Exercise R Us » Biking » Biker gets run off-road…
Question:
Here’s my only suggestion, which admittedly comes from years of trying to figure out why roadies insist on riding on roads that are heavily used, but are barely wide enough for two full sized cars to pass each other, much less get around a biker too. Actually, let me ask a few questions first. How wide was the breakdown lane (if there was one)? Less than enough for you too have a comfortable amount of space between you and traffic?? If yes, the driver was an asshole. If no, you probably should not have been there. You put yourself at risk. Was there any oncoming traffic? If not, the driver was an asshole, regardless of how wide the road was, unless he was on a turn. My advice, make sure you stay a roads wide enough that there’s no need for them to go AROUND you. BTW, where are you? Anywhere near a railtrail? If so, I’d suggest using that at off-peak times. I know a place at home, I’m at school right now, that has several miles of both fire roads and single track tucked into a 280 acre chuck of woods. Great place I absolutely love this place, I can’t wait until Saturday… home for the summer, and I can hear That single track callin’ my name.
Response:
Yea, why would us roadies do some thing so stupid as to ride on a road that is LEGALLY ours to ride on. We have the same rights as all other motorists. Its mentalities like yours that make riding on the road that much more difficult. It sure is amazing that drivers and cyclists in Europe can share the roads without much problems, even though there roads are WAY narrower then ours.Now, what the guy that got buzzed should have done was get the license plate of the minivan and called the police. If you press the issue you can get the driver for reckless driving. If the vehicle does brush you, you can get them for a whole slew of things, reckless driving, hit and run, battery, etc.. If people want to try to rain on your parade by forcing you of the road, then really screw them over by pressing charges and maybe even get there drivers license suspended. — Life is like good singletrack. It has it’s painful moments, but for the most part it’s a great time !!!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Here’s my only suggestion, which admittedly comes from years of trying to >figure out why roadies insist on riding on roads that are heavily used, but >are barely wide enough for two full sized cars to pass each other, much less >get around a biker too. >Actually, let me ask a few questions first. How wide >was the breakdown lane (if there was one)? Less than enough for you too have a >comfortable amount of space between you and traffic?? If yes, the driver was >an asshole. If no, you probably should not have been there. You put yourself >at risk. Was there any oncoming traffic? If not, the driver was an asshole, >regardless of how wide the road was, unless he was on a turn. >My advice, make sure you stay a roads wide enough that there’s no need for >them to go AROUND you. BTW, where are you? Anywhere near a railtrail? If so, >I’d suggest using that at off-peak times. I know a place at home, I’m at >school right now, that has several miles of both fire roads and single track >tucked into a 280 acre chuck of woods. Great place I absolutely love this >place, I can’t wait until Saturday… home for the summer, and I can hear That >single track callin’ my name.
Response:
>difficult. It sure is amazing that drivers and cyclists in Europe can share
I was driving in Europe recently and noticed that bikers there *might* get an inch or so from the cars whizzing past them at 100 kph. J — Shadow boxing in the dark. [www.bongoboy.com]
Response:
I spent a couple of weeks cyling in France last summer and I was very impressed with the attitude of the drivers out there. French drivers have a bit of a reputation for being a bit mad generally, but when it comes to cyclists, pretty much every single one has a great attitude. It was not at all uncommon for cars to wait patiently behind me whilst there was oncoming traffic, then pull out entirely into the opposite lane to give me the whole lane’s width of space. Even here in England I rarely have a problem. I do ride on very narrow roads a lot of the time (many so narrow that two cars have difficulty passing), and have never been hit. By necessity cars often pass very close, but I’m used to it so it doesn’t bother me, so I remain stable. I know some people are freaked out by it and find it hard not to wobble into the kerb or the traffic. I take the view that I have as much right to be there as any car, and thankfully most car drivers seem to agree(ish!) Graham Searle
Response:
J Difference is that drivers there don’t buzz bike riders on purpose. I know I am a little tired of these a__holes coming up dehind me and screaming out the window or layin on the horn as they go by. I slammed a tree one day when I was a kid because somebody startled me. They didn’t even stop to see if I was ok. I just don’t under stand how someone can derive pleasure out of scaring the shit out of someone. Have a good week end. — Joe Ride Safe…Keep the clean side up and the dirty side down. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->difficult. It sure is amazing that drivers and cyclists in Europe can share >I was driving in Europe recently and noticed that bikers there *might* get an >inch or so from the cars whizzing past them at 100 kph. >J >– >Shadow boxing in the dark. [www.bongoboy.com]
Response:
