Re: Waiting lists
There's a difference here. Generally, cars will be travelling at more like the speed that I want to go (thus I won't need to overtake as frequently), rather than the speed of the slowest cyclist in the group. I wonder how much time you spend on roads like the A38, A39, A358 or A396 in Somerset. It can be really frustrating travelling on the hilly sections of these 'A' roads at 10 miles an hour or less for extended periods. And sometimes, quite a queue can build up behind these cyclists. In theory, they are supposed to move aside at convenient points and allow traffic to pass if there is too long a queue, but very few do.
Thus, you tend to need to pass cyclists more frequently than cars, and this can be problematic if cyclists ride two abreast on these types of road, and if the near side cyclist is keeping away from the edge of the road to avoid holes or drains, you have to cross completely to the other side and you will end up driving on the reverse camber, and will also be in less of a position to spot traffic coming in the other direction.
I tend to play on the safe side, and leave as much space as I can when I do pass, or just not overtake, but not every driver takes the same attitude. I've been sat behind some cyclists climbing a hill on a twisting road and had the driver behind me decide he's too impatient to wait for a safe place to pass, and had roared past me, not even seeing the cyclists in front of me. They put their own safety, as well as that of the cyclists and myself in jeopardy.
And I remember one case when I was travelling downhill, and came around a bend to find a group of cyclists completely filling the road coming up the other direction. I was travelling slowly enough to stop (but I had to brake hard), but the cyclists still seemed to be angry enough at me (demonstrated by them slapping the side of the car as they came past!) for wanting to just use the road that the road tax and fuel duty (that cyclists don't pay) provide.
Please don't think that I don't like cyclists. I respect their right to use the roads as much as any other road user (and doubly so for horse riders), but cyclists also have to remember that there are other road users besides themselves, and be prepared to make accommodation such as riding line-ahead on the narrower roads. I know that they are more vulnerable than me with close on a tonne of metal around me, but that does not give them the right to be reckless and blame all problems on car drivers.