Careful Out there Cyclists

[Enough]

A good friend and coworker was assaulted by a cyclist hater and ended up with a busted Trek. It seems around here anyway that things are really starting to come to a head in the cars vs. bikes war, and now I know someone who was personally affected. And he is a very responsible rider in his 50s that rides everywhere for transport. He's not one of the cyclists that blows stop signs and rides three abreast. He is really the perfect poster child for bicycling and doing so with respect to the law and automobiles. Frankly this story has me pretty damn cynical about the state of our society. So be careful out there cyclists!

[Jag]

Crazy. We should be thanking and encouraging cyclists for helping the environment, not attack them!

[Tscott]

Crazy is exactly my thought, and I feel for your friend as that must have been a very nice bike to be worth $4800. And a very scary experience regardless of any monetary value.

But, does this one crazy act really indicate things coming "to a head in the cars vs. bikes war"? Personally, I and everyone I know show the utmost respect to bikers on the road.

[The Meal]

But, does this one crazy act really indicate things coming "to a head in the cars vs. bikes war"? Personally, I and everyone I know show the utmost respect to bikers on the road.

It's a pretty big battle here in Colorado. Both sides have strong merits to their arguments.

Sorry to hear about your buddy, Enough. At least he wasn't peppered with cannonballs.

[Tscott]

I guess I don't know anything about Colorado culture. Around here (Illinois) we're equally likely to get stuck behind bikers or farm equipment on the rural roads and most drivers respectfully slow down and wait for their opportunity to pass.

[The Meal]

While Colorado is a purple state trending blue, really it's a bright blue and bright red state with very few purples living in its environs. Bikers are fairly blue. People who'd smash bikers bikes are pretty red. Pent up hostility is somewhat related to gross gross stereotyping (did I mention GROSS) and the lack of empathy for (or by) folks who wear one-(stridently-)colored glasses.

[Sudy]

Drivers, be nice to cyclists. While they may enjoy cycling, you at this moment have it better than they do, transportation wise.

Cyclists, be nice to pedestrians. IT'S CALLED A SIDEWALK, NOT A SIDE-BLOODY-RIDE! IT'S NOT MY BLOODY JOB TO BE CONSTANTLY LOOKING BEHIND MYSELF WHILE WALKING JUST IN CASE YOU HAPPEN TO BE COMING ALONG! YOU WANT TO RIDE ON THE BLOODY SIDEWALK, FINE! BUT SLOW DOWN AND GO OFF INTO THE BLOODY GRASS WHEN PASSING PEDESTRIANS, DON'T EXPECT US TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OR EVEN BE BLOODY AWARE OF YOU!

I'm sorry about what happened to your friend, Enough. I'm in awe of cyclists who take the risk of riding on the road and ride responsibly.

[MHS]

I guess I don't know anything about Colorado culture. Around here (Illinois) we're equally likely to get stuck behind bikers or farm equipment on the rural roads and most drivers respectfully slow down and wait for their opportunity to pass.

Because there are SO many cyclists here, it can create tension. Most motorists are willing to share the road, and most cyclists are polite and patient. But there are a lot of cyclists who want the best of both worlds; they want motorists to treat them with respect, keeping distance between vehicles and bicycles, etc., but they don't obey the traffic laws or courtesies. Those are the ones who create tension. Since there are so many of them, it's a lot easier to get annoyed by the ones who blow off traffic signals and lights, and ride 3-4 abreast instead of single file. If it was a matter of an occasional cyclist causing a delay, fine. But there are hundreds of cyclists in Boulder County- I pass easily 75-100 every morning on my way to work.

[gameoverman]

I guess I don't know anything about Colorado culture. Around here (Illinois) we're equally likely to get stuck behind bikers or farm equipment on the rural roads and most drivers respectfully slow down and wait for their opportunity to pass.

Thankfully I don't have to drive on rural roads, but if I did I'd expect slow traffic to move over. I can see getting super po'd at some guys tooling along 20mph on their bikes on a road with a 40mph limit and a line of cars(or even just one car) stuck behind them.

