Over50
Well-Known Member
Watching that video was a nice way to start my morning and my planning for bike commuting to work tomorrow! Reminds me of a conversation I overheard in the barbershop just after they put a new bike lane in my downtown area. Gentleman in his 70s or 80s on a rant to the barber: "the roads are for cars ... cyclists are slow and hog the road ... I hate them ... I pay my tax money to build and maintain roads which are for cars" yadda yadda. And the part in the video "I have to drive 10 over the limit" perfectly describes my commute: residential streets and boulevards the fastest of which is marked at 35mph - but everyone is at least 10 over. Throw in cell phone distraction, not stopping for stop signs or school crossings and yikes! An otherwise lazy commute becomes an action adventure film.
Cargo Bike Trailer Josh
New Member
Wow, so true for the most part! I'm both a driver and a cyclist so I appreciate both points of view. There are definitely some cyclists that think they own the road (stops signs and red lights mean nothing). The same can be said for drivers. One important factor though, is that drivers are encased in 100's of pounds of protective material and a biker is completely exposed. Drivers also expend zero energy to slow down and/or yield. Thus, drivers should always yield to bikers... even rude bikers. There is no excuse.
As a victim of a hit and run, I personally know this. Luckily, I tracked down the car that hit me and alerted the police. The case is still on going but goes to show that a single moment of road rage behind the wheel can put you behind bars for assault with a weapon or even attempted murder.
As a victim of a hit and run, I personally know this. Luckily, I tracked down the car that hit me and alerted the police. The case is still on going but goes to show that a single moment of road rage behind the wheel can put you behind bars for assault with a weapon or even attempted murder.
J.R.
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Piedmont Highlands
I thought it hilarious, probably because I heard some truth in it. For me it was a few years ago while biking up a steep, long hill, around a blind bend, a truck had to pass at the same time an oncoming vehicle approached. The truck driver chose to "hit the biker". He didn't hit me, he ran me off in a ditch.
It's all fun and games until...
It is hilarious
It's all fun and games until...
It is hilarious
mrgold35
Well-Known Member
I have to share the road for most of my 12 mile round-trip work commute. I've had a woman yell at me to get the hell out of the road when I crossing at cross walk and had some toss a sonic route 44 filled with just ice at me in a bike lane. Most other close calls are distracted drivers on a cell phone, drivers doing rolling stops at stop signs when I approach, right turn when I start to cross when the white walk sign is showing for me, or they assume I'm going to stop because they are the larger vehicle when I have the right away (traffic circles). Pretty much the other 95%-99% do a good job of sharing the road with me. Unfortunately, it only takes one bad driver to put you in the hospital. I have a dashcam on my vehicle, might have to think about a GoPro if my close calls start to increase.
Last edited:
digbyblack
New Member
In my home city everyone bikes to the station in the mornings, so there seems to be a lot more hate for pedestrians, or as my mate calls them, 'the walking dead-irritating'. But I commute into London and when you get there, then there is defiantly hate for cyclists.
The problem mainly is the infrastructure just isn't built for cycling so it's sort of shoe-horned into the current setup. When you add this to the overly busy roads of too many cars, vans, buses and lorries AND the tonne of tourists, workers and shoppers it's just mayhem. So when a cyclist zips by they seem to get the most attention. Plus, a good few don't like to keep to rules and people seem to only notice the bad ones.
The problem mainly is the infrastructure just isn't built for cycling so it's sort of shoe-horned into the current setup. When you add this to the overly busy roads of too many cars, vans, buses and lorries AND the tonne of tourists, workers and shoppers it's just mayhem. So when a cyclist zips by they seem to get the most attention. Plus, a good few don't like to keep to rules and people seem to only notice the bad ones.
