I Am a Cyclist | An Open Letter to Car Drivers Everywhere
95I am a cyclist. I get on my bike and go for a pedal as time allows. I do it because it is what I do for exercise and recreation. I like the freedom. I like the rythym. I love everything about it, except one thing: People driving cars.
I am under constant siege by people in cars. When I go for a bike ride I am typically alone. I try to go out when the traffic is at a minimum. I stay as far to the right on the road as I can without inflicting another kind of danger to my health. I am simply a man on his bike. Unfortunately I am not safe.
So what is it about a guy, or gal, on their bike that causes so much aggravation to people who drive cars? Is it jealousy? 75% of Americans are overweight. I'm not. The people I know who ride bikes are certainly not. Odds say that 75% of the people aggravating me on my bike are overweight.
Is it because we look different? I wear a helmet. I don't have a couple of thousand pounds of a metal shell protecting me. I wear tight shorts with padding in the seat. Why? Because it make the activity more comfortable and it's hard enough to fight through the wind without baggy shorts flapping around. I wear gloves. Ever taken a fall at 20 miles an hour? The first thing that happens is you put your hand out to cushion the impact. Know how long it takes for road rash to heal on the palm of your hand? A long time. And it hurts. I wear sunglasses just like you. You wear them to keep the sun out of your eyes and to look cool. I wear them to keep the sun out of my eyes, to look cool and to keep debris out of my eyes. I wear a shirt with pockets in the back. It's my glove compartment.
People tell me they are mad at cyclists because they get in their way when they are driving. I'm sorry that I am going 18 mph in a 30 mph zone that you want to go 45 mph in. It's tragic. Wait for a safe place to pass. But why would you give me the one finger salute as you go by? Why do you need to throw your half empty water bottle at me? Why do you need to fling your cigarette butt at me when you pass? I don't think you'd do the same to someone in their car. Why the disrespect?
And why are you so impatient that you can't even pass me when it's safe? Do you have to be in such a hurry as we both crest a hill that you endanger yourself, a driver in the other lane and me as you pass to the left on a little country road, as we go over that hill? Why so impatient?
Why do you feel like you have to speed by me at 55 mph when neither of us have a shoulder to travel on? Even worse, why do you have to play chicken with me to see how close you can get to me? I think 2-feet at 55 mph is a little close dontcha think? If you slow down and give me a little room then you can simply speed back up when you get around me safely. Is it that hard to press back down on the accelearator? Why is 5-10 seconds so precious out of your life that you are willing to sacrifice mine for it?
Why the hatred? I am riding a bicycle. I don't pollute. I don't use any gasoline in my travels. When you pass me by in your dual-king cab V-8 pickup truck towing a boat, you should be thanking me that I'm not using any gasoline in my recreational activity that you are, and will be, using. You would rather throw your fast food wrapper at me instead and tell me to get off the road. The very road that my tax dollars helped pay for too.
And by the by kind driver. It is absolutely and completely legal for me to ride my bicycle on the roads. It is absolutely not legal (in most communities anyway), to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. So stop telling me to get on it! It's a sideWALK. Not a sideCYCLE. If we get on the sidewalk we get yelled at by the walkers. We get on the road and get harrassed by drivers. I like to go fast anyway so I'll stick to the roads.
Tell your governments to build shoulders, at least, on the roads they build. Governments do not want to spend the money on bike lanes because they say no one will use them. Yet, when you ask people why they don't ride their bikes they say there aren't any place safe to do so. Catch-22 if I've ever heard one.
So I brought up legal stuff. Yes, I know you have all seen the cyclist that blew through the red light. Or didn't stop at the stop sign. Or was riding four abreast with his crew keeping you from being able to pass comfortably. These cyclists are jerks. No doubt about it. And since you never speed or do a rolling stop through a stop sign, I'm sure you are justified in getting huffy with these two-wheeled miscreants, right?
I see a lot of things when I ride my bike. You might be amazed at the number of fresh beer cartons I see on the side of the road during my early morning Saturday bike ride. Lots of people in cars are pigs in other ways. Cigarette butts adorn our roadways like you wouldn't believe. Litter is still a problem. I think if more people got out of their car they wouldn't be so quick to chuck stuff out of their windows.
One Saturday morning I saw a turtle trying to cross this little country road I was riding. This road is lightly travelled early Saturday morning. I passed the turtle on by. He was in my lane and I zipped past him. No fuss. No muss. About a half a mile up the road I passed a truck going in the opposite direction. I get to my turnaround point a few minutes later and head back. I pass the turtle about three feet from the edge of the road in the same lane as it was in when I passed it. He wasn't looking too good since he now had the appearance of a pancake. Seems our friendly truck driver couldn't resist running it over. I will never leave another turtle, or snake for that matter, in the middle of the road as I pass by ever again. People in vehicles are simply cruel.
