they can!
Blaine’s right. According to rule 66 in the Highway Code cyclists are advised to “never
ride more than two abreast.’ So, three’s out but riding side by side is fine.
Think of it like this. In your car you have the driver’s seat and the passenger seat,
that makes a car suitable for two people to travel next to each other. Cyclists riding
next to each other are doing the same thing, maybe chatting, just like you would do in a
car.
But the Highway Code is not without its quirks. Rule 66 adds that cyclists should “ride
in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends” but it doesn’t
define how narrow or how busy or how curved the bend is supposed to be.
Rule 169 of the Highway Code says slow-moving vehicles should “not hold up a long queue
of traffic” – cyclists will thin out into single file when it is safe for cars to pass.
If it's the most appropriate action. Let’s stop
the action here. This group of eight riders takes up maybe ten metres of roadspace, and
that allows for a quick overtake. Now look at the length of eight riders riding in single
file. That’s about twenty metres which means spending more time on the other side of the
road, which is less safe for the overtaking motorist.
Whether cyclists are riding single file or two by two you still have to give them ample
room when overtaking.