UPDATED: Cyclists: I was almost run down by a 7 ton Bus

[oboeguy]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: Sentinel
People have no concern for cyclists or runners for that matter. I know this from experience. It's good you filed a report.

and some cyclist are morons and ride on roads that are too dangerous to ride on. The 2 lane highway that i drive to work on is one example. Its country two lane road, speed limit is 65 with NO SHOULDER. The white line is at the edge of the road then its dirt for about 1 foot then a ditch on both sides. A lot of semi's use that road as a shortcut to Boulder or I-25 to top it off its a very hilly road. there is nothing worse than driviing along and as soon as you crest the many small hills there is a dumbass cyclist there 2 feet to the left of the white line and i have a fricken gravel truck coming towards me and im doing 65. I didnt hit the guy, how i dont know but i was severly shaking after that and was very tempted to stop my car to chew the dumbass cyclist out.

I am all for cycling and colorado is very friendly towards cyclist, but as i said above there are some roads that cyclist should not be on.

Dude, blame the big trucks which shouldn't be on small country roads to take shortcuts. :disgust: Also, you have brakes, use them. You can't tell us that a cyclist who is basically stationary with respect to you and the truck can't be easily avoid by bleeding off some speed?

Edit: arrg I should check posts for clarity before submitting

 

[DrPizza]

It's rare that I have a problem with drivers. (or with bikers when I'm driving.)

The only real problems I've had are people who intentionally crowd me when it's not necessary (2 lanes to travel in and pass within inches) and when people do a right turn into my path as they're passing... In the latter case, if a collision isn't avoidable, it's always (so far) been at a low enough speed not to hurt me. (these account for all but one of my car-bike collisions) However, I had a close one last summer; I was going about 45mph when a car turned into my path. (slight hill) Had there been another car there, I'd have been toast. For those noticing that yes, I've been involved in numerous collisions, they've almost all been when I was going 25 and someone turned right in front of me.

For what it's worth, yes, I do feel bad when there are a few cars behind me and they have to slow down in a 30mph zone to 20 mph for 15 or 20 seconds before they have the chance to pass. But, so far, I haven't had to deal with anyone being overly rude about it.

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: dainthomas

Originally posted by: shimsham

Originally posted by: Fausto

Originally posted by: shimsham
so who cares if im late for work, as long as "cyclists" get to ride their bikes, eh?

oh no wait, i should plan to leave 10mins earlier so they dont have to get off the road...designed for cars. my bad.

Who really makes you late, the bikes or the other cars?

whoever is holding up traffic. slow drivers are just as bad, imo. but its a 5:1 ratio of cyclist that wont get over for 10secs to relieve the build up of cars behind them. last week i was late 2 times because the same guy wouldnt even move over to the edge of the road and let cars pass.

actual driving time to work is 10mins. i give myself 25 to account for traffic, and usually im 5-10 mins early.

I would have loved to hear that conversation with your boss.

Whiner: Sorry I was late twice. There was this guy on a bike, and I had to slow down, like, a lot.

Whisersboss: Leave earlier.

Whiner: But you don't understand! It wasn't my fault! He should have stopped and gotten off his bike every time a car passed. It was SO inconsiderate!

Whinersboss: Leave earlier.

Whiner: I can't believe you are making me take responsibility for my own actions!! This is an outrage!!

:roll:

Why the eye roll? If someone's late and they explain to their boss that the same biker is making them late day after day, I believe that's pretty much the reaction they're going to get.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: DaShen

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: DaShen
BUMP

Post your bike pics.

Bike pic!

I know, I already posted this in your other thread but dammit I just like looking at it! :laugh:

That really is quite pretty! :thumbsup: I drool everytime I see it. You should get some silver Ksyrium or Shimano wheelsets for the added, Bling Bling. Screw the Zipp or Carbon wheelsets, they aren't as pretty.

The wheels I have on there were custom made for me by a guy named Mike Garcia. I heard about him through BikeForums.net, they rave about his wheelsets over there and after calling and speaking to Mike on the phone I know why. He takes the time to ask you what you ride, where you ride and how you ride to help you determine what would best suit you. He uses quality components and really is a top wheel builder IMO. I wanted a good strong wheel that was both stiff and light weight. My wheels weigh a tad under 1800g which is about 200g lighter than the Alex wheels my bike came with but these are stronger and stiffer (the blue powdercoated rims added about 30g to the total weight of the wheelset). I paid $330 for the pair and that included shipping.

I honestly don't see me spending $600-800 on Ksyriums. If I want a pair of bladed spoke aero wheels I'll probably buy another set from Mike Garcia. He sells a Niobium rimmed wheelset that is lightweight, aerodynamic and quite a bit less expensive too.