A guy on a tractor? I wouldn't mess with him.

[Smoove_B]

I've yet to see cyclists obey traffic laws, both on rural roads and driving through local towns. Just last week I saw a guy a duded up in his Lycra speed suit zip through a red light. I cannot imagine having that kind of confidence while on a two-wheeled vehicle that weighs next to nothing. Can't say I've heard of the police cracking down on them either.

I did see a tractor hit a car in Virgina once. More accurately, the car hit the tractor. The person driving the car decided the tractor was moving too slow so she pulled into the oncoming lane to pass him. Unfortunately the tractor was just starting a turn and as he made the wide swing out, he drove over the back over the rear of her car as he made the turn. It left giant tire-dimples in her trunk and rear quarter panels.

[Enough]

But, does this one crazy act really indicate things coming "to a head in the cars vs. bikes war"? Personally, I and everyone I know show the utmost respect to bikers on the road.

It's a pretty big battle here in Colorado. Both sides have strong merits to their arguments.

Sorry to hear about your buddy, Enough. At least he wasn't peppered with cannonballs.

Yeah, there are also some crazy cyclists around these parts. Over the time I've been working out of CSU I've had two bicycles collide with my car while stopped at a stop sign. And they do lots of other incredibly stupid things. No doubt. That said, I don't see cyclists antagonizing drivers, throwing crap at them, etc to the same degree you see it on the other side. Just about everyone I know that bikes regularly has had crap thrown at them from a passing car, but I have yet to meet a motorist that has had similar issues with cyclists. Many cyclists that know better do tend to disobey traffic laws en masse, which really hurts their cause.

[LawBeefaroni]

As a driver, I give bikes all the right of way and room they want. I anticipate them running every stop sign and light and act accordingly.

When I do ride, I obey traffic laws.

As a pedestrian, I flaunt the rules just like most bikers and dare them to not give me right of way.


It all works out.

“This guy just kind of came out of nowhere,” said rider Joe Stevens, 51. “He was saying he was tired of us old guys from Boulder hogging the road.”

This is funny though. I picture a Cialis or Avodart commercial gone horribly wrong.

[LawBeefaroni]

Many cyclists that know better do tend to disobey traffic laws en masse, which really hurts their cause.

I've seen a lot of bike/tourist collisions downtown here. Tourist may be slow and oblivious, but there is no excuse for a biker hitting a pedestrian. I even saw one guy come back after hitting what had to be a 10 year-old-girl and start yelling at her.

[cheeba]

Bikers are fairly blue. People who'd smash bikers bikes are pretty red.

I really don't think I'd classify it like that. Perhaps you've spent too much time away from Michigan but the union-type folk (who tend to be blue) can act pretty damn "red" sometimes.

Personally I've been yelled at while on my bike ("get off the fucking road!") and had a bottle of pop thrown at me (wasn't even close) while riding my bike through Ann Arbor. This was uh, geez, almost 20 years ago now. Damn I'm getting old. I also remember there was some fuss in the bicycle newsgroups about the movie Natural Born Killers back in 1994. There was a scene where Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis drive alongside a bicyclist and blow him away, and the audience often applauded.

That's one of the great things about mountain bikes - you don't have to deal with cars. Of course, you have to deal with hikers who think the trails are theirs, but that's a bit less dangerous.

[The Meal]

Bikers are fairly blue. People who'd smash bikers bikes are pretty red.

I really don't think I'd classify it like that. Perhaps you've spent too much time away from Michigan but the union-type folk (who tend to be blue) can act pretty damn "red" sometimes.

I was speaking only for Colorado and as I tried to indicate was making gross generalizations. You're right that Reds and Blues mean different things in different parts of the country. (Duh.)

[cheeba]

That's still a weird generalization .

[Enough]

That's still a weird generalization .