When I'm riding my bike I feel smug. This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to follow behind a hawk soaring 50 feet above me for like a quarter of a mile. It was beautiful. I'm glad people in cars never get that experience.
When I ride my bicycle I have to ride perfectly. Particularly on the Tennessee roads I ride on. There are no shoulders. The roads are built for 1930-40's farm traffic, not suburban dwellers driving around in their Suburban gasoline chuggers. If I make a mistake it puts me in the path of a vehicle behind me that isn't giving me much room to work with anyway. Car drivers aren't worried about being perfect. Why, they have too much stuff going on: Unwrapping a Big-Mac, getting the DVD spun up for the twin spawn in the back seat, texting their boyfriend the location of the par-tay, lighting up that cigarette or fumbling about with the iPod, all at a comfy speed of 50 MPH in a 35 MPH speed zone.
The problem is, if I'm not perfect I pay for it with my life. If you aren't perfect, I pay for it with my life. It doesn't matter if you are right or I am wrong, or I am right and you are wrong, when it comes to sharing the road, the cyclist always, always, always loses. Always.
The next time you drive by me and decide it would be a great time to throw your soda can out the window in my path, consider if you would like for me to throw the same can at you when you are walking into the Feed and Choke for your 5 o'clock feeding. I doubt you would be very amused. I am certainly not amused at your antics that you perform from your car when I am riding my bicycle. A little respect would be really cool.
And for those of you who drive by at a reasonable speed and distance, who give a little wave and maybe a little knowing smile: It does not go unappreciated or unnoticed. Thank you. Believe me, we see and notice everything.
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Comments
LOL Didn’t read. Too long + units of measurement is imperial which = lame.
I have cycled for about 25 years now and I have never been harassed by an over weight person. I do not think that people hassle cyclist for any other reason than the fact that they feel immune to any response from the cyclist, hit the gas and go, and that they have so little power in their personal lives that they feel a need to get it where ever they can.
What I have seen is that people in their late teens and early twenties are the most common agitators. When I was in my teens I got harassed by people in their early twenties, when I was in my early twenties I got harassed by people in their late teens and early twenties (I think I got harassed by teen when I was in my twenties because I was now “one of them”), and in my thirties and early forties I still see those people in their early twenties being the unprovoked aggressors.
This does not mean that “inattentive drivers” and “clueless fools” don’t come in all ages but it has just been my experience that those who throw objects at you as they drive by, those who act as if you have no right to be on the road, and those who behave as if because you are on a bike then you “are not a member of the club of car drivers” are most often between the age of 17 and 26.
what horse poo.
Great hub, I would have to agree with most of what has been said, although I agree with Williams comments aswell that it is usually youths that are impatient and feel that they have to take risks in order to save 10 or 20 seconds.
well said, the proof is in these replies
I agree that most of the harassment comes from the barely old enough to drive set. Though I get a lot of grief from blue-collar and professional middle aged men. Older gentlemen are relaxed enough in their life that they just don't care and always seem easy going about cyclists being on the road. And most women aren't aggressive about me cycling.
This hubpage was born from a frustration of many aggravating events over a lifetime of riding and one particularly bad weekend just past. I didn't mean to imply all car drivers are bad. Most just aren't paying attention. And there are many that do things that make you want to chase them down and says thanks and shake their hand. As in many things in life the few bad ones make things worse for all.
I realize that there are folks who don't really get my whine here. I understand that it would be "horse poo". Though you haven't really lived until you've been on your bike and had a half eaten burger chucked out the window at you. Try standing beside the highway and let cars pass by at 45-55 MPH around 2 feet from you. It might put a new perspective on things.
Maybe one person out there that read this hubpage thought, wow I had no idea. Maybe they'll give a cyclist just a little extra room or something. That would be cool.
It's easy to be in a car and not really think about the other people driving. It's just another car. You de-humanize. People in cars, I think, do the same thing about cyclists or folks on motorcycles. I dunno. A cyclist will never win when it's car versus bicycle. Doesn't matter who was right or wrong.
It's a shame that the Bicycle still hasn't taken hold in the US as it has in other places. It's almost as if the bike offends the car-driving sensibilities of some people as being "un-American". I ride a lot and generally stay off roads for the reasons above, which limits my rides.
Riding down a new four lane divided road with bike lanes, I had a car coming from the opposite direction make a left turn in front of me as if I weren't there. Did he/she not see me? That's a possibility.
In any case, I had done a just-in-case and slowed down. Good thing! I ended up in the grass between the bike lane and the sidewalf with my mike wrapped around me. It hurt, but, as they say, that's better than the alternative.
The moral is to always be prepared for some idiot who isn't prepared...
