gear64

Had a first the other day after decades of cycling. A motorcycle (crotch rocket) whizzed by me in the left tire track of same lane I was using. Four lane road no one around. I know I've seen groups of riders sharing a lane, but is it common for an unknown rider to approach and pass another in same lane? Don't recall every seeing that, but never really looking for it either.

thumpism 

You never know. We were talking about this yesterday from the motorcyclist's perspective. Sport bike up ahead in the far left lane, at the left margin of the left lane. I suggested he was begging to be passed on the right in the same lane. Riding a bike, I'm more angered by those who will not pass (cars in this case; motorcycles don't not pass) than by those who pass badly.

BobbyG

It happens to me with cars, why not with motorcycles? I don't remember it happening to me with a motorcycle, and I don;t think it happens too often to me with cars, but then, I may be used to it by now.

I've been riding with a take-a-look mirror for decades and when I see a vehicle gaining on me from behind and there is an open lane next to me on the left, I wave them off to the side with my left arm. It seems to work most of the time, but not always.

_ForceD_

Well, if there was more traffic, or it was a two-lane road, a car would have passed you in the same lane. That is assuming you were adhering to bicycling regs and were at the extreme right side of the (right) lane. (This thread will probably get moved to the Advocacy & Safety forum.)

Dan

roundypndr 

It's not common occurrence for me, and with many local motorcyclists generally being more courteous around me. If the motorcyclist gave three feet or more, I'll consider it a no harm, no foul, especially having the memory of one motorist's side mirror going over the top of my bicycle's handle bar mirror.

Chuckles1

Since Covid-19 shutdowns, I've noticed a lot more of this. I give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they think they're being courteous. But of course they are just forcing us onto the usually broken up, debris ridden edge of the road. Sometimes if they are taking a right up ahead, they'll ride my tail for hundreds of yards to avoid passing. Again, they are trying to be thoughtful, but don't realize they're increasing the odds of the cyclist losing control due to factors that don't affect motor vehicles as much (broken pavement, soft shoulders, etc.). Just one of those things that only driver education could cure. I try to signal my displeasure with body language, but doubt the message is understood.

woodcraft

Hard to see how that could be a first- it's common in my area.

If it was a cyclist passing, they would do that, right? Just add a massive dose of testosterone.

I've been passed at +40 or 50 mph, and less than a foot.

Rigsson

As long as he gave you some space instead of close passing I don't see an issue.

On the other hand, in my area we have curbside bike lanes on all the major streets and most of the minor ones. I regularly get motorcycles try to split the bike lane and try to pass where there's not enough room. (And don't get me started on the cagers that think a 5 foot wide vehicle will fit in a 3 foot wide lane.)

Digger Goreman

The basic road code (at least in GA.) says you are a vehicle and two vehicles may not occupy a lane side by side (with one semi-sensible exception being two bicycles. An intelligent mammal would leave the code at that and ticket cagers/motos that don't pass in the other lane.... But then the law makers start non-sensical exceptions and vague/nebulous language, at the expense of the cyclists....

Metieval

I get more Grrrr if they don't 2 wheel salute on the pass!

then again if they want to pass at a respectable speed, Speed limit generally being 55, while I am doing 20 it's cool.

It stands to reason that if they want to whiz past at 70 splitting the lane with me they are probably well into the D.B. territory to give a 2 wheel salute anyways.
Anyways I have had motorcyclist split lanes with me often. I welcome it.

If I was a motor cyclist, I'd be more leery of doing it though, the same as there are some groups of bicyclist I won't ride with.

gear64

I'm not familiar with that term. I don't really know how fast he was going, just fast enough to startle me. I saw him coming in the mirror, no one was around so assumed he would switch to left lane. Next glance back he was already passing in my lane. I think the speed limit is 40 there, if not 35. Cars generally drive 10 over, I'm pretty sure he was faster than the average car.