Check out BikeForums.net and see what those guys have to say about Mike Garcia before you buy a set of machine laced wheels. Like I said, I've heard nothing but good things!

 

[mechBgon]

Sorry to see your situation DivideBYZero, I hope some good comes of it for the world in general.

I've commuted by bicycle to/from school and work for more than 20 years, in all seasons and all weather conditions, as well as a fair amount of solo riding for sport. There have been a few instances where crackpot motor-vehicle supremacists have had their little say. That one guy with the semiautomatic pistol comes to mind... But generally I get along very well with the other classes of road users. My experience has condensed into these guidelines:

Be visible
Be predictable
Be aware
Be lawful
Be courteous


Works pretty good.

However, I had a close one last summer; I was going about 45mph when a car turned into my path.

Ever thought about getting an HID light system for daytime visibility? I vote for Niterider, they're the real deal when it comes to support and parts replacement 5, 6, 7 years down the road. My new Flamethrower HID is arriving Monday

 

[GoingUp]

:thumbsup:

 

[Sphexi]

The place I work at has a bus stop right in the parking lot...because it's not "public" as in a street, the driver tends to do like 35-40mph through the parking lot. When he first arrives in the morning it's right when we're all leaving, so quite a few times he's shot right past people walking to their cars or pulling out going way too fast, and we've complained but nobody's done anything yet.

 

[Kalmah]

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

If you were really a cyclist you'd know that in many places its illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and often more dangerous.

When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

But as I said, riding on the sidewalk is very dangerous - your moving alot faster then pedestrians, and cars aren't looking for you in the crosswalks. You're better off taking your place in the lane.

Yeah, a bike hitting a pedestrial is so much more dangerous than a bus hitting a biker. :roll:

I don't understand how a biker can ride down the side of the road, holding up traffic and not feel like a di**?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Kalmah

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: mcvickj

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

If you were really a cyclist you'd know that in many places its illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and often more dangerous.

When is the last time anyone has been pulled over and fined for riding on the sidewalk?

But as I said, riding on the sidewalk is very dangerous - your moving alot faster then pedestrians, and cars aren't looking for you in the crosswalks. You're better off taking your place in the lane.

Yeah, a bike hitting a pedestrial is so much more dangerous than a bus hitting a biker. :roll:

I don't understand how a biker can ride down the side of the road, holding up traffic and not feel like a di**?

There was a pedestrian killed by a cyclist in the town I grew up in. I remember it because I was really into cycling back then (although I'm pretty into now again), the cyclist was participating in an organized race and the pedestrian just stepped off the curb and into the path of the cyclist-didn't look or anything, just stepped in front of a racer. Ped was killed instantly.

I've hit speeds approaching 50mph on my roadbike going down some of the hills where I ride. I can average 20mph on flat roads. I'm sure the racer who killed that pedestrian was going 25-30mph.

 

[Biggerhammer]

Originally posted by: RedRooster

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

:thumbsup:
Why do bikers think they're vehicles?.

Because the law says they are, in many places.

If you ride on the sidewalk, you get a ticket. Also, if you nail a pedestrian, you are liable. Bikes belong on roads.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: illusion88
Nice!
I hate fvckers who don't give room to cyclists.

:thumbsup:

I am glad we have a pretty big cyclist club on anandtech! Nice to read all of the good and bad stories! Pretty interesting!

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: ggnl
:beer::beer: nice!

And a big fvck you in advance to anyone that comes in here bitching about cyclists. I've been nearly run over too many times to care anymore if I'm holding up some prick in a car.

:thumbsup:

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: jaedaliu
um, he didn't try to run you down. If he did, you'd be a splat.

Yes he did. The words 'try' and 'did' need explaining to you?

I would agree!

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: Armitage

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

If you were really a cyclist you'd know that in many places its illegal to ride on the sidewalk, and often more dangerous.

Exactly! More people die from ridding on the sidewalks in my opinion. I seen some pretty bad stories of people getting killed while ridding on sidewalks. There very sad.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: nitsuj3580

Originally posted by: RedRooster

Originally posted by: Ilmater
As a fellow cyclist, I say get the fvck off the streets and onto the sidewalk.

:thumbsup:
Why do bikers think they're vehicles? I don't know if they're brave or just stupid.

Shoulda pulled over and let him by. I understand your predicament with the fine, but get the hell out of the way.

I agree. There's a busy road by my work that is about 5 miles long that is a connector to two other major streets. It is constantly backed up because cyclists think they can take up a lane during rush hour after work. I'm sorry, but find somewhere else to ride your bike.