Yea the classic move is the speed up to get around me and then make a right hand turn. Now, why in the world couldn't they just wait an extra five, maybe ten seconds?
Actually, the road rage comes from the cyclists who bike in the middle of the road and refuse to get over so we can pass on the side. Yes, you're entitled to the road, but I'm sorry if I want to go 40 in a 40 and you won't let me get around you. I also see an INORDINATE number of bikers refuse to use the shared bike / walk paths as they prefer the road, leaving me to crawl behind them as I try and get home from work before 7:00.
Odds are the drivers are asses because of the cyclists that think they own the road
i agree except for the overweight people its usually every driver on the road.
I couldn't have said this any more clearly!!!!
may I use your 'essay' as a post to me local newspaper? of course you get the credit!!
I've been riding 'officially' for 23 yrs as a roadie. I go NOWHERE without my helmet, rearview mirror and bright gaudy clothing!
I wish you many more years of riding (I'm 52, knock on wood, and have been VERY lucky)
Like I said watcher those cyclists are jerks. However, if the cycling/walk path is not in the road per se then it's useless for cyclists. Many of those are recreational paths. Walkers/joggers and cyclists don't mix well either.
Additionally I refuse to believe that you have to crawl all the way home after work. Somewhere along your travels there is a place to pass. The accelerator is an amazing thing. Just push it down a little more once you pass to make up for your lost time.
You know people in cars think that they have to SPEED by a cyclist when passing. Hell, I don't care if you pass one foot away from me. Just slow the eff down. You can pass easily, with cars in the opposite lane even, if you simply slow down and ease by me.
Granted the cyclist that is not holding his line to the right is just stupid and arrogant. I promise I despise his actions just as much as being harrassed by motorists when I'm doing what I'm supposed to. Drivers see me as the enemy because of the actions of some other jerkoff.
And we all own the road. It would just be nice if we could share it.
Hey Dale. I'd be happy for you to use it. I'd like a little credit I guess, but I'd be honored if you wanted to send it in.
f*ck off man, I hate cyclists like you, use the damn sidewalk!!!!
Come to So. Cal. -- 1000's of miles of bike lanes and the law protects bikes as vehicles (even a freeway section) with an additional right to the sidewalks. Most So Cal drivers are accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists (mainly they don't want to scratch the Lexus and so give a wide berth) and you'll find plenty of kindred spirits on your rides.
Ms. Mobrely said to tell you the word is 'miscreant'--a vicious or depraved person: a villain. Malcreant is an invention from the Latin 'mal-' as in “Those maladjusted Easterners haven't achieved full evolution yet.” A+ for your passion though.
Happy trails.
I ride when I can (mostly carpool issues trying to get kids to school that prevents me from doing it more often), but have been nearly sideswiped several times. AND, I am in the designated bike lane which is adjacent to the roadway. Great Hub - its dangerous for cyclists!
Amen to that!!
My husband and I are always getting in arguements over this subject. We are not cyclists. We mountain bike from time to time. I love to ride my bike I use to ride it everywhere. Since I've had kids i don't do it as often because it's just to dangerous. And loading all the bikes to go to the park is a lot of work. I would love to just get the kids and all ride to the park. A few years ago i tried that and we almost got killed. I was on my bike and i had the kids in the carriage. This truck was coming so fast and i couldn't get off the road or I would go into a ditch. I just closed my eyes and prayed he wouldn't hit me. Anyway getting back to my point. My husband hates cyclist. We can't drive past them without him saying all kinds of stuff (not to them but to me about them). I think the fact that I admire cyclists bothers him too. We passed one the other day & he started again. I got pissed and said, "the only reason you don't like them is cause you could never ride like that and your to overweight to pull off those shorts" He didn't like that comment but i was sick of his comments. I know he had a bad experience with them once many years ago. It was bad my husband almost got out of the car and he might have if i hadn't been there to stop him. His anger was justified i was mad too. There were four of them riding side by side like you said and they took up the whole lane so you couldn't even pass. My son had cancer at the time and we were on our way to get a transfusion that day. We were behind them for like 10 min going 5 miles an hour hoping that they would get in a row so we could pass, but they didn't almost as if they were doing it on purpose. Finally my husband tried to pass them. We had to we were going to be late. A drive that usually only takes us 10 min had already taken 20min and we weren't even there yet. We almost crashed trying to get around them. They opened up and sped up. My husband was really close to one and he kicked our car door. I thought it was rude of the cyclists maybe they were trying to get back at car drivers for other stuff but come on. I am all for cyclist sharing the road but not next to each other unless there are no cars but when you see a car get in front of each other. I think those cyclists give you guys a bad name. Anyway my husband needs to get over it. I'm sorry for all the car drivers that bother you. I never knew it was that bad.
