Bicycle riders.

[Keith]

It is indeed a conundrum. Whichever side if the divide you find yourself on, spare a thought for us here in the New Forest. Commercial organisations now organise huge bike rallies and time trials on our Forest roads. Upwards of 2,000 riders can descend on us for a weekend of gross 'peletons'. Thus far, the organisers have refused to limit their entries to 1,000, require their members to wear an identifying number, or encourage them to carry personal insurance. Is it any wonder there is bad blood between cyclists, motorists and residents? You now have the awful contra situation of hardcore objectors throwing tacks in the road. Outrageous!

One does not like to resort to the Law because as a leisure pursuit it should be self policing by consent, but I see no way out if this impasse unless the 2,000 or so visitors abide by a basic and reasonable set of rules.

This experience seems to reflect a national swing in mood and I feel it is because the car driver has been labelled a "planet killer" by climate change nutters, failing to spot the extreme irony that they all drive to these events with the bikes on racks..

Why won't they wear numbers? It has sinister undertones....:shifty:

 

[Grady]

The 2 lane I live off of is a twisty 19 foot edge to edge SMOOTH surface road with blind curves. Because of the elevation change, curves, and surface, a warm day may bring out the spandex guys and their 2 wheel racing bikes. Nothing like coming up behind one at 35 mph and avoiding a head on (a drunk 15 years ago) with a car in the opposite direction while trying to avoid the bikes. There are places to ride safely and other areas not to ride. Each year we have riders injured or killed in 'Freaky, Edgy' Asheville because they use poor judgement. I ride motorcycles and operate under the knowledge that someone out there is going to run all over me and feel so sorry afterwards.

 

[Robert May Eng.]

The enemy

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[Mike Drew]

Clarkson and May get it!

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Bicyclists are the scourge of the roadways. In urban settings they are a nuisance but at least it's understandable. They don't belong on the motorways or winding country roads. I can't tell you how often I've faced a crash on my motorcycle when I came around a corner at 60 mph and found a pack of cyclists in my path; the only recourse was to dive over the centerline to avoid them. Fortunately there was nobody coming. Had there been a car coming the other way, I would have been forced to plow into the bicycles, which would have caused me to crash, and been no fun for them either.

There are millions of miles of dedicated bike paths set aside just for them; it is the height of obnoxiousness when they instead elect to block traffic and create a tremendous hazard to themselves and others, and then express indignation at the motorists who are forced to evade them. :veryangry:

 

[David Morton]

Keep washing your windscreen......

 

[Randy V]

Forced to follow this pack for an entire afternoon!!!!!

 

[Keith]

Forced to follow this pack for an entire afternoon!!!!!

Ha! No wonder you have problems with cyclists, they're on the wrong flippin' side of the road! :huh:

 

[Doug]

Doug I dont think anyone here has anything against responsible cycle riders that abide by the rules of the road. Where it goes wrong is when you get a gaggle of these together, there is nothing worse than being stuck behind half a dozen Lycra clad teletubbies riding three abreast that are totally oblivious to anything around them. Its normally worse after Tour de France has been on the box and all the couch potatoes think they are going to be the next Alberto Contador.

Bob

Bob,

I feel your pain - and just for the record I'm 6'3"x 175 on a good day!
I know it's frustrating, and just like car guys there are a few that give us all a bad name by being inconsiderate or obnoxious.

I simply do not understand why someone would let something like a guy on a bike ruin an otherwise glorious day. I don't see posts about wrecks, trains, school zones, joggers, or whatever else slows you down or gets in your way. I just fail to understand why cyclists take such a beating on the road and in places like this forum and the local newspaper. A few years ago we even had a local newsie get in a copter and fly around taking footage of cyclists running stop signs - headline news!!!

Anyhow, I'm certainly not offended by anyone's statements or opinions, just confused. If I could ask one question; What is it that makes people so mad at cyclists? OK, two; Why does the complaint typically hinge on "they run stop signs/lights"?

Thank you everyone for conversing on this topic. If you see me on the road, please try not to kill me, and I'll try to stay out of your way whenever possible.

Thanks,

Doug

 

[Doug]

Bob,

Also, please don't think I am/was picking at you. I simply responded to your post 'cause I thought the teletubbie reference was quite accurate and funny!

And a certain degree of my post is in jest - I know none of you out there would ever wish to inflict any degree of pain or misfortune on anyone.

Thank you,

Doug

 

[Howard Jones]

Well if we are going to post pictures of women on bikes we might as well enjoy the view.

 

That's disgusting Howard....










Do you have any more?

 

[Keith]

What is it that makes people so mad at cyclists? OK, two; Why does the complaint typically hinge on "they run stop signs/lights"?


Thanks,

Doug

Because they do, at every opportunity, and if they do that, then they're not going to let any other niggling traffic law get in the way either are they?

As I said in an earlier post, they have generally become "holier than thou" because the car driver has been deemed a planet killer by climate change nuts.

What's to like?

 

[Robert May Eng.]

Because they do, at every opportunity, and if they do that, then they're not going to let any other niggling traffic law get in the way either are they?

