'I don't know if you're going to come home in a body bag'

A Sunshine Coast cyclist wants to remove the divide between drivers and cyclists, and show riders aren't just "traffic hazards".

Grant and Kelly Edwards with their children Lucas and Baily. Picture: Warren Lynam

GRANT Edwards started cycling after competing in his first triathlon 10 years ago.

Now, he's the president of the Sunshine Coast Tri Club and trains in different areas of the region several times a week.

The 40-year-old father-of-two said he wants to remove the divide between drivers and cyclists, and show that cyclists aren't just "traffic hazards".

"I don't ride in the big bunches ... typically I ride early to avoid traffic. Most of my training days start at 4am," he said.

"For me, it's the safety that's a major factor."

Mr Edwards said while 95 per cent of drivers obeyed the safe passing laws, it was a small number causing a big issue.

"The distance is an issue," he said.

"I was actually only abused a couple of months ago riding two-abreast in a lane.

"A tradie with a trailer on the back actually swerved towards us after abusing us.

"(He) came across into the bike lane to swerve towards us, deliberately."

Under Queensland law, it is legal for two cyclists to ride side-by-side on a road, as long as they are not more than 1.5 metres apart.

"Typically when I ride with my friends, we're well-aware of who's behind us," Mr Edwards said.

"If we find there's a need to go single-file, then we do.

"But you just sometimes have to give us five seconds. Quite often, it's just a matter of braking for 5-10 seconds."

He said it wasn't just drivers who had to be aware on roads - cyclists should also take their safety into their own hands.

After cycling safety advocate Cameron Frewer's death, Mr Edwards said he was wary of the possibility of leaving his own family behind.

"My eldest boy, he's 11, said to me 'I don't know whether you're going to come home in a body bag'," he said.

"It's always on your mind. You are taking your life in your own hands quite often.

"But what do you do, do you stop living?"

Originally published as 'I don't know if you're going to come home in a body bag'