Cellphone Cyclists

[onimity]

Does this get on anyone else's nerves? Maybe it's just that there are so many cyclists around here but at least every other day I see the telltale signs: a bike swerving a bit, going at an unpredictable pace. As I approach it becomes clear that the source of the erratic riding is the fact that the rider has a hand on the handlebars and another on the cellphone that they are happily chatting into. My sister almost got hit yesterday by a guy in race gear, careening down a huge hill (that she was climbing) on a MUT. He was making dinner plans on his phone.

Haven't we pushed multitasking far enough?

Maybe it's me, but I just don't think that talking on a phone works particularly well while driving OR riding a bike. At least half the time when a driver doesn't notice me and pulls out when I have the right of way on the road they are obliviously talking on their phone. Not only do they often have a reduced ability to control the vehicle, but they are distracted. On a bike, talking on a phone seems even more dangerous to me, particularly when riding in traffic. I thought about it the other day and guessed that I *could* use my earpiece to answer the phone if I *had* to, but why on earth would I want to?!? It seems to me as dangerous as an iPod, etc.; I rely on my sense of sound to keep myself safe.

It's just a pet peeve, but I wondered if anyone else has noticed this and if so, how do you respond. "HANG UP AND RIDE?!?" ?? :D

Anne

[mimitabby]

we saw someone doing that. i thought she was drunk. Nope, she was on a cellphone. Sometimes my phone rings when i am riding. I slow down find a safe place to stop, then answer phone. Not hard at all.

[F8th637]

I haven't yet seen people talking on their cell phones on the trail but definitely the headphones. I just don't get it either. I get off the trail and answer my phone if it rings too. I hate when you see a driver who seems to be in a world of their own only to pass them and see them on their cell phones. It drives me nuts too! :mad:

[Nokomis]

In our neighborhood last night, we saw a little boy (10 or under) rolling on a push scooter with a phone between his ear & shoulder - amazing he could do that with a helmet on - and drinking a can of soda all at the same time. Multi-multi-tasking, must have super-tasking role models! :D

[li10up]

Guilty as charged. I answer my cell when riding but I immediately tell the person that I'm riding my bike and that I'll call them back. I only do this when on a road with no traffic and/or a wide shoulder. :o Otherwise I just let it go to VM or pull over and then answer.

[Jo-n-NY]

I am happy to be spastic in this area. I cannot talk on a phone and ride at the same time. If it rings I pull over to the side and stop, otherwise, there is always vm.

~ JoAnn

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Most of the people I see on bikes while cell phone talking are wobbling. They are also oblivous to their surroundings, their minds are half somewhere else. You can tell from behind that they are on their cells phones just from their erratic path. Just as bad as driving a car while on the phone. I think they are dangerous to themselves and to the rest of us.

[Zen]

It's not just you.
When will this idiocy end?

[chickwhorips]

I won't even get on my soap box about this one. Simply, yes it bothers me. I usually carry my phone on my for emergencies. Though anyone that knows me, if I'm out riding, I don't want to be disturbed. Or if I'm running or hiking, those ones annoy me too.

Must... not.... get... on.... soapbox....

[DDH]

I take my cell phone on rides with me, but I pull over and stop if someone calls and I have only had that happen once where I actually heard it. I take it more for my own use, should something happen and I need it, so I just put it in my seat pack so it's unlikely for me to hear it while riding.
I get upset with folks that talk on the phone and drive much less be on a bike.

[dex]

I saw one just last night, actually. But this guy...he was truly special. :rolleyes:

The scene: Around 10 p.m., it's just gotten dark in Seattle, moderately busy road (for the Seattlites around, it was 10th Ave near St. Mark's on Cap Hill), a bit of reflective gear catches my attention ahead and off to the right. Then I notice that the stripes of reflective material that I'm seeing are sitting awfully upright for what appears to be a rider on a road bike and not appearing entirely steady. As I get closer I see that this guy is sitting up on his bike, one hand holding a phone up to his ear, the other dangling down by his side. There are lines of cars parked on the shoulder to his right, and plenty of cars driving in the open lane to his left. It was almost like he was daring the universe to turn him into road mess.