gear64

I'm not sure what the law is here with regard to motorcyclists and shared lanes. However they regularly share the lane with others I assume they know. If it is a violation, I've never witnessed it being enforced. I would have been less surprised if they were in a herd of vehicles coming at me, but generally if I see something in the lane ahead of me and there's an entire open lane next to me, I'm going to put my blinker on and change lanes.

gear64

I live just outside the city limits. The city has a generous amount bike lanes. The MUP network is growing fast in city and county. Fortunately I live between two of the more popular ones. Still there's only so far they can take you, and I still have to take roads to reach them. I do the bulk of my rides in the city and townships the county engulfed, but there are still some areas I venture into that are just sprawling suburbs, typically meaning you can't get from point A to point B without getting onto higher speed, sometimes high volume 4 lane roads. The sprawling suburbs are where 99% of road rage incidents occur, even when on the calmer (speed/traffic) secondary roads.

TobFromme

This happens to me often. The first time it was a crotch rocket that was at least 60mph faster than me. I almost ran into the ditch as it scared me and didn’t see it coming.

gear64

I kind of feel like getting clipped by a cyclist would be a little less painful than being clipped by motorcycle on average. Reasonable chance of not surviving the motorcycle incident so not really a fair comparison. The posted limit was 40 so would be shocked if less than that. The average driver around here is doing 10 over. I feel like he was doing more than that. At the end of the day it is what it is, I just don't understand what's so difficult about making a proper lane change.

gear64

I'm not sure a mirror has ever gotten that close to me, but I gave up my commute at current employment because there was one stretch near the end that was 4 lane, high speed, high volume, narrow lanes and no shoulder. I had so many close calls from commercial vehicles and pick-ups with 'moose antler' mirrors I decided it wasn't worth it.

gear64

Cars typically don't pass me fully in the lane unless I take the shoulder, which I will if available. What they more typically do is straddle the yellow, which to your point would be analogous to a motorcycle staying to the left of my lane. I would have thought less of it in this scenario at a more reasonable speed. The road in this incident does have a shoulder I've moved to when large slugs of vehicles are approaching which is somewhat rare at the times I ride, but it is littered with poorly graded storm drains.

JanMM

Its legal and ok by me on a bike to be passed by a motor vehicle as long as it is safe to pass and that they keep at least 3 feet of clearance.
Have been passed many times by motorcycles in the same lane I am in on two lane roads. Indiana law lets both bikes and motorbikes ride two abreast.
I'm not seeing what the problem is, unless the motorcycle was passing in an unsafe manner. (Going too fast.)

Paul Barnard

When I pass cyclists I give them the maximum practicable cushion. When I get passed, I like the same courtesy. It's not hard.

ClydeClydeson

Most of Canada now has a 'One Meter' rule - motorists must give at least one meter of space when passing cyclists. For lack of a meter stick carried on my bike, I estimate that my arm is approximately a meter long, and if a motorist is not within my left arm's reach then they are a meter away.

Where I live (rural Ontario), drivers almost always give me a whole lane if the road is not crowded, and most of a lane if there are other vehicles around. Two years ago I was travelling by bike in Eastern Canada and was shocked at how close cars were passing me, even though they had a one meter rule there, too. I was shocked until I stuck my arm out and realized the cars are more than a meter away, but I am just so used to have cars give me the whole lane.

This is what the OP reminded me of. I would expect a motorcycle and a bicycle can share a lane safely and have, close to if not exactly, one meter of space.

Phil_gretz

At least the OP wasn't passed by some old bearded weirdo on a recumbent, sporting basketball shorts and a Grateful Dead tee shirt...

njkayaker

???

A "bad pass" is what could kill/hurt you.

thumpism 

I've had two close calls being overtaken; one cut back in too soon and got her passenger door gouged by my left pedal, and in the other a speeding guy nicked my barcon with his wing mirror. I've had hundreds, maybe thousands of cars hang back and drive me crazy wondering about their intent/ability/state of sobriety/whatever. I'll take my chances, as I do on any ride.

Notso_fastLane

Other than the Grateful Dead tee, is that why the roadies get so upset when I pass them in my velo?

delbiker1 

That is quite a judgemental statement. It does nobody any good.