Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 9:11:19 GMT -5
Not sure if it’s because I’m older and grumpier or because there are so many more biker riders these days, but these people are starting to drive me up the wall.
Yesterday I’m driving in my neighborhood and there are 2 spandex wearing bike riders riding down my street. I’m driving my car behind them and they don’t move to the side of the road, they just continue occupying the right side of the road going 10 MPH. When we get to the stoplight, one of them turns around and gives me a look like “Get off my ass!” and I just stare back at him. Then, despite the red light, they blow through the intersection.
I think that’s the root cause of the annoyance with bike riders. They want to use the road, but pick and choose which rules they want to follow. I live a few miles away from a popular bike trail so on the weekend, you have all these people from neighborhoods around me occupying the roads so they can ride their bike to the trail (instead of just putting the bike on their car and driving). As a result, you have all these people that are forced to drive around this pack of idiots that are taking up the road.
It is kinda funny because both sides exhibit quite a bit of passive aggressive behavior when on the road though. I’ve witnessed times where we’re coming up to a stop sign where there are like 10 cars waiting to go and someone will see a bike rider zooming on the street and trying to sneak along the right-hand side to pass the cars and someone will move their car over to block them. ha.
So do you hate these bike riders? Or are you a bike rider and do you hate drivers?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 9:16:16 GMT -5
you are older and grumpier. it is part of the circle of life.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Jun 10, 2013 9:17:50 GMT -5
I'm both. I get impatient with aggressive drivers who get annoyed at riders who are following the rules. And I get annoyed at bikers who don't follow the rules and expect the world to stop for them. I am a rider. I am not special. I'm just another person sharing the road. I am also a driver...and still not special.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jun 10, 2013 9:20:53 GMT -5
I can't stand them. But I never could. I think they are obnoxious. I think something happens to normal people once they put on spandex.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jun 10, 2013 9:26:47 GMT -5
I find everyone to be more annoying.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 9:29:33 GMT -5
Well, to be fair. They have just as much right to the road as you do and as a mother of a kid working on getting his cycling merit badge right now, I can tell you that they are taught NOT to move over. You are supposed to pass them just as if they were a car, by signalling and going into the other lane.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jun 10, 2013 9:34:16 GMT -5
Well, to be fair. They have just as much right to the road as you do and as a mother of a kid working on getting his cycling merit badge right now, I can tell you that they are taught NOT to move over. You are supposed to pass them just as if they were a car, by signalling and going into the other lane. why is it any different than having to wait for idiots on their cell phones, texting, other distracted drivers, or those people that just generally suck at driving? I'm happy that the cyclist that was along the right side of my car (on a very wide road) last Friday turned to look at what was coming before sticking his left arm out to signal a left turn and just moving over. he was being a responsible "driver" as much as I was by hanging back and letting him in to take his turn.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Jun 10, 2013 9:35:31 GMT -5
I find that some bikers do have an "I own the road" attitude and will simply drive down the center of the road and don't care if a car is behind them.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Jun 10, 2013 9:35:34 GMT -5
Well, to be fair. They have just as much right to the road as you do and as a mother of a kid working on getting his cycling merit badge right now, I can tell you that they are taught NOT to move over. You are supposed to pass them just as if they were a car, by signalling and going into the other lane. That's all well and good if there is another lane to get into that doesn't have on-coming traffic. Most of our roads around here are two-lane roads and a rider can back traffic up pretty well if he/she doesn't move over. That's a bad accident waiting to happen. Drivers get impatient, go out to pass and all of a sudden we have a head-on accident. "Legal" doesn't always translate into "smart". I move over. I'm not required to, but I'd rather move than die. Each to his own, I guess.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 10, 2013 9:37:58 GMT -5
When some bike riders pull this shit it gives them all a bad name. Considering the road rage that is out there, I wouldn't want to get into a pissing contest with a car if I'm riding a bike.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on Jun 10, 2013 9:39:07 GMT -5
