Why car drivers get mad [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-21-2007, 03:31 PM

Ok- so I have to preface this by saying that DH and I almost NEVER get honked at or cursed by drivers. We try to be courteous and safe and we stay as far to the right as we safely can under most conditions on the roads and highways. We find almost all drivers are in turn very courteous to us.

Today we were going along the highway on the shoulder to the right of the white line. The shoulder was only wide enough for one bike. The road was only one lane in either direction, with a 55 mile speed limit.

As we're riding along, 3 adult nicely dressed seemingly "weekend" cyclists on hybrid bikes come up fast behind us and proceed to pass us without letting us even know they are coming up on our left. In passing us, they move right out into the main traffic lane. There are CARS going 55mph along that single lane on the highway who then lean heavily on their brakes to avoid hitting the passing bikers who have swerved out into the lane to pass us. There are cars coming in the opposing diection lane, so none of these cars are able to swerve over the double line, mind you. More cars behind us all are slowing down very abruptly, and several cars start honking angrily at the bikers. DH and I are in the middle of this debacle, continuing on the shoulder in single file, embarrassed to be associated with these other 3.

These 3 cylists created a DANGEROUS situation by pulling out into the car lane in front of fast oncoming cars that had nowhere to go to avoid them without slowing extremely abruptly. Why didn't they wait until there was a gap in the traffic to pass us?? We were not going THAT slow that it would have ruined their day to slow down for a few seconds. And why didn't they advise us they were coming up close around us either?

Their actions put everyone in danger- themselves, us, and the car drivers as well who could have become involved in a chain reaction accident. :mad: :mad:
As several cars jammed on their brakes and honked, the cyclists passed us and got back into the shoulder in front of us and zoomed on down the road, all of them then giving the finger to the honking cars for good measure.

This is what gives all cyclists a bad name and this is the kind of behavior that makes car drivers hate cyclists. :mad: :mad: :mad: I was so mad AND embarrassed to be assumed a part of their pack.

Zen

07-21-2007, 03:37 PM

Wow. That would have made me mad too.
I know I would have had something to say to them even if they didn't stick around to hear it.
Fortunately no one was hurt in that episode.

There's no excuse for that except ignorance and/or stupidity.

Aggie_Ama

07-21-2007, 05:17 PM

Goodness!! We rarely encounter other cyclists, but when we do we are courteous. Even if cars weren't coming, I am a little jumpy and an unexpected cyclist can really startle me. When I was a newer rider one frightened me and I almost took us both out because I jumped!

I hate when you get unwillingly associated with a bad group of cyclists.

MM_QFC!

07-21-2007, 05:33 PM

Lisa - first, I'm glad that you and DH came through it safely and I can't agree with you more...idiots like that reflect badly on all of us.
I've seen suggestions locally (Seattle area) from drivers, actually almost demanding that cyclists be made to pass a test and get a road license, if they want the right to ride on the road, just as with cars. I have to say that a part of me agrees with that thought, although I know that there are plenty of unsafe jerks behind steering wheels as well as on saddles...:mad:
Yes, our road laws include bicycles as vehicles, but there are so many who go out on the road and don't follow the most basic safety and road etiquette, never mind the laws...putting so many at risk.
It's a pet peeve of mine too, when my life is endangered out on the road by riders like that...unfortunately, they either can't or won't read alerts and rants like this!
Take care out there,
Mary

RolliePollie

07-21-2007, 05:35 PM

Wow, Lisa...I'm glad they didn't cause an accident! It's really a shame when folks like that give us all a bad name. It's also a shame that drivers will be more likely to remember a situation like that and then generalize it to all cyclists. Of course, that's just human nature. I'm sure most drivers have passed tons of courteous cyclists like you and your husband, but they won't remember that. They'll only remember the crazy cyclists who pass when it's not safe and almost cause a huge wreck.

The other night I saw something I couldn't believe. I was riding up the hill through town and a cyclist who was coming down the hill towards me had taken the lane and was completely blocking traffic. The vehicle right behind him was a fully loaded LOGGING TRUCK! Talk about dangerous! Then yesterday in the grocery store parking lot (I was the car driver this time), two guys on mountain bikes came out of nowhere and passed me on the right just as I was about the turn right into a row of parking spaces. I nearly had a heart attack! And I think they did too, because the second guy realized that I'd almost just hit him. Unfortunately they couldn't hear me as I "politely" reminded them that you are not supposed to pass on the right!!!