As I said in an earlier post, they have generally become "holier than thou" because the car driver has been deemed a planet killer by climate change nuts.

What's to like?

Howards post

Bob

 

[Daniel]

I live on a 10 mile winding loop mountain road. I wish the guys on bikes would shout out BIKE! when they are behind me on a downhill when I'm walking the dog. I can't hear them. On a downhill hairpin I don't want to be on the blind side of the road for uphill traffic. My neighbor was hit by a bicyclist on a downhill and died of her injuries. There's also drifters, skateboarders, motocyclists, joggers, tourist, residents, guys test driving whatever and dog walkers all using this two lane road that goes through a rain forest with overgrown vegetation causing driver's to hug the dividing line. Search on YouTube Tantalus plus any of the activities I mentioned and there will be lots of videos.

 

[Doug S.]

When I ride in a group it's a very noisy experience...

"Rider back" when you approach a slower bike or pedestrian from behind
"On your left" when you want to pass
"Car back" when a car is approaching from behind

Those are just a few examples.

I agree, Daniel...those who do not warn a pedestrain of a rather silent approach from behind are being inconsiderate at best, rude at the worst. Believe it or not, the city of Houston requires all bicycles to have some sort of a bell or horn for warning purposes. I don't know anyone who uses them, we all prefer the verbal warnings/notices.

Cheers!

Doug

 

[Terry Oxandale]

But then you also have the walkers with ear-buds and the music volume loud enough to hear when you pass them. For them, there is no warning shout.

 

[Doug S.]

But then you also have the walkers with ear-buds and the music volume loud enough to hear when you pass them. For them, there is no warning shout.

Agreed, Terry...but we have no control over that. If they choose to disable their own sensory input with earbuds and loud music, it seems to me that they are responsible for the ramifications of their own actions.

I have never had any kind of a mishap involving contact with a pedestrian...but on the mountain biking trails I have certainly had contact with other bikes. That is a hectic environment/activity and nobody seems to be disturbed when the acceptable contact occurs...but this thread really is about road bikers and their impact on traffic.

Responsible bikers try to make sure we do the right thing...we can't control what the potential "victims" of our actions on the street do. They make their own choices and they take their own chances. I know that there have been times I would have enjoyed some music as I was riding my road bike, but there has never been a time when I allowed myself that luxury because I know that my only access to what's happening behind me is my hearing. Pedestrians should also understand that impact on their safety if they choose to listen to music in an environment where bicyclists can be expected.

Cheers!

Doug

 

[Daniel]

When I ride in a group it's a very noisy experience...

"Rider back" when you approach a slower bike or pedestrian from behind
"On your left" when you want to pass
"Car back" when a car is approaching from behind

Those are just a few examples.

I agree, Daniel...those who do not warn a pedestrain of a rather silent approach from behind are being inconsiderate at best, rude at the worst. Believe it or not, the city of Houston requires all bicycles to have some sort of a bell or horn for warning purposes. I don't know anyone who uses them, we all prefer the verbal warnings/notices.

Cheers!

Doug

Every so often someone will yell "On your left" or whatever and I always yell back "Thanks".

Most riders tend to come awfully close to me and my leashed dog. If I came as close to them when I'm driving, they would be pissed. If my 80lb Lab sees/smells a cat, chicken, mongoose, dead frog etc. across the road she feels she has a duty to investigate. I'm surprised the riders are not more leery of us.

 

[Larry L.]

Cyclists in general here in my neck of the woods are a real PITB.

I'm dead serious when I say I literally cannot recall the last time I saw a cyclist STOP at a red light or stop sign around here unless he was forced to do so by cross traffic...and I've seen many who wouldn't even stop THEN. 'Saw two of those morons pay the price for it, too (2 separate occasions).

'The payoff? The local P.D. has actually been instructed to 'turn a blind eye' to all but the 'most serious' of cyclist offenses...whatever that means ('was told that by 2 different LEOs a while back). I don't know why city hall bothered to issue that instruction...I've N-E-V-E-R seen a cyclist pulled over for anything around here, and I've lived here all my life (except for the time I spent in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club).

On top of all that, the city is spending a T-O-N of money creating "bike lanes" out of what USED TO BE parking spaces!!! Izzunt that great? Removing revenue generating, metered parking places so cyclists can ride in a dedicated lane for free.

If you've guessed this town is run by libs you're right on.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

My personal practice (flame suit on) is to come to a yellow or red light and slow to a crawl, look for traffic, and IF there is none within a conservatively reasonable distance from the intersection, I take off, otherwise I wait. Doing so shows observing drivers that the cyclist is at the very least being practical about traffic and those he's sharing the road with. I slow for stop signs if there is no traffic, and wait my turn if there is.

I have two goals in my ride. 1) Don't impede traffic, or do it in the least intrusive way possible, 2) Give respect to drivers on the road who have no other option but to fully obey the traffic lights, but remain practical about it. A rider going through a red light with no impacting traffic does have its advantages for the cars behind him. It's all about being considerate of the other guy.