Avon & Somerset Police think there's no offence with this overtaking maneuvre

As others have said, the merc has already taken primary position and is passing stationary objects way before the cyclist had reached the other end of the stationary objects. There does not seem to be any line dividing lines.

I would go further and question the judgement or hazard perception of the cyclist. What part of git in big car travelling at speed blocking the road failed to register? At what point did the cyclist think, maybe I really should exercise valour over stupidity/ equal stubborn, concede the right of way and back out of the increasingly dangerous situation?

I have a very similar situation almost every time I ride, 10 seconds of my time is less valuable than my life/health or bike.

I live in the Orkney islands and a lot of our runs are on single track roads. We commonly experience cars etc passing as close as this, as long as both parties are aware of each other I dont see a problem? The parked veichles on the road would be more of a concern to me personally.

He's on your side of the road and doesn't care that you're a vulnerable road user. Driver was in the wrong and should give way, i see this every single day. Had you not been on a bike, and we're in a car, he'd have to give way or have a head-on and lose his no claims bonus.

It's definitely an offence in my book. Even if you'd stopped he's still passed you at speed on your side of the road and really not given you appropriate room. Not that the police will do anything.

I also try to take the lane more and sometimes stop in the road if necessary, so they are inconvenienced by having to stop too, they might learn they can't bully all cyclists into submission.

My take on it is that the Merc driver was being rude and aggressive but was acting within the law. 

I'd say you called his bluff... sort of 'wow there cowboy, this is my side of the road / right of way' to which he simply gave a classic 'F you' and carried on. 

You will naturally feel aggrieved by this, but realistically no laws were broken. 

My take on it is that the Merc driver was being rude and aggressive but was acting within the law. 

I'd say you called his bluff... sort of 'wow there cowboy, this is my side of the road / right of way' to which he simply gave a classic 'F you' and carried on. 

You will naturally feel aggrieved by this, but realistically no laws were broken. 

Happens all the time to me.  The drivers choose to commit to overtaking the parked car(s) before spotting the bike.  Take the lane, slow down and I have occasionally resorted to just stopping in their path if they haven't left me enough space to pass to their right.

People are being a tad harsh here, would the Mercedes have been doing the same if you were on a Police motorbike?

He looked to be going fast with no intention of slowing. If the other cars were moving rather than parked it would definitely be considered dangerous, not sure why them being parked matters.

The issue is, cars do this to each other thousands of times a day, so long as there's only a brush of wing mirrors everyone is happy. The same shouldn't be accepted when you pass that close to flesh and bone...

Hard to say really. He looked to be going fast but how fast were you going ? As has been said you would have been better taking primary and maybe slowing.

Can't see anything happening legally.

Must admit, don't see this as dangerous - at worst, a bit selfish, at best a naff bit of judgement.

Had I been driving, I would have slowed down and let the car through (and probably been a little annoyed). Had that happened on my bike, I would have gone through the gap and thought it was a bit of a squeeze.

Long Ashton Rd is a pain in the ass with all the parked cars. Taking a more central position on the road is the only real way of trying to prevent this happening.

What, you mean that grey Merc that you couldn't be arsed to slow down just a teensie bit for so that he could complete his perfectly reasonable overtake of the parked cars safely?

Looked to me that the driver had already commited to the manouver, if I were you I would have just slowed a bit and let them through with a bit more space.

The Merc? Nah - he's already passing the parked cars.  If I had been driving, I'd have stopped to let him through.

(Disclaimer: A&S police acted on a complaint of mine)