Summer = Bicyclists = Jackassery

[BlaqueKatt]

OK, now I am puzzled. I used to ride centuries on weekends hanging with my friends, in jeans teeshirts and sneekers. I never got blisters at all.

was your saddle like this-mine isn't this brand-but it is this style-carbon fiber with vents-I'm a racer-my average speed is around 25 MPH-if I need to I can ride 10 miles on city streets, in stop and go traffic in about 20 minutes. Notice I'm riding on carbon fiber-no padding at all-you sit wrong you have skin pinched between bone and hard plastic-leading to chafing and blisters.

[Flying Grype]

Note: My post is NOT directed towards ALL cyclists; just those who think that the rules don't apply. Anyone who quotes my post and replies to it as tho I am is obviously one of those "lycra louts" who insist on riding in the middle of the lane, who run red lights, ignore pedestrians and, the height of stupidity, ignore the cycle lanes to ride in the road.

Okay, but one thing...

Around here cycle lanes are optional. There's a disconnected non-network of cycle lanes around the city, and not all streets have such a thing. On a street that has them, I believe cyclists are required to ride in them. On a street that doesn't have them, a cyclist can ride on the right-hand side or in the middle of the lane. Either one is legal, but drivers don't seem to get it.

My point is, 'riding in the middle of the lane' does not belong in that list of things you quoted, as it is not universally illegal. Cyclists may be aloud to do it if they feel it's the safer option. I've rarely seen someone choose to take the lane rather than riding on the right. I've done it myself when there are nasty potholes or puke in the gutter, but that's it.

Also, for some reason the lycra louts around here are the ones who are too scared to ride with traffic, and end up on the sidewalk or going against traffic...

[dbuzman]

actually in most states that would be you at fault for impeding traffic-yes the idiot on a bike would get cited for riding against traffic-but you would as well-two wrongs don't make a right.

Since he was stopped at a red light (as he stated in the OP), he wouldn't be impeding traffic if he opened his door while stopped at a red light. Traffic is already stopped.

[the lawsmeister]

When I mentioned it to my g/f she showed me an article in the paper, with a picture of these same ***hole bicyclists. Turns out they're in the area training for some bike race. So I guess training for a race means you can ignore any traffic laws that might inconvenience you.

<insert raging stream of profanity> bike riding <insert raging stream of profanity>.

</rage>

I the group has been identified, perhaps a letter to the same paper and to the cycling group would be in order.
First complimenting them for their adherance to the law when changing lanes then slamming them for running the red lights and almost knocking people down.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Okay, but one thing...

Around here cycle lanes are optional. There's a disconnected non-network of cycle lanes around the city, and not all streets have such a thing. On a street that has them, I believe cyclists are required to ride in them. On a street that doesn't have them, a cyclist can ride on the right-hand side or in the middle of the lane. Either one is legal, but drivers don't seem to get it.

My point is, 'riding in the middle of the lane' does not belong in that list of things you quoted, as it is not universally illegal. Cyclists may be aloud to do it if they feel it's the safer option. I've rarely seen someone choose to take the lane rather than riding on the right. I've done it myself when there are nasty potholes or puke in the gutter, but that's it.

Also, for some reason the lycra louts around here are the ones who are too scared to ride with traffic, and end up on the sidewalk or going against traffic...

On the main road where the problems happen, riding on the cycle path really is the safest option cuz a lot of lorries, trucks and buses use that road. If you're deliberately ignoring the cycle path in order to ride in the road, I can only assume that you're a moron with a death wish. Same goes for riding in the middle of the lane. I have a two wheel vehicle with a combustion engine attached; and even I don't ride in the middle of the lane sometimes, cuz it's a lot safer sometimes to ride to the left and allow cars to pass you.

I've seen loads of cyclists stubbornly riding in the centre of the lane, with a huge queue of cars behind them, beeping and yelling abuse, and wondered at the sanity of the cyclist. -.- If you keep on doing that, sooner or later, you're going to find yourself splattered on the road when someone finally knocks you off your bike. Like I said in my post; choose your battles and it's not worth being right if you're dead right.

[Magpie]

Also, for some reason the lycra louts around here are the ones who are too scared to ride with traffic, and end up on the sidewalk or going against traffic...

Don't forget the ones who have the NICE panniers, proper splash guards and a decent bike. I would LOVE to have $1500 to spend on a hobby that I don't know how to do properly. (If you don't know how to ride properly, I refuse to call it anything other than a hobby, because you aren't taking it seriously enough for me to consider it your means of transportation).

[wolfie]

Or, the numbers: a semi weighs 20,000 pounds, a cyclist weighs about 200. And the truck is no doubt moving faster - by laws of inertia, if the truck hits the bicycle, the truck will get scratched while the cyclist, with a little luck, will have barely enough for the coroner to identify the body.

Or, to quote HellBoy, "Red means STOP!!!"

Sorry, but your numbers are off. My tractor weighs a bit over 20,000 pounds bobtail (i.e. with no trailer) and full fuel. Admittedly, it's a bit on the heavy side (a lightweight daycab can be as low as 17,000 pounds bobtail). A 53 foot dry van weighs somewhere between 13,000 and 15,000 pounds empty. The maximum allowable gross weight for a 5-axle combination is 80,000 pounds.

