It is usually the inexperienced or inconsiderate cyclist who doesn't handle the road correctly.
Check your motor vehicle code. If the cyclists are interfering with or otherwise causing problems with the flow of traffic, the police should be notified. There maybe a cycling club involved, in which case the problem could be handled, monolithically, at that level.
In addition, please be patient, they are extremely vulnerable.
If it is any consolation, cyclists are often just as rude to other cyclists. I ride quite a bit, 3200 miles last year, mostly on trails separate from traffic. I routinely encounter cyclists riding side-by-side, or three wide that seem to think I should park my bike to stay out of their way. I always enjoy the look of terror on their faces when I veer slightly toward their group as they pass.
Practicing for when they get their motorcycle license.
There is a strange personality disorder found in many bicyclists. If I was a graduate student in Psychology, it would be my doctoral thesis topic. On the one hand, they are utterly vulnerable. Completely at the mercy of any angry, crazy, impaired person out there. And, simultaneously they are aggressive and combative. Often intentionally infuriating drivers by the usual tricks, lane straddling, passing lines on the sidewalk, disregarding the traffic signals, etc.
Its really fascinating to see. I must admit it. Its like seeing the neighbor’s vicious dog attack the parking meter ticket guy. Pure amusement.
But, it is none the less highly dysfunctional. Bicycling on roadways is the absolutely hands down the most dangerous form of exercise based recreation. So, who are those people?
They are like that in Massachusetts, for sure. Basically, they are intoxicated on self righteousness and blithely inconsiderate of other people on the road and the rules of the road in general.
Those morons riding n-side-by-side should be passing each other or stay single file. However the CA motor vehicle code doesn't quarantine the bicycles to the bike lane or the right side of the road; it merely requires the bikes stay as far to the right as practical, and bans the cars from the bike lane except when turning. So for example when encountering poorly constructed shoulders or grates or a left turn or slowpokes it's alright to venture out in front of irate motorists. hahah. Also splitting lanes is allowed for bicycles (if you dare, heheh). If the bicyclist wants to use the pedestrian crosswalk (motorists are required to kowtow to pedestrians in a marked crosswalk no matter what) they have to get off the bike and walk in order to be considered a pedestrian.
And so on. And most people you meet on the SF peninsula are in fact liberals; even the conservative people here are more liberal than a typical Arizona Democrat, for example.
Also my riding gear includes padded spandex, it's just way more comfortable. But I have no advertising copy, I just wear a reflective vest. Amusingly in AZ I find en-bicycle open carry is way more effective at engendering polite intra-vehicular behavior.
Bicycle Hooligans. “Same rules, same road” they’ll scream at you, until the rules are inconvenient for them, like waiting for the light to turn green before they cross the intersection.
The other day, four girls were walking side by side so that they took up a whole lane.
At least, they were facing traffic as they are supposed to do. Now if only they would walk single file, both of us could have used the roadway but noooooooo, it was side by side, while I had to stay stopped at the corner until they walked by - smiling as they went.
Cyclists here head out during rush hour in the morning and evening, thinking that everyone is supposed to cease driving until 25 or 30 of them cycle, again side by side, using the entire lane.
Of course, I'd love to play bumper car but I just smile and let them go on by.
I refer to such arrogant cyclists as the Spandex Mafia.
NO NO NO!
Most cyclists aren’t liberal jerks, though there is a libertarian streak in many of them.
Libs try to co-opt bikes as savior s of the planet and other BS, and it makes the rest of us pretty angry.
Many cyclists are ardent supporters of the 2nd Amendment and are tired of jack-wad motorists threatening their lives because they are running ten minutes late.
These cyclists will defend themselves if you threaten their lives.
BTW, I do not own a firearm. I just use harsh language.
Please don’t do something stupid because of the inconvenience.
Most motorists are unaware of this, but they have the same rights and have to obey the same laws as the driver of any other vehicle unless the road specifically posts that only motor vehicles are permitted. That includes indicating intention by pertinent signals: Left, right, and decelerating. [The signals to be used by cyclists are different from motorists and vary from state to state.] Riding on the berm is actually a violation; vehicles of any kind permitted on a road are not supposed to ride the berm, which is for emergency use.
The lay terms for Narcissistic Personality Disorder are “Jerk” if you want to be polite, “A$$hole” if you don’t, and “F’ing A$$hole” if you dare to be accurate.
Self-righteous bicycle riders suffer from NPD. Any of them here on this forum who wants to dispute that can take a hike.
Seen the same thing in Madistan WI where the US DOT has mandated bycycle routes in rural areas that run up road building expences and remove additional frontage from property lines on county roads. That can only be used during the summer season by a few pedalists but not 4 wheelers or bikers.
“but are most bicyclists ignoramus’s who think they own the road?”
In El Paso County Colorado, yes they do think they own the roads, and all of them. The road riders know darn good and well where the roads are that provide enough space for them without causing traffic hazards, but they just loooooooove to ride on the back roads without a shoulder.
They are super special individuals!
Amen Brother!
Bicyclists seem to have a divine right to form wide ‘caravans’ in the lanes something that is forbidden for all vehicles/bicycles obeying the rules of the road.
Bicycling and driving are not group efforts.
It is easy to stay in a bike lane, but most bicyclists are arrogant sanctamonious jerks. I have ridden over 100K miles and cannot stand most riders for this very reason.
Pray for America to Wake up
In Wyoming the rude California bicyclists often discover why we leave the snowplows on the front of our pickup trucks all-year long.
(-:
First off, that is a rather broad generalization. I am a cyclist, and not all (or even a majority) of us feel like we own the road or disobey traffic laws. Aggression toward other drivers takes on many forms - how many time a day do people in other cars tick you off? Just because the offender(s) happen to be cyclists as opposed to another car, why make a big issue out of it?
Also, there is a reason for the spandex, but I wouldn’t expect non cyclists to understand the importance - the bright colors improve visibility to distracted drivers that make it a point to not look for cyclists, and the the spandex contains inserts which alleviate saddle sores and must be close to the skin.
. When I ride to work I use a bike path which the city has built along side the road. These a- holes still ride in the road where the speed limit is 45MPH with no shoulders.