Starfish

07-21-2007, 05:51 PM

In passing us, they move right out into the main traffic lane. There are CARS going 55mph along that single lane

If they keep that up, they won't live long enough to make an impression on too many more motorists. I'm so sorry you had that experience! :(

Mr. Bloom

07-21-2007, 06:28 PM

If they keep that up, they won't live long enough to make an impression on too many more motorists. I'm so sorry you had that experience! :(

Yep, it's a question of how many other folks they jeopardize in the meantime.

I would have told them what I thought on the spot, but then, for a short guy, I'm prone to living vicariously on the edge of my freedom of verbal and manuic expression :D :D :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

bikerchick68

07-21-2007, 07:48 PM

that blows! I would've been furious at them too... :mad: glad they didn't cause an accident... lucky for them.

Python

07-22-2007, 04:19 AM

Why didn't they wait until there was a gap in the traffic to pass us??

For exactly the same reasons that some car drivers do the same - often with tragic results.

People like that are road-hogs and think everyone else should get out of their way. They'll do that until one day and they'll go splat.

Grog

07-22-2007, 02:07 PM

The other night I saw something I couldn't believe. I was riding up the hill through town and a cyclist who was coming down the hill towards me had taken the lane and was completely blocking traffic. The vehicle right behind him was a fully loaded LOGGING TRUCK! Talk about dangerous!

I do not know your area at all, but I can imagine many, many situations where the cyclist and everyone else will be much safer, going down a hill, if the cyclist takes the lane instead of staying on the shoulder. Why exactly do you describe this situation as dangerous? For whom?

RolliePollie

07-22-2007, 02:57 PM

I do not know your area at all, but I can imagine many, many situations where the cyclist and everyone else will be much safer, going down a hill, if the cyclist takes the lane instead of staying on the shoulder. Why exactly do you describe this situation as dangerous? For whom?

I take the lane a lot, and I totally agree with you that many times it is much safer to do so. But in this particular case, the speed limit is 45 and I know the cyclist was probably going 25-30 mph max (cuz that's about how fast I roll down that hill). Just the sight of this cyclist framed by a huge semi truck grill scared me. Maybe it wasn't actually that dangerous, but I know I wouldn't want to make a logging truck driver mad. Plus I worry about big trucks and their ability to brake, especially when they've just come down the mountain. I generally take the lane if I am going close to the speed limit and it is safer for me, but if I'm going a lot slower than the cars and I'm blocking traffic, then I move over. Even if I am going close to or above the speed limit, many times I need to move over to accommodate drivers who are speeding. Most drivers around here seem to despise cyclists as it is, so I don't want to do anything extra to make them mad.

Tuckervill

07-22-2007, 08:46 PM

I'd take the lane in that situation, too, but most definitely if the hill were curvy. It happened this morning, except it was a chicken litter truck and I could smell it coming. What I don't want is people passing me on a curve while I'm going fast downhill with another vehicle approaching from the other direction.

But it sounded like that truck was right on the cyclist's tail, and that's just wrong. I'm scared of logging trucks, even when I'm driving, because they never seem to appear like they are well maintained! I don't live in timber country anymore, though, thank goodness.

Karen

Grog

07-22-2007, 09:13 PM

I take the lane a lot, and I totally agree with you that many times it is much safer to do so. But in this particular case, the speed limit is 45 and I know the cyclist was probably going 25-30 mph max (cuz that's about how fast I roll down that hill). (...) Most drivers around here seem to despise cyclists as it is, so I don't want to do anything extra to make them mad.

Thanks Sara for the explanations... I see things a little differently. (Actually I don't see at all because I have little knowledge of the road you describe, but you know what I mean!! :) )

First, let's state that the guys who passed Lisa do seem like a bunch of confrontational morons who do no good to cyclists, no doubt about that.

