Cyclists, Explain Yourselves

[Tiger Sora]

I now have the urge to go to Toronto when I get back to Ontario and push a biker to the ground if he passes me on the sidewalk.

Well least here in Alberta, where I am, theres few cyclists. Drivers are fucking insane, thought they're very good letting pedestrians like me cross. Better than my own province. But against other cars, it's bad.

And now I must leave for work....... I'm scared.

 

[Timmey]

Surprised no one linked this yet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ

saying that though I do find it annoying that some cyclists are so vocal about how people in cars miss treat them but most I see don't even wear helmets. Worse than that are those who cycle at night, with no lights on ... in black clothes like a bloody ninja, if your gona cycle at night put lights on your bike and wear something visible ffs.

 

[jimbob123432]

Here in Winnipeg, we suffer from what I like to call "Transforming Cyclists". These are cyclists who are vehicles (most of whom follow the rules of the road) but they become pedestrians whenever it's convenient for them (such as going through a red light). This is a major problems (mainly because other drivers might not see them when they're going through the crosswalk because they're so fast) but Heaven help you if you try and tell them to stop. One cyclist, I'm not kidding, actually tried to defend himself from a ticket he got for running a red by saying "according to physics, you can never really stop motion and I was just applying that law to my cycling." I don't know if we have a leaking mercury storage facility in town, but cyclists in downtown Winnipeg are fucking stupid.

I also don't agree with the "we're vehicles too" argument. If you run into a car when you're biking (completely your fault), who has to pay the insurance fees? The driver (at least that's how it works here in Winnipeg). If you have zero liability on the road and zero training required to be on the road, get on the fucking sidewalk. I'm sorry for those cyclists out there who follow the rules of the road and aren't jerks, but a few of you are ruining it for everyone else. I'm personally all for licensing cyclists, even for free. Just take a test, show that you know what you're doing, and you can have your license.

 

[Slayer_2]

Cyclists are bad? What about fucking skateboarders? I hate all skateboarders who go on the road. Honestly, if you skateboard on the road at any point while a car is around, you're on my "biggest douche" list. "Lets all go and take our boards out for a 20kmph cruise down the slow lane of the highway, great idea dduudddeeee!!! But to make it more rad, lets wait till night!"

As a driver and cyclist, the thing that peeves me off most is bikers that ride side by side on a road. No. Just no. Don't block traffic so you and your buddy can chat. The other thing is bikers that stay at least 2 meters away from the curb, like they're scared it's gonna try to move and hit them or something. Get some measure of skill and stay within a foot or two, max.

I am guilty of running red lights and shit, but only when it's 3am and there are no cars around. Of course, I always check to make sure it's safe, first. The rule I follow is: cars are bigger and stronger than you, get the fuck out of the way and stay there. The law says "you have the right of way", common sense says "they have the right of way".

EDIT:

get on the fucking sidewalk

See, I have a problem with people who say this, since cops DO give tickets to anyone over 7 riding a bike on a sidewalk. It's rare, but it happens. Don't ask me to risk a $200 fine, have to dodge pedestrians/poles, and deal with a seat that acts and feels much like a motorized dildo up the ass just because you lack the patience and skill to maneuver around me. That said, don't be a dick (and stupid), hug as close to the sidewalk as you can so cars can get past easily.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Cyclists vs Drivers - the original flame war.

Thing I find hilarious is that EVERY SINGLE ONE of each side's arguments are 100% applicable to themselves.

This is bizarre. The arguments re: bad cyclists and the arguments re: bad motorists are completely different.

So a cyclist yelling at a motorist for being a fuel guzzling, environment killing menace is issuing an argument that applies to himself? On his bicycle?

I know you're doing a whole "I'm above the fray" thing here but think your comments through, guy.

 

[dragonswarrior]

Soooooo... I am a cyclist.

And I am a very courteous one.

And all I have to say is all this ridiculous hate that cyclists get is exactly why many of them are dicks.

It's hard to not feel special and entitled when you also feel like THE WHOLE WORLD LITERALLY HATES YOU AND YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY.

I mean, that's not true. I understand why you hate cyclists. I just don't understand why you hate me.

Also, it's very hard to share the road with moving death machines that will kill you if you sneeze wrong. Car drivers, please try to remember this.

Now, there are cyclists that are dicks. I hate them too. They're incredibly annoying.

But listening to this kind of talk is why I also feel some sympathy for them. Seriously, why do you want to shove my head in a grate? Or shoot me with a paintball gun? Please stop guys... *makes a sad pitying face*

 

[Casual Shinji]

Well, over here in Holland we have cycling lanes, the same as every other moderately developed country.

