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news
Near Miss of the Day 845: Cyclist close passed... by driver with bike racks on their car
Cycling on British roads can make you somewhat desensitised to close passes. You might, being extremely generous, even think some people just don't know what it's like to be on the receiving end of such driving...
However, in this case that seems unlikely for more than one reason. One, the sheer face-palming ridiculousness of the close pass — rushed, on a tight bend, on a narrow country lane with oncoming traffic.
Two, the driver's vehicle has bike racks, suggesting they or someone they know cycles, you'd think meaning they might be slightly more sympathetic to keeping a vulnerable road user safe.
> Near Miss of the Day 844: Driver insists cyclists who film motorists are asking to be hit
road.cc reader David told us this one happened in South Hams in Devon last summer.
"I was cycling up a hill on a rural road out of a village and still within the 30 mph speed limit and the vehicle overtook me on a bend, too close and then cut in front of me missing oncoming traffic.
"The irony is that the VW had cycle racks on the roof rack.
The full video and statement was uploaded to Devon and Cornwall Police Operation Snap website, with Devon and Cornwall Police later explaining in a follow-up email that the case has "been reviewed and is being progressed".
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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12 comments
This whole cyclist tribalism is nonsensical; there are many types of cyclists out there, including chavs that ride stolen bikes; are they 'cyclists'? point being that many cars that have bike racks are used to carry mountain bikes and many mtbers wouldn't be seen dead on a road bike and never ride on the road.
The driver seemed completely oblivious to the presence of the cyclist. Must have commenced the overtake whilst passing the oncoming motorhome, whilst coming out of a blind left hand bend. Ridiculous
When a vehicle with bike racks does a close pass like this it does feel like a betrayal.
Atrocious example of MGIF.
Woeful driving.
Bike racks mean nothing.
The number of times I was close passed on the lanes around Llandegla, when I used to live out that way was far more than I do now living in a city.
There's nothing worse than the driver who thinks its alright to squeeze by because they aren't going very fast.
I take my hat off to the cyclist, I'd have been swearing my head off at that.
Surely the bike rack indicates they'd never ride a bike on the road?
Exactly!
Bike racks on a car do not a cyclist make. Our neighbours have 2 bike racks on their car, but I've never seen a bike in either of them!
Yup. I'm always scared of appearing on "Close Pass of the Month" whenever I overtake my cycling colleagues in my car!
When I was younger I'd sometimes cycle by a local MtB centre. I got some awful passes near there from drivers with racks carrying actual bikes. Whilst most fellow cyclists (be it MtBers, Roadies, etc) are great, I think some weekend warriors heading to a mtb centre have never ridden on road and are only focused on getting there for enough time for them 😐
Yep. I love riding both on and off road. There's a couple of MTB YouTubers I've stopped watching because of the grief they like giving anyone daring to be on the road as they get to the bike park.
Just stoopid and selfish.
absolutely that, anytime I end up riding near a MTB forest trail centre, can guarantee a close pass by someone with bikes in the back, worst one I had was a Discovery with a rack on the rear, I thought the Discovery was close, I said rude words when the 27.5 wheel of the bike on the rack came even closer. For some dumb reason theyd racked their bike so it hung at an angle and overhung the left side of the car by about half a wheel width, but of course had forgotten that bit when driving.