Jeremy Vine's video of road-blocking cyclists sparks anger

Watch: Jeremy Vine’s cycling video sparks angry reaction

Jeremy Vine has prompted an angry reaction by tweeting a video of cyclists riding four abreast.

The Eggheads host could be heard in the video saying he had no problem with the cyclists blocking the countryside road he was travelling on, but many replies disagreed.

Keen cyclist Vine, who filmed the group from a passenger seat in a car behind them, tweeted the footage to encourage people to cycle in this manner.

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He wrote: "People who cycle in the country should be encouraged to ride 2, 3 and 4 abreast like this. For the following reasons: 1. It calms the traffic behind them, 2. It makes it less easy for bad drivers to attempt dangerous passes, 3. It is more pleasant and sociable for them."

As the car slowly approaches the cyclists, he can be heard saying: “Sunday morning in the country. Absolutely no problem with this at all. This is exactly how cyclists should ride. They’re calming the traffic behind them.”

But commenting on the video on Twitter, former England rugby union captain Will Carling wrote: “I am a cyclist. Simple rule – we are smaller than cars – so be polite, ride single file when holding up cars.”

Ex-London mayoral candidate Laurence Fox wrote that “Mamils” — an acronym for middle-aged men in lycra — should give the same respect to horse riders that they received from the car driver.

He said he had been thrown off a horse in West Sussex after “a bunch Tour de France wannabes zoomed out of the shadows”.

Talk Radio presenter Cristo Foufas commented: “You’re just trolling us now!”

One person commented: “One doesn’t have to be a bad driver to be offended by your lack of consideration for motorists and the ugly sense of self entitlement it reveals.”

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Someone else wrote: “Blocking the road will make people take bigger risks and lead to worse accidents.”

But the account for the Roads Police Unit of Surrey Police posted: “No driver should need to get angry in those circumstances. Anyone can pass very easily and safely.

“Drivers and riders have to take each section of road as they find it and adjust accordingly; being safe and courteous.”

Vine later posted a screengrab of a section of the Highway Code stating that cyclists have the right to claim a lane and tweeted a photo of a tractor taking up the road, asking: "Strange that all the bad drivers triggered by this innocuous tweet wouldn't dream of getting angry at a tractor, which is slower and wider."

The TV presenter often tweets in support of cyclists and asking other road users to be considerate of them.

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