Roadies vs. Cars... Who's the real victim...

PB Forum :: 29ers
Roadies vs. Cars... Who's the real victim...
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flag JamesOliver
O+
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 7:30 Quote
Well its illegal to ride on the pavement so the road is the only option.
flag jimmygster
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 7:53 Quote
JamesOliver wrote:
Well its illegal to ride on the pavement so the road is the only option.

FYI - Here in Canada the pavement is the road, not the sidewalk.
flag jimmygster
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 8:34 Quote
lilwalters wrote:
I just thought I'd open this up for discussion... I'm all for sharing the road with cyclists by the way. I used to feel badly for cyclists because they are frequently hassled by cars, but at the same time, has anyone else found that cyclists very rarely follow the rules of the road?

The other day, on my way home from work, I almost ran over a cyclist cause he chose to run a stop sign. I can understand he didn't want to unclip, but this is total b.s.

Who's the real victim here? Roadies demand respect on the road yet they don't want to obey the rules... Your thoughts?

Since you asked.

Sorry my friend, but as a full-time commuter this kind of attitude and perception is just plain wrong (or, to use your words, total b.s.), though it's often stated and taken as fact. It's an exaggeration in the extreme.

There are millions of cyclists on the roads every day in North America. If they "very rarely" followed the rules of the road, and routinely did things like blow stop signs as per your example, it would be total chaos and we'd have hundreds of fatalities each day, if not thousands. It's just that we don't tend to notice the majority who do it right.

There are undoubtedly lots of cyclists who do not obey the rules of the road. Sometimes, depending on where you are, strictly obeying the rules is dangerous, and there are occasions when most cyclists will use an "Idaho roll", not so much to avoid unclipping, as to preserve kinetic energy. It's not the same thing as "blowing a stop sign" - it's more along the lines of treating a stop sign more like a yield sign, as they can in Idaho (hence the name), and are considering in many other cities. It's perfectly safe, and a reasonable thing to do, if done the right way.

If you stop to think about it for a bit, you'll realize what you are suggesting amounts to most cyclists willingly risking their lives, for no real good reason. I assure you, that's the opposite of what we want to do.

The main "rule", though I don't see it written anywhere, is to do what's safe. I feel the same sense of frustration with irresponsible cyclists as you. I have to deal with them too, even on the bike paths. Pretending they don't exist is dishonest, but saying most cyclists ride irresponsibly is even more off the mark.

Most of us know the many advantages of having more people choose to commute by bike rather than by car - advantages even for drivers (less congestion). And there are more cyclists out there each day, which is a very good thing for all of us. We need to keep in mind many of the newer cyclists haven't developed the skills or sensibilities of the road yet, and we need to cut them some slack. You suggest you are the "victim". Give me a break. A minor inconvenience at most. An irresponsible cyclist is more likely to get themselves killed, where an irresponsible driver is more likely to kill someone else if that someone else is a cyclist.
flag sie7e
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 8:40 Quote
i have to make a 25 minutes every day to go to college, the route i take is also chose by many many roadies who also chose to ocupate the whole lane eventhoug the have like an extra side road for them, its not only that but they start to rid in sig sag when it really gets steep, so if anyone is trying to pass a car ist difficult and dagerous cuz they dont care about cars and decide to go right in the middle, i've had to brake suddedly a few times cuz them dont feel like moving to the side of the road and let the cars pass by.
flag jimmygster
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 8:46 Quote
sie7e wrote:
i have to make a 25 minutes every day to go to college, the route i take is also chose by many many roadies who also chose to ocupate the whole lane eventhoug the have like an extra side road for them, its not only that but they start to rid in sig sag when it really gets steep, so if anyone is trying to pass a car ist difficult and dagerous cuz they dont care about cars and decide to go right in the middle, i've had to brake suddedly a few times cuz them dont feel like moving to the side of the road and let the cars pass by.

Again, if you give it some thought, what you are suggesting is that cyclists intentionally risk their lives. Do you really think we don't care about a one ton vehicle we can't see coming up behind us?
flag sie7e
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 8:49 Quote
jimmygster wrote:
sie7e wrote:
i have to make a 25 minutes every day to go to college, the route i take is also chose by many many roadies who also chose to ocupate the whole lane eventhoug the have like an extra side road for them, its not only that but they start to rid in sig sag when it really gets steep, so if anyone is trying to pass a car ist difficult and dagerous cuz they dont care about cars and decide to go right in the middle, i've had to brake suddedly a few times cuz them dont feel like moving to the side of the road and let the cars pass by.

Again, if you give it some thought, what you are suggesting is that cyclists intentionally risk their lives. Do you really think we don't care about a one ton vehicle we can't see coming up behind us?
right, thats why you should keep the right and respect vehicles since (in this case specifically) its a highway, designed for cars.. so dont come with the whole ''cities have been desgined around people not cars'' argument. i'm a rider too and i admit i disrespect cars way more than roadis do, but its because i ride agressivesly in the city, not just choose to use the whole lane for me
flag robloveshiskona
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 8:49 Quote
jimmygster wrote:
sie7e wrote:
i have to make a 25 minutes every day to go to college, the route i take is also chose by many many roadies who also chose to ocupate the whole lane eventhoug the have like an extra side road for them, its not only that but they start to rid in sig sag when it really gets steep, so if anyone is trying to pass a car ist difficult and dagerous cuz they dont care about cars and decide to go right in the middle, i've had to brake suddedly a few times cuz them dont feel like moving to the side of the road and let the cars pass by.

