Question for all cyclists

[Argo]

How the heck do you guys ride on smaller roads? Aren't you afraid? The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding.

I can see how somebody in a big SUV or an inexperienced driver could've easily hit the guy. Can't you guys go to a park and ride there?

 

[Fausto]

1) I avoid narrow busy roads when possible.

2) No, I can't go to a park. Some of my training rides are 5 hours long. I'm not doing 200 laps of a park, sorry.

 

[Kelemvor]

I agree to try to stay off of tiny roads. I'm having trouble finding a route to get to work this summer because the main route is a highway with 55mph speed limits (does have a shoulder but people fly down the road). The other is a road that's about 35mph limit but it's one lane each direction. Think it has a gravel shoulder I could go onto when cars come but haven't scouted it much yet.

Oh well.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Argo
How the heck do you guys ride on smaller roads? Aren't you afraid? The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding.

I can see how somebody in a big SUV or an inexperienced driver could've easily hit the guy. Can't you guys go to a park and ride there?

We know that if you hit us, it's your fault.

Also, we don't care. We're kinda jerks like that

 

[loic2003]

I used to have an air horn for my bicycle - proper noisy it was. A canister fitted into one of the bottle cages. You then pressurised the canister with your regular bicycle pump. There was a thin air feed tube which led to a 6" horn on your bars... worked pretty well although you'd only get about 90 seconds of continuous sound from a full tank of air. Some nobber stole it from me in a carpark though...

I'm one of those bastard cyclists that people hate, but it's for a reason. I cycle in the middle of the road when I think it's unsafe for people to pass me. When I think it's safe I pull to the side to allow them past. It's all about survival and I don't care about p!ssing off the odd motorist to remain alive & uninjured.



Edit: here's a modern version of it: link (we're talking 10 years + since I had mine)

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Argo
How the heck do you guys ride on smaller roads? Aren't you afraid? The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding.

I can see how somebody in a big SUV or an inexperienced driver could've easily hit the guy. Can't you guys go to a park and ride there?

We know that if you hit us, it's your fault.

Also, we don't care. We're kinda jerks like that

Hmm, no it's not. If there is a car coming in the opposite direction, I'm not risking a head on collision just to save you a few broken bones.

At the very least I think you should be riding in the opposite lane, that way you're facing traffic. Those bikes don't even have rear-view mirrors.

 

[40Hands]

Slow down and pass the guy on the bike when its safe? Not that hard.

 

[gandalph]

I just ride around in my neighborhood on the road. It's only about a 1.3 mile loop, but I could easily make it bigger when I get back in shape. The worst that's ever happend is almost being hit by a bus. That ended with me ditching into....well, the ditch.

I actually ride more XC than road, so you don't really have to worry about crazy-ass drivers on singletrack. Just families with their kids running around and their dog chasing after you while your trying to dodge the turtles crossing the trail (they look sorta like rocks...).

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Argo
How the heck do you guys ride on smaller roads? Aren't you afraid? The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding.

I can see how somebody in a big SUV or an inexperienced driver could've easily hit the guy. Can't you guys go to a park and ride there?

We know that if you hit us, it's your fault.

Also, we don't care. We're kinda jerks like that

Hmm, no it's not. If there is a car coming in the opposite direction, I'm not risking a head on collision just to save you a few broken bones.

At the very least I think you should be riding in the opposite lane, that way you're facing traffic. Those bikes don't even have rear-view mirrors.

*sigh*

Here we go.....

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Argo
How the heck do you guys ride on smaller roads? Aren't you afraid? The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding.

I can see how somebody in a big SUV or an inexperienced driver could've easily hit the guy. Can't you guys go to a park and ride there?

We know that if you hit us, it's your fault.

Also, we don't care. We're kinda jerks like that

Hmm, no it's not. If there is a car coming in the opposite direction, I'm not risking a head on collision just to save you a few broken bones.

At the very least I think you should be riding in the opposite lane, that way you're facing traffic. Those bikes don't even have rear-view mirrors.

*sigh*

Here we go.....