I was quite relieved once I was able to pass him (*I* didn't want to be the one accidentally turning him into road mess...besides, I drive a tiny car that could be theoretically totaled in such an accident). I was also pretty annoyed that he was being so stupid.

My thought this morning is: Why spend all that money on lights for your bike (of which he had many) and clothes with lots of reflective material to make yourself visible only to ride like a dumba**? Is it so that all of the drivers are better able to you being stupid? Because that's really effective... :eek:

[indysteel]

How timely. I was in a group ride on Sunday--paceline formation mind you--when someone answered their cellphone. Thankfully, we had just taken a left turn and weren't all together yet so there was room for me to get out from behind her, but what the heck? Don't do that; not with someone on your wheel.

[silver]

I carry my cell phone with me, but my family knows if I'm out riding I'm not answering. Leave a message. If they have an emergency call once, hang up and then call again. I'll stop as soon as it's safe for me to and call back. Otherwise, I'll stop at my next planned stop.

I mean really! what's that important?

Side story regarding emergencies:

one morning I was doing a practice tri training. We had a television station come out to interview us. I left the phone in the car. When I got back to the car, I had 6 messages. My Mother-in-law had fallen and had to go to the hospital by ambulance. I went straight to the hospital. I showed up covered with mud from the muddy lake we were swimming in and sweaty! Uggggg! I comforted my MIL and then asked the nurse if they had a shower for me. They immediately found one for me and brought me towels and soap.......LOL....I must have smelled really bad. As much as I would have liked to have been there earlier, I couldn't have done anything. EMS had been called and did their work and the world continued to revolve without me.

[Aggie_Ama]

DH and I have some heated discussions over this. I will usually hit mine to send it voicemail because it rings and vibrates. He will answer it and keep riding. ARGH!!! If I decide to answer it I pull over. Most people know if the sun is up and I am not at work I am potentially on my bike.

DH also has been working on balance and riding with no hands. DRIVES ME CRAZY!! Usually we are in the middle of no where, but every once in a while he just does it on a road I know a car could come up on us at any point. I have been encouraging him to be a safer cyclist for my sanity. :rolleyes:

[Kano]

Mine rides in my backpack, and each of my kids has her own ringtone, so I know which one it is who "needs" me, and can decide from there. I keep meaning to find a special ring-tone for work, so I know for SURE that I don't want to answer! I can't grab the phone while riding, so if I'm going to respond, I pull over -- but while it's ringing, I LOVE listening to their tunes! It's the only time music is playing while I ride -- at least where I am, and it's always a delightful surprise!

(better than a honk!)

Karen in Boise

[VeloVT]

I always have my cellphone with me when I ride, but I also always turn the ringer off before I go (not to vibrate, but to "all sounds off").

Hey I can always check voicemail at stops if I need to.

Sometimes I forget to turn the ringer back on and people get mad at me though :o ...

I often see people "exercising" on the bike path -- rollerblading, running, etc -- while talking on their phones. In my opinion if you can hold an intelligible cellphone conversation you're **probably** not breathing hard enough to be getting much exercise.

[Python]

Bluetooth headsets anyone?

I carry my mobile (cellphone) usually either in my pocket or in my backpack. My most embarrassing moment was a couple of weeks ago I'm happily riding to work when this catchy tune starts playing, and gets louder and louder. People turned to see where the music was coming from and the looks on their faces:D I'd only forgot to switch off the alarm clock on it so it kept going off and as it was in my backpack I couldn't reach it:o I did stop eventually and switched it off.

[Zen]

Maybe they thought it was the ice cream man:D

[Veronica]

I talk on my phone while I ride. I don't wobble. I don't careen down hills. I also reach for and drink from my water bottles while riding, open up food packets while riding, take off my bolero while riding. That one is a bit tricky. :D Oh, and if I put my bottles in backwards, water in the front instead of Sustain, I'll switch them while riding. So both bottles out of their cages at the same time. I also ride with no hands on occasion.

