“Dear slower cyclists… don’t pass me”: Cyclist complains of riders shuffling ahead at traffic lights “in tiny bike lanes where I can’t overtake” + more on the live blog
Busy bike lane etiquette
Considering so many inches on our live blogs are given over to the systemic struggle cyclists face to be treated as human beings worthy of life and 1.5m of tarmac by drivers, it’s quite nice to occasionally dip our toe into the topic of cycle lane etiquette. It means more than anything that lots of people are using them! Who would have guessed it?
Soon, may we dream of a world where there is no competing struggle between cyclists and drivers, that riders are protected and supported by systems of infrastructure that incentivise and encourage more people to ride their bike so that it soon becomes a default. Then we can have fewer live blogs with sharing the opinion of Simon Jordan, and more live blogs discussing things like this, a Reddit post that begins “Dear slower cyclists…
“The thing that irritates me above all is when I stop at a red light and another cyclist decides to edge slightly in front of me, and then turns out to be far slower than me once the light turns green. Always happens in those particularly tiny bike lanes too where I can’t then overtake. Just because you are using a Lime bike and my bike looks like crap doesn’t mean you will be faster than me.
“While it does give me huge satisfaction to spite you and casually overtake when an opportunity presents itself, I would prefer not to have to slowly cycle and loudly sigh behind you while I wait for said opportunity.
“I’m mostly exaggerating but please, if you wouldn’t consider yourself particularly fast and it’s not an old man on the bike in front of you, try not to overtake at red lights.”
A fascinating discussion. Supposedly, there is not proper justification for people to inch forward at a red light, providing you share a view of traffic similar to that of cars who queue behind one another in congestion. Given their size that makes sense, but bicycles don’t have to move like that…
Bicycles are hugely space efficient, which is why they make a lot of sense in congested cities.
This video demonstrates why there aren’t traffic jams in bike lanes.
Just imagine the traffic queues if every bicycle here was a car.
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter.bsky.social) 23 May 2026 at 11:35
Still, by the same logic it seems a bit arse-y to try and overtake someone stopped and waiting patiently when the above video also shows that fellow cyclists are not an obstacle to moving where you need to go. Which brings us on to the issue of overtaking within a cycle lane. I would discuss it myself, but I think some fellow people on the internet have hit the nail on the head in the replies…
“How you feel is probably how cars feel about all cyclists constantly overtaking them when queuing at red lights one after the other (although forgot the safety part of why cyclists go to the front).”
“Everyone slower than me is annoying and in my way. Everyone faster than me is a f***ing lunatic. I am the only sensible cyclist in all of London”
“You should wear a shirt or a hat which informs riders around yourself that you are actually very fast.”
“They should realise instantly a superior being is behind. Pull in and bow their head as you glide by”
This is in all likelihood a commute, there are probably junctions aplenty. It really doesn’t seem there’s any reason to rush. But hey, what do I know?
Worlds rest day
It’s the one day of the week where the good people of Montreal can sit in their gas guzzlers eating poutine and pondering their favourite ice hockey players. Yep, my knowledge of Canada isn’t what you might hope it is.
Although saying that, the final circuit for the road races, in action from tomorrow, will likely remain closed for much of today to enable riders to complete their reconnaissance and training rides on closed roads. Given what happened to Seff Van Kerckhove, that’s probably a good idea…
In the meantime, we’ve got yesterday’s junior TTs to catch up on…
In the women’s race, Maria Okrucińska came away victorious, the Pole beating Yana Decruyenaere by 12 seconds over 10.7km – an unfortunately paltry distance if you ask me. Meanwhile Aalia Clay came third by just seven hundreths of a second, a fantastic result for the 17-year-old who became British junior TT champion earlier this year. One to watch!
Aalia Clay 🇬🇧 jumps to second place after a very strong ride and sits just behind the current leader Yana Decruyenaere 🇧🇪
With this, she pushes Lily Edwards 🇺🇸 out of a potential podium position.#Montréal2026 pic.twitter.com/vajcy6Q9Uq
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 22, 2026
The men’s race was meanwhile won by Spain’s Benjamin Noval, who bested the excellently named Belgian Vic De Smet by six seconds over a 20km course. Here’s some rather sweet footage of the celebrations as De Smet falls short…
🥇 BENJAMÍN NOVAL ES CAMPEÓN DEL MUNDO
El español se ha llevado el ORO en la contrarreloj junior masculina.
