WTF is up with Cycling Groups??

[urbanj]

I'm with ya. I hate the fact that most think they have every right to everything. They wanna be like motor vehicles and hog a lane instead of being off to the side or sitting in a left turn lane BUT at the same time running stop signs, red lights and acting completely oblivious to EVERYONE ELSE around them.

This is why I pinch them off on the shoulder if I'm stopped................. if I have to wait behind their slow asses, they can wait behind mine. Two way street. It's actually really stupid they allow something to share the roadways while having no training on what you can or can't do. 99% of them probably don't even know the bylaws related to cycling.

 

[xgrafcorex]

Boneman - At least you live up in Canada! Try living down in South Florida where these people run rampant year round! :spank:

 

[interactive3]

I'm kind of surprised to see such a post from you, Boneman.
Yes.. cyclists could be annoying and yes they often dress like clowns and yes, if they are riding more than 2 abreast, they are riding against the rules.
However, in most states (I don't know if any of this applies to Canada), cyclists are allowed to ride 2 abreast with first rider being up to 3 feet from the shoulder and 2nd rider being up to 3 feet away from first rider. They ARE considered to be vehicles and therefore must obey same laws (though it's highly unlikely a cyclist would get pulled over for blowing red light).
Cyclists DO get pulled over for speeding (easy to go over limit on downhills).

Anyway.. I know I'll be in minority here, but as an avid cyclist I must admit this upsets me
Of course some cycling groups act like superior a-holes, but I hope you all don't have the same attitude towards every cyclist you encounter on the road (I, for one, do not wear clown outfits when I ride and I only ride 2 abreast on roads where you usually won't see cars pretty much ever).

I've been a mountain biker for 20 years and I've picked up road biking in the past few years. Yes, it's true, bicycles are considered vehicles and have to follow the same rules of the road. Palo Alto cops will without a doubt give a cyclist a ticket if he/she goes through a stop sign, proceeds through a red light or doesn't yield to pedestrians. It is now legal in MA to ride two abreast. Personally, I HUG the side of the road (even when riding in a group) and don't understand why riders take up 2/3 of a lane when they don't need to.

I was very embarrassed to put on cycling shorts initially but now I don't think twice. The padding is necessary for long rides and the close fit keeps the shorts from chafing, or in the case of mountain biking, getting caught behind the saddle. A close fitting jersey is more comfortable than a cotton t-shirt flapping in the breeze for 60, 40 or even 20 miles.

On the road I've been called Lance many times, called other things a few times and I've been yelled at by some seriously angry Harley dude from his yard. It's amazing how much anger people have. I'm just trying to get in shape.

I do find it funny that motorcycle I wear a snell helmet, a jacket, boots, long pants, and full finger leather gloves - while on a road bike I'm on tires less than 1" wide, wearing shorts and short sleeves with no real protective gear except an expanded polystyrene helmet and hit 40 to 50 mph riding down larger hills.

 

[mbramlett]

For everybody making fun of the gear maybe the numbers will help you understand. At speeds in excess of 15 MPH (which is a slow pace for a decent person on a road boke) 60% of your effort goes to fighting the air forces, add 10-20% of your effort depending on the quality of the bike being wasted in the frame, and gears flexing. It's conveivable that we woulden't want a t-shirt flapping in the wind.

As far as taking up the whole lane, cars like to pass cyclists trying to be "polite" two at a time on a two lane road, and I have been ran off the road several times upon seeing a car come entirely too close and almost every time I ended up pretty bloody. Both elbows now have had 1" deep road rash marks on them which is a cool scar but I guess it's the price I pay for being a "polite" cyclist. Basically what i'm saying is that people like you have got your way and got me off of "your" streets but i'm not happy about it. I guess the plus side is that I can hop the hell out of a curb on my 1" tires and I know where all of the roads with bike lanes are . :rockon: Oh and I have still had cars come into my bike lane, as well as one fat b#(*& who stepped into my bike lane to try and stop me for what I am pretty sure was a booty call casue she gave me the old joey "how you doin" as I slammed on brakes and swirved to ride by. Hitting a deer with a motorcycle is old news, Hitting a fat B(&## with a bike at 20 MPH now that's original.

P.S. I do not rid in large groops, and I do not wear the brightly colored spandex I wear them under tight fitting shorts with a sleeveless shirt, but the second is only because I don't prefer the first. If I was racing anyone but my heartrate and lungs I would definetly throw on a pair of bib shorts.

 

[lonesoldier84]

i will say this once.

cyclists have more balls than motorcyclists.

i rode my norco CCX on the public main roads once and was in sheer terror throughout. semi trucks whizzing by with no respect at all.

now i stick to sidewalks and back roads and suburban areas.

 

[fast blue one]

I get annoyed with cyclists where I live because we have a dedicated network of cycle paths in the town.

They run alongside every main road in the town making riding safer in the town.

Do they use them? What do you think?

