“I’ve seen them in the turn lanes in the middle of busy intersections as if they were cars.”
Uh, how else does a vehicle make a left turn, if we don’t do it out of a left turn lane?
What is really infuriating is a motorist who speeds up to pass us on the left side, only to slam on their brakes to make a right turn squarely in front of us. I mean, would it kill them to ride behind us at 20 mph for that last 100 yards?
>>What is really infuriating is a motorist who speeds up to pass us on the left side, only to slam on their brakes to make a right turn squarely in front of us.<<
That is exactly how I hit a car. And the turn was at the bottom of a long steep hill. I was doing 45 and a teenaged girl and her friend did just that. I braked as hard as I could but hit the car and just rode it around the corner as my pedals ground into the door. You should have seen the look on her passengers face. ;) I never even stopped. I just told her (politely, actually), as I circled aound the front of the car, that she needs to be aware that a bike is trying to brake on two patches the size of dimes and just be aware of that next time. I then got back on the road and headed home.
I felt bad for them because they were just not fully aware of the physics going on with moving vehicles. And that is why I am careful - there are a lot of drivers like that.
Back in the day when I rodemy bike on the streets of Chicago, I went across the busy intersections as if I was a pedestrian. It took longer but it was safer. Five kids got splatted here by being assertive. Right as in dead right is no right at all for your survivors.
How would you do it if you were on foot?
Would it kill you to slow down and let the car turn right ahead of you?
I get that when I'm driving. Nobody behind me in my lane for 1/4 mile, but the jackass in the left lane behind me has to pass me at twice the speed limit, then get in my lane and slam on his brakes to make the turn.
“I’ve seen them in the turn lanes in the middle of busy intersections as if they were cars.”
Uh, how else does a vehicle make a left turn, if we don’t do it out of a left turn lane?
What is really infuriating is a motorist who speeds up to pass us on the left side, only to slam on their brakes to make a right turn squarely in front of us. I mean, would it kill them to ride behind us at 20 mph for that last 100 yards?”
Most cyclist seem to have that holier than thou attitude towards cars,(I know dozens who bike for exercise or to commute) and I’m pretty sure they are likely suspects when you see a keyed SUV.
And I have seen plenty do some really stupid things in traffic that should have got them killed.
Arrogant, combative, things in some cases.
But cutting off cyclist or not noticing them (or caring about it)I’ve seen done too,. the same people who whip around and cut off a bike rider are the same Nimrods who whip around tractor trailers and then slam on their brakes for a lane change or an off ramp.
A few weeks ago a buddy and I decided to bike to a new route which required us to ride the extreme right edge of a narrow 2 lane road. We had just passed a small group of riders (maybe 5 or 6) who were riding single file as we were on the other side of the road. Suddenly a big pick-up roared up behind that other group then laid on his horn. Had I been the last rider I probably would have been startled enought to either swerve to the left right in front of the truck or swerve to the right, off the edge of the asphalt and wiped out.
Upon witnessing that I told my buddy to head back to our standard route on the bike path......
Cemeteries across this land are filled with cyclists who had the right of way......