Bicyclist rant

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Mtns2Skies

Final Approach
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Mtns2Skies
So clearly after the motorcycle rant thread, everyone needs a bicyclist rant thread. Now I am a cyclist, but I don't ride on roads. Constantly being paranoid about cars takes the fun out of it for me(and I find it boring), so I gravel bike and mountain bike exclusively.

As a driver I will go as far out of my way as possible to give room for road bikers... but please ride single file! I know the regular riders almost always do, but lately I've been seeing more kitted out riders going side-by side or in the road rather than in the shoulder. Please make it easy for us to give you room... not hogging the road.

Now for everyone else to pile on! :)
 
I have had a few close calls with multiple bikers riding on curvy roads near our airport. The speed limit on these roads is 45mph, which is a little too high, IMO. I like bikers, but these roads are not very biker friendly...so I usually watch out for the unexpected. Be careful !

Really ! Your airplane is crushed Wow ! So sorry !
 
Yeah, bicyclists can be a PITA, especially now that the City Bike thing has taken hold and you get all sorts of folks riding around. I get most annoyed by the ones that ride on the sidewalks and then act all put out by the pedestrians in their way. :rolleyes:
 
Mtns2Skies said:
So clearly after the motorcycle rant thread, everyone needs a bicyclist rant thread. Now I am a cyclist, but I don't ride on roads. Constantly being paranoid about cars takes the fun out of it for me(and I find it boring), so I gravel bike and mountain bike exclusively.

As a driver I will go as far out of my way as possible to give room for road bikers... but please ride single file! I know the regular riders almost always do, but lately I've been seeing more kitted out riders going side-by side or in the road rather than in the shoulder. Please make it easy for us to give you room... not hogging the road.

Now for everyone else to pile on! :)
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I
Mtns2Skies said:
So clearly after the motorcycle rant thread, everyone needs a bicyclist rant thread. Now I am a cyclist, but I don't ride on roads. Constantly being paranoid about cars takes the fun out of it for me(and I find it boring), so I gravel bike and mountain bike exclusively.

As a driver I will go as far out of my way as possible to give room for road bikers... but please ride single file! I know the regular riders almost always do, but lately I've been seeing more kitted out riders going side-by side or in the road rather than in the shoulder. Please make it easy for us to give you room... not hogging the road.

Now for everyone else to pile on! :)
Click to expand...

Just the other day I got stuck behind some riders doing that. It was on a street that didn’t have room for a bicycle lane so the marking was on the street to indicate the entire lane was available for bicycles. Yup, there was a flight of three abreast. I gave a very short toot of the horn to let them know I was behind them. Dude looks over his shoulder, grins, doesn’t move. I guess I had some kind of look on my face to. My wife says Noooo, it’s not worth it. If I’d had a terminal illness and just didn’t give an eff anymore that guy would have regretted that for the rest of his life.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
crushed by a hangar.
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Sorry to hear that. It does explain the rants.

I ride my bike on the roads on a regular basis. Being both a motorist and a cyclist,
I have to say that the cyclists have far more to complain about. Cyclists may do some things that annoy motorists, but motorists do things that kill cyclists.

The roads are public and a number of different classes of users are on them simultaneously. Sometimes one group will inconvenience another. Outside of building multiple sets of roads for different groups, that's not going away, and we have to make allowances for each other.

Can't we all just get along?
 
When I was into cycling it was about 5 miles to the bike path which gave miles of safety. Basically from the CA beaches to the foothills.

We made that ride 3 days a week. Invariably some "helpful motorist" would yell at us to "get back on the sidewalk". Cause you know it's called a sideWALK, right?
 
Not long ago I got behind a road biker who was riding in the middle of the road and it was a curvy road so there was no way to pass. Slowed up traffic for a good while and it notched me off. Most of them are good about riding on the shoulder, single file though.
 
As a lifelong cyclist who has ridden my road bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles several times on the AIDS/LifeCycle charity ride and regularly do weekend "credit card" touring, the cyclists who ride abreast, ride on sidewalks, speed on multi-use paths scaring pedestrians, and blow through red lights and stop signs give the rest of us a bad rep. They bug the hell out of me, and I'm not shy about letting them know it. Many are clueless, but others are just entitled, arrogant jerks.

I've also had motorists throw things like beer bottles at me when I'm riding on the shoulder, so it works both ways.
 
At my last job, the back roads to the airport were very busy and narrow. There were frequently cyclers on them, which was a pain but I did my best to give them space.