Hey, I'm really concerned for the safety of these guys when I see them. Sorry if it came away condescending, it wasn't meant that way. A lot of times it really required all my concentration to avoid hitting the biker or the oncoming traffic. Meanwhile, the biker doesn't even see me. It's helluvalot riskier that me riding my motorcycle, since at the very list I have rear view mirros and can speed away from crazy drivers.

 

[notfred]

If thte lane is THAT narrow that I don't think cars can safely pass me: I'll just move out into the middle of the lane, so they're not tempted to pass me. They can pass when it's safe, or stay behind me gonig 15mph until the road gets wide enough so that they can safely pass in the same lane as me. Most roads aren't that narrow and that busy though.

Riding into oncoming traffic is fvcking retarded. If someone smashed the rear-view mirrors on your car, would you drive home on the wrong side of the road jsut so you had a better view of traffic? If you want people going backwards down the road, you're a moron.

 

[loic2003]

Originally posted by: Argo
It's helluvalot riskier that me riding my motorcycle, since at the very list I have rear view mirros and can speed away from crazy drivers.

Agreed there.
Although it's eaier to kill yourself going fast on a motorbike, I think riding in town is safer because you won't be overtaken, you have mirrors, a headlight (ALWAYS should be on full beam) and hopefully a decent set of tyres + safety gear.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Argo
How the heck do you guys ride on smaller roads? Aren't you afraid? The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding.

I can see how somebody in a big SUV or an inexperienced driver could've easily hit the guy. Can't you guys go to a park and ride there?

We know that if you hit us, it's your fault.

Also, we don't care. We're kinda jerks like that

Hmm, no it's not. If there is a car coming in the opposite direction, I'm not risking a head on collision just to save you a few broken bones.

At the very least I think you should be riding in the opposite lane, that way you're facing traffic. Those bikes don't even have rear-view mirrors.

*sigh*

Here we go.....

Hey, I'm really concerned for the safety of these guys when I see them. Sorry if it came away condescending, it wasn't meant that way. A lot of times it really required all my concentration to avoid hitting the biker or the oncoming traffic. Meanwhile, the biker doesn't even see me. It's helluvalot riskier that me riding my motorcycle, since at the very list I have rear view mirros and can speed away from crazy drivers.

Look, odds are we know you're there. My ears are my rearview mirrors. I'm sorry this guy was in your way, but that's just the deal sometimes. If you want to bitch at someone, bitch at the people who make the roads for not making them wider or ever bothering with bike lanes.

I don't like being in people's way any more than they like me there, but this is what I do and the roads are the only place I can train. Like I said, I try to stay out of the way and stick to less-busy roads, but this cannot always be helped.

BTW- riding against traffic would be suicide since the distance from bike to car closes so much more quickly. A small error by either party would = death.

 

[Mr N8]

Originally posted by: Argo

Hmm, no it's not. If there is a car coming in the opposite direction, I'm not risking a head on collision just to save you a few broken bones.

At the very least I think you should be riding in the opposite lane, that way you're facing traffic. Those bikes don't even have rear-view mirrors.

Riding into traffic is a whole to more stupid than riding with it. Unfortunately, there are times that riding on those roads are unavoidable, and you just have to treat us like any other part of traffic. If you can't get around at the momement, slow down and pick your opporunity to pass.

 

[Calin]

One time a bus passed me (in the same direction) at less than 4 inches. Thanks God the bike was very very stable

EDIT: majusculized a letter

 

[b0mbrman]

Riding into traffic? Are you serious?

If someone couldn't see me when we're going the same direction, they're way less likely to see me in time when we're heading toward each other

 

[Argo]

Btw, I'm not ranting about a situation that happened to me. I've never been stuck behind bikers, in fact they've never inconvinienced me. I was just commenting on riskiness (is that even a word) of riding a bike on 1 lane roads.

As for riding in oncoming traffic, it does sound stupid I agree. But when I jog (a lot slower here), I also do so in the oncoming traffic. I can't bear myself to run without seeing cars passing me, on an off chance that some idiots won't notice me.

