why are road cyclist so disliked vs regular or mountain cyclists

[Red Squirrel]

think about it, sidewalks are for walking. the street is for things with wheels that aren't wheelchairs.

"just stay out of the way of any pedestrians"

what, do you have only 15 people in your town? your interpretation of breaking laws for safety reasons is remarkably dangerous and would result in tons of injuries every day (until bikes were banned) in a metropolitan area.

Unless there's a school outing with a convoy of kids or something it's not like the sidewalks are FILLED with pedestrians. Most sidewalks also have a section of pavement next to it about the width of the sidewalk itself (where snow banks normally go in winter) and you can ride there and safely pass pedestrians. for sidewalks that are narrower just go in the road for when there is a pedestrian. Common sense people. 🙄

 

[pete6032]

Drivers get angry even with bikers who follow the laws and ride on the road and make the proper turns and use the correct lanes because when bicycles are on the road they slow down traffic.

I'm not saying cyclists are saints but it you follow the rules that bicycles are supposed to follow then bikes end up slowing down traffic quite often.

This is in part due to the fact that almost all of Americas roads were designed without bicycling in mind and due to the fact that many motorists do not think bicycles should be allowed on the street or do not understand bicycle traffic laws. I see motorists get angry when a bicycle tries to make a left turn, for example, and moves out of the bike lane into the motor vehicle lane. This is the correct and lawful way to turn left, however, but many motorists don't yield or get angry with bikers that do this.

http://www.theurbancountry.com/2010/11/safe-left-turns-for-bicycles.html

 

[JulesMaximus]

🙄

Think about it, a bike cannot keep up with a car. It causes cars to have to swerve around them. Stay on the sidewalk and just stay out of the way of any pedestrians and they are no longer in the way of cars. Most people here do have the common sense to ride on the sidewalk though. There are some laws that are meant to be broken when it becomes a safety issue to follow them. Interestingly, I never hear of people here complaining about cyclists.

Most people arn't going 17mph on a bike, either. That comes up to 27km/h. 😱

I rode a century and averaged over 15mph over the course of that ride. Pretty sure the 17mph average I saw on that ride was accurate.

 

[imagoon]

Unless there's a school outing with a convoy of kids or something it's not like the sidewalks are FILLED with pedestrians. Most sidewalks also have a section of pavement next to it about the width of the sidewalk itself (where snow banks normally go in winter) and you can ride there and safely pass pedestrians. for sidewalks that are narrower just go in the road for when there is a pedestrian. Common sense people. 🙄

Obviously you don't live or work in the Loop in downtown Chicago, or any other larger city.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Unless there's a school outing with a convoy of kids or something it's not like the sidewalks are FILLED with pedestrians. Most sidewalks also have a section of pavement next to it about the width of the sidewalk itself (where snow banks normally go in winter) and you can ride there and safely pass pedestrians. for sidewalks that are narrower just go in the road for when there is a pedestrian. Common sense people. 🙄

I've hit 48mph on a decent on my road bike. Tell me Forrest, what sidewalk would that be safe on?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I rode a century and averaged over 15mph over the course of that ride. Pretty sure the 17mph average I saw on that ride was accurate.

17 really isn't that fast. I'm pretty sure decent riders average in the 20's pretty easily. I use to ride every weekend and my goal was to average over 17 for 20miles. I'd get passed like I was standing still on a pretty regular basis.

 

[JulesMaximus]

17 really isn't that fast. I'm pretty sure decent riders average in the 20's pretty easily. I use to ride every weekend and my goal was to average over 17 for 20miles. I'd get passed like I was standing still on a pretty regular basis.

I got passed doing 20 by a guy with one leg once... true story. And I've been dropped by a women who was at least 10 years old than me.

My commute was actually pretty hilly. Around 1000' of climbing over 9 miles. I'm not a great climber but I think I did pretty good averaging 17mph.

Please, do regale us with tales of your cycling prowess though Lance. 😛

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Bicyclists on the internet are annoying stuck-up pricks, but tbh I've never really run into one that was a problem in real life. They do tend to coming to a rolling "stop" (like, 5-10mph) at 4-way stops, but they generally survey the intersection to make sure that the vehicle was just arriving. So long as their law-breaking doesn't get in my way, I see no reason to hate on slightly-disobedient bikers anymore than drivers that don't adhere to minor technicalities.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I got passed doing 20 by a guy with one leg once... true story. And I've been dropped by a women who was at least 10 years old than me.

My commute was actually pretty hilly. Around 1000' of climbing over 9 miles. I'm not a great climber but I think I did pretty good averaging 17mph.

Please, do regale us with tales of your cycling prowess though Lance. 😛

Lance? I just said decent riders average into the twenties and I was good to average 17. That obviously shows I don't even consider myself a decent rider.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Lance? I just said decent riders average into the twenties and I was good to average 17. That obviously shows I don't even consider myself a decent rider.

