Bikers vs. motorists...

Thats cus the guys on the sports are to busy hanging on for dear life LOL

 

This is a perfect example of the self-centered-get-out-of-my-way-I'm-the-center-of-the-universe attitude displayed by many people these days, regardless of vehicle. I frequent have to pass bird-brained bike riders who insist on riding on single lane roads with no shoulder ar rush hour. Maybe getting hit by cars and shot riding in bad neighborhoods is nature's way of making sure they don't reproduce, thus improving the gene pool.

 

^^^ Jeez Cloudy, that's kinda harsh isn't it?

 

I have to agree, please remember to keep this all smiles & light

 

LOL!!

 

I have a good friend who was a bike messanger, did peddicabs, and is generally a big cyclist. He says that the secret is to make eyecontact with motorist, he does not get hit because he is good on a bike and makes eye contact.

 

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of bad bikers out there, but I always follow CO state law when it comes to biking in the road. Thus, I have a right to be upset when other CAR drivers break the law and nearly side-swipe me.

And even though you essentially just suggested that I'm a retard not worthy of reproduction and probably ought to be dead, I've got the balls to keep a cool-enough head on this forum (hey, I did say I would loogie on Drusus' car, though, so maybe I'm not so level-headed since I might get pistol-whipped) not to respond in an equally unkind manner. I will say that MY WIFE AND I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE DO BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST WE CAN AFFORD AND WE WORK DOWNTOWN. I don't deserve to get shot because I can only afford to live in a place that has a higher crime-rate than others, and neither does anyone else who lives there. Furthermore, how is getting hit by a car 'nature's' way of killing people off? Last I heard, 'nature' doesn't build cars, and 'nature' doesn't stock them up with bad drivers/drunk drivers/divers on their cell phones. Car accidents kill FAR more people per year than bike accidents do, and bikers generally don't slam into each other or cause massive bike pile-ups.

 

no, you arent very level headed if you are proud of spitting on cars as you ride a bike in the middle of a road...

Humans are natural...humans build things naturally...it is our nature to build and create...we build cars...thus cars are a part of the natural human process.....as is a bike. Its great you love to bike and all...but but how many people driving a car kills each year is completely irrelevant...I need a car to get to work (or some motor vehicle)...I cant ride a bike to work...cars are here...they are big, they need room to move...I dont want to be slowed down by an antagonistic bike rider with issues about cars and his rights....you are small on a little bike...you spit on cars...just dont be shocked when you find yourself being confronted all the time...myself I would just avoid it and stay out of the way of cars

When I ride my bike and even my motorbike, I realize people are careless...it is not THEM that will die if something happens while I am riding...its ME...so I assume every person is out to kill me and ride defensively...

Ask any person (who is smart) that rides a motorcycles and they will tell you that often cars just dont care...they will swerve into you, pull out in front of you...they dont look for you...so you look out for yourself...in the end, give way...I am sitting on top of a relatively small vehicle with nothing to protect me....they are big heavy killing machine to me...In their minds, they dont have to be as carefull..if they hit me it might make a dent...it might kill me...Its called self preservation and avoidance of confrontation to make life safer and easier...I know...I know...its the priniciple of the matter...its your RIGHT...well...as I have gotten older...you picks your battles and most I avoid...

someone pulls out in front of me almost hitting me? I dont spit on them...I just move out of the way and keep on keeping on...

 

I'm proud of not letting someone step all over me, yes, esp. if I've nearly been killed.

I'm not antagonistic until threatened first. I have a legal right to the road, and I need my bike to get to work as well. Why is the person in the car always right? Just because they're surrounded by metal and think they're invincible because of that fact? The number of people killed IS relevant, because following Cloud's logic, it should make more sense to say that people killing each other with CARS is more likely 'nature's' way of killing off the dumb, since MORE people die from that than bike accidents.

And I do the same. However, defensive doesn't mean NOT riding in the street just because there are cars in the road.

EXACTLY!!! I ride safely! I wear a helmet! I don't run lights! And yet drivers BREAK the law, don't use signals, don't care, etc. I can be angry about that.

There's the difference between you an me, then. Maybe they'll be more careful next time when they cut off a biker on purpose and said biker does something about it for once. Or maybe they'll just shoot them.

 

most likely not...if anything you will simply cause grief for yourself when you spit on the guy who has a nasty temper...and is looking for conflict...but then maybe you dont mind and want it as well...

I have only once done anything even close to that and it was when...as often happens, some person decides to change lanes right next to me...they either dont look and see me right beside them, or just dont care...

I couldnt brake fast enough and I was boxed in so I kicked her car....

Dont know...as I have gotten older, I have realized when a person gets in a car, it brings out the worst in people...I have realized raging against them or trying to teach them a lesson simply doesnt work...and isnt worth it.

I have no idea HOW you ride on a street but if you do it in a way that is in the middle, slows people or blocks them from going around you...I would also be annoyed at you...thats just me though. I wouldnt hit you but if you were blocking my progress, I would attempt to go around you however I could...

I am a bit amazed someone hasnt jumped out and beat you yet...maybe its just denver but in Texas...I have a feeling you would have has some scary encounters with rednecks by now.