If it was a single car or two, I'd feel bad but a bus? Just get off to the side temporarily so it can stay on schedule plus you're inconveniencing everyone on that bus.

And the bus isn't inconveniencing the cyclist ? He can pass when he has a spot to. The bus can't wait a few minutes or seconds to beable to pass at a safe difference?

 

[aidanjm]

what if the bus driver loses his job?

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: phreakah
i think it's okay if bikers ride on the street but along the sidewalk, out of everyones way

i really hate it when they ride like they are a car and take up space in lanes.. especially the left-turn lane at a light

They have to for safety reasons. There no other way to do it.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: aidanjm
what if the bus driver loses his job?

Serves him right then for trying to kill someone.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: rh71
although you did have the right of way there, I agree with the driver's lack of patience. If you're going to be on the road for 10 seconds, I can wait. But I'm not going to follow your 15-20mph ass any longer than that. Drivers here have never been accustomed to doing that and I wouldn't want to be.

Don't cyclists feel they're holding people up ? I mean I know I'd feel that way as a cyclist even if it were "allowed".

Cars hold people up all the time. Everyone just needs to have patience.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: aidanjm
what if the bus driver loses his job?

Bus drivers are supposed to be able to hold their tempers in check. We can't have road raging bus drivers cruising around our cities just waiting to explode. This guy deserves to lose his job.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: Whisper

I'm not a cyclist, but I do regularly ride my motorcycle, and much of the same aggression is directed towards me, albeit in a slightly different way. And this even when keeping up with the flow of traffic isn't a problem.

The vast majority of drivers need to calm down, seeing as how they're horrible at driving to begin with.

:thumbsup:

I see the same thing and a motorcycle goes just as fast as cars.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: aidanjm
what if the bus driver loses his job?

Bus drivers are supposed to be able to hold their tempers in check. We can't have road raging bus drivers cruising around our cities just waiting to explode. This guy deserves to lose his job.

Exactly! Thank You!

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: DaShen
This kind of stuff happens all the time with cyclists, for you unsympathetic drivers out there

There was one time I had to stop by my friends house which was maybe 6-7 miles away (not bad on a bike), I was in the Suburbs at the time, so I decided to ride my bike. It was the middle of the day, and I had the day off so I figured there wouldn't be much traffic.

I ride down the rode, again this is the suburbs, and there is no traffic. I get run off the road by one SUV when he has another lane. I get up and decide to stop by a strip center close by to bandage and clean up. When I am pulling out of the strip mall, I pull up behind another different SUV that is pulling out. I can see into the back of his car, and I see that he sees me. He is a guy with his family.

Mind you, he sees me, and he puts his SUV into reverse and starts backing into me, all the time keeping eye contact on me with his rearview. I think he figured that since I was clipped in, I would fall over when he reversed into me. When he saw that I wasn't about to fall over, he floors the car and leaves a trail of smoke exhaust in his wake. What a freaking bastard! He was with his family, too. You would think a guy with his family wouldn't do crap like that. Sets a bad example for the kids.

I repeat, drivers who do this kind of crap are a bunch of road raged retards that need to get their licenses revoked. There should be a law for bikers doing exactly that.

**EDIT**
Of course, not all SUV/truck drivers are bastards. When I got in that serious accident, the only car that stopped to take me to the hospital was a truck driver. It turned out that he was a Pastor of a local church though, so I think that was a special case.

It just seems like 90% of them will run you off the road.

I have sorta noticed this but it isn't that bad here I don't think. You should bring a camera with you.

 

[WyteWatt]

Originally posted by: zebano

Originally posted by: DaShen
Good job... :thumbsup:

I have gotten run off the road countless times during traffic hours. I keep as close to the curb as possible and they still try to run me off. They can't usually because I am so close to the curb they would probably hit the curb if they tries, but it is dang annoying.

Try this just once. When they buzz you, move out into the lane. For some reason If i am 3 feet out from the curb, cars give me 3 feet of clearance. If I am 5 feet out, they give me 5 feet of clearance. It's crazy, but if you are half a foot off the curb, you are telling them, I don't belong here you can pass as close to me as you desire. very strange phenomenon, especially on non-busy 2 lane roads...

True sorta.

Its best to have some room to beable to go right if you have to. Though make sure you are pretty far away from all parked cars.

 

[aidanjm]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: aidanjm
what if the bus driver loses his job?

Bus drivers are supposed to be able to hold their tempers in check. We can't have road raging bus drivers cruising around our cities just waiting to explode. This guy deserves to lose his job.

What if he has babies and kittens to support? Who will feed them?