I guess you're just better than me, which kind of reinforces my point actually. If the average city driver can only average 21 mph in her car, and any average cyclists can do 20, then what's the problem?

 

[Dirigible]

Drivers do own the roads.......
Roads are paid for via gas tax.

Gas tax pays for part of the roads but car drivers are more heavily subsidized than cyclists.


Roadies are extra annoying because they ride multiple bikes abreast in big groups that makes it almost impossible to pass them safely. Share the road, douchebags.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've hit 48mph on a decent on my road bike. Tell me Forrest, what sidewalk would that be safe on?

Well I'm talking about the average cyclist, not a tour the france athlete like you seem to be. Not everybody goes those speeds on a bike. In your case you are better off on the road.

Unless you are talking about a motorcycle? Then yeah obviously you should be on the road.

The fastest I can remember going on a bike is about 35. It felt like I was flying, and it was scary to think that if I fall I'm most likely dead. Had everything on my side. Wind on my back, going downhill, and several transports had past by giving me extra boost. Road was a 70 zone. Even at that speed though, I was not keeping up with traffic and stayed on the sidewalk. (for that particular road it's just a paved shoulder). I kind of miss that old bike, it was cool having a speedometer and seeing how fast I'm going.

 

[Blieb]

First - to address the question. There are douchebags in Mountain and Road cycling. Drivers may think more about roadies because they are ON the road with them, vs mtn bikes that they never even see.

To be horribly general:
- Mountain bikers show up late, chat, drink beer, smoke dope, etc.

- Roadies leave the second they say the ride starts. The goal is to to drop each other. If you get a flat, your best friend may not even stop for you. It's all about the suffer.

Around here most of the good road routes are in areas where there aren't cars or traffic signals. Some people obey and some do not. It's not attributable to road vs mtn, it's douche vs not douche.

This speed comparison is comical. Classifications are usually A, B and C riders. Around here, the speeds work out as:
A = 20+ avg
B = 17-19 avg
C = 15-17 avg

The guys around here used to slow down in the winter, but last few years they have been pushing really hard and are averaging over 22mph often. This is usually a 40-60 mile ride.

If they race 100 miles, the goal is 4hrs (25mph), but that is tough if you don't have a good group and teams working. # of people (drafting), temperature, etc ... all plays an important role in the ride pace.

I rode 103 yesterday with 1 other person. We averaged just under 16mph moving speed, 4,000+ ft of climbing, 90+ degrees (crossed 100 several times). I was hoping for a little faster, but it's just a number. I was focused on spinning and nutrition. The group we ride with usually averages 18-19.5 ...

 

[Doppel]

I did 55 on a bike once. Hill was stupidly steep and I pedaled like a bat out of hell to do it.

 

[desura]

1. Spandex

2. They're in the middle of the road and holding up traffic

Mountainbikers don't do the 2nd part so much.

I've bike commuted and I love it. But cycling in the middle of the road is just arrogant.

I personally have no problem with running red lights. I've done it myself many times.

 

[Doppel]

1. Spandex

2. They're in the middle of the road and holding up traffic

Mountainbikers don't do the 2nd part so much.

I've bike commuted and I love it. But cycling in the middle of the road is just arrogant.

I personally have no problem with running red lights. I've done it myself many times.

Real bike shorts have padding built in and it's great.

I've been biking on roads for a couple of decades and I will always run red lights and make a mockery of road rules as I see fit, if I think it's safe. Tough shit for cars who don't like it. Bikes are very dextrous and have great line of sight and ability to see. I don't slow them down one iota and don't act in dangerous ways around cars, but yes red lights mean nothing on a bike other than "slow down and be prepared to yield". I don't get honked at by cars because I don't cut in front of them, but I never have nor ever will wait at a red light on a bike if it's clear the other way. I look for cars first, then cops, then go.

 

[desura]

Yeah, running red lights isn't a big deal to me. I just tell myself that I've transitioned to a pedestrian...and I mean, a bike simply isn't as powerful as a car so of course the car should be more regulated by traffic regs.

but really, bicyclists should *not* be cycling in the middle of the road and holding up traffic. It's legal, but everytime I see it I get annoyed. and the guy doing it is always wearing spandex.

btw, just get a leather saddle and wear regular shorts/jeans.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Unfortunately some folks seem to value their lives much less than I value their lives. These folks express this self-hate by crossing the street around my university in particularly dangerous ways. Sometimes they are pedestrians, more often they are skate boarders, but the majority of the time they are bicyclists.

It seems that people are incapable of understanding that a legal and safe crossing at 4mph on foot is illegal and dangerous as shit at 12mph on wheels.

 

[desura]

Meh, but what if you're on a bike and going at a pedestrian's pace, or slightly faster?

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Meh, but what if you're on a bike and going at a pedestrian's pace, or slightly faster?

