Two cyclists nose to tail with a small gap ends up meaning that the car behind has to overtake the effective length of a truck to pass them both. Two cyclists riding abreat means they only need to overtake a car length
When I go for a bike ride with my SO we always ride side by side on streets that have a posted limit at or below 40kmh.
We usually only ride side by side on residential streets. Occasionally we get someone driving too close to us when passing or shouting out their windows saying single file in the same way.
Its like going for a walk, we would not walk in a single file, neither would we sit in a car in single file.
Sometimes you should walk single file though, if you're blocking people who are walking faster who want to pass. The same is true for roads.
People do get mad as well when a slow car is in the fast lane riding abreast with another slow car. If there's faster traffic behind you that wants to pass it's common sense they might get upset if you don't make way.
On August 2016, a car driver threatened and was abusive to Vine while he was cycling along Hornton Street in Kensington, London. Vine captured the encounter on his helmet camera, later broadcasting it on YouTube where it was viewed several million times. Vine also reported it to the police. On 18 April 2017, the car driver was jailed for nine months for threatening behaviour. At the time of the incident, she was subject to a suspended sentence for various other offences.
Here's the video, it contains road rage so don't watch it if you have high blood pressure.
Love cycling but to be fair that s a little annoying when you have 2 cyclists side by side and you can't overtake them. The driver was an asshole but i can understand his frustration.
If there isn't space to overtake two cyclists side by side, there isn't space to overtake one cyclist. If there's another car coming towards you while you overtake, you'd be endangering the one cyclist.
As long as the whole formation takes one line with a reasonable distance from the line, it's ok. At least at my place, vehicles have a regulated amount of space they should leave free at each side to keep themselves and others safe, and there's a linear growth of it as the vehicle goes faster and has a smaller window for mistakes.
if there isnt enough space maybe just wait a bit untill there is, is getting to the next stop light faster so u can spend more time waiting there rally that fucking important.