But, regarding your example, as someone who has to descend on many of my rides, and who doesn't mind descending fast, it's easy for me to imagine the cyclist's point of view in the situation you describe. I am assuming that the cyclist was going faster than drivers would think (although I agree with you that it's unlikely that the cyclist was going at 45 mph, but I often descend at speeds WAY over 30 mph). I also assume that the cyclist would have made the decision to take the lane (by no means a decision lone cyclists are usually prompt to make) because s/he did not feel safe staying on extreme right of the road: Maybe the shoulder was too narrow or littered with glass (try a front-wheel flat on a fast downhill), the road too windy, there were intersections along the way where incoming drivers might pull out on the shoulder to see whether they can enter traffic, etc.

If I am in that situation, and hear the engine brakes of a heavy vehicle behind me, I'll definitely do everything I can to move out of the way faster, for the reasons you mention (not trusting the brakes etc.). But the lane might be much safer for me than the shoulder in most fast-downhill situations.

Unfortunately, vehicles coming from behind (including the big logging truck and vehicles with trailers behind) tend to believe they can squeeze by if the rider is holding on to the right-side of the road, whereas they actually might not have the space at all, especially if there is traffic coming in the other lane. Another problem, on a windy road, is that many drivers will not follow the lines painted on the road and have their right wheels overlap the white line. Coming out of a right-bound curve, the driver will see the cyclist on the shoulder at the very last second, or perhaps too late. Or the trailer behind the car/tractor will clip the cyclist. After hitting the cyclist, the driver will say "I had not seen the bike!!!" and it will be true. If the cyclist is actually in the lane, it's less likely that s/he will be hidden by the curve...

It's great to avoid creating useless conflicts with the drivers and the guys that passed Lisa seem like dangerous freaks. But the long-term strategy of conflict-avoidance should not in my opinion obscure a reasonable evaluation of short-term risks.

It might be helpful, however, to educate your city planners to the importance of better cycling infrastructures, to avoid dangerous situations like the one you describe...

Peace!

Tuckervill

07-23-2007, 04:26 AM

Speaking of cycling infrastructures:

I just got back from 3 days in Phoenix/Scottsdale. No, I didn't get to ride. Yes, it became monsoon season while I was there, and there was actual humidity (still not like here, though!) and it was over 110 all day. I didn't expect to see many cyclists at all, and none in the afternoon. I was up early every morning because of the time difference and I drove all around the city and the outlying areas.

I took note of the wonderful bike lanes everywhere I went. Although it was hot, I did see *some* cyclists, mostly commuters. I saw no roadies at all. But the thing that struck me the *most* was that without exception all the cyclists were riding on the sidewalk. After the first 3 or 4 I saw, I started taking note. NONE were using the beautiful bike lanes. None.

Of course, it was so hot (and "humid" which makes me laugh) no one was walking on the sidewalks either. But is this a regular thing out there? Ignored, unused bike lanes?

Karen

Grog

07-23-2007, 08:17 AM

I was up early every morning because of the time difference and I drove all around the city and the outlying areas.

I don't know how early was early for you, but there was this great article in Runner's World about running in the heat. The guy went running with some Phoenix club and they started their run at 4 am to beat the heat! Dunno about the local cycling clubs though, but I'd hope that hard training rides would also be very, very early!

This being said, I have no idea about the low use of the cycling lanes. I have a couple friends from Phoenix and they both testified of the vitality of the cycling community in Arizona. However they mostly rode way out of town, or so did they tell me...

Tuckervill

07-23-2007, 08:53 AM

Five a.m. was when I awoke. I am usually up with the sun anyway.

It was still over 90 degrees overnight, though. 90 degrees is still hot! That's a normal high for where I live in most of the summer, with some 100 degree days in July/August. Oh, and that's with 55% humidity all the time. But it gets at least in the 70s at night.

I'm sure at different times of the year Phoenix is crawling with bikes.

Karen

Eden

07-23-2007, 09:15 AM

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-23-2007, 09:39 AM

hmmmm, how's the overall design of the bike lanes in Phoenix? We have a lot of bike lanes here in Seattle, but many of them are so poorly placed that they are more dangerous to use than the car lanes....

They put them right next to parked cars - in the door zone! (and then drivers get all bent out of shape if you don't ride there - its really awful - we'd be much better without those lanes!!) or they end suddenly without any warning. Sometimes its better to avoid them all together.