Have you ever watched the pro peloton? I aspire to have bike handling skills like theirs. It doesn't happen if you are white knuckling your handlebars. Don't be afraid to take a little risk every now and then. You'll become a better bike handler.

Just yesterday as I was commuting to work, riding up our hill, I realized I hadn't asked Thom to check on our neighbor's cat during the day. Without looking I reached back and grabbed my phone from my saddlebag and called him, talked for a few minutes, until I reached the top of the hill and put the phone back in the saddlebag.

The only person who calls me during a ride is Thom, so if possible, I'll answer the phone. He usually wants to know how long until I get home so he can start the grill.

I suppose that makes me evil. ;)

V.

[Aggie_Ama]

Actually Veronica, my husband aspires to be like the pro peloton. I love how they are cruising along at 30 mph, no hands on the bars and digging through the lunch bags!

[Melalvai]

I'm on the fence. I answer my cell phone and hold brief conversations, on bike or car (though I'm not in car much these days). I don't like drivers who are talking on the phone in city traffic, and although I haven't seen cyclists do it I probably wouldn't like it either. The difference is--they aren't holding brief conversations.

I have mastered the art of extracting my phone from the seat pack, and I just learned riding with no hands. I absolutely love it. I do the "Titanic". (You know, where she is standing on the rail of the ship with her arms straight out. I stand on my pedals and hold my arms out.)

[Veronica]

Just don't close your eyes like in City of Angels.

V.

[Kano]

I talk on my phone while I ride. I don't wobble. I don't careen down hills. I also reach for and drink from my water bottles while riding, open up food packets while riding, take off my bolero while riding. That one is a bit tricky. :D Oh, and if I put my bottles in backwards, water in the front instead of Sustain, I'll switch them while riding. So both bottles out of their cages at the same time. I also ride with no hands on occasion.

V.

I'm impressed!

First time I tried moving my hands around the bars a bit while at a relatively high speed, DH was behind me and saw: NO MORE MOVING YOUR HANDS he said. I knew there was a reason it's better to be behind him! I can practice stuff and he can't see. I have to admit, though, it was a bit spooky that first time!

I'm still working on pretty basic stuff -- no bottle cages yet, I'm happy with my camelbak. If I EVER get to no hands, I'm going to be amazed. DH will probably drop over dead with fright. (speaking of that tipping over thread!) I'll stick to focusing on riding OR talking for now!

Karen in Boise

[Veronica]

I think if you can move around while you're riding, it's a good thing. You have things you need to take care of. Drinking and food I can do in a group. I have a hard time doing it in a paceline that's moving at my speed limit. :) If it's a slower paceline, I can drink and eat okay. But it's like everything else, it doesn't happen over night and you have to work at it. One day it just dawned on me that I don't even think about reaching for a water bottle anymore. It just happens.

The bolero thing, I would never do while riding near someone else. But it is nice to be able to take it off when you get warm and stuff it in a jersey. It's also not something you do on a highly traffic-ed road

On the back of the tandem I've been able to get off my knee warmers. And I take Thom's jacket off him. I also drink Red Bulls. :)

V.

[Aggie_Ama]

I also drink Red Bulls. :)

V.

So it isn't that you have fantastic bike handling abilities- it is the Red Bull that gives you wings? :p

[suzieqtwa]

I was riding home from work last Friday at 5pm ,and where live there is a lot of traffic. I have to be very aware of my surroundings ,because people just pull out of parking lots without looking etc...anyway, I was on a busy road ,and I look across the street ,and there was a guy talking on his cell ,with no hands on the handlebars. He didn't have a helmet on either.:(
I carry a cell in my back pack ,and if it rings ,I just wait till I get to where I'm going ,or pull over somewhere ,and call back.