But there was one day in the early spring where we had gotten some nasty wet snow, and some douchebag decided he still needed to get out and bike during rush hour. He couldn't get over to the side of the road due to the snow, and wasn't able to go very fast, so he was blocking traffic doing maybe 10mph. People were trying to pass him with lots of cars coming the other way. How he didn't get hit I have no idea. Share the road is a two way street, no pun intended.
 
Stan Cooper said:
As a lifelong cyclist who has ridden my road bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles several times on the AIDS/LifeCycle charity ride and regularly do weekend "credit card" touring, the cyclists who ride abreast, ride on sidewalks, speed on multi-use paths scaring pedestrians, and blow through red lights and stop signs give the rest of us a bad rep. They bug the hell out of me, and I'm not shy about letting them know it. Many are clueless, but others are just entitled, arrogant jerks.

I've also had motorists throw things like beer bottles at me when I'm riding on the shoulder, so it works both ways.
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Yes to all of that. As an aside, folks are welcome to throw beer bottles at me anytime, as long as they are full, sealed and never previously opened, and tossed gently underhand.
 
We have a lot of bicyclists around here on the backroads. I understand why they want to ride around here - low traffic and so you generally get the road to yourself, peaceful out here in farm country. I also think it's a dumb idea. They're often riding several abreast and don't notice you until you're right behind them (however they've all gotten out of the way when I've done that).

Personally, I won't ride on the road around here. Different in a subdivision, or even in NYC when I was growing up. Of course I was invincible back then.
 
On roads with sections where it's safe and unsafe to pass, riding 2 abreast is theoretically easier for the cars. Half as many bikes to pass where it opens up. If it's too narrow to pass a two abreast group, it's too narrow to pass a single file group. This is assuming an experienced group ride where it's a tight paceline.

My favorite is the guys who don't realize I'm going 20 to 25 on the flats and try to pass me and then take an immediate right. Had a guy pull up next to me, look at me, pull just ahead and take a right into my face. There are jerk cyclists that make it bad for all of us, jerk drivers who can't seem to grasp we have the legal right to be on the road and the 99% of both groups who don't seem to bother each other. I ride 80 - 150 miles/week and would say a driver has to wait more that 1 second (an actual second, not an expression) maybe once or twice a week. The area I live now is pretty good for bikes, I only have been yelled at twice, cut off 2 -3 times and not had anything thrown at me in the last year.

Like most seasoned cyclists, I choose my routes to be low traffic, wide shoulder roads or if high traffic, a shoulder bike lane. It's hard to be 100% on that so there are some sections that are curvy, narrow and no shoulder. Those are typically 25mph sections, which I can hold for a few miles. I've had cars right up on my rear wheel trying to pass while I'm doing the speed limit on a road that is all blind corners.

In summary;
Most Car drivers are good and careful, but some are jerks and we notice the jerks more
Most Cyclists are good and careful, but some are jerks and we notice them more
Most Motorcyclists are good and careful, but some are jerks and we notice them more

Lastly, when cars were first invented, horse riders hated them. Spooked the horses etc...
 
luvflyin said:
I


Just the other day I got stuck behind some riders doing that. It was on a street that didn’t have room for a bicycle lane so the marking was on the street to indicate the entire lane was available for bicycles. Yup, there was a flight of three abreast. I gave a very short toot of the horn to let them know I was behind them. Dude looks over his shoulder, grins, doesn’t move. I guess I had some kind of look on my face to. My wife says Noooo, it’s not worth it. If I’d had a terminal illness and just didn’t give an eff anymore that guy would have regretted that for the rest of his life.
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I have never seen three abreast, but then We have too many rednecks and good ol' boys for that to be tolerated. They don't care. They would have made a path through. If they ever owned a bicycle it was as a trainer for the dirt bike. We do have several charity bicycle rides a year but that is for the damn Yankees and they get a police escort.
 
luvflyin said:
I


Just the other day I got stuck behind some riders doing that. It was on a street that didn’t have room for a bicycle lane so the marking was on the street to indicate the entire lane was available for bicycles. Yup, there was a flight of three abreast. I gave a very short toot of the horn to let them know I was behind them. Dude looks over his shoulder, grins, doesn’t move. I guess I had some kind of look on my face to. My wife says Noooo, it’s not worth it. If I’d had a terminal illness and just didn’t give an eff anymore that guy would have regretted that for the rest of his life.
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Next time drop it into neutral and rev the engine.
 
Cycling has really taken off over the last five years in our area and for the most part the majority of cyclers share the road responsibly, appropriately, and politely. There are exceptions, but at about the same percentage of selfish idiots to thoughtful people found in any walk or pursuit in life. That's my observation as a driver sharing the road.