These days I've heard they are going to painting "sharrows" on the roads instead of striping discrete bike lanes, more of less to remind drivers that they need to share the lane with bikes.

I've read about this a bit. In the US, they put in bike lanes with absolutely no attention paid to actual practical safety of them. No cyclist in their right mind would ride in a bike lane alongside parked cars right in the door zone!!! And yet that's what they spend tons of money installing here. Stupid waste of taxpayers money. Plus, cars doublepark in the bike lanes everywhere.
If only they would get a clue from observing well designed European bike lanes! In many places in Europe, the bike lane runs alongside the sidewalk, separated by a curb and/or painted lines. Then there is a row of cement posts to keep cars from using the bike lane. Then next out is the parking lane, then the car traffic lanes. Cars are kept out of the bike and pedestrian paths altogether by cement or iron posts.

smilingcat

07-23-2007, 10:27 AM

Car drivers get mad:

cause the bike lane is "supposed" to be for the cars.
cause there are slow bicycles in the way for them to use it as a passing lane.
cause there are slow bicycles in the way for them to make a right hand turn.
cause cars are supposed to go faster than a bike even when the bike is speeding. Never follow a bike.

bicycles? Well its for children riding in the neighborhood not overgrown kids out on a street. DRIVE A CAR MO--RON!!

And yes, I've been guilty of impeding cars who want to pass,who wants to create a second righthand turn lane, who wants to going faster than a car (motorpacing during practice). And most definitly, I'm an overgorwn old kid. :p

Oh yeah! The suddenly-opening-door-phobia. Cause I was almost taken out by one. Another gal did get taken out by one. Its amazing about those doors. You would think the car door would get tweaked. Fat chance. I wish it did but not. The gal did an end-over and landed on her head. Split the bell helmet into two but otherwise okay. Not for the helmet nor the bike.

Smilingcat

Crankin

07-23-2007, 11:13 AM

About the cycling in Phoenix: well I'm a former Zonie and there were those nice wide bike lanes even when i lived there, up until 1990. But, one of the issues (besides the heat) is that the valley is built on a grid and there is a traffic light every mile. I am sure it doesn't make for great cycling, hence the reason why someone said their friends go "far out" to do their rides. Today, that might be very far out from where I lived in south Tempe, which was considered the sticks when I moved there. Heck, Warner road wasn't even paved when I lived in Chandler in 1980. Back then, you would would rarely see people even walking outside and the car culture is really strong.
Also, I have read that the "season" for cycling in southern AZ is from October to April. That makes sense. I used to walk at 5 AM and even that was brutal. No wonder I became a gym rat.

IFjane

07-23-2007, 11:48 AM

People like that are road-hogs and think everyone else should get out of their way. They'll do that until one day and they'll go splat.

Thinning of the herd...:cool:

There is a cycling group in a neighboring county & they have several young (early 20's) men who have joined some of our joint rides. Those young men love to ride down our country roads three abreast & don't care if they block traffic. We finally had to tell them that they could block all the traffic they want in their own county, but not while they are with us. We ride these roads all the time & do not want angry drivers out there. We asked them to ride single file (or no more than two abreast IF they aren't blocking traffic) and said if they can't do that then maybe they had better go back home.

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-23-2007, 01:01 PM

Oh yeah! The suddenly-opening-door-phobia. Cause I was almost taken out by one. Another gal did get taken out by one. Its amazing about those doors. You would think the car door would get tweaked. Fat chance. I wish it did but not. The gal did an end-over and landed on her head. Split the bell helmet into two but otherwise okay. Not for the helmet nor the bike.

She was very lucky. Many "doored" cyclists wind up dead, either landing on their head and breaking their necks or being thrown in front of a moving vehicle in the lane to their left and being run over.
Never ride within 3 feet of a parked car on your right. If necessary get right into the vehicle lane while navigating the congested stretch of road...you can move right again once the road opens up.

Starfish

07-23-2007, 02:10 PM

cause cars are supposed to go faster than a bike even when the bike is speeding. Never follow a bike.