"...if I'm not perfect I pay for it with my life. If you aren't perfect, I pay for it with my life."
That is, perhaps, the most important thing to be said in every discussion about cars vs. bikes, and it's not said nearly often enough. I've said it myself, that every argument about who is at fault, and whose irresponsible antics are more to blame, is silly, simply for the aforementioned reason.
Why the hate sean? You don't even know me. Let's hug it out.
Hey Cora. My daughter keeps begging me to move us west. She's never been to Cali, much less SoCal. She just thinks it's great because of Disney Channel or something. :) I KNOW I'd love it though.
Tell Ms. Mobrely thanks for the word correction. It does make more sense.
Mary, honestly I hate when cyclists do that. Why everybody can't show some consideration is beyond me. I passed three tools riding the middle of the lane like that once years ago. I had my bike on the back of my car or I wouldn't have done this: I pulled up beside them and rolled down the passenger window and simply yelled out, "hey guys, c'mon." Not threatening. More pleading than anything really. They knew what I meant. I still got the finger from THEM. I simply said "thanks man, that's awesome, " and drove on. So I totally get the frustration. They are simply protecting their space with a rolling block, wihch is wrong and illegal. It's one reason I hardly ever ride with a group. It's also one reason why I give a little wave to whomever passes me as a sign of goodwill and thanks for noticing me.
If I wasn't stuck in the middle of Middle TN, I would be riding my mtn bike anyway. It's one thing I miss greatly about living an hour from the N. GA mtns.
Good post.
I think it's great that people ride their bike for exercise and transportation. I'm also an avid bike rider, but I stay off the road! In my city (Edmonton, Canada) there are several bicycle deaths each year. The cyclists are outraged every time something like this occurs. Yes it is tragic, however, I'm not surprised as in my opinion roads are built for cars not bikes.
Why bother fight and say that you should share the road, it's not going to work and nor will it ever. Bicyclists should stick to sidewalks or secondary roads. Sure you're not technically allowed to ride on a sidewalk, but I highly doubt that an officer will issue you a ticket, as most likely he is just as annoyed of bike riders on the road. Its completely silly for a bike rider to take up a lane on a busy street/road and argue that they have as much right as a vehicle.
I can't let Aidan's comments go. I think i'd die if I didn't speak up.
check your history books.. one of the earliest reasons we have asphalted roads AT ALL is due to bicyclists.
and as for riding sidewalks, forget it....they're more uneven with cracks and treeroots than even the poorly maintained roads... and let's not forget we have a RIGHT by LAW to be on the road. (Following the rules of course) you don't make any complaints about tractors and other non-consumer vehicles or motorcycles for being 'in your way' how about school buses stopping and starting? you may make you think you have ownership of the road due to the sheer size or speed of your monstrous gas guzzler but, it's for everyone out there....(as long as everyone follows the same set of rules and RESPECT EACH OTHER)
it's amazing what a hotbed of opinion we have going here! and all for 4 feet of road space!
The best is when some punk throws something at you from their car, then when they stop at the next light you kick their door in. It works great every time, they have a car that they can't just leave in the intersection. You have a bicycle with no license plate and your bike will go much faster than they can run.
I wouldn't really condone that as I'll be the one they retaliate against next time. Those type of drivers don't seem able to differentiate between different cyclists. The trouble is these cowards never stop. They always throw and run. I've gone so far as stop when hit by debris, and wave them back. They always give the {terrifying} brake light pretend but they never have the guts to actually come back and discuss things. I find that amusing.
Inconsiderate bastards throw bottles at me when I'm on the path!
i'm a bus driver and i HATE cyclists and their stupid shorts. Sometimes the other bus drivers and I laugh about them down at the Hub. If cyclists don't want hassle from car drivers they should cover their buns. No one wants to see that , especially when its older beardy skinny guys.
Ushia. Seriously. Hate? We can hug it out too if you want.
If laughing at us makes you feel better about yourself that's OK.
Had to add my approval to the mix - could've written this myself! I have a neck-turning compulsion...pedal, pedal, check behind in peripheral vision, repeat. I've had several narrow misses, thanks to quick reflexes.
It's that whole "anonymity in the car" thing - you don't have to pay attention or care while you're driving?!?
Thanks for the great article.
dianamite....ya know they make rearview mirrors to fit on helmets...you should be wearing BOTH this business i hear of cyclist STILL turning their heads to look behind them is ludicrous! the use of a rear view mirror allows you to keep you eyes on the hard AHEAD of you, prevents your veering off into the lane and provides you more peace of mind. get one, PLEASE!
ushia....is it the cyclist or the tush that has you bothered? i don't understand
but you keep right on laughing, if it keeps the tension low and AWAY from the cyclist being injured.