I'm the opposite of you. I get annoyed at those who drive their bikes to the trail. There are two train station parking lots along the biking/running trail I use. I HATE those who park in these lots during the prohibited hours and not only take up precious commuter spots, but also create little obstacle courses when they take their bikes off their cars and fill up their tires and what not. Do all that at home!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 9:39:41 GMT -5
Well, to be fair. They have just as much right to the road as you do and as a mother of a kid working on getting his cycling merit badge right now, I can tell you that they are taught NOT to move over. You are supposed to pass them just as if they were a car, by signalling and going into the other lane. Not sure where you live, but cyclists are supposed to stay as far to the RIGHT of the road as possible and ride single file. They aren't supposed to occupy a lane on the road.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 10, 2013 9:43:34 GMT -5
I was taught to stay within a foot of the sidewalk unless designated bike lane.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jun 10, 2013 9:44:26 GMT -5
Well, to be fair. They have just as much right to the road as you do and as a mother of a kid working on getting his cycling merit badge right now, I can tell you that they are taught NOT to move over. You are supposed to pass them just as if they were a car, by signalling and going into the other lane. Except one of the rules of driving is not to impede the flow of traffic, so regardless of what someone tells them about moving over, they don't have as much right to be on the road as everyone else if they aren't following the rules. ::why is it any different than having to wait for idiots on their cell phones, texting, other distracted drivers, or those people that just generally suck at driving?:: It's not, all idiots are annoying. Including cyclists who don't know how to use a street.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Jun 10, 2013 9:44:46 GMT -5
I live in a rural area outside a small city and encounter a lot of bikes. We're surrounded by farms, so especially in the summer, there's a lot of heavy equipment on the roads (two lanes - no shoulder on either side) - bicycling seems very unsafe. We're in one of the most bike/pedestrian friendly cities in the state, so it's not as though there's a shortage of safe riding areas. Most of the bikers are courteous, but I do get annoyed at the ones (usually teens) who are weaving all over the road, running stop signs, or otherwise engaging in dangerous behavior. But I also get annoyed at the farm equipment, so I think I'm getting older and grumpier as well.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jun 10, 2013 9:47:01 GMT -5
::I live in a rural area outside a small city and encounter a lot of bikes.::
Same here, the preferred method of dealing with idiots on bikes, since they are often on gravel roads, is to pass them slowly, then hit the gas kicking dirt up behind you for them to ride through for the next mile.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 9:55:35 GMT -5
Well, to be fair. They have just as much right to the road as you do and as a mother of a kid working on getting his cycling merit badge right now, I can tell you that they are taught NOT to move over. You are supposed to pass them just as if they were a car, by signalling and going into the other lane. Not sure where you live, but cyclists are supposed to stay as far to the RIGHT of the road as possible and ride single file. They aren't supposed to occupy a lane on the road. In my state, Ca, they can be in the lane. In fact to turn left, they must be in the left lane.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Jun 10, 2013 10:05:12 GMT -5
moving this thread to YM-OT as it isn't really related to finance.
-chiver mod
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jun 10, 2013 10:36:07 GMT -5
The problem with cyclist locally isn't so much where they ride, but HOW they ride. The road we live on is narrow and curvy and there are a lot of cyclists on it. Bikes are a major form of transportation around here and while there are a lot that do a lot to make sure that they are seen, many do not.
I can't begin to count the number of times that I have been driving at night and a cyclist has got on dark clothing, no lights whatsoever and minimal reflectors. You just can't see them until you are right on top of them.
A couple years ago, there were 2 guys who used to ride to campus at about the same time that I went to work. Neither had on any reflectors and you could barely see them at sunrise. After passing them for about 3 mornings, they finally pulled up next to me at the red traffic light. I rolled down the passenger window and suggested that they might want to go look for a reflective vest/pulsing light because they were difficult to see when light was less than good. A few days later, both had on vests and lights.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 10, 2013 10:36:36 GMT -5
This is legal for cyclists in some cities. They are suppose to look to make sure it is safe, and if there are no cars coming, they are allowed to go through. It helps them because they don't have to clip-out, and it helps the intersection, because if you want to turn right, you don't have to deal with a cyclist who has already moved on.
I believe many laws state that a cyclist can treat a stop light as a stop sign (like a 2-way stop) and a stop sign like a yield sign (looking, but no need to stop if safe.)
