Trans_Maro wrote:
In reply to alfadriver:
Right or not, it really shows the mentality of a person when you give them a safer, faster and smarter option but they still choose not to use it.
You can't "just drive by" on this busy stretch of two-lane road because the traffic is so heavy. That's why the separated bike lane.
These people are just attention whores.
Shared paths are not faster, especially if you are riding a good road bike. You are sharing it not only with other bikers, but runners and walkers. Just like you having to drive around bikers, they would have to ride around others.
Your want to teach them a lesson seems like you want their attention a lot. Your attention whore thing goes both ways.
Ian F wrote:
ProDarwin wrote:
Is the "bike path" one of those turd multi-use paths we talked about in the other thread? I used to complain about bikers riding on the road when there is a path nearby (W&OD in western Loudoun), but now as a biker I totally understand why they do it.
Yes. Most of my teammates live in the DC area and I know the W&OD trail well. It's berkin' deadly. In Philly we have the Schuylkill River Trail. I used to ride on it years ago and it wasn't too bad... but friends who live in Philly say it's gotten exponentially worse with traffic.
Don't get me wrong... I still love the W&OD. We don't have anything like it in Winston (despite now being. It connects a lot of stuff and is a great place to leisurely bike/walk/rollerblade/whatever. Also great for jumping off one MTB and taking it for a mile or two to catch another without having to deal with the road.
But, if you are doing a serious training ride, commuting, or using a fairly fast road bike when there is other traffic on that trail, its a nightmare.
Trans_Maro wrote:
In reply to alfadriver:
Right or not, it really shows the mentality of a person when you give them a safer, faster and smarter option but they still choose not to use it.
You can't "just drive by" on this busy stretch of two-lane road because the traffic is so heavy. That's why the separated bike lane.
These people are just attention whores.
Why can't you drive by... they are in the middle of the road I take it?
I ride basically on the white line. You only need to give a cyclist 3 feet** Its pretty easy to get by one and still have your car in the lane in all but the smallest lanes.
**In fact, I hate when drivers insist on giving more than 3 feet, because it just means they wait longer to pass, it slows everyone else down and makes them more irritated and more likely to do something dumb.
We had a fatality here in Lexington yesterday. Drunk in a pick up took out a cyclist at about three in the afternoon. Tremendously busy area, three lanes of traffic in both directions and big shoulders (15+ft) several lights and cars entering the beltway. Cyclist is dead and drunk is charged with homicide. E36 M3ty time all around.
In reply to KyAllroad:
We were just in Lexington for the SAAB Owners Convention at the Griffingate. We brought our bikes, since I have had some good rides in Kentucky before, but although it was in the middle of two bike paths, the only riding option was along the private golf cart path by the hotel. I was getting an Atlanta vibe from the general driving in the area....
In reply to alfadriver:
You seem angry.
I really don't hate cyclists. I hate how I'm going to feel when one weeble-wobbles underneath the 2000lbs of reality that I'm trying to maneuver around them.
It's not a shared path, it's a separated bike lane, for cyclists.
Like I said, I know not all cyclists are dipE36 M3s but the ones that are REALLY stand out.
I'm sure you're not this guy: https://youtu.be/V3nMnr8ZirI
It's always interesting to hear people have so much of an issue with bikers. Not sure why it's so incredibly hard to give them a little room. The number of bad riders is just like the number of bad and rude drivers.
We spend so much time on giving kind people kudos, but when given the opportunity to be kind, many get really upset about it.
Really odd.
Some bikers ride to keep in shape, some ride to commute as an option to not drive a car, and others ride a bike because they have no other means. It only costs you a few seconds to be kind.
To OP I hope your friend is OK. That has almost happened to me on a motorcycle before.
Living in the DC metro area I always have to watch out for bicyclists. Very popular around here.
I started playing a game. How many bicyclists blow stop signs/red lights? Game.
Yesterday was 9/1.
9 cyclist ran them one stopped.
Anytime a cyclist ask for increased laws against drivers and what not, I ask "how many stop signs or red lights have cyclists run?"
In the end people don't pay attention when operating a motor vehicle and most cyclist don't understand/refuse the rules of the road.
Always leads to a bad situation.
