frustrating two-wheeled drivers

[spokes]

this is a bit of rant and a bit of an 'anyone else?'-type question. it's about traffic, so hopefully i don't lose anyone --- explaining traffic on-line is so confusing. :rolleyes: i'll do my best though!

although i am one of those people who lets little things bug me (destined fora heart attack one day ;) ), i have learned not to fume everytime a vehicle passes me then turns right in front of me, or everytime a driver tries to intimidate me into letting him/her cut me off, or a driver rolling through a stop sign without even looking, etc. :eek:

that being said, cyclists who are rather, um, 'lax' about traffic rules still make me soooo angry. my personal pet peeve is cyclists (usually male) who pass me even when we're going the same speed, and don't warn when they do pass (i.e. ding a bell, or call out). i rarely pass a cyclist unless they are going a lot slower than me, and/or look like they are completely clueless. (for example, i once trailed a cyclist for a couple kilometres, then realized that a, i would be going much faster than him; b, he was in utterly the wrong gear, spinning like a whirlygig; and c, he was probably going to get himself killed, as he was riding about 5 inches from the curb. yes, 5 inches! :eek: so i passed him, for good reason.)

in my experience, male cyclists pass me simply because they like to think they're faster/stronger/better than a woman (any woman), and they like just like to be in front. and yes, that bugs me. especially when we end up going the same speed.

so today, i'm at an intersection. i pull up to wait beside the first car waiting for the light to change. a cyclist (female) pulls up beside me, as there happens to be room (it's an industrial area in the north end of the city, so the streets are a little wider in spots). however, just because there's room doesn't mean it's a good idea: there's now a car and two cyclists aiming to squeeze into the lane on the opposite side of the intersection. so the light changes and the cyclist waits for me to go ahead so she can pull in behind me. i shot ahead like a bat out of hell, as i was annoyed because she really shouldn't have pulled up beside me in the first place (unless she wanted to chat while we were waiting, which she didn't.)

so i continue biking down a long stretch, and then slow to turn at an intersection with a light that's always busy enough that i have to take a moment and check. in the meantime she catches up with me, and as soon as we've turned she passes me, without a ding of her bell or an 'on your left' or anything. i spend the next two minutes following her, forcing myself to slow in order to not run her over. however it wasn't really worth passing her, as i was turning shortly anyway and i didn't feel like starting a p---ing contest that early in the day. but i was really really annoyed, and obviously still am. :rolleyes:

does anyone else get aggravated like this? more at cars or cyclists, who should know better? what do you do-- mumble or say something? does anyone tell cyclists to get off the sidewalk, like some bloggers have said they do? do the rest of you hold female cyclists to a higher standard than men, as i obviously do, expecting women to be less prone to acts of ego-based stupidity? comments or rants, anyone? :D

[cathleen]

I understand what you mean, about being annoyed when other cyclists don't follow the rules. It's particularly frustrating when it's your friend/family member who wants to ride with you! :eek:


My BF really does not know very much about road riding rules. He's never been a part of organized cycling, and so, his cycling behavior is just atrocious. When we go for casual neighborhood cruises, he just does whatever occurs to him. It bugs me.

Instead of nagging at him, (because I don't think it'll work) I am thinking about getting him a helmet and a little booklet about the rules of the road.

Maybe this approach will work: "Sweetie, I am only 27 years old and the thought of tube feeding you for the rest of my life is pretty @#$%-ing scary. Please ride safely, or I will not ride with you."

[ragbrai40]

My BF really does not know very much about road riding rules. He's never been a part of organized cycling, and so, his cycling behavior is just atrocious.

I've been riding for 10+ years and this year my husband will be going on a week-long bike trip with me. This is his first year of riding (other than to the park and around the block). During our 1st - yes our 1st ride together, he was riding behind me and came up on my right without saying anything which scared me to death! :eek: I reacted very poorly and yelled at him which did not set well and I'm thinking, great how in the world are we going to survive a 500 mi week long trip with 10,000 people?


Instead of nagging at him, (because I don't think it'll work) I am thinking about getting him a helmet and a little booklet about the rules of the road.

So I am going to print out the "Ride Right" rules and hopefully some will sink in cause I am nervous about the ride!

Men just don't take well to criticism - but then who wants to be scraped up off the pavement cause someone was too bull-headed to listen?

Thanks for letting me vent!:(

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by spokes
my personal pet peeve is cyclists (usually male) who pass me even when we're going the same speed, and don't warn when they do pass (i.e. ding a bell, or call out). i rarely pass a cyclist unless they are going a lot slower than meI pass people carefully (for their safety and mine!) and I always shout out a polite "on your left". I also say "thank you" to those who signal me as they pass me. Those people who just blow by are pretty rude!:mad: But I don't feel that I should only pass people who are going a lot slower than me. If you see someone wayyyy ahead of you and you close up the gap, you're obviously faster. I usually close in, then take a quick second for a little recovery before I pass. That way I can pass swiftly and move ahead (and out of their way). People who pass, then just park it in front of me make me want to scream, too!!

Originally posted by spokes
in my experience, male cyclists pass me simply because they like to think they're faster/stronger/better than a woman (any woman), and they like just like to be in front. and yes, that bugs me. especially when we end up going the same speed.
I'm guilty of that one. I like to pass those guys because I like to think I'm faster/stronger/better than they are!:D

[Irulan]

AG, while surfing the other day, I saw a shirt you could order called

I don't chase boys, I pass them! with a bike logo. I think it was at girlbike.com

Irulan

[cathleen]

Originally posted by Irulan
AG, while surfing the other day, I saw a shirt you could order called

I don't chase boys, I pass them! with a bike logo. I think it was at girlbike.com

Irulan

Ha ha! I saw that shirt. I would be tempted to get it, but the fact is, I'm kinda a wuss and I don't pass anybody. Not yet, at least. :D

[Deanna]

I get more irritated when cyclist behave badly then when people in cars do. I've been commuting by bike for years, and have just learned to expect the worst from motorists--I'm now more pleasantly surprised when they're nice.