Only because you don't live here. Let me do the math for you: Cyclist=Environmentalist=Progressive Liberal=Obama Lover=God Hating Commie Pinkos. Clear enough?

[Enough]

Was just talking to Joe and he told me the cops have advised him to start bicycling with a weapon.

He is currently looking at the ultra-high grade bear pepper spray in our field gear catalogs.

[killbot737]

Was just talking to Joe and he told me the cops have advised him to start bicycling with a weapon.

He is currently looking at the ultra-high grade bear pepper spray in our field gear catalogs.

I would go with epi-pens. Who's to know?

[Daehawk]

I'm still in a rural area. I think the first cyclist I ever saw around here was about 5 years ago. Theres a lot more now. Sometimes I see as many as 10-15 go by the house at a time. usually it's just 3-5. But when im in the car i never see even one of them.

[cheeba]

Only because you don't live here. Let me do the math for you: Cyclist=Environmentalist=Progressive Liberal=Obama Lover=God Hating Commie Pinkos. Clear enough?

Weird state. Must be the oxygen deficiency.

[pengo]

Whats worse is being a biker (motor) and fuckwits try and run you off the road.

I'm a member of a motorbiking forum and many guys talk about how either they or a friend or they have seen out on the road a car driver, go after a guy on a bike for whatever reason.

Basically the car driver, chaes down the bike rider and tries and tries to run him over with is car. Or otherwise nudge at the bike to try and make the biker fall off.

I just don't get some humans!

[Kyosho]

This has absolutely nothing to do with the actual conversation, but the title of the article in the OP triggered a semi-fond memory. When I was about 8, I made friends with a girl who had moved into the neighborhood. She was kind of a jerk, but, well, when you're that age your friends are the kids who are nearest. Anyways, one day she decided she would rather be friends with my older sister rather than me. My sister was merely tolerating her, but this girl all of a sudden was a total witch to me. She then decided it would be okay to take off riding on our bicycle. I say "our" because my sister and I shared a larger 10-speed bike that we'd gotten at a garage sale. We each had our own smaller bikes, but that one was both of ours. So yeah, i was pissed off. I still don't know whether my sister had given her permission to ride it or not, but I wanted her OFF MY BIKE. But she wouldn't get off. I timed it just right, and as she rode past, I rolled my baseball bat across the pavement into the street. It rolled and rolled and I thought it was going to be too early, but no. DIRECT HIT. Not the bat hitting her, but her hitting the bat. And crashing spectacularly. She got pretty scraped up and I got in deep shit trouble. It was kinda worth it though.

[Jaymon]

I've been biking to work for 20 years or so. Had my share of crap thrown at me, been yelled at, run off the road, and shot with a pellet gun once. I follow traffic rules, and I really dislike the folks who don't.

[pengo]

This has absolutely nothing to do with the actual conversation, but the title of the article in the OP triggered a semi-fond memory. When I was about 8, I made friends with a girl who had moved into the neighborhood. She was kind of a jerk, but, well, when you're that age your friends are the kids who are nearest. Anyways, one day she decided she would rather be friends with my older sister rather than me. My sister was merely tolerating her, but this girl all of a sudden was a total witch to me. She then decided it would be okay to take off riding on our bicycle. I say "our" because my sister and I shared a larger 10-speed bike that we'd gotten at a garage sale. We each had our own smaller bikes, but that one was both of ours. So yeah, i was pissed off. I still don't know whether my sister had given her permission to ride it or not, but I wanted her OFF MY BIKE. But she wouldn't get off. I timed it just right, and as she rode past, I rolled my baseball bat across the pavement into the street. It rolled and rolled and I thought it was going to be too early, but no. DIRECT HIT. Not the bat hitting her, but her hitting the bat. And crashing spectacularly. She got pretty scraped up and I got in deep shit trouble. It was kinda worth it though.

thats awesome, did she become your bitch?

[Jeff V]

PSA - Wear your helmet, damn it!