Hi Dale,
Thanks for the tip - I do appreciate it. However, I'm not a big fan of the mirrors.
I see cyclists wearing rearview mirrors all the time. In many, many hours on the road, never once have I actually seen a rider use his mirror. (--I.e., I'm approaching behind and he clearly has no clue! I inevitably end up yelling "passing on your left - thanks!") I've tested mirrors, and I honestly find them not so effective. A) There's a limited field of view; you have "blind spots," and that's exactly where a car might approach if it's not quite in the lane. B) When the mirror is there, you become a little more complacent.
I still find it most effective (at least for me) to use my awareness and peripheral vision constantly.
Bike riding is part of my life; first bike was when I was 7 years old and now at 81 am still riding 3 or 4 time a week to post office, library, market, etc. I try to keep a really low profile as I know that many automobile drivers only look at bicyclists at impedaments.
However, I think that there are only, say, 20% of auto drivers that bicyclists need to watch-out for. That's about the same as in any activity. And don't expect any difference attitude in those 20% because that 20% is a pretty fixed proportion of asses in any society.
LOL. Great article and I totally agree with you!! I hate driving and prefer to ride my bicycle but I am terrified to do so in my town! I lived in Japan for a year and it was great! So accommodating for cyclists! There is even huge lots for bike parking all over the place! You would love it there I think!
Yeah!!! you tell them!!
The problem is Cyclists hate drivers, drivers hate cyclists, bus drivers hate cars, cars hate motorbikes, motor bikes....... ......
splork , very very starighforward information.
The freedoma and control when we ride cycle is simply fabulous.
Very useful hub . thanks for it.
I've done lots of biking too and have been spat on and had a motorist make a hard right while I was to his right. I ended up holding on to his right door so that I could match his trajectory without getting knocked down. I've also had a fight with a motorist whose rage made him leave the safety of his car. His car didn't help him much in the fight. In all of these instances I was simply riding my bike as close to the right as possible.Humans are wired to find any excuse no matter how small to get all pissy about it. If I'm in a car and I see someone on a bike then he's one of THEM, not one of US, so he's an asshole. If I'm on bike and I see someone in a car then he's one of THEM, not one of US, so he's an asshole. If I'm wearing a red shirt, then any one else not wearing red is an asshole. If I'm wearing a blue shirt, then anyone not wearing blue is an...By the way, I think a motorist should hit the gas when passing a bicyclist because it's safer to do so. It's best to minimize the time used to pass when both car and bicycle are abreast on the road. I hate it when a car takes forever to pass me.
Great hub! Compu-smart said it all :/
Those are the main reasons why I still prefer mtbiking, even though we can always get some crazy atv rider run against us. I guess they hate us also LOL.
Thanks funride. That photo here was taken as I was taking a break from a mtn biking trip at Bear Creek. I'd prefer to mtn bike too but it takes more time and money than simply rolling out the garage for a road ride. It would be great if I lived with the mtns and trails in my back yard.
I think it's anger. People are angry at other people getting in their way because they don't leave enough time so just encountering someone who might make us slow down makes us mad. I also ride a bike and drive. When I drive, I'm prone to get annoyed at bicyclists although I'm never rude, but I think it's because they make me slow down and they make me anxious about having to pass and maybe it just throws me out of my routine? Totally ridiculous, but there it is..
Yesterday morning we had some horror road rage by a guy who was two screws loose of a cannon.
Their were 50 bike riders on a busy road. (I think they could have picked a better time) Anyway this guy hit the back riders then took on the ones on the right side then got in front and slamed his brakes on right in front of what was left of the ffity.
One of these was an Olympic hopefull for a medal. His bike smashed and himself badly hurt.
Another was one of the young ladies that was badly hurt in Germany two years ago and where one of her friends was killed.
This guy's number plate was taken and the police have already picked him up. probably 100 hundred witnesses
It does make you think why car drivers have to take on bike riders.
I live in Washington, where it rains half the year, but the other half is perfect riding weather, when I get out and ride, I am also amazed at how much hatred some drivers have against bikers, its a bunch of BS, we have shoulders, I stay in them, yet cars still feel a need to drive half in the shoulder all the time while on the phone (witch it now illegal in washington, but isnt stopping many) and I often have people yell at me out their windows, why don't people try biking themselves, maybe then, our population wouldnt be a bunch of overweight slobs
I found a link to that wreck you referred to in the Sydney Herald. Unbelievable. They should take away that asshat's privilege to drive. What's next in his road rage? Bumping off an older driver?
I remember that incident in Germany. That was freakin' sad.