 

[fizz_off]

These guy's look like they are takin charge of their lane...... :rof: I'M SORRY BUT I BELEIVE THIER SHOULD BE A LAW BANNING MEN FROM WEARING SPANDEX..........:rof:

Ohhhh...this picture should be banned for what it kinda looks like those 2 are up to :spank::jawdrop: (LOL), and not to say I "lean" (pun intended) one way or the other, NOR that there's "...anything wrong with that...". The one in back looks like he's celebrating "something" and it's NOT finishing a stage - but let's not go there.

(yes, slow day at work...but it IS Friday!!! WOOhooo)

Anyway, back on thread - bicycles and scooters, last I knew, should NOT be in the main part of the travel lanes. In other words, ride as far RIGHT in the right hand lane as possible. Bicycle/scooter groups - at least in my section of MA - seem to be getting out of control. I even recently saw a "scooter group" on route 9 traveling in the LEFT lane (2 lanes in each direction) for about a mile or two ...they then cut back into the right lane and turned off...oh Mr. DOT/Polic officer, where art thou(s)?!

 

[Boneman]

Ok, maybe brining up their 'gear' wasn't the best. My bad. Thank you to those who pointed that out.

The point I was trying to make was for the most part a lot of these guys seem to be semi professional (or at least look it). So how come they can't act/ride like it?

I rode mountain bike too for many, many years and tons in traffic. I routinely see cyclists not obeying basic traffic law time and time again, and then these are usually the same cyclists that turn around and complain that no one is giving them their space or respect! (I know, same could be said about motorcyclists too I suppose).

I have ZERO problem sharing the lanes with cyclists. Heck, two abreast is fine with me....it's when a group decides they want to 'fan out' and take over a whole lane that gets me. Were I live bike lanes are everywhere and people can bicycle year round. So to me, this group is making a bad image for other cyclist who obey the rules. Much like our counterparts who decide to stunt on public roads and make a bad name for the rest of us motorcyclists.

The point of my frustration and what gets me is the attitude and the looks you get when you honk to let them know you are coming up behind them and giving them a heads up. That's mainly where my rant/issue lies here. I'm not talking about blasting away on the horn and trying to drive them off the road. A courteous honk since most of them don't ever look behind them.

I had a "discussion' once with one cyclist (not a group) who was basically swerving from the curb into the middle of the lane and back again all down a major busy street. The speed limit is 50 Km but reality it's 60km. I gave him a toot as I passed to warn him and I got the finger and yelling (why am I the "bad guy" here? I might have just saved your life!)At the light he puled up to my window at which time I informed him that the only reason I honked was because he was swerving so badly and wanted to warn him I was coming. He then goes on about how he's talked to the police and that "legally" he has the right to use the whole lane. True or not, unless you can pedal your a$$ at 60km an hour, it's probably not in your best interest to try and do so.

So I didn't mean to attack cyclists in general or thier choice in clothing. My rant was aimed at the large groups who not only ignore trafic laws and safety but then get all pissy when a motor vehicle actually wants to sahre/use the lane that they have now taken over. They expect us to share the road with them, well sharing works both ways guys. As we as motorcyclists all know, a cyclist is going to loose that battle between a moving car every time, regardless if you are right or "legally allowed".

 

[steveindenmark]

I ride a bike and obviously motorbikes.
I have all the gear...for both..you can`t knock people for wearing the right gear for the right sport.

I object far more to motorcyclists who think they are motorcycle racers than i do to cyclists.

Steve

 

[MarinaFazer]

it's probably not in your best interest to try and do so because right or wrong, a cyclist will lose every time in a collision with a moving car.

My brother just hit a Toyota Prius with his fixed gear the other day.

Damage to bike and him = 0

Damage to Prius = $900 for a new bumper that was screwed...

LOL - thanks Boneman

 

[DefyInertia]

No doubt they can pose a real danger if they don't act responsibly. That's why I often give them a quick toot of my horn as I come railing up behind them and then a big wave if they slide over to let me safely pass. Mutual respect in that case but it does not always go that way.

I've laid on my horn as I've passed a sole biker who knew I was approaching and was riding in the middle-left of the lane forcing me to change lanes completely to pass. That's just messed up when you're in the mountains.

My brother just hit a Toyota Prius with his fixed gear the other day.

What's up with this fixed gear fad?

 

[Hellgate]

A toot is good, a honk pisses me off. The reason is I'm hammering away focused on what I'm doing all of a sudden, "HONK"!

The fixedies are from track bikes. A million years ago you rode a track bike in the early part of the season to begin your training cycle for the year. The fixed gear doesn't allow you to coast and it make you pedal in circles vs. squares, it forces you to be smooth. Fast forward to Portland and Vinilla Cycles and their web site with hipeters pedaling fixed bikes and bang, 10 years later it's the "hip" thing. Many fixed think that form of cycling is more pure....

 

[MarinaFazer]

What's up with this fixed gear fad?