📺 Síguelo EN DIRECTO en Teledeporte y @rtveplay https://t.co/56x6E4ZqRZ pic.twitter.com/ZKkn64XOeH
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) September 22, 2026
It should be said that Noval is set to join Netcompany-Ineos next year, though it’s unclear if he’ll join the Development team or make the leap, a la Remco Evenepoel, straight into the World Tour team. But the 17-year old is already widely considered an extremely talented prospect with a potentially very bright future ahead of him. I hope for his contract’s sake he hasn’t signed on the dotted line just yet…
More Rapha tumult
Quite why the only photo we have of Fran Millar on our database is a black and white Rapha snap I’m not quite sure. Not convinced the obituary-esque look is necessarily one the British brand want to push…
Lovely bit of bike haulage...
How to ride climbs...
From the commute to a Col…
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Two things for Mr Macho to consider there, firstly a Lime bike can accelerate far more quickly than a human rider, so they are not going to hold you up getting off the line, and secondly they do 15 mph (in fact most of them, judging from my Garmin figures when following, seem to do about 17–18 mph), which is more or less the optimal speed in London for traffic light phasing. If you ride at 20–25 mph most of the time all you are doing is ensuring that you arrive at the next red light earlier. Unless you're in a hurry (in which case plan better/leave earlier) or actually training (in which case central London is probably not your best option) just relax and literally go with the flow instead of trying to outstrip it.
@Rendel Harris I didn't expect an instant reply, I was just surprised that they hadn't checked their emails all day yesterday seemingly.
@Boopop road.cc is a tiny organisation and certainly doesn't have a dedicated employee checking the emails, be patient - in my experience they do get back to one relatively quickly but it's not reasonable to expect instant replies.
@Smoggysteve Note that many Taiwanese consider themselves Chinese and would call themselves Chinese (though, another set would not). Also, the government in Taipei calls themselves the "Republic of China". Both governments in Beijing and Taipei consider the island of Taiwan to be part of China (at least for now, formally).
Day 2 of asking road.cc to check their emails to reply to my request for the original copy of a photo taken of me and fellow volunteers running Kidical Mass on Sunday
"The funding, described by Active Travel England as a “record investment”" Which is true, but also very, very sad. If £105m is 'hell for leather' what is the billions for widening and building roads? Super ultra faster than light, perhaps? Ironic that a phrase from horse riding is used to praise cycling investment.
Clearly, Simon Jordan has had a close encounter with Cycling Mikey, and it made a lasting impression on him. I wonder if he was fined, got points on his licence or maybe even lost it. I'm assuming that instead of accepting his fault, he blames the person who caught him: rather like a nine year old.
If pedal manufacturers are going to brag about stack heights, are they actively going to do something about the angle it interfaces with the shoe? Every bike fit I ever had recommended and fit wedges under my cleats which add at least 3mm of stack height. And if you put it on one shoe you need to counter it on the other or you get a mismatch in your stack height. 3mm is quite alot and if you think its not shut up about 170mm vs 165mm crank arms cos its amounts to the same thing overall.
@Mr Blackbird Also the one who claims Britain is being "colonised" by Islam, wants to restore the death penalty, defends far-right rioters, opposes net zero, et cetera et cetera et cetera. Doubtless the sort of pillowtalk that gets our Nigel salivating…
It's that feeling again
4 thoughts on ““Dear slower cyclists… don’t pass me”: Cyclist complains of riders shuffling ahead at traffic lights “in tiny bike lanes where I can’t overtake” + more on the live blog”
Day 2 of asking road.cc to check their emails to reply to my request for the original copy of a photo taken of me and fellow volunteers running Kidical Mass on Sunday
@Boopop road.cc is a tiny organisation and certainly doesn’t have a dedicated employee checking the emails, be patient – in my experience they do get back to one relatively quickly but it’s not reasonable to expect instant replies.
@Rendel Harris I didn’t expect an instant reply, I was just surprised that they hadn’t checked their emails all day yesterday seemingly.
Two things for Mr Macho to consider there, firstly a Lime bike can accelerate far more quickly than a human rider, so they are not going to hold you up getting off the line, and secondly they do 15 mph (in fact most of them, judging from my Garmin figures when following, seem to do about 17–18 mph), which is more or less the optimal speed in London for traffic light phasing. If you ride at 20–25 mph most of the time all you are doing is ensuring that you arrive at the next red light earlier. Unless you’re in a hurry (in which case plan better/leave earlier) or actually training (in which case central London is probably not your best option) just relax and literally go with the flow instead of trying to outstrip it.