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True That! I have been an avid road cyclist for several years and I actually think that I drive my car as if I'm on my bike, always looking over my shoulder, defensively acting fast if something close ahead threatens my two wheels and upright position. I have to admit however that when I am in my car (small little non gas-guzzlilng Saturn coupe that is well-maintained) and in a hurry, I get frustrated with cyclists who are not keeping their line or who think that they own the road. We SHARE the road. And, if we as cyclists want more respect, we have to really watch ourselves. I have done some long pack rides with my cycling team and during these rides it is not uncommon for one of my teammates to flick off or yell at a driver that did not do something right (i.e. didn't give our huge pack of riders the right-of-way). This behavior shows no respect for others on the road. If we as riders want respect, we cannot act like that. The respect has to be mutual. I regularly hear from my non-rider friends that they got yelled at or flicked off by a cyclist and this frustrates me to no end. We as cyclists cannot just get respect. We have to earn it just like we do in every other aspect of our lives. You have to assume that the big overweight dude behind the wheel of his gas-guzzler just doesn't know any better. If you smile and show respect for him, he might feel more of a sense of community with the cyclists on the road and will hopefully pay more attention by yielding to cyclists on the road in the future. The "finger" and the yelling perpetuates stunting of the evolutionary process.
WEll I live in France now and it is funny the differences between cycling in the US and here in France. In France there are way more bike lanes and you see w WIDE variety of people cycling. Cars don't bother me so much. The biggest problem is that I think pedestrians don't think they have to look when they cross the street. I have had more pedestrians yell at me, even when they were completely at fault. It's fun in France because my French has imporved enough to be able to shout insults back. There are also bicycle rental programs run by the bigger cities in France so drivers are more used to sharing the road.
Yea when a car passes me, I try to make it a point to give a little wave. Road cyclists can definitely be snobs and they do not help the collective by riding their bikes in a way that says they own the road. And yes I've seen these jerks and ridden behind them and I want to ring their necks. It seems though everybody is defensive and in a hurry. It sucks for all.
Have you all seen the new Bicycling magazine this month? The one where it lists the top cities in the US for bike riding. Seems some communities are working hard at making it better. Of course the change occurred because the mayor was a cyclist or does triathlons or something. They mentioned Paris with the bike rental/sharing program and indicated that DC was trying to copy it. They also showed Copenhagen, if I remember right, and how everyone gets around on bikes. Cool stuff.
I ride. I also carry a concealed .45 auto. Be careful who you mess with.
Wow. I'm no cyclist (i go for one every other week or so, but im not avid) but i se absolutely no reason why someone would want to hate one another. YES i know aboutinconsiderate cyclists who steal the road, but i suppose i have to side with the cyclists!
I'll wave at ya'll whenever i pass if it means that much! thanks for leting me know!
Kudos on this post from a power wheelchair user who has experienced much of the same things this cyclist describes during her travels out too. It's sucked! Who was it that made it OK for everyone to be able to afford (notice I didn't say drive) a car? Oh yes. Henry Ford. Thank you to him for that, not so much.
First I will say that I am not a rider but I do enjoy it when I can. My husband, however, is a truck driver so I can definitely identify with what you are saying about a few giving them all a bad name! The thing that people fail to see is that you have your idiots in every catagory!
I have always tried to respect others on the road, be it walkers, cyclists, horse riders, buggie riders or anyone else. The right to be on the road is a priviledge, not a right.
I can also see another side as well. Being on the road with hubby for 6 years and traveling through many mountainous areas, I also know that the big trucks are a bit different from the normal automobile. These trucks are sometimes 80,000 lbs. and it takes a lot to pull some of these mountains. If they slow down going uphill, it is very hard to pull their weight up. However, I certainly agree that if they can't slow down, they should at least move over as far as they possible can to avoid crowding anyone on the side of the road.
My husband and I have witnessed an accident in which the driver was thrown from the car onto the interstate. It was night time and people were seeing all the lights ahead of them on both sides of the interstate that had stopped and were waving a flashing for them to slow down. MOST of them didn't (big trucks included) and this young boy was literally splattered all over the road. These people flew through this accident at interstate speeds (some even faster), hit something in the road where they knew an accident had occurred and just kept going. Never tapped a brake! I couldn't believe what I was seeing that night. That image still haunts me to this day and it has been 8 years now.
Since that day, I have a phobia of passing close to anyone on the side of the road walking or riding a bike. It would only take one tiny stumble for them to be in the road in front of the car. How people can do this and not think is just beyond me! If they had witnessed what I had that night, they would have a lot more respect for those not traveling in cars.
Personally, I love seeing cyclists on the road. I just smile and wave while I wonder to myself if they are a cross-country rider, riding for charity or just riding to enjoy what God has put before us to see in the natural world. Keep on cycling and keep putting the word out about this because you never know how many people this may help to just stop and think about their actions!