3rd cousin's wife, a retired school teacher who lived in the same small suburb I do now decided to go for a winter ride without wearing one. Her subsequent death is testament to the stupidity of doing so.

[Jeff V]

So I noticed there's a high percentage of organ donors in my 'hood; about 90% from what I've observed. Fortunately, my kids will refuse to ride sans brain bucket.

Two weeks ago, I removed the training wheels from my son's bike (or, as my 3 year old calls them, "stabilizers"). He finally started getting the hang of riding on 2 wheels, and then when I took him out, I insisted he start himself. That worked, and the next day my wife wanted to see him ride completely by himself and he gained the confidence to go fast. So the next day, I donned the spandex, helmet and gloves and took him for our first daddy/son ride. He made it 5 miles!

[hepcat]

The spandex...dear god....the spandex. That was the day I stopped believing in a just and kind God.

[Jeff V]

The spandex...dear god....the spandex. That was the day I stopped believing in a just and kind God.

You have to admit it's a miracle fabric though...

[Kraken]

So I noticed there's a high percentage of organ donors in my 'hood; about 90% from what I've observed. Fortunately, my kids will refuse to ride sans brain bucket.

Two weeks ago, I removed the training wheels from my son's bike (or, as my 3 year old calls them, "stabilizers"). He finally started getting the hang of riding on 2 wheels, and then when I took him out, I insisted he start himself. That worked, and the next day my wife wanted to see him ride completely by himself and he gained the confidence to go fast. So the next day, I donned the spandex, helmet and gloves and took him for our first daddy/son ride. He made it 5 miles!

That's farther than I've ridden a bike in the past 15 years. Cumulative.

[Daehawk]

The last time I rode a bike I rode around 40 miles that day. That was about 1986. So I haven't ridden a bike at all in 34 years.

[dbt1949]

I stopped riding when I moved to the top of a mountain back in 94. Steep dirt road no good, even on a mountain bike.

[Baroquen]

I haven't rode bike in close to 20 years. Kids (finally) learned how to ride a few weeks ago, so now I've got a new bike to ride along with them. It's been fun, but roads are busy around here. Looking forward to a beach trip this summer where things are more calm and flat. It should be good conditions for the kids to ride comfortably.

[AWS260]

Two weeks ago, I removed the training wheels from my son's bike (or, as my 3 year old calls them, "stabilizers"). He finally started getting the hang of riding on 2 wheels, and then when I took him out, I insisted he start himself. That worked, and the next day my wife wanted to see him ride completely by himself and he gained the confidence to go fast. So the next day, I donned the spandex, helmet and gloves and took him for our first daddy/son ride. He made it 5 miles!

That's so cool, Jeff.

[Jeff V]

I haven't rode bike in close to 20 years. Kids (finally) learned how to ride a few weeks ago, so now I've got a new bike to ride along with them. It's been fun, but roads are busy around here. Looking forward to a beach trip this summer where things are more calm and flat. It should be good conditions for the kids to ride comfortably.

Awesome, look for dedicated trails in your area too. We live in a new-ish subdivision and bike paths/nature paths were incorporated into the neighborhood. When they rebuilt and widened one of the main thoroughfares through town (US Rt 34) they put in a 4 mile stretch of trail parallel to the road. They did the same along the road on the north side of the subdivision, also running about 4 miles. It's possible to ride 10 miles or more without ever crossing a busy street, much less riding on one.

Now if I'm out running errands on the bike without the kids, traffic doesn't bother me. I'll share the road with 55 mph traffic.

[Holman]

I've been enjoying a dedicated trail that runs along the river all the way out to Valley Forge National Park. From my house it's about 32 miles round trip (with no car traffic involved at all), but I'm lazy and have only done the whole thing twice.

I just got spandex shorts for the first time in 40 years of bicycling. The padded butt makes all the difference!

[hepcat]

The last time I rode a bike I rode around 40 miles that day. That was about 1986. So I haven't ridden a bike at all in 34 years.

It took you 34 years to walk the 40 miles back?