My observation as a homeowner is less favorable. We live a few miles out of town on a couple acres on a road with very little traffic in a scenic hilly area... It's secluded, quiet, and beautiful. That's why we bought the place 20 years ago. Cyclists discovered our road a few years ago and it's become a popular route for many. Every day, many times, cyclists pass our house. No problem. EXCEPT that... they seem to be always in pairs, discussing minutae of their lives at the top of their lungs. It's really unnerving, especially when our windows are open (as they are almost all of the the time in summer), to all of a sudden hear humans yelling when you live in a remote area. Plus, it shatters the peace and quiet for which we bought the property.

Enjoy the ride, enjoy your exercise, enjoy the scenery....but SHUT UP!
 
I ride a bicycle on the road. My assessment of drivers is that 93 percent are great courteous drivers. Five percent are clueless, a danger to themselves and others. Then there are the two percent who are just jerks and want to scare you. But there is one factor that screws up even the best drivers, that's using the phone on the internet while driving. My biggest fear is being run down by one of these morons. You are a moron if you do this and no, not everyone does it.
 
I am in a remote, scenic area with hills and moderately high altitude. The road racers like both.
So two weekends a year they pretty much take over the highways and town’s main street.
(Like most things in small towns, this causes a holy war - this one between pro bike and anti bike factions.)
So the road racers are well, imagine beyond-the-craziest of anything you’ve seen - their desire to win is greater than any of the normal human desires; stronger than, for example, the combined desires of air/water/food/reproduction/protection & preservation of Their Own Life!!
I have seen some insanely risky behavior coming down the hills and some horrible wrecks; it’s like Isle of Man TT for cyclists.
Even when they are warming up slow, before races; the locals know they Own The Road, don’t think of challenging them. 4 abreast on a flat 70mph highway? They won’t even notice you.
Honey Badgers on bicycles.
Illegal for motorcycles to lane-share but these guys lane block.
All the while there is a nice ‘bicycle lane’ right there built for them on the road edge.
 
There are a lot of recreational cyclists in my area, and for the most part, I am not bothered by them. The only kinds of cyclists I don't care for are the ones that insist on riding at night dressed in all black without any reflective gear on their person or bike (in the middle of the road) and the ones who give me dirty looks for daring to drive my car on their road. I think the first kind are either suicidal or certifiably insane. The other ones...the road was built for cars, or they wouldn't have bothered to make it wide enough for us to drive on. I am happy to share with bikes, but it is sorta ridiculous when cyclists are mad at you for driving on it, especially when there is a perfectly good bike trail that follows the road less than 25 feet away. If they don't want to ride with me (and I even give them plenty of room and slow down to pass them!), it's not like I can go drive on that bike trail.

Also, are you really a good driver if you use your phone/internet while driving? I would think part of driving is good decision-making, and phone/internet usage while on the road is definitely not a good decision.
 
I wonder...do bicyclists look with envy at motorcyclists or is it more a smug sense of superiority as they watch the motorcycle quickly fade into the distance?
 
I don't mind the bicyclists... as long as they stay in their bicycle lane. Here in The OC, bicyclists can ride on the lane along Pacific Coast Highway. The problem is that, when some of these riders decide they want to pass other bicyclists or race each other, they swerve OUT of the bicycle lane and into highway traffic (usually moving along at 60-70 mph) and force drivers to take evasive action. Most bicyclists are courteous though.
 
A
Timbeck2 said:
Anyone mentioned the fact that when off the bike, their spadex shorts and rear view helmets make them look like dorks?
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Another observation...

When I was a kid, and later as a younger adult, I/we used to hop on our $100 - $200 bikes, ride 25 miles or more in a day in whatever clothes we happened to be wearing, and think nothing of it.
I mean, sure, a $3000 road bike and $500 or more of associated "gear" (clothing) makes it easier, but isn't the point to get some exercise? Why make it easier?
 
Morgan3820 said:
I wonder...do bicyclists look with envy at motorcyclists or is it more a smug sense of superiority as they watch the motorcycle quickly fade into the distance?
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I dunno about the bicyclists, but when I rode motorcycle, I thought, "Wow, it must suck to be them..." :p
 
As far as bicyclists go, I've ridden with all types. Those who take the lane for no reason are *******s, I don't ride with them more than once. There are some that aren't that skilled, if you fall into this category, there is a lot of good reading of what to watch out for on the road, read it.

For me if there is a bike lane on the road I will use it. If there is a large enough shoulder (more than 3 feet) I will ride with the fog line to my left. If there is a fog line with less than 3 feet of pavement to the right of it, I will ride just to the left of the fog line.