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Jun 10, 2013 11:26:50 GMT -5
'cyclists are supposed to stay as far to the RIGHT of the road as possible and ride single file. They aren't supposed to occupy a lane on the road.' Use your brains people. I ride a bike in the early morning hours and I get irritated at joggers and runners that use the designated bike lane instead of the walking path next to it. When I'm driving I don't like bike riders that use the car left turn lanes when there is a cross walk they can use. When I ride I try to follow the car rules of the road, but if I have to choose between being 'legal' or alive and uninjured, I'll take being alive every time. Cars are bigger than I am.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Jun 10, 2013 11:29:53 GMT -5
As a car driver with decades of experience and a cyclist with over 100,000 miles on top of a bike saddle, I see both sides of the situation. Come cylists, like some car drivers, do things that are annoying.
Putting on my cycling helmet, here is something that you might consider. It sounds like the road where you were held up by the cyclists is narrow. Is it really wide enough for you to pass a cyclist without crowding them? Sometimes taking control of the road is a technique used by a cyclist to reduce the risk they will be hit by a car crowding past them on a very narrow section of road (having someone honk at you or give you the finger is way better than being run off the road into the ditch as 30 mph by a cement truck, as I have been). Was the area outside the traffic lanes or the road covered with sand, rock, glass, or other debris? Debris just outside the traffic lane is common early in the year. And high school graduation time seems to result in lots of broken glass on road shoulders, etc. Just a small amount of debris can cause a bike to lose traction and crash. Possibly into or underneath a close by car. I also like to take control of the road at intersections. This is after having many cars nearly run me over by making right turns right in front of me. (I have had drivers force me to make turns inside their turn because they did not get completely past me before turning across my path.) Many drivers do not seem to realize that an experienced cyclist is capable of riding at 30 - 35 mph. So they under estimate the distance they need to safely pass cyclists and make a turn.
And some cyclist are just jerks who give the sport a bad reputation.
Like many situations, car/bike encounters tend to go better if we each try to cut the other person a bit of slack and try to accomodate rather than confront.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jun 10, 2013 11:48:48 GMT -5
::Is it really wide enough for you to pass a cyclist without crowding them?::
Shouldn't really matter, if you can't cycle without impeding the flow of traffic, you shouldn't be on that road. Assuming the road isn't 35mph and the cars are doing 60.
::Many drivers do not seem to realize that an experienced cyclist is capable of riding at 30 - 35 mph.::
If you're doing 30-35 in a 30-35 mph zone, then that's all well and good. If you're doing 30-35 in a 60, you're the problem and you need to get off the road.
::This is after having many cars nearly run me over by making right turns right in front of me.::
I think it's smart to be in the lane when it comes to stops to make sure you're seen. You're not impeding the flow of traffic in that case either.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 11:54:11 GMT -5
As a car driver with decades of experience and a cyclist with over 100,000 miles on top of a bike saddle, I see both sides of the situation. Come cylists, like some car drivers, do things that are annoying. Putting on my cycling helmet, here is something that you might consider. It sounds like the road where you were held up by the cyclists is narrow. Is it really wide enough for you to pass a cyclist without crowding them? Sometimes taking control of the road is a technique used by a cyclist to reduce the risk they will be hit by a car crowding past them on a very narrow section of road (having someone honk at you or give you the finger is way better than being run off the road into the ditch as 30 mph by a cement truck, as I have been). Was the area outside the traffic lanes or the road covered with sand, rock, glass, or other debris? Debris just outside the traffic lane is common early in the year. And high school graduation time seems to result in lots of broken glass on road shoulders, etc. Just a small amount of debris can cause a bike to lose traction and crash. Possibly into or underneath a close by car. I also like to take control of the road at intersections. This is after having many cars nearly run me over by making right turns right in front of me. (I have had drivers force me to make turns inside their turn because they did not get completely past me before turning across my path.) Many drivers do not seem to realize that an experienced cyclist is capable of riding at 30 - 35 mph. So they under estimate the distance they need to safely pass cyclists and make a turn. And some cyclist are just jerks who give the sport a bad reputation. Like many situations, car/bike encounters tend to go better if we each try to cut the other person a bit of slack and try to accomodate rather than confront. In this case, they were occupying the entire right side of the road and riding side by side. I can live with the bike riders occupying a portion of the road on their way to the bike trail. I still prefer they stay off the 45 MPH road, but at least they are making their way to a bike appropriate destination. I hate commuters riding their bikes during rush hour because it's dangerous for everyone involved. Unlike Sunday driving, there usually isn't room to swerve into the left lane to avoid the bike rider...so you have to slow down until there is space to get over.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jun 10, 2013 11:59:01 GMT -5
As someone who rides, I think the short answer to Davebo's question is probably yes. Part of the issue is that you see more people riding for exercise, now that the weather isn't so bad and school is out for the summer.
