Spring/summer I HATE CYCLISTS thread for 2009

Already I have been stuck behind a pack of spandex clad traffic interlopers and it's just finally breaking out of the 40s in the Chicago area.

why would we use the bike path off the street about 10 feet over there ---------> when we can completely demolish any hope of avoiding rush hour traffic?

Red light? Is that for ME?????

I'm sorry but I can't possibly ride on the street without my bff riding right next to me!

I am just stating my opinion. If you take issue with this, then I suggest you do not puruse the forums.

And if you can't handle having your opinions critiqued, there are ways to avoid that.

whatever! i still really want one of these

vroom vroom vroom!

I don't know watergirl - I still think the cooler is better, because you are much less limited as to how much alcohol you can carry. The barstool - you can only have one drink in one hand (assuming you use the other to steer, which might be a bad assumption).

Maybe if you could rig the barstool to have a cooler underneath it.... if you do this, I want 50% commission.

#40

oh i was just pointing out your factual inaccuracies and logical inconsistencies

bound to happen, like you say

Yes, I am aware that that contradicts what I said earlier, but hey, people are multi-faceted.

no biggie.  thank you for the laugh!  :D

1) It is ILLEGAL for a bike to ride on the sidewalk.  By law a bicycle is treated the same as a car.  Can you drive your car or motorcycle on the sidewalk instead of the road?  Betcha that would help you avoid rush hour if you could.

2) Cyclists ride 2 abreast because if they don't they get run over.  They ride in "packs" for the same reason.  Riding in a group makes you more visible and less likely to get hurt.  Motorcycles do the same thing (although legally they can't ride 2 abreast, they have to be staggered).

3) Cyclists have to obey traffic lights and stop signs, same as a car.  They also have to signal before turning, typically by using hand signals.

4) In short, in the eyes of the law bicycles are treated the same as cars and therefore have the same rights to the road as a car.

I'm a cyclist and believe me, I use bike trails wherever possible.  I would LOVE to be able to ride on the sidewalk out of the way of those dangerous car drivers, but I can't legally.  I move as far to the side as I can, but have still been run over a couple of times.

The last time I was hit I was on the side of the road and a car comes up behind me.  My wheel was pratically rubbing the curb but he still slowed down before passing  me.  The thing is that he was still passing me, my front tire along his back tire when he decided to make a right turn  WHAMMO!!

I was travelling downhill at about 40 Kph (25 mph).  If I hadn't seen the eyes of the driver of a truck stopped at the intersection ahead of me widen just before the car turned then it would have been alot worse. I was watching that truck because I was approching that intersection and even though I had the right of way bicycles, like motorcycles, are often invisible to drivers.  I saw his eyes widen and his jaw drop just before the car started its turn, and that gave me just enough warning to slow down and start the turn myself so that I hit the car broadside instead of head on, which saved me from serious injury.  Just a bent tire and some road rash after I rolled over his hood.

Another thing a cyclist quickly learns is to check the side mirrors of parked cars for people about to open their doors to get out.  Being door stopped is about the worst thing that can happen, since that one normally makes you land on your head.  Helmets can provide some protection to your skull, but they don't protect you from a broken neck.  I'd rather go under a car's wheels than be door stopped.

Cyclists are like vampires, but you have to stake their tires instead of their hearts.  ;o

Oh and don't let them bite you.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Maybe if you could rig the barstool to have a cooler underneath it.... if you do this, I want 50% commission.

its a deal amethystgirl.

i think if we could rig a cooler trailer, it would be near perfection...im lovin the stool. its so homemade. i think it has alot of personality.

I think that most bicycle riders obey the rules of the road and it is the select few that chose to ignore said rules that gets most people's ire up. We have huge bike lanes almost everywhere here (North Bay Area, CA) and I will give a bike rider the right of way just so they don't have to stop their momentum (and if they have that pleading look in their eye, like "Man, this is really a steep MoFo hill, can I go without stopping??? Pleeasssee?) It is just the ones, and admit it folks they're a lot of them out there, that refuse to use the bike lane, hand signal, stop at stop signs/lights and give you a dirty look when they inconvience you while breaking the law.

If there's no bike path, I understand.  It's when there's a clearly defined bike lane (with hefty fines for cars invading them) and they decide not to use it that I get torqued off.  Plus, on winding mountain roads with blind curves, I have seen these people doing absolutely suicidal behavior. 