Yesterday I was riding up a mountain road and was within 100 yards of the park entry gate, where all traffic must stop. The speed limit up to the gate was 25mph, and a slight downhill. I was going 23mph (in anticipation of coming to a stop at the gatehouse).

The car behind me tailgated me, and pulled around me at the last second without enough time to actually pass me, and forced me to veer to the right and brake HARD. We got to the gatehouse at exactly the same time.

It was an older woman, and rather than it being a competitive or angry situation for her, I think she really just could not believe that a bike was basically doing the speed limit and not holding her up. I suspect she simply assumed she would be faster than a bike and should pass it.

I showed a lot of restraint when we got to the gate. Maybe I should have pounded on her trunk and had a talk with her. I don't know. I probably would have lost my temper.

divingbiker

07-23-2007, 06:31 PM

Never[/B] ride within 3 feet of a parked car on your right. If necessary get right into the vehicle lane while navigating the congested stretch of road...you can move right again once the road opens up.

If I followed this, I could not commute to work by bike. There is no route to downtown DC that allows me to ride on a street wide enough for me to be 3 feet from parked cars and still allow cars to pass. I just try to be very vigilant observing brake lights, people sitting in cars, etc and move into the road (after signaling) when it seems that a car door might open. Other than that, I take my chances and hope for the best.

We all have to do what works in our own situation--I've no doubt that downtown DC is quite different than rural New York.

PinkBike

07-24-2007, 07:20 PM

Robyn, your comment that Warner wasnt even paved made me laugh - and cry! There's solid housing now all the way to Hunt Highway. There are no bike lanes, or there'll be a great bike lane that will just end. Poof, disappearing bike lane. And the City of Tempe are the biggest hypocrites - they say they are "bike friendly" - what a crock! Mill Avenue is one lane now and the bike lane is on the left of the cars - that door alley this thread has been talking about. This place just plain svcks for bicycling, but there are a lot of us enthusiasts who just make the best of it.

Tucson - now that's a GREAT CITY for bicycling, they really know how to do it right!!

And you're right about the season - October thru April. I still ride all summer. I passed a bank sign that said it was 114 and I thought I was late for work but realized that was the temp not the time.

I guess wherever you are you just make the most of it. What else can you do? Besides count the time til retirement!!!!

Aint Doody

07-25-2007, 04:00 PM

Sorta long--I just got back from the Florida Panhandle--Navarre Beach to be exact--and had only 2 frightening experiences. (I also got to meet & ride w/Bad Juju--but that's another story.) To get from Navarre Beach to the area where there are more miles to ride, one must cross a high, 2-laned bridge with no shoulder. There is a pedestrian walk on the bridge. Anyway I've found over the years that the best thing to do on that bridge is to stay to the right when there is no oncoming traffic. When there was oncoming traffic, I took the lane to prevent the "squeeze play." Mostly people were understanding and coureous. Shoot, I was looking out for them as well as myself. But on 2 occasions when I was heading over the bridge back to Navarre Beach SUV's with Lousiana tags on them honked and tried to run me off the bridge. I mean, there was nowhere for me to go but over the edge!

The first one pulled into the very first condo complex after the bridge. I saw them and hurried to catch them to tell them what they did was not only dangerous but against FL law (3 ft law). Unfortunately by the time I got there, they'd headed up the elevator. Musta had a cold beer waiting--or maybe had been drinking the cold beer and needed the bathroom. Didn't catch the 2nd one.

We were discussing this in my family, and my BIL pointed out that it's the idea that some drivers think they're more important than anybody else on the road. I have one brother who is approaching obesity and thought that I should have walked my bike over in the pedestrian lane that was totally separated from the rest of traffic. (He thinks I shouldn't slow down any traffic even for a moment.) I guess I could have--long bridge. There's another shorter bridge on the same little stretch of road that has a sign that says "Walk bicycles over bridge." I did that there--had to lift it over the guard rail and squeeze past the fishermen.

Anyway the comment that maybe bicycles need to be licensed isn't such a bad idea. That way we could be sure that cyclists would have to pass a test to prove that we understand the traffic laws. And then the comments about "not paying for the roads" would be false. Enforcing that would be difficult, and who should have to have a license at what age would be confusing. I also cringe to think about more government control, but the idea of more people hopefully being aware of safety issues and just why sometimes bicycles take a lane might outweigh the negatives.

