What is it with bicyclists?

07-05-2013 | Me

[Kevin in California]

It's bad enough looking at these idiots in their colorful tight spandex garb and the stupid looking shoes they wear but are most bicyclists ignoramus's who think they own the road?

Here I am sitting at a red light and to the opposite side of the intersection, there are 7-8 bicyclists turning left to ultimately be in front of me. My light turns green and as I approach the cyclists, everyone one of them is darting in and out of their bike lane causing me to brake, then go, then brake, etc. to the point I couldn't go around them without going into the lane to my left that was congested with cars. A couple times I had to float over the middle line to avoid these dumbasses.

I'm not a cyclist but is it that hard to stay in a bike lane and/or are these just stupid liberal California cyclists?

[RobertClark]

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.

[Richr50]

. 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.

[Zathras]

Its all over the west coast. Bikers trying to kill themselves by ignoring laws

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***the rules don’t apply to them. ***

How true! Several years ago I was driving in Tulsa, OK and stopped at a stop light. When it turned green I proceeded as all the other autos had stopped.

Half way into the intersection two bicyclists darted into the intersection coming from the left, which had a red light. Lucky I had good brakes as they did not even slow down.

[katana]

I grew up riding country roads here in the Midwest (Ohio) and at that time there were no bike lanes, just loose gravel, and we all learned to be really paranoid of and careful about cars passing. Then there's the Midwest politeness with which those of us brought up outside the cities still to some extent are inculcated.

This is not to say we don't have some share of a**hole riders but it sounds like that species is much more common out in your neck of the woods. Unfortunately, a Darwinian cull may be the only way for your bicycle herd to learn its manners.

[TurboZamboni]

A true mass-hole comes in stinky and sweating and works in the office all day like that.

Either that or demand the gubmint fund showers and changing rooms to form “public-private partnerships” with companies wanting to “go green”.

[READINABLUESTATE]

“Critical Mass-holes”
Yup, They take over the streets and dare you to mess w/ them.

[elkfersupper]

There was this 2-lane highway through the mountains East of Albuquerque that I relied upon to get back and forth to work and accomplish my weekend errands.

Every weekend there was not snow on the ground, the spandex-clad potential road kill was out there on a road designed for vehicular traffic clogging it up thinking it was a personal bike trail.

At the time, I was driving a 1995 F-250 with a Powerstroke diesel engine.

As soon as I could get around the arrogant bastards and bitches, I would floor that thing, fire up the turbo and cover them up with black diesel smoke for 1/2 mile.

Carpet tacks loose in the bed made me feel even better.

[bgill]

There’s a little narrow hilly windy road near here that bicyclists seem to think they own. It’s bad enough staying on the road yourself but then you’re having to dodge deer and, now days, idiot bicyclists. Of course, if one becomes a speed bump then it’ll be my fault and not his. Round a curve and boom! there they are. Come up over a hill and boom! more of them. A few months ago, we couldn’t get to work because they’d blocked off the one and only road to town with a race or something. Good thing there wasn’t an ambulance or an emergency.

[GraceG]

“Critical Mass-holes”
Yup, They take over the streets and dare you to mess w/ them.

The best thing to do is to point and lauggh loudly at the morons, they hate it when people mock them.

Maybe they will attack you and make sure you have it on video.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

hahah, I was in downtown Portland last week on the waterfront, I wish I would of had a video cam, it was insane to watch “commute” time, I have never seen so many people ride bikes. Really funny moment my daughter (not used to watching for bicyclist) walked out in front one and the poor lady was like “Holy &#%!$, ahhh help, oh my g_d, help” and we thought she was going to lose it, glad she didn’t fall but it did scare the crud of her.

[re_nortex]

Cyclists and walkers/runners here in my neck of the woods, think that the roads/lanes are theirs first!

Over the past 10 days, I've seen exactly two Obama/Biden-2012 bumper stickers -- thankfully a rare sight here in my part of exurban Texas. Both were on cars with Yankee tags (one Minnesota and the other Oregon). And both had this sticker on them:

Sure there are some good people who ride bikes and run (such as George W. Bush and Sarah Palin) but the vast majority of them are American-hating leftists who despise our domestic oil producers. Here's a study in contrast that I think sums up my thoughts about bicyclists and riders compared to a real American's mode of transport:

[TADSLOS]

Funny you should mention that. In the late 90s I was briefly assigned at Ft Sheridan, IL located in the north Chicago area. I was departing at the end of the duty day into heavy rush hour traffic, sitting at the “gate” intersection in my F150 with Texas tags (an outlier, for sure in the trendy Lake Forest area) waiting for a green light. Out of nowhere, I see a cyclist riding head down at full speed on the sidewalk into the intersection and striking my right front tire with a muffled whump. The guy was laid out, his bike all jacked up. He gets up yelling and screaming at me, flipping me off. All I could do was laugh at him and drive off when the light changed. Score one for the undamaged pickup truck.

[elkfersupper]

Sucks to have the right of way and be dead.

I always abide by the lug-nut-count-right-of-way rule.

Whatever has the most lug nuts has the right-of-way.

[muleskinner]

I live in Cal. and the laws in Cal. are essentially what you posted.

The part about bikes being entitled to a full lane is true and especially annoying, galling and outrageous.

I didn;t know about them not entitled to ride 2 or more abreast. Good to know. ("Neah, ah-ah", Snidely Whiplash moustache twirl)

[re_nortex]

Out of nowhere, I see a cyclist riding head down at full speed on the sidewalk into the intersection and striking my right front tire with a muffled whump. The guy was laid out, his bike all jacked up. He gets up yelling and screaming at me, flipping me off. All I could do was laugh at him and drive off when the light changed. Score one for the undamaged pickup truck.

That's a great story with a happy ending! That's another victory for Texas values and for trucks.

[mylife]

That is the way I play it.

[Mad Dawg]

+1

[Red Dog #1]

"...most bicyclists ignoramus's who think they own the road?"

I'd be very careful about making "seeping generalizations". More than a few cyclist are hardcore conservative (for example, RedDog#1) and more than a few do a relatively good job following the rules of the road (notice several of the "angry driver" post in this thread openly admit to being dangerous, law breaking jerks).

BTW, several friends and I ride because we're in our forties and too old to run 20 or 30-miles a week to stay in shape for military PT test. Might be something to think about.

[Hot Tabasco]

colorful tight spandex garb

They're necessary for riding roadbikes since the butt portion has a pad to protect oneself from the narrow and hard carborn fiber seats. The long legged spandex is necessary for cold weather riding since baggy pant legs will get caught in the main pedal sprocket (they have no chain guard like your Schwinn Flyer has).

stupid looking shoes

Equally necessary due to the clip on pedals. The pedals are not your typical pedal but instead, they are small and built to accomodate the slots on the bottom of the shoes. The better shoes have a rigid sole that is usually made out of carbon fiber too......

Here is a typical road bike saddle (seat):

Here is a typical road bike pedal:

Here is a typical road bike shoe sole:

Notice the chain guard where long legged spandex is not required. For the record, this bike has never won any cycling event ever held in the world, let alone the TDF......

Now here is a current road bike with the exposed pedal sprocket, which obviously requires pant legs that will not get caught in the chain.....

:

With that being said, I agree with your comment, most of the cyclists I have encountered are pretty much elitist dicks and that includes those I have encountered on bike paths where I used to skate with in-line speed skates. The bike path wasn't built to accomodate the road bikes and the roads weren't wide enough to accomodate them either, so what are they gonna do?