A few reasons for this. The first is there are vehicles that drop all kinds of crap on the road that will flat my tires. This gets blown to the side of the road and lives on the right side of the fog line. I can't ride on that for obvious reasons. The second is that when you ride with the fog line between you and traffic, most cars don't feel the need to move over for you and barely miss you with their mirror. If there is enough pavement you can ride far enough from the line that this is not a problem. ( Tire flatting debris is not an issue usually because enough drivers can't stay between the lines that the debris gets moved out of the way. ) If the space is narrow between the fog line and the edge of the pavement it gets dangerous, so I ride to the left of the line.

If you are on the car side of the fog line people give you space, this generally involves moving their car so that their left tire is on or just next to the center line. That gives about 3 feet of space between the bike and their car. There are drivers, in the 5 percent, who are afraid to move their car from the center of the lane, I mentioned them in the my car post.

Taking the lane. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, where I do most of my riding, it is legal for a bicycle to "take the lane", this means riding up the middle of the lane so that you, in your car, have to change lanes to pass or you are stuck behind the bicycle. I will do this if it is not safe to have you pass me. I don't abuse this and at most it will cost a driver about 30 seconds of their time. It has been a long time since I've had someone upset at me for doing this. Most car drivers understand, some are just *******s, as are some bicyclists.

Those of you who would consider running down a bicyclist because you are inconvenienced are *******s and crappy drivers. Get a life.
 
Morgan3820 said:
I wonder...do bicyclists look with envy at motorcyclists or is it more a smug sense of superiority as they watch the motorcycle quickly fade into the distance?
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I think most cyclists drive cars and/or motorcycles; they ride their bicycles for fresh air exercise and to smell the roses, so it's a completely different motivation. An analogy would be sailors and stinkpotters.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Anyone mentioned the fact that when off the bike, their spadex shorts and rear view helmets make them look like dorks?
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Yup, it gets creepy in the convenience store when a landscaper type is staring, wtf?



Morgan3820 said:
I wonder...do bicyclists look with envy at motorcyclists or is it more a smug sense of superiority as they watch the motorcycle quickly fade into the distance?
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Generally the only time I notice a motorcycle is if it is a jackass with no muffler and earplugs who revs the engine to earsplitting level next to me. They are the reason I don't carry while cycling. Oh, and the guy who revs his engine then makes pedaling motions with his feet going by me? You are a riot. :confused:

MuseChaser said:
A

Another observation...

When I was a kid, and later as a younger adult, I/we used to hop on our $100 - $200 bikes, ride 25 miles or more in a day in whatever clothes we happened to be wearing, and think nothing of it.
I mean, sure, a $3000 road bike and $500 or more of associated "gear" (clothing) makes it easier, but isn't the point to get some exercise? Why make it easier?
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25 miles would be about my limit before getting bloodied by saddle sores...... but that is the reason. It never gets "easier" you just go faster and further. If you ride you know that.
 
My wife got pulled over for "crossing the fog line" many years ago. It was really foggy and she couldn't see it. She asked the cop if HE could see the line from where he was standing next to her vehicle. He let her go.

True story.
 
Morgan3820 said:
I wonder...do bicyclists look with envy at motorcyclists or is it more a smug sense of superiority as they watch the motorcycle quickly fade into the distance?
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Depends. I knew some people who were hardcore bicyclists. They hated motorcycles, and viewed cars as inconvenient ways to get around. So they definitely had the smug sense of superiority, and complained about any gasoline burning (and especially diesel burning) vehicles that passed them.

Me, I enjoy riding for exercise, not so much the scenery. Honestly I enjoy indoor biking as much if not more. If I’m biking outdoors I prefer trails/paths where I’m not getting in anyone’s way and vice versa.
 
I usually ride a motorcycle to get from point A to point B. I ride a bicycle for exercise. Especially during the times when gyms are closed or have reduced access, it's more important for me now than ever to get out and ride. Running is out. Knees can't take it.

I don't like riding in groups. In fact, I don't really like riding with other people for the most part. But it is interesting to hear so much anti-cycling sentiment (I'm not just talking about here, I mean in general) when in many parts of the world, that's how you get around.
 
Sac Arrow said:
But it is interesting to hear so much anti-cycling sentiment (I'm not just talking about here, I mean in general) when in many parts of the world, that's how you get around.
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I'm not anti-cyclist, I'm anti-elitist and we haven't even BEGUN to talk about other parts of the world. :)
 
Cue the anti-oxcart rants...
 
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