the road would be solid cyclists as far as the eye could see , both ahead and behind , and it was essential to plan anything major , such as a turn or a stop , well in advance , easing yourself gradually into position on the left or right , being careful not to slow down too much or too quickly ( a bicycle accident during the rush-hour invariably caused a great deal of anger all round and often resulted in horrendous shouting matches , although the cyclists involved rarely came to blows ) .