 

I normally ride on the shoulder. On streets that are too narrow, I sometimes use the sidewalk until it widens up. But usually on smaller streets, I am able to bike as fast if not faster than cars can drive down them, so it's usu. not a problem. I do have to get into a more middle lane when the far right or far left lane I am using turns into a right- or left-hand turn-only lane.

I imagine people try to teach me a lesson (that I 'shouldn't' ride in the road) when they tailgate me or box me in, but you're right, it doesn't work. I'm still out there every day. In fact, I have to leave work right now and bike home before biking back to my second job. Such is life.

 

When I ride on streets, I try to stay stay on the shoulder. If there is no shoulder or the shoulder is bad, I choose a different route. Occasionally, I will walk on the sidewalk if there is a dangerous area ahead. I prefer to do bike trails, though, or relatively untraveled streets.

A cyclist might be dead right in riding in the lane like any other vehicle but I would rather not be the dead part.

 

I live in a small town where there are lots of bike riders. I mean lots of them.

The problem as I see it is that while bike riders want to stake their claim or right to share the roads with cars, many typically ignore traffic patterns, ride into on-coming traffic, blow through stop signs without even slowing down, cut to the front of a line of cars at a stop light, ride line abreast well out into traffic, and so on.

You can't have it both ways. If bike riders want to be shown courtesy and respect form people in cars and trucks then it must be reciprocal. They need to pay attention to what they are doing and accept the fact that they too are sharing the road.

People on bikes with cell phones are becoming almost as prevelant (here at least) as people yaking away while driving a car. I'm against both. The other day I watched a girl on a mountain bike talking on a cell phone while carrying a plastic bag of groceries in her other hand. She was completely oblivious to what was going on around her. I was sitting stopped at a busy 4 way intersection and she just blew past her stop sign and out into the intersection without giving it a second thought.

The highway near my home is an old 2 lane Interstate filled with blind curves and hills for about a 3 mile stretch. There are literally no shoulders in some places. The white fog line actually goes off the asphalt into the gravel. This doesn't stop some people from riding their bikes on it. I think they are insane. All it will take is a dump truck going in one direction, a motorhome in the other and, well, you can figure out the rest.

 

As a biker, those typoe of riders tick me off more than anything else. They just make it that much harder for those of us who try to ride in a safe, predictable and courteous manner.

 

Here's my two cents.(I knew that secretly, y'all wanted to here from me). At sea, one of the rules of the road is that the smaller vessel has the right of way. even if that vessel is sailing down the wrong channel. I can't imagine a tanker smashing into a Sunfisher because it wasnt registered. If you walk down the street; are you an open target? and Jjohn, dont tell me you never weaved in and out of traffic. Thats not playing by the rules either.

 

Jhonn.
I must say you are a very lucky person with all the spitting and kicking of cars that you say you do.
I know here in AZ you would not last a day or two trying that on are drivers. Then again maybe you are very selective on who you spit on, the old the weak not sure however just keep an eye out for those cars and trucks you never know when one may not see you. I always try to be alert for bike riders, use mine from time to time so I know it can be hazardous to your health out there ,and please never spit on a person that has a gun on you , you just never know how they might take that.

 

Why is it that people around here buy mountain bikes to ride on the paved roads? We have alot of parks with bike trails along with horse trails. The bicyclers prefer to ride on the pavement for some reason. Not going anywhere just getting the exercise. Here bikes and horses have the right of way. You hit one with a car and you will be piped sunlight for a while in a cell.

I am not a bicycle rider, I do let them have their way on the roads though. I have to admit there are people that should not be riding them on the roads though. I think those are the ones CS was talking about.

 

They are stronger if you are over 180 lbs which is the upper limit for some road bikes. Many are more comfortable for a lot of people (some of us middle aged or older folks) do to an upright riding position and larger tires. And you can ride them both on and off road which you can only do one of with a road bike.

How many miles of trails on each park? My typical recreational ride on a weekend is 30 plus miles at a time. If the parks only have a mile or two of trails, that would not be sufficient.

I am lucky in that I have 10 miles of trails that start right by my house which are ok for a short rec rides during the week (maybe 15 or so miles) and I have almost 100 miles of trails within a half hour drive (which are good for the 30 plus Saturday and Sunday day rides).

If I only had a mile or two trail in a park, I wouldn't waste my time on it. Plus, it would probably be filled with meat pylons - otherwise known as walkers, runners, and other pedestrians.

Another thing about bike paths are that they often have a speed limit of 20mph or less which can turn the speed guys off.

 

Downtown and in urban areas, bikes are faster than cars, and I don't need to weave to get ahead.

Why do people buy giant SUV's just to drive their kids to soccer practice in the 'burbs?

Some people are intimidated by riding a road-bike, and prefer a safer-feeling MTN bike. Furthmore, who wants to ride a bike that all those weekend-warrior types dressed to the nines in spandex ride? Messengers certainly have helped changed the image of the road-bike in that respect, thankfully.

 

Never ever? Never once went through that long light? Never jumped the curb? Wow. Congrats, St. Jhonn. Just dont tell me you wear a helmet.