[mattm04]

Just yesterday I saw a Bicyclist run a red light and also get hit by a F-350(or similar large Ford Pickup) pulling a trailer for a lawn service company. If curse the Bicyist flipped the driver the bird, because you know it was his fault for going when the light was green.

I know someone who was hit by a Bicyclist who was going the wrong way. They were pulling out off a side street when the moron clipped the bumper of the car and fell. Luckily a police officer in a unmarked car was behind them. The in the end the Bicyclist got a ticket, though though that the driver should get arrested for trying kill them. The cop said, "Sir, if YOU had been following the law you would not have happened, the dash cam will prove that should you go to court. It never went to court.

[crazylegs]

ignore the cycle lanes to ride in the road.

I will, depending on the width of the lane, ignore cycle lanes. I cycle professionally (but I don't race) and I can assure you that some cycle lanes are too narrow. A cyclist shouldn't be any nearer than 50cm from the kerb - this allows for sudden manouvers when an idiot does something stupid. A considerable amount of cycle lanes are approx 50cms wide at the point where the white line is painted. This means I either cycle too close to the kerb, and place my self in danger; or I cycle on the white line and because it is slippery (especially when wet) and therefore place myself in danger; or I cycle outside the cycle lane.

Guess which one I do?

I abhor cycle lanes on footpaths - so very often people stepping or driving out from their homes are not expecting a cyclist to be there and step/pull out infront of you without looking. So I cycle in the road.

Have I cycled in a way that prevents cars from passing me? Yes I have, it means I am creating safe space for me; if I move over to the gutter it means that a car can *just* fit - quite frankly I don't want that much moving metal squeezing past me because if someone misjudges it and clips me I'll end up under someones wheels.

A bicycle is defined in law as a vehicle, therefore (in the UK at least) they belong on the road.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Like I said before, twice; choose your battles.

As a motorcyclist, I have just as much right as the rest of traffic to be on the road, however, sometimes I have to ensure that traffic can pass me safely or yield the right of way when it's actually my right of way. The reason for this is cuz in the case of a head on collision, it'll be me who's scraped off the road, not the car driver as a general rule.

So, sitting there on your pushbike bleating, "Share the road! I have every right to ride on the main road! I refuse to use the bike lane!" is not really going to help you overly much when a car collides with you and makes you little more than a red stain on the tarmac. I understand teh points of the bike lanes sometimes being narrow, but where I am, the bike lane not only is off the pavement, but fairly wide.

However, the lycra louts still insist on using the road, and riding two or three abreast which I'm pretty sure is not allowed. The term "Lycra louts" when I use it, at least, doesn't refer to all cyclists; only those who break the rules of the road and insist that their rights are superior to everyone else's.

[crazylegs]

So, sitting there on your pushbike bleating, "Share the road! I have every right to ride on the main road! I refuse to use the bike lane!" is not really going to help you overly much when a car collides with you and makes you little more than a red stain on the tarmac. .

The thing is, by making sure a cyclist is part of the traffic stream you dramtically reduce the chances of being struck by any other vehicle. One of the most dangerous things I can do is to hop in and out of the traffic stream - every time I do that I increase the chance that I'll be hit by someone who isn't looking properly; as long as I stay in the traffic I'm safe.

Anyhow anyone who creams me at work will have more than a little explaining to do to my collegues

[Jay 2K Winger]

I seem to recall seeing something like this on Judge Judy. I don't normally watch the show, but sometimes it's on in the break room on the TV there.

Some guy who'd been riding a bicycle took this guy to court 'cos he hit him with his car when he rode out across the cross-walk at an intersection, when he (the bicyclist) had the red light. Judge Judy gave the guy quite a lecture about the fact that he was in violation of basic traffic laws.

[Bright_Star]

Some people forget (maybe on purpose) that a bicycle is a vehicle & are subject to the same rules & regulations that motorized vehcles must follow. You can actually get a ticket if you go fast enough on a road on a bicycle! I've heard stories....lol.

[RayvenQ]

Like I said before, twice; choose your battles.

As a motorcyclist, I have just as much right as the rest of traffic to be on the road, however, sometimes I have to ensure that traffic can pass me safely or yield the right of way when it's actually my right of way. The reason for this is cuz in the case of a head on collision, it'll be me who's scraped off the road, not the car driver as a general rule.

Yeah, when I used to bike, Right of Way often got supplanted by Law of Mass. Law of Mass= If you have more mass than me, and me pulling out or whatever I'm doing, has even a chance of coming close to you, even if you're supposed to yield to me, sod it, I'll let you have the right of way.

Also, on a sidenote Lace, have you ever noticed that sometimes, on your bike, the more you give way and let people pull out, the more it happens back to you? I have Now that's true Carma

[jedimaster91]

Sorry, but your numbers are off. My tractor weighs a bit over 20,000 pounds bobtail (i.e. with no trailer) and full fuel. Admittedly, it's a bit on the heavy side (a lightweight daycab can be as low as 17,000 pounds bobtail). A 53 foot dry van weighs somewhere between 13,000 and 15,000 pounds empty. The maximum allowable gross weight for a 5-axle combination is 80,000 pounds.

Regardless of the exact numbers, the cyclist who gets hit by a tractor-trailer is going to be a red smear on the pavement. And even if the trucker had the right of way, the poor soul is going to feel horrible for killing someone.