Tuckervill

07-25-2007, 05:40 PM

I pay for roads through my property taxes and sales taxes, not license fees. So whether or not I use them, I pay. They belong to everyone, not just drivers.

Karen

Susan Otcenas

07-25-2007, 06:55 PM

As several cars jammed on their brakes and honked, the cyclists passed us and got back into the shoulder in front of us and zoomed on down the road, all of them then giving the finger to the honking cars for good measure.

Someday it may get me in trouble, but I just can't put up with this kind of crap. I believe those of us who care about how we are treated on the road need to be "roll" models. And I think part of that responsibility is educating (sometimes forcibly) those who ride their bikes in a dangerous manner.

Yesterday, I was paused at a red light when a cyclist (wearing headphones, no less) blew past me on my right and totally ran the light. I shouted at him, and when the light turned green, I chased him down and caught him at the next light, where he'd stopped (much bigger intersection). I pulled up along side of him and said "Hey, what do you think you were doing back there?". He refused to acknowledge my presence, staring straight ahead. So, I gave him a piece of my mind. Told him that not only were his actions dangerous to himself, but that that kind of behavior gives all cyclists a bad name and that he should respect the lights. Still staring straight ahead, he proceeds to ask me if I tell motorists the same thing.

Well, as a matter of fact, I do. :D He, of course, sped off at a furious pace after the light turned green, and I turned right.

I also won't ride with people who ride like boneheads. For the most part, I ride with people who, like me, wear an eyeglass-mounted mirror so that we can be aware of our surroundings and know when it's safe to ride two abreast, and when it isn't. I believe that we must SHARE the road, which doesn't simply mean cars sharing with bikes. It means we cyclists have to learn to share too, even if it sometimes means yielding our right of way to a big truck on a narrow road. Not because the truck is dangerous, but because it's courteous to the truck driver, who 99 times out of a 100 is a hardworking person just doing his job like the rest of us.

I could go on..... :o

Zen

07-25-2007, 07:15 PM

I have one brother who is approaching obesity and thought that I should have walked my bike over in the pedestrian lane that was totally separated from the rest of traffic. (He thinks I shouldn't slow down any traffic even for a moment.) I guess I could have--long bridge. There's another shorter bridge on the same little stretch of road that has a sign that says "Walk bicycles over bridge." I did that there--had to lift it over the guard rail and squeeze past the fishermen.

Does bodyweight affect the thought process? I haven't heard that news.
I lived in Fort Lauderdale for a few years. The Intercoastal Waterway there is full of drawbridges and there is a sign at the beginning of each that tells cyclists they must walk their bikes over the bridge. Some do, some don't. Just like doping in the Tour, lawbreakers give good people a bad name.

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-26-2007, 12:06 AM

Someday it may get me in trouble, but I just can't put up with this kind of crap. I believe those of us who care about how we are treated on the road need to be "roll" models. And I think part of that responsibility is educating (sometimes forcibly) those who ride their bikes in a dangerous manner.

Yesterday, I was paused at a red light when a cyclist (wearing headphones, no less) blew past me on my right and totally ran the light. I shouted at him, and when the light turned green, I chased him down and caught him at the next light, where he'd stopped (much bigger intersection). I pulled up along side of him and said "Hey, what do you think you were doing back there?". He refused to acknowledge my presence, staring straight ahead. So, I gave him a piece of my mind. Told him that not only were his actions dangerous to himself, but that that kind of behavior gives all cyclists a bad name and that he should respect the lights. Still staring straight ahead, he proceeds to ask me if I tell motorists the same thing.

Well, as a matter of fact, I do. :D He, of course, sped off at a furious pace after the light turned green, and I turned right.

I also won't ride with people who ride like boneheads. For the most part, I ride with people who, like me, wear an eyeglass-mounted mirror so that we can be aware of our surroundings and know when it's safe to ride two abreast, and when it isn't. I believe that we must SHARE the road, which doesn't simply mean cars sharing with bikes. It means we cyclists have to learn to share too, even if it sometimes means yielding our right of way to a big truck on a narrow road. Not because the truck is dangerous, but because it's courteous to the truck driver, who 99 times out of a 100 is a hardworking person just doing his job like the rest of us.