Cyclists behaving badly bothers me because whenever we have a bad bicyle-car run in (and there have been a few very bad ones around here lately), there are numerous letters to the editor from motorists suggesting cyclists stay off the road. These writers always have some incident to point out--a cyclist zipped through a stop sign,were on the sidewalk, cut across traffic, etc. I just feel cyclists who are discourteous or break the rules just give these people ammunition.

[yogabear]

I share similar frustrations over cars and cyclists' behavior. I tend to ride in parks on those roads because I don't feel very comfortable out on the open road, especially after our cycling coach was killed last year while on his bike and a few years ago this weekend, a member of our club was killed on his bike on the road.

(I am more of a mtn. biker, but I train on the road with plenty of my guardian angels to keep me safe I might add!).

I agree with those who are more annoyed by cyclists behaving badly. I think we have to almost follow the rules of the road religiously or exaggeratedly to show the motorists that we are polite and obey the law. I refuse to go on certain group rides in my area because 99 percent of the people don't follow the rules of the road...they go through stop signs and red lights, for instance. It is annoying and dangerous, so I just stay in the parks where the traffic is light and the speed limit is 35 mph.

I have similar frustrations over the male cyclists who think, "Oh, there's a woman, I think I will pass her." I never have this problem with the male Cat 1 or 2 or 3 riders in our state...they are courteous and professional for the most part...isn't that interesting :) ?

On the road, the passing issue isn't as annoying to me as it is on my mountain bike where it's much narrower for passage. Back when I raced my mountain bike, I would have these sport level guys grab my handle bars to try to take me down...it was all pretty ugly back then....they wouldn't even say, "passing on your left/right" (they'd say, "get the #$@$ off the trail!") Luckily, racing has lost popularity out here and people don't treat the trails as their personal race track any more.

One of my personal fantasies is to wear one of those floral sport skorts while riding with pigtails/ribbons and pass a group of guys and demurely, in a very girly voice, say, "passing on your right, gentlemen!" Hee hee hee!

I kinda have the attitude on the road and on my mtn. bike that if you are going to pass me, you better be faster than me, regardless of gender. In a tight and narrow spot on the road or mtn. bike, I also tend to think that if someone is going to pass, it's up to them to do the maneuvering and find a safe spot (so, they also better have good bike skills because I am not the one going down LOL).

Just my thoughts...

[formicalinoleum]

Originally posted by yogabear
. . . I also tend to think that if someone is going to pass, it's up to them to do the maneuvering and find a safe spot (so, they also better have good bike skills because I am not the one going down LOL).

I thought that was accepted biking etiquitte! The bikers around you sound really rude!

[maryellen]

I do pass people occasionally and the younger men frequently do *not* appreciate it. They'll do anything to pass me, even if they can't keep up.

PS, I'm not fast, just impatient when I'm on the bike path on my way someplace. I *do* call out "on your left" unless there's a considerable distance between us.

[yogabear]

Yes they are, formicalinoleum! They are rude! But, not all of them, luckily. I think most of the roadies are very considerate.

Back in mountain biking's heyday in the 1990's people were getting really rude out here in Michigan, but luckily, the popularity had its crest so the mountain bike trails are not being used as someone's personal race course any longer...thank goodness also for the environment.

I stopped racing my mtn. bike in the late 90's partly due to illness (I am better now) and the frustration I had over men yelling at me to get the @#$#%&* off the trail, even though I would move over for them to pass and I was very polite. It was a very difficult time for me. This would happen ever if I was out with my husband. It upset him as well because being the kind, polite gentleman he is, he didn't think it was right...and he loves to see female cyclists out there doing their thing...he's very supportive.

The worse was when I'd ride in a group of girls on the trail and some of them were the top racers in the state at the time...lots of guys would harass us...mainly male rec riders, so we'd bomb down the downhills (they'd say some sexist comment as we passed) and we'd also have to pass them in really tight places (with warning of course) because they wouldn't let us pass (imagine that, girls can be faster than boys! LOL) and we'd also pass them politely, while riding no-handed at times and demurely say, "passing you guys on the left."

What a hoot, huh? But, now I find there's very few rude people on the trails any more. If I encounter them, I try to educate them on trail etiquette. It's nice to be able and go out for a fun ride, not hammering and encounter nice people now though. :)

[caligurl]

i don't have too many pet peeves yet when cycling myself... (well.... except for encountering un-restrained dogs!)

however as the wife of a cyclist.. there is something that annoys me to no end!

when he does rides like the ms 150 or other centuries.. i normally follow the route in the truck and wait at the rest stops to take pics, be his official cheering party... etc...

it never fails that at the starts (and in all the paperwork) they tell the cyclist to ride SINGLE FILE... yet i constantly see 3, 5 and even 5 across...

now this is on open streets to normal traffic... not just folks like me following along... i don't have a problem if they ride side by side when there's no traffic... but they do this in narrow areas and you can't even pass them by going completely in the opposite lane! plus i always like to give wide berth to cyclists.. if i can i go over the next lane or swerve into the oncoming lane (if it's safe.. and yes.. i stay behind the cyclist until i can go around...) which of course is easier if they are single file!

i swear it makes my blood boil and i tell hubby every time that i'll never do it again! (but then i always do.. and just get mad again!)

i think they only ride i've ever followed that there wasn't this problem was "ride around the bear"... but then.. they were all climbing 8000 feet and i guess they didn't want to chat... lol!