Cyclist hits back at ranting truck driver, explains why it's safer to cycle side-by-side
A cyclist at the centre of a truck driver's vicious rant has hit back, saying he and his friends were "perfectly safe" riding side-by-side.
Lawyer James Sloan, 61, was cycling with nine others down a scenic seven-kilometre stretch of Granya Road near the NSW-Victoria border on Saturday.
During their ride the cyclists were overtaken by a B-double and the driver, Charlie Butt, filmed the group while yelling that their actions are "how you get f****** killed".
Mr Sloan, who was riding at the rear of the group in an orange shirt, told Yahoo7 he doesn't understand where the abuse came from.
"He doesn’t explain why he believes we are being dangerous apart from just being there," Mr Sloan said.
The veteran cyclist explained riding two abreast is safer for everyone on the road as it makes the bikes more visible.
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"The driver must treat you like another vehicle and properly overtake - the same as if it were a slow moving car with a trailer, or a caravan," Mr Sloan said.
"If the riders are in single file, the tendency is for drivers to not move out at all and instead squeeze past."
Mr Sloan said Granya Road is popular with cyclists for its "beautiful climb" and limited motorists.
Mr Butt posted his tirade to Facebook on Monday, but removed it after it had more than 150,000 views.
In the footage, the driver can be heard yelling: "This is why you f******* get f****** killed," and labelling the riders "f****** idiots".
VicRoads also said it is safer for cyclists to ride two abreast providing they maintain no more than a 1.5 metre distance between each other’s bicycle.
"Riding in pairs can boost cyclists’ visibility and reduce their risk of being involved in a crash," a media release on their website said.
Mr Sloan said he witnessed a fellow rider scraped by a side mirror because the driver failed to move out.
"We were riding single file because it was a busy road and if that guy had been forced to actually overtake it would have been safer.
"It’s about visibility."