I could go on..... :o

Oh Boy I agree with all that! I am always trying to be as courteous as safety allows me to be to drivers. I take the lane immediately if I need it to be safe, but I stay out of their way if I can do so safely. I feel they appreciate my efforts in that I NEVER EVER get honked at or cursed. Drivers give me lots of room and tend to be courteous right back at me (unless they don't see me, that is) :eek:
Just today I greeted 3 teenagers on mtn bikes with a friendly Hello and then told them as I rode around them that they were riding on the wrong side of the road. :rolleyes:

Your description of what the light-eater said to you about motorists reminded me of a funny interchange at a coffee shop last weekend. I locked my bike up outside a cafe to the backside of a park bench (no racks or trees to be had anywhere) and came in to eat. Some guy sitting by the window in there says to me: "You should lock your bike to a tree." to which I replied there were no trees, nor bike racks either. Then he says: "I can guarantee that nobody around here is going to steal your bike." to which I replied "Are you willing to back that guarantee up with cold hard cash?"....he did not reply.
The guy obviously needed a new hobby. :cool:

Aint Doody

07-26-2007, 09:58 AM

Zen--I DID walk my bike over the bridge that had that sign. I'm not a lawbreaker. And I guess I shouldn't have mentionned my brother's weight. My reason for doing so was to point out that he isn't exactly an exerciser. I hate having to defend myself here. Good-bye........

Crankin

07-26-2007, 12:01 PM

PinkBike, I feel your pain... I would never ride in downtown Tempe:eek: . I used to ride my bike the mile from Hardy Drive through Ash St. to campus in grad school (all while wearing a sundress and NO HELMET) and even that was scary in 1978. I do remember riding down Rural Rd. between Elliot and Chandler Blvd. in a big wide bike lane in the 80s. But, it was still scary, so I quit riding.
Yes, Tucson is more bike friendly, and to me more what AZ is supposed to be.
BTW, I did just retire and I am pretty sure those cars around here in MA are still going to be acting poorly! I just finished reading the local paper and there were 2 incidences of "cyclist-car rage" in the police log and one woman was taken to the hospital. I haven't had too many issues, but I don't ride in urban area with lots of parked cars. And when I lead rides, I am very firm, using my school teacher voice about riding single file (like, "Get in line now!").

quint41

07-27-2007, 07:11 PM

Lisa, I didn't have time to read all the replies to your post, but I wanted to let you know that I'm in your camp. I lead rides frequently for a singles group, and not everyone is an experience rider. (This is coming from someone who only "really" started riding last year, but I've ridden enough that I can now lead rides fairly well.) Just the other day, I had two people out on my ride -- one of them has ridden with this group MANY times, and he has been told MANY times by other leaders and other riders, but he apparently hasn't learned a thing. The second guy was a newbie who was just following the first guy's lead. Toward the end of our ride, we were on a rather busy street, and guy #1 was way off the shoulder. He was almost half-way out into the travel lane. Guy #2 was with him almost as far off the shoulder. I was behind screaming, "CAR BACK!" louder and louder until finally I REALLY SCREAMED, "SINGLE FILE!! RIDE SINGLE FILE!" They very quickly moved to the shoulder. When we got back to the lot, I told them both that I was sorry to have to scream at them, but that kind of behavior is what gives bike riders a bad name! That kind of riding, out in the road for no reason, is what pisses drivers off, causes road rage, and then makes crazy drivers take out their anger on all the other rule-abiding riders on the road!

By the way, as I was out riding tonight, a car of teenagers passed me (as I was climbing a hill ON THE SHOULDER) and threw a can of soda at me. Isn't that lovely? It didn't hit me. I think it was empty anyway, but just the fact that they did that ....

That is ALL I wanted to say. I agree with you, Lisa.

Aggie_Ama

07-29-2007, 02:15 PM

We had an experience yesterday that still upsets me. DH and I were out on a road that is semi-busy and somewhat narrow and winding. It is not a favorite road of ours and we weren't sure anyone else ever really rode it. As we were headed our way we were surprised to see other cyclists. It was two female cyclists on the other side of the road riding side by side chatting, in the middle of the lane.