Many cyclists, both casual riders and more professional cyclists, fail to realize that all states have road rules that apply to vehicles of the two- and four-wheeled varieties. Cyclists in my state must ride single file, must use hand signals and must obey traffic signals and signs the same way automobile drivers do. And they cannot ride on sidewalks, unless the sidewalk is designated as a bike lane. Good luck with enforcing all of that. When I ride, it's early in the day, to minimize traffic issues, and alone, to minimize issues with other riders. But I see riders ignore the laws all the time. It's common sense safety to follow them, but I've yet to see a cyclist get pulled over.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jun 10, 2013 12:05:30 GMT -5
I hate commuters riding their bikes during rush hour because it's dangerous for everyone involved. If more people commuted on their bikes, there would be far fewer cars on the road.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2013 12:18:50 GMT -5
Where I live there are tons of bikers and they can't get too close to the edge of the road as there are no shoulders, just gravel. The hills around us are popular for cyclists to train, so even though we're 15 miles from town they're going by all the time. Maybe it's because I'm used to coming up behind everything from horseback riders, to tractors, to herds of deer just walking along the road, but they don't bother me much even riding two or three abreast, I just go around.
I find it amusing listening to some of the farmers around here complain about them though. Seriously, their combines, hay wagons and manure spreaders that are so big you can't see around them are worse!
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on Jun 10, 2013 12:22:43 GMT -5
Many cyclists, both casual riders and more professional cyclists, fail to realize that all states have road rules that apply to vehicles of the two- and four-wheeled varieties. Cyclists in my state must ride single file, must use hand signals and must obey traffic signals and signs the same way automobile drivers do. And they cannot ride on sidewalks, unless the sidewalk is designated as a bike lane. Good luck with enforcing all of that. When I ride, it's early in the day, to minimize traffic issues, and alone, to minimize issues with other riders. But I see riders ignore the laws all the time. It's common sense safety to follow them, but I've yet to see a cyclist get pulled over. Where I live the rules are the same as Nancy stated. And, likewise, many do not follow the rules, but the police cannot keep up with the vehicle violations, let alone pay any mind to cyclists. It's all about common sense by both parties. A trainer at my gym rides his bike to work every day. Used to just ride with no helmet and in his usual outfit of all black Under Armour gear until he got hit by a car last year. Thankfully it wasn't serious, but he now uses both a helmet and a reflective vest. I also think the cyclists taking over the road is similar to a bear encounter: puff yourself up to appear larger and the bear should back off. If cyclists use the road like a vehicle then maybe they appear to have more rights to the same road as vehicles. (And I'm not at all against cyclists, so I hope it doesn't sound that way.)
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jun 10, 2013 12:48:41 GMT -5
And lights - I forgot to mention lights on a bike, both front and back. Lots of cyclists don't bother because they can see just fine. Never figure out until they get hit that it's not about them seeing stuff. I admit I never thought about my own invisibility (I'm not exactly a dainty little flower, so I assumed I was easy to see), until I really started looking at other cyclists, both those who had proper lights and those who did not. Again, should be no different from a motor vehicle. I've never understood cyclist who sink thousands into a bike, but won't spend a dime on a helmet. Or just as bad: parents who ride with their kids, and make the kids ride with helmets on (the law here is helmets required for 16 years of age and younger) but the parents won't wear one. And then they wonder why the kids piss and moan about following the rules.
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Rocky Mtn Saver
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Post by Rocky Mtn Saver on Jun 10, 2013 12:50:28 GMT -5
I find that some bikers do have an "I own the road" attitude and will simply drive down the center of the road and don't care if a car is behind them. I find that some drivers have an "I own the road" attitude. I don't think either group is any more or less annoying on the road.
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