Are Drivers Less Courteous to Cyclists in Winter?

I've been a "fair weather cyclist" for many years. That means that almost all of my riding has been on sunny days when lots of other people are riding their bicycles. Drivers around here are usually very courteous to cyclists.

So... today was the first time I've ridden in conditions that are keeping most cyclists off the roads. There is still lots of snow on the ground, but the roads are generally clear.

I encountered more rude drivers today than I've experienced in the last couple of years. I was honked at twice, rudely saluted once, & buzzed three times. All of that on a 45 minute ride!

I wore a high vis jacket & rode on a lightly traveled, neighborhood thoroughfare, with two lanes in each direction. I had to take up more of the right lane than usual due to occasional ice & lots of gravel on the side of the road. Still, there was ample opportunity to safely pass me in the left lane without even having to slow a car down.

I wonder if so many drivers were rude because they didn't expect to see a cyclist on the road today.

What is your experience? Are drivers less courteous to cyclists in the winter when the drivers may not expect to encounter people riding? And, are they more courteous during nice weather when drivers pretty much expect to deal with lots of people on bicycles?

We always joke that driving rules and courtesy conventions are suspended here in the winter. My other theory is that drivers are generally grumpier when the weather is lousy and cyclists are such a nice vulnerable convenient target.

With the amount of snow and crud left on the side of the roads in Denver right now, drivers likely perceive the road as narrower and you as taking up more space on it. Even if they have a lane to pass, it doesn't mean they want to. My neighborhood, which gets no snow treatment unless we get over 6 inches at once, is still only wide enough for one car to safely drive. Hopefully the rest of this stuff will melt tomorrow.

I'm honestly surprised you didn't end up drenched on top of what they did. I completely soaked some poor guy waiting for a bus when I drove by in my car b/c of the amount of snow that melted today.

or possibly it's because the drivers are concentrating hard on staying safe themselves, not slipping, sliding, avoiding obstacles etc and bikers are just one more obstacle?

My best friend has recently said things like the roads are too narrow because of the snow banks. Cars can't get by you. You shouldn't be riding. I think her attitude is what you're getting. They think they have more right to the road since their car can hurt us. Since we're being "unsafe", they're entitled to show us their displeasure at our recklessness. They're actually doing us a favor. :rolleyes: We should be giving them a big fat hug. ;) I'm being sarcastic, of course.

Don't stop riding because they're annoyed by you. They're probably equally annoyed by pedestrians and cars that go slower than them. It's par for the course. Keep at it. I hope it was still fun.

I hadn't thought of the roads being narrower because of the snow banks. My initial thought was the same as Malkin's: It's winter and people are just grumpier. It's amazing how much difference a little sunshine and warm temperatures can make in your mood.

These are a lot of good points. When I returned from my ride yesterday, I was so surprised by being treated rudely that I forgot about all of the other times I've ridden this winter when the drivers around here were their usual, courteous, selves.

I think that yesterday was just a culmination of Denver-ites' frustration with a few weeks of bad driving conditions. Besides, it must be far more satisfying to honk at, or flip off, a cyclist than it is to be rude to snow banks & ice patches.

Thanks for helping me put this experience into perspective. Hubby & I are going to try riding the paved trails today, (they were still too snow packed yesterday). We'll wait to get back on the roads until drivers find their good manners again.

Today was my first ride outside this year. DH and I were going through a town and church must have just let out. We had to get into a roundabout on a side street to get to where we were going. It is a little street that only services the church and a few small businesses. There were cars pulling out of the church and onto the roundabout. We were on the roundabout and had the right of way, but a car pulled out and then nearly stopped in front of DH. He had to slam on the breaks not to hit the car that pulled out in front of him. Then another person pulled out and honked at us and kept going on the roundabout when we turned off. That was not very churcy behavior!!

So much for "Do unto others..."

I hope you managed to get out for a ride today! I must've passed 20 or so cyclists just between my office and Target this afternoon. Beautiful day.

No, I didn't have time to ride on Monday:( It WAS beautiful out there...a prime example of why I love living in Colorado!

Were you on your bicycle when you passed all of those people? :)

We did do a bunch of laps around Washington Park on Sunday. The park was packed with people, but surprisingly few bicyclists.

This morning will be good for a short ride around the neighborhood before work. The time constraint will be ideal to keep me from getting too far from home in case my new saddle doesn't work out so well.

I don't yet have a bike that I can ride outdoors during our MI Winters, but drivers are MOST DEFINITELY less considerate of me when I'm running. Right now we have massive snowbanks on the side of the roads and no shoulder...so I either run ON the road or dive into snowbanks. More cars than not refuse to get over, even when there are NO cars on the opposing side. I've had several cars give me so little room that I am nearly clipped by their side-view mirrors. Last week an a$$hat with a plow on the front of his truck nearly took me out with his plow. Needless to say I was furious. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to take down his license plate # after he passed.

Wow, zoom-zoom. I'm sorry that this is a dangerous & on-going problem for you. I agree with Bike Chick that maybe people are just grumpier in the cold & snow. The drivers around here stopped being rude once the snow melted & the weather warmed up again. Fortunately, the warm & clear winter days out number the bad ones here in Denver. I'm just going to avoid riding on the roads on the bad days from now on.

I'm sending warm weather vibes your way :)

Artista - no, I wasn't riding...I only have a mtb right now, so there's no way I'd pass 20 people on the road :)

I also almost got hit while running...some woman went to turn right on red but didn't STOP first (or look to her right...who cares about pedestrians) , and I was already in the intersection. She came about 3 inches from her back tire running over my foot. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to smack the trunk of her car but I was too busy trying to keep my balance so all of me didn't end up smushed.

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Originally Posted by jessmarimba

I also almost got hit while running...some woman went to turn right on red but didn't STOP first (or look to her right...who cares about pedestrians) , and I was already in the intersection. She came about 3 inches from her back tire running over my foot. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to smack the trunk of her car but I was too busy trying to keep my balance so all of me didn't end up smushed.

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I had this happen to me several years ago, only the woman nearly ran into me with the front of her car (she just kept coming and coming and I had to actually run into the other lane to avoid being hit, putting myself at risk of being hit by any cars in that lane). I screamed at her...think I might have made her crap her pants, which would have served her right. ;)

Some cyclists & runners carry voice recorders to note the license plate numbers of cars that put them in danger. Many smart phones have recorders in them.

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Originally Posted by Artista

Some cyclists & runners carry voice recorders to note the license plate numbers of cars that put them in danger. Many smart phones have recorders in them.

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That's not a bad idea...I have a smart phone, now. If the camera loaded faster I could take photos, too.

When the weather is bad, drivers here don't even stop at posted bicycle crossing intersections (the ones with the flashing yellow lights), and they pull through crosswalks. There are a couple of intersections that are much too dangerous to ride, so I use the crossing lights and walk my bike. I often have to catch the eye of the driver in the first car in the right turn lane. Even if I have the crossing sign, if one goes, they all go and I then need to wait another light cycle. Brrr! They are much more courteous when it is warm. I sometimes wonder if it is because they don't expect to see cyclists in the winter.

Deb

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Originally Posted by marni

or possibly it's because the drivers are concentrating hard on staying safe themselves, not slipping, sliding, avoiding obstacles etc and bikers are just one more obstacle?

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That probably explains a lot. And cyclists are just as bad as auto drivers if two bikes are approaching a place narrowed by snow. I try to be polite, but if there's no room it's hard sometimes.

I thought a guy was going to hit me today, but could easily see he was just concentrating on the ground, not looking at me at all.