Again, if you give it some thought, what you are suggesting is that cyclists intentionally risk their lives. Do you really think we don't care about a one ton vehicle we can't see coming up behind us?
well it does seem that way lol really, you should be aware of your surroundings, especialy if you cant tell there's a car be hind you Confused
flag asuna
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 9:12 Quote
I am fearful everyday I go out. I have almost been hit 2-3 times this year. Am I going to stop? NO! Am I going to be scared and respect the cars on he road every time I go out? YES!

I treat the road like I am a guest on it. Its not intended for bikes so I cant expect the main reason it was intended for to be happy with me on it. With that said use your own discretion and hold a line as close to the side as you can.

Don't give the sport a bad name. Be passionate about it and try and get people enthused about it.

I would give anything for a bike lane here in town. all we have is the side of the road that is beaten from the winter. . . . . .

I'm still grateful everyday.
flag burt-reynolds
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 9:18 Quote
asuna wrote:
I am fearful everyday I go out. I have almost been hit 2-3 times this year. Am I going to stop? NO! Am I going to be scared and respect the cars on he road every time I go out? YES!

I treat the road like I am a guest on it. Its not intended for bikes so I cant expect the main reason it was intended for to be happy with me on it. With that said use your own discretion and hold a line as close to the side as you can.

Don't give the sport a bad name. Be passionate about it and try and get people enthused about it.

I would give anything for a bike lane here in town. all we have is the side of the road that is beaten from the winter. . . . . .

I'm still grateful everyday.

This is the smartest way you can think as a road rider and a bike rider in general. I applaud you, if more riders were this smart and considerate, we would have alot more respect from drivers and alot less accidents.
flag robloveshiskona
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 9:20 Quote
dualsuspensiondave wrote:
asuna wrote:
I am fearful everyday I go out. I have almost been hit 2-3 times this year. Am I going to stop? NO! Am I going to be scared and respect the cars on he road every time I go out? YES!

I treat the road like I am a guest on it. Its not intended for bikes so I cant expect the main reason it was intended for to be happy with me on it. With that said use your own discretion and hold a line as close to the side as you can.

Don't give the sport a bad name. Be passionate about it and try and get people enthused about it.

I would give anything for a bike lane here in town. all we have is the side of the road that is beaten from the winter. . . . . .

I'm still grateful everyday.

This is the smartest way you can think as a road rider and a bike rider in general. I applaud you, if more riders were this smart and considerate, we would have alot more respect from drivers and alot less accidents.
+1 Smile Salute
flag harriieee
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 9:24 Quote
Disagree completely. If you give them an inch, they'll take more than an inch. It's been shown in studies that cars pass you more dangerously if you're closer in to the side of the road. You protect yourself by cycling a foot further out, paradoxically.

Drivers will never respect bike riders, they'll always be an annoyance.

Bike lanes, folks. Not grovelling and edge-hugging.
flag robloveshiskona
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 9:44 Quote
harriieee wrote:
Disagree completely. If you give them an inch, they'll take more than an inch. It's been shown in studies that cars pass you more dangerously if you're closer in to the side of the road. You protect yourself by cycling a foot further out, paradoxically.

Drivers will never respect bike riders, they'll always be an annoyance.

Bike lanes, folks. Not grovelling and edge-hugging.
you have bike lanes? & until they are every where, so I don't think this issue will ever be completely resolved Blank Stare
flag orangefreak5
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 9:47 Quote
Riding 2 wide is legal...am I correct? And its definitely safer, you more visible and people will give you more room passing (the studies are out there). Whenever I ride the street I always do what makes me safe. Sometime its the "right" thing to do like slow down and check round corners and sometime its the "wrong" thing to do like roll a stop sign. Alot of people around here don't know how to react around bikes so its best to just make and executive decision that is safe for you legal or not cause if you wait around for the car to make the wrong decision you will always lose.
flag jimmygster
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 10:26 Quote
orangefreak5 wrote:
Riding 2 wide is legal...am I correct? And its definitely safer, you more visible and people will give you more room passing (the studies are out there). Whenever I ride the street I always do what makes me safe. Sometime its the "right" thing to do like slow down and check round corners and sometime its the "wrong" thing to do like roll a stop sign. Alot of people around here don't know how to react around bikes so its best to just make and executive decision that is safe for you legal or not cause if you wait around for the car to make the wrong decision you will always lose.

It's legal in some places and not in others. You obviously know what you're talking about, unlike some others posting in this thread.

I suggest cyclists are far more aware of their surroundings than drivers, just due to the nature of the activity (not being surrounded by windows, no radio, etc).

The problem cyclists like me have with some drivers is borne out by the comments of some above - as in "roads are meant for cars". The law says otherwise. That's an opinion, and it's B.S. It speaks to a fundamental misconception and feeling of entitlement, and possibly bitterness at having to share anything, similar to what a 5-year-old might exhibit. You can argue about it all day long, but you are wrong. It's not us cyclists who aren't being reasonable. That these kinds of comments are made by other cyclists makes me shake my head in disbelief.

Until these drivers realize bikes have an equal right to the road - EQUAL - then we are going to have problems. If there's a law that says bikes aren't allowed on a certain road, fine with me, I'll stay off it. But when the laws clearly state bicycles are vehicles and have a right to be there, as in most cases, then spare me the righteous indignation. I stay as far right as is PRACTICABLE, as is the law in most locales.

I ride my bike full time, and haven't owned a car in nearly 30 years on the road. I have very few problems. The drivers I encounter are overwhelmingly great, and usually courteous. Unfortunately, as with cyclists, there are a few drivers who give the rest a bad name. I don't resent having to share the road with drivers of cars, despite the fact there is, more often than not, only one person in the car, and it's the car that's taking up the most room as they haul around a bunch of empty seats with them.
flag seniorpeun
Posted: Aug 1, 2009 at 10:36 Quote
man if there in your way f*cking run em over if there not following rules f*ck em

 


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