And on the few roads without these lanes we simply keep to our right side of the road where motorists can easily spot us.

..............................

I kind of fail to see the problem here.

See, you're following the rules. I'm just annoyed as all hell by the idiots who think they are above the rules.

I live in Guelph Ontario. They have bike lanes everywhere. And yet this moron insisted on slowly crossing a six lane highway because he couldn't be assed to stay on the road, so he took the sidewalk.

I guess I just never realized how cyclists are viewed abroad. From what I gather Holland has one of the highest cyclist ratios in the world and there's no real hostility between cyclists and motorists here at all.

It's probably a cultural thing, the first thing we do after we learn how to walk is learn how to ride a bike. And I don't know how it is now, but back in my elementary school days we had exams on how to behave in traffic while riding a bike. And even now when the end of summer vacation nears we put up temporary traffic signs signifying to mororists the beginning of a new school year, thus an increase of kids on bikes.

The only cyclists I hate are sports cylists since they have a complete disregard for everyone else on cycling lanes, everyone that gets in the way of their precious speed.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

Cyclists, Explain Yourselves

I don't even need to read the thread, this is the greatest thread of all time.

What would you suggest be done differently?

Build more cycle lanes to accommodate the cycling traffic?

Or break all their bikes.

I mean, either way problem solved.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

Here in Britain there are a few problems i've noticed since i started going cycling regularly.

1) lack of Cycle lanes/paths most roads don't have them so..
2) Cycling on a road without one can be pretty dangerous. Especially on old roads that barely have enough room for cars nevermind bikes.
3) Most drivers don't realise how much room you have to leave making the above problem even more dangerous.
4) Lack of knowledge about the rules. Some schools make you do a cycling proficiency test. Mine did not, as such I don't actually know most of the non-obvious rules... Speaking of which I'm going to look those up right now...

EDIT: although the lack of rules knowledge applies to drivers too btw.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

Here in Britain there are a few problems i've noticed since i started going cycling regularly.

1) lack of Cycle lanes/paths most roads don't have them so..
2) Cycling on a road without one can be pretty dangerous. Especially on old roads that barely have enough room for cars nevermind bikes.
3) Most drivers don't realise how much room you have to leave making the above problem even more dangerous.
4) Lack of knowledge about the rules. Some schools make you do a cycling proficiency test. Mine did not, as such I don't actually know most of the non-obvious rules... Speaking of which I'm going to look those up right now...

Local library or bookshop should have a basic road rules manual (it includes car,horse pedestrian as well, but importantly it will tell you the bike stuff )

Thanks
I go cycling with friends who did do their cycling proficiency, so i just follow them which has so far stopped me from dying but it's about time I learned what's what for myself.

 

[Padwolf]

Cyclists annoy the hell out of me. They think they own the bloody road, they don't look properly when turning, they don't even look out for pedestrians. There have been a few times when I've been crossing the road, the cars have stopped for me, but cyclists have continued and nearly knocked me down. The stupid cyclists need to learn that they have to follow the rules of the road. I once saw some cyclists pulling out from the pavement, when a truck was going by, I was in the car behind it, and the truck swerved and fell on it's side, all because those two cyclists didn't bother to stop and look where they were going. It was a busy road and cars had the right of way. It was terrifying to be behind that. Car drivers aren't perfect either, but some cyclists really do need to learn the rules of the road.

 

[LilithSlave]

Hey people who exercise and use less fossil fuels at the same time, explain yourselves! You scum! Scum scum scum! Here I am getting putting on weight by being sedentary and spending all my video game money on gasoline!

Eh, cut cyclists some slack. They don't get enough support when they're a really good form of transportation and automobiles deserve less dominance. And when you're forced to bike on the road even though you're surrounded by big 18 wheelers and things. But not on the sidewalks, because that's where people are supposed to be walking. And some driving law sensibilities don't apply to you, because you're not a big, threatening car, death on wheels, of course some people are going to feel like "rules are for motor vehicles". And take advantage of any possible freedoms that cycles allow.

I wish people in the United States liked bicycles more. People look at you like a freak, like you're just randomly doing push ups in public or like you're a hobo who can't afford a car. And you don't want to look like you're poor in America, noooooooo.

And don't get me started on how skateboarders are treated. I don't know about your culture, but in our culture, skateboarder pretty much means socialist, counter-culture punk. You're the child we as parents warned our children about. You're probably a drug dealer and a liberal scumbag. Don't you have a church to go deface you scummy atheist?