TimMiles0011
New Member
Because they can't afford a cool bike
Barkme Wolf
Active Member
Most bicyclists I see rarely signal or follow basic traffic laws. I believe the intention is to maintain forward momentum. Car drivers do the same thing. I always stop at lights and signs, let cars take the lead when safe and use my hand signals. If I have to take the road I do it but not without consideration for the flow of traffic. I ride 40 miles a day and don't go without wanting to smack the snot out of at least one other rider. I commute past Microsoft in WA state and it is like riding in a children's parade some days.
tomjasz
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Minnesnowta
Communities are beginning to allow adult bicyclists to flow though stop signs where they have a clear view. I do it regardless of the local law. When in traffic I brake as if I were in a car and avoid conflict. I'm working in the community to help develop better bike lanes and traffic flow.
Barkme Wolf
Active Member
Flow through stop signs? Sounds like a death sentance.
Matt A
Member
I ride 50 miles a day throughout Philadelphia, you'd be hard pressed to find a cyclist that comes to a complete stop EVER. It doesn't make sense to stop when you can see 100+ feet down every direction at a 4-way stop. Treating stop signs as yield signs is sometimes referred to as the Idaho Stop, and has proven to reduce bicyclist & motor vehicle accidents.
Over50
Well-Known Member
I'm kinda with you on the observation about most cyclists. I see very few cyclists stopping for stop signs. I started my commuting trying to be a letter of the law kind of guy. But it isn't really practical for a long commute particularly in the early morning hours. I've now fallen in with many other cyclists in that I slow for stop signs in residential neighborhoods but if I have good visibility I'll flow through. Busier boulevards I'm stopping but if its 6 am and there is no traffic I'll stop or almost stop then go on the red light. I'm not, even in residential neighborhoods, blowing through any stop signs or lights. I've seen way too many cars doing the same. And in the early morning hours passing through Detroit I've seen the taxi drivers speeding through red lights and stop signs. So I'm in the minimum slowing and taking a really good look before I flow through. I do pass some residential stop signs inside Detroit where I have to stop just because the visibility is so bad. In the summer its been tall grass in vacant lots that really reduces the visibility. So in those cases I'm pretty much forced to stop.
Pretty much. To me, if you're trying to ride on a busy road that has a speed limit of 40mph, you shouldn't be on that road (at least not for any significant distance) if you can't do 40mph continuously. It's the same reason we don't allow bicycles on interstate highways. Mixing speeds like that is dangerous. I feel the same way if I'm on a bicycle. I don't want to be on a road where I can't keep up with the speed of traffic. It feels very unsafe to me.
Over50
Well-Known Member
I think law in my state is bikes aren't allowed where speed limit is over 35 (citing that from memory so I could be wrong and doesn't mean it is enforced). On my commute I have two very short jogs of a quarter mile or less on a 35 mph boulevard but I don't mix with traffic. I wait for a gap between stoplights and race to my turn.
Here they are allowed on roads with 40mph, for sure. These are roads with four lanes (two each direction). It's typically not been a problem because the "packs" of riders usually do so early in the mornings before there's much traffic. Single riders are more of an issue because they're harder to see in time. Especially those who are in recumbent bikes (though they usually have a tall flag on the back . . . darned good idea).
The worst experience I ever had was just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, where you turn left on US-1 to take the more scenic route that starts up a pretty steep hill with lots of twists and turns and just two lanes with not much in the way of a shoulder. That was very scary for me (as a driver of a car) because of the limited visibility and the size of the packs of bicycles. They couldn't keep up with the speed limit (35 mph, I think?) because of the steep grade . . . at times they were barely moving 5 mph. Talk about frustrating. And it would truly be a death wish for a bicyclist to try that road as a single rider.
The worst experience I ever had was just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, where you turn left on US-1 to take the more scenic route that starts up a pretty steep hill with lots of twists and turns and just two lanes with not much in the way of a shoulder. That was very scary for me (as a driver of a car) because of the limited visibility and the size of the packs of bicycles. They couldn't keep up with the speed limit (35 mph, I think?) because of the steep grade . . . at times they were barely moving 5 mph. Talk about frustrating. And it would truly be a death wish for a bicyclist to try that road as a single rider.
Similar threads