He's the one guy you can't complain about. He was pro - Penn State cycling team and Rides for Team Helen's. He was doing it before it was cool. LOL

 

[Soap]

Personally I can't imagine your horn being sounded at them being taken in anything other than a bad way, I've never seen it done but I know over here people go beserk at you sounding the horn at them plus the risk of startling them for me it too much of a risk to do it.

 

[ozzieboy]

We get loads of them in the Hills on the weekends here too. Why not where the bike tracks are?:spank::spank::spank:

One lane each way, 80km/h, blind corners and 3 'A' holes line abreast doing perhaps 15km/h.

In our road rule book it pretty clearly states "that it is illegal to slow down or inconvenience other road users" and gives an example. The example looks a lot like the speeds in the previous paragraph...lol.

So if I come round a bend at 60km/h and see three pushbikes across the lane doing 15km/h I don't think it is unreasonable to say they don't need to ride there, or ask if it's still going to be OK ('cause they've got the right to be there) when the car behind me rounds the same bend and takes me out because we are darn near stopped.

I usually go slow enough into corners that I can stop or avoid something I can see, so I'm not too likely to hit one of these folk. That is not my issue. My issue is that these people are likely to get me killed because what they are doing is stupid.

So I agree with the OP.:thumbup:

I'm definitely not trying to offend responsible pushbike riders (and I know there are loads of them):Flash:. I'm trying to offend the irresponsible folk that are trying to cause accidents:thumbup:.

Thanks for letting me share your rant...lol.:thumbup:

Cheers
Mike

 

[mstewar1]

First off, I'm glad that there's a reasonable tone in this thread, it's reassuring to me that our forum community manages, even in the context of what started as a rant, can have an intelligent discussion without sniping and attacking.

There are fools/tools on the road -- riding bicycles, riding motos, driving cars, hell, even walking. By their actions, they certainly don't earn our respect. And I know I'm as guilty as any when it comes to letting some bozo know how I don't approve...

But what concerns me about a thread like this, is that they feed into the running, internal dialogues we all keep within ourselves. Yeah, we all see folks acting stupid, and yeah, we don't like it. Got it. But when we rant and lump others, we allow a potentially hurtful mindset to persist and fester. And the next thing you know, someone's using their car to plow into a pack of cyclists.

There was an incident here in the East Bay area back in the early nineties where a woman went nuts and plowed into a group ride. To this day, I see one of the guys who was hit that day -- he's lucky as he survived, I think two or three others weren't so fortunate. He's got a prosthetic foot and still rides.

I guess I'm trying to suggest a "live and let live" and "do unto others" notions really do go a long way.

If you see cyclists -- solo or a group -- up the road, give a toot on the horn from a distance. I'm with Pete, if I get honked at by a vehicle when they're right next to me, I'm not too happy about that. If I hear a toot from a distant, approaching car, I move and wave in thanks.

From my experience, when riding a bicycle, it's tough to hear cars coming from behind. Even if I'm not riding with headphones on. Those little cycling helmets don't cover the ears. There's a lot of wind noise. And modern cars are pretty quiet. Getting surprised really sucks.

Perspective, patience, and compassion go a long way.

[stepping off of soap box]

 

[jtarkany]

That was, without a doubt, one of the finest, and truest, rants I've had the pleasure to read.

Thanks :thumbup:

 

[alanrim]

I reckon bikes used on the road by adults should have to have a registration plate, and insurance.

They can speed just like other vehicles, and can damage property just like other vehicles. If they are traceable then they may follow the rules more.

In our city motorbikes have had a trial period being able to use bus lanes just as push bikes can. During the recent review the only group that opposed it being made permanent were the cycling lobby. They reckoned we intimidate them and cause accidents, unfortunately for them the statistics proved otherwise. How a motorcycle passing can intimidate compared to having a 16T bus on your backwheel beggars belief.

 

[Boneman]

Personally I can't imagine your horn being sounded at them being taken in anything other than a bad way, I've never seen it done but I know over here people go beserk at you sounding the horn at them plus the risk of startling them for me it too much of a risk to do it.

Why would you think that it would always be bad??? A horn wasn't desinged to be a thing of "evil" and to only be used at someone who did something bad!!

Then what would you have one do when coming up on a group of riders 4 abreast going 15km slower than traffic? Nothing? I'd rather let out a little honk 'before' I come up on them than just BINGO, here I am right behind you.

So let me get this right:

A- if I honk, i'ts taken as "always bad" and I'm an idiot for startling you.
B - if I don't honk and come up right behind you I'm an idiot for startling you without any warning.

Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

Sorry, but if someone tooting their horn is going to be taken as "always bad", and is going to startle you then I would strongly suggest not riding your bicycle on the road anymore.

 

[Hellgate]

The irony of this thread is that we as motorcyclists bitch about dumbass cagers all the time. Yet when the shoe is on the other foot...