 

[deathninja]

My biggest peeve is cyclist jumping red lights at pedestrian crossings, I get hit crossing the street almost as many times as by cyclists on the pavement.

 

[Vrach]

What would you suggest be done differently?

Build more cycle lanes to accommodate the cycling traffic?

^This.

Also, let me reveal a hidden secret to you all.
Drivers hate pedestrians and cyclists.
Pedestrians hate drivers and cyclists.
Cyclists hate drivers and pedestrians.

You're not special. I know you think you're a lovely little snowflake, but you're just as annoying as anyone else. Yes, cyclists will act like jerks. So will pedestrians and so will drivers. I've seen pedestrians jaywalk slowly across the street when there's a car heading towards them and not give a fuck. I've seen drivers speed 80 km/h in the middle of the city and I've seen them go 60 km/h in a one way street, going the wrong way. And of course I've seen cyclists act like idiots, cutting in front of cars and slamming into people.

It's all a moot discussion. It's no one of the three group's fault, it's the fourth group, the idiots and the fact we don't have enough cycle lanes in most places. Oh and btw, your thread title is doing a good job of working at your membership towards the fourth group.

 

[LilithSlave]

Make them feasible. Shit in the US is just too damn far apart for bicycling to be a feasible method to get around. Maybe 5 or 6% of Americans live in a suitable range

I'm from Arkansas, believe me, I know how rural and spread out things can be.

That being said, with cities and suburbia there isn't much excuse. Hot Springs, Little Rock, and Texarkana, all have sad public transportation, cycle-ability, and sidewalks period. If you life in town in even little old Hot Springs, you live in town and not in the Garland county outskirts by school districts like Lakeside or Lake Hamilton, you live close to most of what you need like a local Kroger or so forth. But there are almost no sidewalks to be found whatsoever outside of the tourist attractions.

People don't even have proper walking areas. It is either tall grass full of chiggers and junk, or road.

 

[BringBackBuck]

I have just taken up commuting by bike, and like most cyclists I am also a licensed motor vehicle driver. Driving in a car for 15 odd years hasn't made me hate cyclists with anything like the abhorent venom being spewed so far in this thread, so I was genuinely surprised when cycling to work and obeying all road rules, not being a dick, and some car drivers responded by:

swerving to attempt to hit me (or just scare me), throw things at me, yell abuse as they drive by, open doors into my path (ie: the designated bike lane I am in) and generally be complete assholes.

Please, enough of the generalisations. Yes, some (many) cyclists are dicks, some (many) motorists are dicks. Some (many) people are dicks and they both ride bikes and drive cars. Some (many) people are dicks who neither drive cars or ride bikes.

 

[Yopaz]

I don't know how it is in other countries, but here cyclists are allowed to act kinda like pedestrians and kinda like cars according to if they are on the sidewalk, road or bicycle lane.

Now in general that seems to mean that cyclists here just follow the rules that allow them to keep going. "I am a pedestrian. whoops, red. In that case I'm a car!" Yeah, they annoy me too at times.

 

[LilithSlave]

The sweet spot for cycling is between one and five miles from work. Closer than a mile you can just walk. Beyond that point cycling takes far too long.

Funny, when I was living in Hot Springs, I was like, 1 mile from the local Kroger, 2-3 miles form the local Wal-Mart, and plenty close to plenty of other useful places.

But no place decent to bike or even walk. And what I'm saying is, even if there's reason to be able to walk or bike, it often is not facilitated enough. A lot of urban places in the United States that it would be feasible to have bike paths, don't. And places in the United States that at least deserve a decent sidewalk, do not.

People aren't encouraged to use non-motored transportation like they ought to. If they live out in the woods, the rural areas, plenty understandable. But for those that can, alternative transportation should be encouraged.

And what I'm trying to show, is that even in little old undeveloped Arkansas, biking and walking is feasible. And would be a lot more so if there was proper facilitation.

 

[somonels]

What would you suggest be done differently?

Flatten them, you outweigh them a thousand to one. I've seen a driver jump out of the car, caught up to the guy, yank the handlebar to the cyclist's groin, push him off and throw the instrument of despair to the ditch.
I believe the "Code of ye Bitumen" clearly states the one in the right doesth not need to ponder in regard to the one in ye wrong, who shall be blameth for all theh situation.

 

[Macgyvercas]

When I bike, I try to stay on sidewalks whenever possible (and always shout to announce I'm passing by someone if I'm coming behind them). When forced on the road, I try to stay as close to the curb as possible.

That said, when I'm driving, cyclists do really piss me off at times (but then, so do other drivers).