Bonnie
I just got a flat today while out riding. There is a city run repair shop you can go to if your city run rental program bike has any troubles. It was the closest bike repair place. I didn't know what they were going to say when I brought my personal bike in but they actually said that they were busy and couldn't fix it right away but they could leave me a patch kit and a pump if I wanted to fix it myself. I did and it cost me nothing. Gotta love it.
Amen brother! Another point worth making (if someone hasn't already) is that riding one's bicycle on the sidewalk is potentially injurious, and in rare cases, fatal for pedestrians. In my hometown a pedestrian was killed in just this manner, leading to a crack down on cyclists riding the sidewalks. The road is where the bicycle belongs, and motorists must realize that, and respect it.
It's funny, cyclists always look at it from the selfish standpoint of the drivers. Well guess what? We made the roads for cars, not for cyclists.
So who is being selfish when they drive on a road? The car driver, or the cyclist? We car drivers don't drive on the bike paths that we have spent our money on whether we ride a bike or not. Car drivers don't bring their cars onto the bike paths and drive one third the speed of your bicycle. Car drivers don't feel that we can impose on hundreds or thousands of bike riders to alter their paths, slow their speed and endanger themselves because we want to ride on a path that was designed for bikes.
So the next time you get angry or put off because you are treated rudely by a car driver on a road...remember, you are an uninvited guest on our road and in some cases, you are even trespassing. Ride your bike in your neighborhood cul de sac, or on a bike path and we'll all be safer.
Thank you for your mostly uninformed opinion 1lessthantomorrow. The fact is the road is the legal place for bikes (unless otherwise stated). Instead of argument baiting you should do your homework and check your local laws regarding the use of your streets and roads. Roads were made for transportation. A bicycle is a legal, and viable, form of transportation. I'm glad I was able to clear that up for you.
Right, we should all f.eel free to impose our own wants onto the masses. Let's not be a society. Let's all just do what we want to do, ride where we want to ride regardless of the disruption to others. I'm all for biking, I'm just not for putting our own 'rights' above everyone else's.
But thank you for your informed opinon, I'll see you when I'm driving my car down your bike path.
I don't understand your argument at all. I have a legal right, by law, to ride my bike on the road. You sir, or ma'am, have absolutely zero rights to drive your car on a bike path. I'm not suggesting cars leave the road. You are suggesting bikes leave the road. You have zero tolerance. Share the road.
Seems that a lot more people will be hitting the road on bikes. There is an article on the front page of Yahoo indicating that "$4-a-gallon gasoline knocking bicycle sales, repairs into a higher gear, dealers say".
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080511/work_bikes.html
"...Bicycle shops across the country are reporting strong sales so far this year, and more people are bringing in bikes that have been idled for years, he said...
'People are riding bicycles a lot more often, and it's due to a mixture of things but escalating gas prices is one of them,' said Bill Nesper, spokesman for the Washington. D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists.
'We're seeing a spike in the number of calls we're getting from people wanting tips on bicycle commuting,' he said....
...many families have told him that that they intend to go on a bicycle tour this summer instead of driving somewhere for vacation."
Most urban bike people tend to irritate the crap out of me by their actions at the cross walks and stop lights: that is they think stop lights are for powered vehicles only and they act like pedestrians at the cross walks! I think my fellings apply to a lot of motorists.
I used to drive a motor cycle and the only way to survive is to be aware of your situation and surroundings, drive defensively! The same advice applies double on a people powered bike because you don't have enough speed to get out of harm's way! Do NOT expect motorists to see you and please wear bright, reflective clothing.
Splork, I'm so sorry to hear of your terrible experiences while riding. You would be much happier here in Oregon. While we've had our battles, and unfortunately deaths, on the road, they are less common and there are miles and miles and miles of bike lanes, both suburban and rural. You'd love it.
Also, I had my own awesome experience while riding: I rode with a couple of yearlings, for about half a mile at a very slow speed, right in the middle of Eugene. Incredible.
One piece of advice if you're interested, and we've seen and resolved the very same ill-feelings you are dealing with now: The attitudes of drivers towards cyclists will not change until the attitudes of cyclists towards drivers does. And don't deny it - it's all through youy hub.
this is quite an inflammatory topic, it seems! I don't think there's so much trouble with this where I live. Lots of cars and bikes and people mostly share the road. It's still dangerous though with so many vehicles and there are accidents, no doubt.
Here's the thing. We, as cyclists have got to respect the rules of the road if we want to ride on the road. I am a pretty serious cyclist and I understand that during rush hour, on roads without a shoulder, I might not be very welcome. On the trail, there are runners and walkers (often with dogs on long leashes) who don't stay on the right side of the trail. They don't seem to want (or respect) cyclists who are out there too, wanting to get in a good workout on the trail. It is too dangerous for me, as a fast, avid road cyclist to try to ride on a trail. It is often these same people (walkers and runners who don't show respect to cyclists on the trail) who object to cyclists on the roads when they are driving.