[DDH]

I reach for my water bottle and drink from it while riding. I haven't mastered being able to do much more than that. When I was a kid I loved to ride without holding on to my handle bars, but I can't do it anymore. Guess I don't have that balance anymore.
How do you guys eat while riding? I can't get things out of my seat pack while riding?
I hold on and move my hands around but I don't think I white knuckle my bars. I have a water bottle on my bars and down below that I reach for and drink from, but like I said, I cannot do much more than that.
Wish I had the balance.

[Zen]

I don't even drive and talk on the phone at the same time. It's just not safe.

Nothing is so important that won't wait a few minutes for me to pull over in the car or on the bike.

[Bron]

I don't even drive and talk on the phone at the same time. It's just not safe.

Nothing is so important that won't wait a few minutes for me to pull over in the car or on the bike.

What she said.
Plus it's illegal here (for cars and bikes) unless you have a hand-free kit.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

How do you guys eat while riding? I can't get things out of my seat pack while riding?

Bugs.



It's not so much the issue of whether one CAN ride bike while holding a cell phone in the other hand- most people can easily drive a car one-handed too. I feel it's the mental wandering part of it that is dangerous- again, just like when driving a car.

[Veronica]

When I was a kid I loved to ride without holding on to my handle bars, but I can't do it anymore. Guess I don't have that balance anymore.
How do you guys eat while riding? I can't get things out of my seat pack while riding?


When I want to ride no handed, I first push back to the rear of my seat. On my bike that seems to be a better balancing point. Experiment with where yours is on your bike.

I keep my food either in a Bento Box or my jersey. I also have a small handlebar bag. It is hard to get Advil out while moving. :p

V.

[Jo-n-NY]

I reach for my water bottle and drink from it while riding. I haven't mastered being able to do much more than that. When I was a kid I loved to ride without holding on to my handle bars, but I can't do it anymore. Guess I don't have that balance anymore.
How do you guys eat while riding? I can't get things out of my seat pack while riding?
I hold on and move my hands around but I don't think I white knuckle my bars. I have a water bottle on my bars and down below that I reach for and drink from, but like I said, I cannot do much more than that.
Wish I had the balance.

I am just like you Donna, except even as a kid I could not ride with no hands. I didn't come from a very athletic family and to this day the only way my father can swim is by doing the doggie paddle, lol.

The one thing that is very bothersome for me is, I cannot make signals with my left hand because my right arm is not stable enough to control the handlebar. I am a right handed person. I cannot remember if this was a problem before I fractured my shoulder. Like Veronica has mentioned in other areas, maybe I should keep practicing.

~ JoAnn

[Hammer]

I haven't read the whole thread yet. I had been on a multiday ride the last couple days... I didn't get to finish because of a crash. I saw several people on the phone. Usually they seemed to stay straight and true. However, I watched someone ride across a set of railroad tracks while on the phone. The same tracks that I had just crashed on. That made me cringe.

I hate getting calls when I'm on my bike. Though sometimes it is necessary for me to have the ringer on. I do stop before I answer it though.

[VeloVT]

Bugs.



It's not so much the issue of whether one CAN ride bike while holding a cell phone in the other hand- most people can easily drive a car one-handed too. I feel it's the mental wandering part of it that is dangerous- again, just like when driving a car.

I agree with this. I'm perfectly capable of reaching into my jersey pocket while riding, opening my phone and talking on it, without significant swerving -- it's just that while you're concentrating on the conversation, you're not paying as much attention to what's going on around you -- and if you're riding in an area with traffic, that can be dangerous.

[Python]

Talking on a mobile phone and driving in the UK is illegal (although it doesn't stop people doing it) and you can get fined if caught. If you use a Bluetooth headseat or similar that's perfectly legal though. I've always used a headset when driving (used to be a taxi driver) but if I forget to charge up my headset or leave it at home I just let the phone ring and phone back whoever when I stop.

[indysteel]

I agree with this. I'm perfectly capable of reaching into my jersey pocket while riding, opening my phone and talking on it, without significant swerving -- it's just that while you're concentrating on the conversation, you're not paying as much attention to what's going on around you -- and if you're riding in an area with traffic, that can be dangerous.

