Q. You wrote about a lady concerned about holding up cars in narrow lanes. I don’t disagree with any of your comments about choosing more traffic free roads to ride, but surely, if you are riding a narrow country road where cars find it difficult to pass, you should try to find somewhere to let traffic pass safely.
A. You are absolutely right.
If the road is restricted or if you feel it is too narrow for a car to pass, for your own safety and peace of mind, as well as courtesy to the other road users, get out of the way. If there are cars, or even just one, behind you keep an eye open for wider sections of the road or a field entrance if you are in the country or even someone’s front driveway where you can safely pull off the road and let the big boys get by.
Following the issue of the new Highway Code more drivers are used to giving cyclists space when they pass. Not all of them are reluctant to pass when they can. I’ve sometimes been aware of a car behind me and wished the driver would ‘get on with it’ but if in turn they are not sure how a cyclist might wobble as they pass, they hang back, and that surely has to be the right thing to do, for them.
Our club guidelines ride guidelines say "If a vehicle is clearly having difficulty overtaking, for instance along a narrow country lane, pull in at a convenient passing place to allow it to overtake."
This is particularly true if you are riding uphill. You will be going more slowly and often the bike is less stable at low speeds so you may weave a bit from side to side. Motorists following will find this doubly worrying.
So, as I’ve said, find somewhere to pull off. Now, driveways are private property but no one is likely to be upset by a single cyclist just coming to a halt for a minute or two beside the road in their entrance way.
Of course if you are riding in a group more space will be needed and farm field entrances are usually several bike lengths wide, and deep enough for the bikes to be side by side, so usually there is room for half a dozen riders to pull off in this way.
That way it becomes convenient for us as well as the passing traffic who will appreciate the gesture, and hopefully not demonise ALL cyclists.