I understand that there are trails and paths made for bikes. But, it is just too dangerous (for everyone involved) for a big pack of cyclists to ride at 35 mph on trails and bike paths where there are runners, walkers, and recreational bike riders.
I don't mean (or want) to sound like a self-centered cyclist. I just want to have a good place to get in a good ride/workout on my road bike and I want to respect the lives of others in the best way that I can in the process. I try to stay off of the roads during rush hour and setting aside the fact that cyclists are legally permitted to ride on the roads just the same as any car or truck driver is, the best thing for all of us to do is to give as much respect as possible to other people.
I will follow traffic signals. I will wear lights when it is dusk or dark. I will ride on the shoulder when I can (as long as it is free of glass and doesn't have too much gravel). But, if I am going around a sharp turn or if it is dark, I might ride in the middle of your lane. I am only doing this because it is the safest way for me to ride. I want you, the driver of that big cement truck, to see me when you go through that wide turn or mountain pass. I am not trying to disrespect you. I am just trying to get in a good, long, safe workout on my road bike.
Because I was able to get this workout in, I will be more energized when I get home. I will use that energy to give and to contribute more to society. I will have more energy to hold the door for the elderly woman at the grocery store. I will have less road rage when I am driving my own car. I will sleep better. I will have more energy to care for the people around me. I will be more equipped to care for the environment and mother Earth. I will be happier and I will spread the good karma that you gave to me, to everyone that I come into contact with. I might save more lives as well (I am a practicing physician) just because I was able to get out on my road bike, on that long open road where you (the driver of that large cement truck) respected me, despite the fact that your vehicle weighed several thousand more tons than my own.
Thank you for that and please be safe out there!
Well spoken, Melissdoc. Splork; that's an arguement that gets attention and insults no one.
I just have one more comment to make. Though I would much rather be on my bike seat than inside my car, I am often caught in work situations where I have no choice but to drive my car (i.e. point A is 10 miles from point B and I have to get from A to B in 20 minutes). I really do understand the rage toward cyclists that is felt by motorists. I have been there too and I understand. Being a driver makes me a better cyclist because it reminds me that there are people on the road who are under a time pressure to get somewhere. I just ask for the same respect from motorists when I am on my bike. There have been times when I have been sitting in lunchtime traffic in my car trying to drive, while calling my clinic on my cell phone to explain that I am running late, while at the same time listening to my pager go off. It is difficult to remain mindful of pedestrians and cyclists at these times. Sometimes I don't have the awareness that I should when I am behind the wheel of a car. This is a problem in our society; we are all trying so hard to get from place to place that we forget to take a deep breath and be mindful on our way.
It is in these moments that seeing a cyclist on the road serves to re-center my thoughts. My awareness returns and I postpone answering my pager until I can pull over into park. I drive more defensively and I pay more attention to reflections in my rear-view mirrors.
I guess my point with this post is just to emphasize that most cyclists also drive cars. So, we understand what it is like to be in a hurry behind the wheel of a car. We ask only that motorists try to understand and respectfully share the road in their efforts to get to their destination.
Good point, and I think most drivers really do try to do that. Ultimately, it the responsibility of the cyclist and the walker -being the more vulnerable- to be aware of their surroundings and expect the unexpected. As splork pointed out; in a battle with a vehicle, we will always, always, always lose.
When I go for a ride on the road I never ride in the early morning on a weekday. Nor do I ride heavily traveled roads in the evening. I get up at the crack of dawn to ride on the weekends when there is no traffic. And I ride out in rural areas for the most part. I very seldom ride with anyone else as it's too dangerous and maybe inconsiderate to ride abreast as group rides tend to do. I dislike the dynamics of those rides because many times they simply do not show respect for traffic. Basically I ride where and when the traffic is at a minimum. And if I hold up a driver by, say getting over a little hill and they can't pass safely, I always give a little wave in the hopes they understand I appreciate their patience and that I regret being in their way. Hell, I pretty much give a little wave whenever any car passes me. If you humanize the experience I think it tends to take the edge off.
That said, every trip I make on my bike is done considering basically one thing: cars. Can I safely do this at this time?
As much as I love road cycling I would much rather trail ride on my mtn bike. But where I live there just isn't a lot of public lands available. To get where I would like to ride takes a 3-4 hour drive one-way. That equates to pretty much a tank full of gas in my 4-cylinder car. That is $50. It adds up.
Wow, again, you would SO love it here. Oregon has mountain-biking trails (not all designated "biking trails"...the fun ones!) galore.
working
dougall says:
2 weeks ago
damn straight brotha, tell it like it is