That's what bugged me about the woman who answered her phone during Sunday's group ride. I don't really mind if people talk on their phone while riding since it is possible to multitask as Veronica and Liza point out. But in this situation, she had someone (namely, me) on her wheel. She slowed down quite a bit when she answered the call and was then distracted from the wheel in front of her. In that situation, I'd rather people either let the call roll to voicemail or pull out of the paceline.

K-

[crazybikinchic]

DH and I were talking about this very subject on Saturday. I was doing a rally, and he noticed someone talking on a cell phone. When I'm on my bike, I do not and will not answer my phone. That is MY time and no one can disturb my time. I ONLY carry my cell phone for safety purposes.

Hang Up The Darn Phone!!!

[teigyr]

Count me in as one of the people who isn't graceful enough to talk and ride at the same time. I can retrieve my water bottle AND drink but that's about it. I've never been able to ride with no hands, even when I was young. I do carry my phone with me when I ride but it's on vibrate. If it rings and I'm at a chance to stop, I will unless I'm having a great ride and don't want to :D

I guess I don't know why people have to do it. I understand if there is something going on (like when my dad was in the hospital, I had my phone with me at all times) but rambling conversation? I also don't understand why people don't care that we hear all of it :eek:

Dunno. I don't want to judge but then again there is nothing worse than hearing a loud monologue about somebody's friends STD. And yeah, I will talk on the phone but I'll go lurk in a corner or something -- I just feel goofy walking around talking to nothingness.

[lizbids]

I hate hate hate cell-cyclists. I find they put themselves and everyone else in danger by not being totally focused. I feel the same way about drivers of cars.

I will say, if you are expecting a super-important call, then pull over safely. Between phones and iPods, people just tune out their surroundings. And don't get me started on no helmet-riders crusing against traffic, blowing stop signs and red lights, etc...

I always feel I am a target if I have my iPod on. In fact, when I get off the train to get to work in the morning, I purposely put it away in my bag, as the area I work in is known for muggings.

I don't mean to offend other cyclists who choose to join in this recreational-type behavior, but I do think it's wise to consider eliminating it. We can't be 100% sure of our saftey all the time, but we can certain improve our odds for successful, safe rides, correct? Safe riding!

[Veronica]

I hate hate hate cell-cyclists. I find they put themselves and everyone else in danger by not being totally focused. I feel the same way about drivers of cars.


You hate me and you don't even know me. :rolleyes:

V.

[Zen]

I hate hate hate cell-cyclists. I find they put themselves and everyone else in danger by not being totally focused. I feel the same way about drivers of cars.

I will say, if you are expecting a super-important call, then pull over safely. Between phones and iPods, people just tune out their surroundings. And don't get me started on no helmet-riders crusing against traffic, blowing stop signs and red lights, etc...

I always feel I am a target if I have my iPod on. In fact, when I get off the train to get to work in the morning, I purposely put it away in my bag, as the area I work in is known for muggings.

I don't mean to offend other cyclists who choose to join in this recreational-type behavior, but I do think it's wise to consider eliminating it. We can't be 100% sure of our saftey all the time, but we can certain improve our odds for successful, safe rides, correct? Safe riding!

I agree wholeheartedly.
When someone is engaged in a cell phone conversation they are not mentally focused on the situation at hand which in turn endangers others. Not even the "hands-free" laws that are being implemented can resolve this.

[chickwhorips]

You hate me and you don't even know me. :rolleyes:

V.

I still like ya. ;)

[ace]

Apropos of this discussion, I was amazed when I was in Florence (Italy) recently that despite the INSANE traffic, I observed a fair number of cyclists riding while both talking on their cellphones and smoking cigarettes, and yet narrowly avoiding death. Impressive. I tried to get photos, but I never had my camera at the ready when I saw one of these folks. The best one I saw was a guy riding his bike, talking on his cellphone, and LIGHTING HIS CIGARETTE WITH A MATCH without slowing down. Viva Italia!

The weirdest part is that very few Italians seem to smoke anymore. I think I saw more smoking cyclists than smoking pedestrians.