Think about a stop-sign where you don't have much of a view of the side walk: you look and see that no-one is able to walk into the street in the time it takes to pull across BAM mid movement a cycle runs infront of you. I'm pissed 'cause this guy just about implicated me in his stupidity-assisted suicide/maiming.

It's best to get off the bike and cross the street on foot if you are on the sidewalk. But then, being on the side walk and needing to 'dodge' unexpectedly means possibly running into the road and being hit. So a bicyclist should ride in the road, follow trafic laws, and go at a speed that's fast-enough that if I'm coming over a hill and notice the guy, I can slow down to his speed in time that I don't hit him and the guy behind me doesn't hit me.

Keep in mind that if I dodge around him at the last moment, the less nimble jackass tailgating me may not notice what I was dodging until it is too late.

If you can't keep it within about 10-15 of the speedlimit don't ride in the road. If you can't bring yourself to treat yourself like any other vehicle, don't ride in the road. If you don't know the path, or can't bring yourself to a full stop when you see an unexpected obstacle, don't ride on the sidewalk. Always dismount your bike when riding on the side walk and about to cross the street, just to make sure you are going slow enough to safely cross.

"That means I won't be able to ride from X to Y", yes it does: but in my humble opinion it is not worth risking your life (and my bumper's paint) to ride a bike from X to Y.

 

[tfinch2]

Yeah, running red lights isn't a big deal to me. I just tell myself that I've transitioned to a pedestrian

Lmao here is your answer OP

 

[Possessed Freak]

Yet another bike topic with my same response:

I live in Amish country. I *like* Amish bike riders. They are courteous. They stop at stop signs. They don't travel in packs of 20. They are pleasant. I give them all the room in the world when I pass them. I give them right of way at 4ways (because I don't know if the douche behind me will). I wait for a nice long time before I pass. I am courteous to them.

15 miles from me is a Velodrome. These semi-professional bikers in their sponsored jerseys ride like assholes. They favor the left side of the lane to make passing them an absolute chore (I am now forced to be right next to them even when I pass as they are near the double-yellow). They constantly ride in packs or worse, have some multi-hundred bike race where they are spread out single file for a good half mile. Have fun passing that. They DO NOT stop at stop signs, although I have forced them to when I get to one before they do and I cross in front of them... and they give ME a look like I did something wrong. I have endured shouts as I pass them safely because they feel I didn't. I have endured angry kicks to my car when I sit at a stop light and they PASS me to not stop.

TL;DR - Amish cyclists: good. Velodrome cyclists: bad.

 

[tfinch2]

Yet another bike topic with my same response:

I live in Amish country. I *like* Amish bike riders. They are courteous. They stop at stop signs. They don't travel in packs of 20. They are pleasant. I give them all the room in the world when I pass them. I give them right of way at 4ways (because I don't know if the douche behind me will). I wait for a nice long time before I pass. I am courteous to them.

15 miles from me is a Velodrome. These semi-professional bikers in their sponsored jerseys ride like assholes. They favor the left side of the lane to make passing them an absolute chore (I am now forced to be right next to them even when I pass as they are near the double-yellow). They constantly ride in packs or worse, have some multi-hundred bike race where they are spread out single file for a good half mile. Have fun passing that. They DO NOT stop at stop signs, although I have forced them to when I get to one before they do and I cross in front of them... and they give ME a look like I did something wrong. I have endured shouts as I pass them safely because they feel I didn't. I have endured angry kicks to my car when I sit at a stop light and they PASS me to not stop.

TL;DR - Amish cyclists: good. Velodrome cyclists: bad.

If some asshole cyclist decided it was a good idea to kick my car, it would be on.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Yet another bike topic with my same response:

I live in Amish country. I *like* Amish bike riders. They are courteous. They stop at stop signs. They don't travel in packs of 20. They are pleasant. I give them all the room in the world when I pass them. I give them right of way at 4ways (because I don't know if the douche behind me will). I wait for a nice long time before I pass. I am courteous to them.

15 miles from me is a Velodrome. These semi-professional bikers in their sponsored jerseys ride like assholes. They favor the left side of the lane to make passing them an absolute chore (I am now forced to be right next to them even when I pass as they are near the double-yellow). They constantly ride in packs or worse, have some multi-hundred bike race where they are spread out single file for a good half mile. Have fun passing that. They DO NOT stop at stop signs, although I have forced them to when I get to one before they do and I cross in front of them... and they give ME a look like I did something wrong. I have endured shouts as I pass them safely because they feel I didn't. I have endured angry kicks to my car when I sit at a stop light and they PASS me to not stop.

TL;DR - Amish cyclists: good. Velodrome cyclists: bad.

Is a paint ball gun a deadly weapon?

 

[desura]

Bicyclists also have a better view of surroundings than drivers of cars. They're typically higher up, don't have any blockage to their view.