Btw, on a side note, how come everything on ATOT turns into an argument or a flame war? I just commented on how I thought it was dangerous for YOU to be riding on narrow roads and here I'm being called an idiot by some guy I've never even met in my life. Are most of you this way in real life too? You must not have a lot of friends then.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Argo
Btw, I'm not ranting about a situation that happened to me. I've never been stuck behind bikers, in fact they've never inconvinienced me. I was just commenting on riskiness (is that even a word) of riding a bike on 1 lane roads.

As for riding in oncoming traffic, it does sound stupid I agree. But when I jog (a lot slower here), I also do so in the oncoming traffic. I can't bear myself to run without seeing cars passing me, on an off chance that some idiots won't notice me.

Btw, on a side note, how come everything on ATOT turns into an argument or a flame war? I just commented on how I thought it was dangerous for YOU to be riding on narrow roads and here I'm being called an idiot by some guy I've never even met in my life. Are most of you this way in real life too? You must not have a lot of friends then.

If I had friends, I'd be out drinking instead of cycling

 

[Mr N8]

Yes, narrow roads and busy roads are dangerous. When I ride to work, there is about a 1 mile stretch that I have to ride that is very busy. However, to avoid it, I would have to go 2 miles out of my way, and since I'm using my bike to commute, I'm not adding that time to my trip.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo
Btw, I'm not ranting about a situation that happened to me. I've never been stuck behind bikers, in fact they've never inconvinienced me. I was just commenting on riskiness (is that even a word) of riding a bike on 1 lane roads.

Uh....did you not type "The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding. " in the first post?

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: Argo
Btw, I'm not ranting about a situation that happened to me. I've never been stuck behind bikers, in fact they've never inconvinienced me. I was just commenting on riskiness (is that even a word) of riding a bike on 1 lane roads.

Uh....did you not type "The other day I was passing a cyclist on a back road and there was oncoming traffic. As the result, I couldn't steer into the opposite lane and when I passed the guy there was litterally 10 inches of space separating us. I was scared sh*tless that I'll knock the guy off. Yet he just continue riding. " in the first post?

That didn't inconvience me as much as it put him at risk.

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Argo
Btw, I'm not ranting about a situation that happened to me. I've never been stuck behind bikers, in fact they've never inconvinienced me. I was just commenting on riskiness (is that even a word) of riding a bike on 1 lane roads.

As for riding in oncoming traffic, it does sound stupid I agree. But when I jog (a lot slower here), I also do so in the oncoming traffic. I can't bear myself to run without seeing cars passing me, on an off chance that some idiots won't notice me.

Btw, on a side note, how come everything on ATOT turns into an argument or a flame war? I just commented on how I thought it was dangerous for YOU to be riding on narrow roads and here I'm being called an idiot by some guy I've never even met in my life. Are most of you this way in real life too? You must not have a lot of friends then.

If this wasn't something that was a LAW that you're supposed to be required to know when you get your driver's licenese, then maybe I wouldn't be as harsh on people who drive but don't know it.

From the California DMV's website:

When passing a bicyclist, pass on the left. If you are in a narrow traffic lane, wait until the traffic clears in the opposite lane before passing a bicyclist. Do not squeeze past the bicyclist.

and from the California vehicle code:

21200. (a) Every person riding a bicycle upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division, including, but not limited to, provisions concerning driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs, and by Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000), Section 27400, Division 16.7 (commencing with Section 39000), Division 17 (commencing with Section 40000.1), and Division 18 (commencing with Section 42000), except those provisions which by their very nature can have no application.

People with driver's licenses are suppsoed to know the laws regarding driving.

 

[Argo]

I've never heard about this law when I got my license in NY, or when I got my motorcycle license in CT. Plus, I don't think everybody knows every traffic law there is. I bet you don't know what you're supposed to do when overtaking a tractor (actual question on my exam).

 

[Calin]

I used to ride on the roads in the city. However, snow helped me decide to ride on the sidewalk. I haven't yet resumed riding on the road

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: Argo
I've never heard about this law when I got my license in NY, or when I got my motorcycle license in CT. Plus, I don't think everybody knows every traffic law there is. I bet you don't know what you're supposed to do when overtaking a tractor (actual question on my exam).

The law regarding cyclists are pretty much the same in all states. You treat them as you would any slow-moving vehicle and pass them carefully when it's safe to do so. Coincidentally, this is also common sense.