This is the road where we met the friendly guy who slowed down to flip us off. Now I wonder if their behavior is common and he was just fed up (doubt it). It isn't safe on that road at all and it is just rude.

Tuckervill

07-29-2007, 05:20 PM

Were there cars waiting behind them? I don't have any problem with riding in the lane, but if cars come, I try to move over.

Karen

Mr. Bloom

07-29-2007, 07:27 PM

By the way, as I was out riding tonight, a car of teenagers passed me (as I was climbing a hill ON THE SHOULDER) and threw a can of soda at me. Isn't that lovely? It didn't hit me. I think it was empty anyway, but just the fact that they did that ....

Next time, get the plate #...in my book, empty or not, that's called assault!

Aggie_Ama

07-30-2007, 04:40 AM

Were there cars waiting behind them? I don't have any problem with riding in the lane, but if cars come, I try to move over.

Karen

There were no cars at the time, but the road is winding and that makes their actions unsafe. The speed limit is 50 but most of the motorists are driving a tad faster and it is just hard to know for anyone (cyclist, motorist) what is around the next bend. I would consider this road to be a medium traffic level for the area, so it probably wasn't long before a car came up. It wasn't a "taking the lane" situation, it was more of a not paying attention situation.

Tuckervill

07-30-2007, 09:37 AM

Aggie_Ama

07-30-2007, 10:03 AM

Take the lane? Yes. Ride double file chatting appearing to not notice anything? No. I will agree to disagree, maybe I didn't describe the situation accurately because it definitely is not safe on this road. DH agreed, we both did not feel their intention was safety but to have a conversation.

BleeckerSt_Girl

07-30-2007, 10:50 AM

If the road is winding, that's more of a reason to be in the lane in my opinion. I don't want two cars passing me in opposite directions with no shoulder, so as long as visibility is impaired for passing, I stay in the lane.

Karen

Would you ride along in the middle of the lane at 25mph with a blind curve in back of you, knowing that a car might come around that curve behind you at 55mph any second? What if they are dialing on their cell phone or changing thier cd at the moment? If you ask me, not much different than if you were jogging along in the middle of the lane! :eek:
Myself, I'll stay near the edge of the right hand white line on a major road with no shoulder and poor visibility. Cars pass me going in opposite directions all the time with no shoulder- to me it's just part of riding. I *do* take the lane however in dangerous situations if I feel cars will see me there before they hit me!

Tuckervill

07-30-2007, 02:10 PM

Grog

07-30-2007, 03:08 PM

I have to do it every day on one or two stretches of road. That's what I do, especially when I'm descending. It feels safer to me. The cars on this road cannot be going 55 coming around the curves, because they are on a CURVE.

Although I tend to agree with you, I'm afraid to say that you're never safe from one of the many (idiots) who do take curves at 55mph.

Terrifying (yet somewhat funny) story:
We have a long, winding hill near my place (I live right at the top) that cyclists and runners use all the time. The road winds on the side of a cliff leading into the ocean. Most drivers are well behaved going up it but last week some moron in a minivan was speeding up the hill at great speed, passed a car in a bend, missed the next turn and went right over the wooden fence. He probably didn't take the time to read the sign that says "CLIFF BELOW".

See the pic : http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/07/27/cliff-accident.html

I could very well have been cycling up the hill at the time. Very scary. Taking the lane, however, would not have saved me from so much moronitude.

(The minivan remained hanging in trees up the cliff and he jumped out. He tried to "hide" on the nudist beach below by mixing in with the crowd of sunbathers. He wasn't too hard to identify with all his scrapes and bruises... He had to be airlifted out of there... Two firetrucks... Countless helicopters... One BIG moron.*sigh*)

Personally, I tend to take curves in the lane, then to go back on the shoulders as soon as it seems safe, i.e. when I am back of in the line of sight of drivers coming out of that same curve. By being closer to the middle of the road, I am more visible from a distance by drivers coming from behind me and I avoid being clipped by some truck's mirror (so many drivers totally ignore the white lines and just drive with two tires on the shoulder...).

But I'm not sure there's one safe way to do it.

Ok too long message. Back to work.