Hey everybody, I’m just writing this to share with you all an experience I had yesterday. I’m still rather shaken by it. I was riding down the canal yesterday and took an off shoot trail to a plaza to fill up the ole water bladder. Well, there’s a street that’s 45mph and 2 lanes each way right there, so instead of getting back on the canal trail, I decide to ride down it for a couple of miles, to shave a little time off the ride. So, I hop on the sidewalk and start crusin. The sidewalk vanishes for about 80ft or so, and so I hop onto the street, and ride about 3" from the crub(if that) There’s a light about 30ft behind me that was red that turns green. There’s a white minivan in the right lane with some kids in it. This thing takes off like a BOH and buzzes me at about 40mph(i was doing 20) and comes SOOOOOO close to me I feel the side-view mirror of the van *brush my elbow*. Not wanting to become a 6 oclock news story, I clip out and bail into the bushes as this guy passes me. At the time, I had my gloves in my jacket pocket, and when I got home I noticed that I had lost 1 glove. So not only did I almost get killed, but I lost a glove too. It was a beautiful ride and a nice day, though. Sometimes I feel so disheartened by things around here. We can’t ride here, we can’t ride there, this trail is for horses, that one for people. The only trails that are long enough to do endurance training on(that we can ride) are the ones that all the walkers are on. And this is in "trailtown USA". There’s light at the end of the tunnel, though! I’m going to be joining a trail patrol and bike club, so hopefully that’ll help. It just seems as if mtb’rs have almost nowhere to go. Can’t ride on the street(learned that the hardway). Can’t ride on legal trails(too many walkers and bladers). Oh well. I think I’ll stay off the bike for a few days and try to build up my enthusiasm. Somebody carve up 20 miles of singletrack for me this weekend. Chris — my employer does in no way agree with or endorse/condone any of my views, advice, or otherwise stated in this post or any other. Any opinions expressed are strictly my own. *Anti spam measures have been taken, email address is
Response:
>ride. So, I hop on the sidewalk and start crusin. The sidewalk >vanishes for about 80ft or so, and so I hop onto the street, and ride >about 3" from the crub(if that) There’s a light about 30ft behind me >that was red that turns green. There’s a white minivan in the right >lane with some kids in it. This thing takes off like a BOH and buzzes >me at about 40mph(i was doing 20) and comes SOOOOOO close to me I feel >the side-view mirror of the van *brush my elbow*. Not wanting to become >a 6 oclock news story, I clip out and bail into the bushes as this guy >passes me.
I ride on the road all the time, so I know the feeling. The best way to avoid having this happen to you is to ride further out in the lane of traffic. When you ride too far to the right the cars will try to pass you while staying in the lane. When you ride further out, they go quite wide around you. Unless the lane is really wide, I make sure I rider close enough to the center so that there is no room for the car to pass me in my lane. Alex __O _-<,_ (_)/ (_)
Response:
> J > Difference is that drivers there don’t buzz bike riders on purpose. I know > I am a little tired of these a__holes coming up dehind me and screaming out > the window or layin on the horn as they go by. I slammed a tree one day > when I was a kid because somebody startled me. They didn’t even stop to see > if I was ok. I just don’t under stand how someone can derive pleasure out
Another reason to avoid riding on the road. We all know there are people out there, fighting against biking from both sides. Fight back! Fattrax
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Yea, why would us roadies do some thing so stupid as to ride on a road that > is LEGALLY ours to ride on. We have the same rights as all other motorists. > Its mentalities like yours that make riding on the road that much more > difficult. It sure is amazing that drivers and cyclists in Europe can share > the roads without much problems, even though there roads are WAY narrower > then ours.Now, what the guy that got buzzed should have done was get the > license plate of the minivan and called the police. If you press the issue > you can get the driver for reckless driving. If the vehicle does brush you, > you can get them for a whole slew of things, reckless driving, hit and run, > battery, etc.. If people want to try to rain on your parade by forcing you > of the road, then really screw them over by pressing charges and maybe even > get there drivers license suspended. > — > Life is like good singletrack. It has it’s painful > moments, but for the most part it’s a great time !!! >Here’s my only suggestion, which admittedly comes from years of trying to >figure out why roadies insist on riding on roads that are heavily used, but >are barely wide enough for two full sized cars to pass each other, much > less >get around a biker too. >Actually, let me ask a few questions first. How wide >was the breakdown lane (if there was one)? Less than enough for you too > have a >comfortable amount of space between you and traffic?? If yes, the driver > was >an asshole. If no, you probably should not have been there. You put > yourself >at risk. Was there any oncoming traffic? If not, the driver was an asshole, >regardless of how wide the road was, unless he was on a turn. >My advice, make sure you stay a roads wide enough that there’s no need for >them to go AROUND you. BTW, where are you? Anywhere near a railtrail? If > so, >I’d suggest using that at off-peak times. I know a place at home, I’m at >school right now, that has several miles of both fire roads and single > track >tucked into a 280 acre chuck of woods. Great place I absolutely love this >place, I can’t wait until Saturday… home for the summer, and I can hear > That >single track callin’ my name.
I got the first 3 digits of the lic number, I also know it’s an out of state plate. Between eatin’ weeds and the speed he was goin, I was unable to get all of it. I assure you, had I gotton the full plate number, I for sure would be in the process of following all legal recourse that I have. Unfortunately for me, I did not get the full plate number. Chris — my employer does in no way agree with or endorse/condone any of my views, advice, or otherwise stated in this post or any other. Any opinions expressed are strictly my own. *Anti spam measures have been taken, email address is
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