Spirochete - I feel your pain.  In general, I respect and try to give bicyclists the most room possible since I mountain bike and occasionally ride around town to run small errands.  BUT, I gotta to agree, if there is a designated bike path parallel to the road, USE IT damn it, DON'T hog up the one lane.  Also there does seem to be something about packs of bicyclists that make them behave worse than if they are alone.  They seem to want to have all the rights of using the roads but not have to obey ALL traffic laws.  How many times have you seen bicyclists routinely red lights once they see no one's coming on the cross street, or ride two or even three abreast when they are impeding traffic? (In NJ at least, the law is to stay as far right as possible and you cannot ride two abreast if you are impeding traffic).

Bicycling is a great past time, but just don't get a holier than thou attitude and obey all the rules just like you expect motorist to.

Original Post by rwnorth:

Bicycling is a great past time, but just don't get a holier than thou attitude and obey all the rules just like you expect motorist to.

People expect motorists to follow the rules? 

I don't know-reading these posts makes me nervous about road biking again. Esp those of you who have been hit before-how do you get back out there?

I just freakin got out on the road out here on Saturday!

Original Post by knowan:

1) It is ILLEGAL for a bike to ride on the sidewalk.  By law a bicycle is treated the same as a car.  Can you drive your car or motorcycle on the sidewalk instead of the road?  Betcha that would help you avoid rush hour if you could.

2) Cyclists ride 2 abreast because if they don't they get run over.  They ride in "packs" for the same reason.  Riding in a group makes you more visible and less likely to get hurt.  Motorcycles do the same thing (although legally they can't ride 2 abreast, they have to be staggered).

3) Cyclists have to obey traffic lights and stop signs, same as a car.  They also have to signal before turning, typically by using hand signals.

4) In short, in the eyes of the law bicycles are treated the same as cars and therefore have the same rights to the road as a car.

Every area is different. This area is full of rabid cyclists. They ride in giant packs blowing through stop signs together like a giant funeral procession as we all sit there helpless. They cut across lanes of traffic on whims and my favorite, creep along cars when it suits them.

Since they all seem to pick and choose which rules to follow then cry "we have the same rights to the streets you do" makes them all suck. SUCK SUCK SUCK

Original Post by floggingsully:

Original Post by rwnorth:

Bicycling is a great past time, but just don't get a holier than thou attitude and obey all the rules just like you expect motorist to.

People expect motorists to follow the rules? 

Like last year, cyclists are free to make a "I hate motorist" thread and I won't crap it up with "but but but cyclists are smelly farts and BOO they suck"

i don't hate cyclists, but i met a very-nice woman in the park this morning whose very-nice dog is afraid of bikes, because he's been hit three times by cyclists.  on the road?  nope.  on a track?  nope.  on the seawall, where pedestrians (and--yes--their dogs, too) have priority. 

some cyclists are like some truckers; they get away with whatever they possibly can.

Original Post by floggingsully:

People expect motorists to follow the rules? 

 LMAO! LOVESIT!!

Original Post by fitnessgirll:

Original Post by floggingsully:

People expect motorists to follow the rules? 

 LMAO! LOVESIT!!

What's so funny about that?

Original Post by pgeorgian:

 

some cyclists are like some truckers; they get away with whatever they possibly can.

I thought that was SUV drivers? Separate rules apply to them, don't you know.

Oh yeah cyclists bug me - the good cyclist anyway.  The rest of of slobs do all we can to stay alive. 

Where I live it is LEGAL for cyclists to ride on sidewalks.  But, as with the road, they can not impede traffic (meaning pedestrians).  I do it all the time.  As much to protect myself from other cyclists as cars/

Where I live we probably have the most liberal cycling laws in the nation.  But even with a lot of leeway for bikes on the road there are some places cyclists SHOULD NOT RIDE.  Like the 2 mile stretch of road outside of my office.  It has NO SHOULDER - NO PATH and a higher than average curb on both sides.  The road is one lane in each direction and heavily travelled.  There is a bike path  that runs parallel to the road (seperated by 200 feet of open space)  but every day cyclists ride on this stretch of road.  WHY???? For GODS SAKE WHY??

We even have a new law that states an auto has to give the bike 3 feet of space.  But on this road - that is impossible!  There is no where for the car to go. 

I don't hate cyclists - I hate the stupid ones without any common sense of will or self preservation.

on the other hand, if the dumb ones are the ones everyone hates and the ones that are risking their lives, then perhaps they will not survive to procreate?