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Why do cyclists insist on riding their bikes on the road?


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Why do cyclists insist on riding their bikes on the road?
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MBHockey
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: New York
 
2008-06-05, 21:17

A very simple question, really. Is there something I'm missing here? I often see people riding their bikes in the right-most lane of traffic when there is a sidewalk 5 feet to their right. It's annoying as fuck because everyone has to slow down and most people will change lanes over to the left one so as not to go anywhere near the douchebag bike rider. Isn't this precisely what sidewalks are for? I've noticed it on several occasions in the past month alone and it drives me nuts every time.

A few more weeks of GTA IV and I fear I may think nothing of swinging open my passenger side door as I pass him...
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Jerman
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Siloam Springs, AR
 
2008-06-05, 21:22

I have wondered this too. In Chicago, where my folks moved a few years ago, it is illegal to ride in the sidewalk. There I suppose it makes sense, due to how crowded the sidewalks are.

In suburban areas though, it makes no sense why one would ride in the street.

Then where I live where it is rural, we have cyclists that ride down narrow two lane highways. Semis frequent these roads, and I just see it as such a dangerous situation. But what can ya do?
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kieran
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2008-06-05, 21:22

In a lot of cities, Philadelphia being one of them, riding a bike on the sidewalk is actually illegal. Makes it safer for pedestrians.

I don't agree with it, but that's how it is.

Edit: Damn it Jerman.

No more Twitter. It's Mastodon now.
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Bryson
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Join Date: Feb 2005
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2008-06-05, 21:22

Because riding on the sidewalk is illegal?
Because a bicycle is a road vehicle and is obliged to behave as one?
Because it would be dangerous to pedestrians?
Because slowing down a bit for a couple of seconds will make absolutely no difference to how quickly you get somewhere, seeing as you'll just have to stop at a light somewhere soon anyway?

Further reading: here
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Brave Ulysses
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2008-06-05, 21:23

Quote:
Originally Posted by MBHockey View Post
A very simple question, really. Is there something I'm missing here? I often see people riding their bikes in the right-most lane of traffic when there is a sidewalk 5 feet to their right. It's annoying as fuck because everyone has to slow down and most people will change lanes over to the left one so as not to go anywhere near the douchebag bike rider. Isn't this precisely what sidewalks are for? I've noticed it on several occasions in the past month alone and it drives me nuts every time.

A few more weeks of GTA IV and I fear I may think nothing of swinging open my passenger side door as I pass him...
Sounds like you are the douche bag.

Cyclist have just as much right to be in the road as you are. Sidewalks are for walking. It's actually illegal in most states to ride your bicycle on the sidewalk you douche bag.
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psmith2.0
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2008-06-05, 21:24

I know there was a thread/discussion about this not too long ago.

I don't think they're supposed to be on the sidewalk, but yeah...even when cyclists have a 4-5 foot wide lane all for themselves, I see so many of them riding directly on the divider line, with parts of themselves actually out into the car lanes. I just think it's a pinheaded, thoughtless move. I saw this in California all the time (the world capital of road-hogging cyclists, apparently...riding 3-4 abreast, out into the car lane instead of single or double file, within their clearly-marked bicycle lane).

The only thing worse is when they're actually in the road (and ignoring their little bike lane). If you beep or go around and give them the international shrug/WTF? gesture, they get their tight little shorts in such a knot, start yelling and flipping the bird.



"Oh, forgive me, Lance. Let me just swing way the hell out into the other lane of oncoming car traffic, risk a head-on 50mph collision with another car and just give you a solid 15-20 $#%^@! feet. Happy now?"



They're supposed to use the road, but when they don't use their lane and insist on riding on the very outside left of it for no good reason (to where I have to swing out to safely pass them), that's just aggravating, when there is four or so feet to their right where they could be riding.



That's the only thing that irks me, and I see it a lot.
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Kickaha
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2008-06-05, 21:31

The issue with riding within a few inches of the curb (normally what you'd want to do to stay as far away from the cars as possible) is...

Storm drain grates. Those fuckers will flip you faster than anything, and they stick out 2'-3' into the road. You can either weave out and look like you're going to shoot into traffic suddenly, and be unpredictable to drivers (bad) or you can stay a couple feet out and be a consistent and predictable object. Either way kind of sucks.

You find out all about bizarre death-dealing items in roadways when you're on a cycle or motorcycle that you'd never even notice in a car.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
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2008-06-05, 21:37

True. Those skinny tires would probably stick right into a storm drain grate.

Still doesn't excuse/explain the "three-or-four-rider-wide Lycra short chorus line" business, jutting out into car traffic.
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Kickaha
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2008-06-05, 21:41

No, that's just idiotic. And I say that as a cyclist.

Okay, a *former* cyclist.
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Banana
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2008-06-05, 21:41

Yeah, this is a common complaint, but this isn't really bicyclists' fault AFAICT- If they kept closer to the edge, they risk much more. Kick already cited storm grating, but there's also chance of hitting a car door just as someone gets out. That's what people who commutes on bike tell me.

If this is a problem, then it's time to invest in a bicycle lane. We certainly can use more of that.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2008-06-05, 21:45

I'd love it (as an increasingly frequent rider myself, albeit of the non-helmeted, slow-and-low cruiser variety ). I wish roads had, at least, a three-foot wide bicycle lane. I'd probably not get killed as quickly...
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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2008-06-05, 21:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by Banana View Post
Yeah, this is a common complaint, but this isn't really bicyclists' fault AFAICT- If they kept closer to the edge, they risk much more. Kick already cited storm grating, but there's also chance of hitting a car door just as someone gets out. That's what people who commutes on bike tell me.

If this is a problem, then it's time to invest in a bicycle lane. We certainly can use more of that.
Lots of streets in Vegas have bicycle lanes, but not all of them, and certainly not most of the major ones. I think we should have bicycle lanes everywhere, to encourage more people to ride.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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onlyafterdark
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2008-06-05, 21:46

Sounds like most of you guys actually need to get on a bike and try riding with heavy traffic...
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Ryan
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2008-06-05, 21:49

I wish the developer of my neighborhood had put in bike lanes. I don't live in a city, but the roads aren't maintained by the county either; it's the private developer and homeowner's association's responsibility. Despite the roads being only a few years old and *advertising a biker-friendly area*, they didn't do squat.
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atomicbartbeans
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2008-06-05, 21:52

Okay,

Were you the toolbox that yelled at me today?

Seriously. I was riding around town with a friend (on my way to buy some supper), keeping to the right and minding my own business... a car passes me and someone yells "HEY, THE SIDEWALK IS OVER THERE".

I don't mean to judge you, MBH, but I've encountered some real dicks yelling at me from their cars, even cutting me off on purpose while doing so - all of them seemed to have the idea that roads are the exclusive birthright of motorists.

It's not like I'm "that guy" on his bike, making motorists shit themselves with sudden moves; and I have a car too, so I know how to conduct myself in traffic.

Not to mention that in addition to all the reasons mentioned above, many sidewalks (especially those in my town) are kept in really poor shape... at times it's inconvenient - if not dangerous - to ride along on the sidewalk, unless you're really careful not to hit any rocks (or errant pieces of sidewalk) on the ground.

You ask me for a hamburger.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-06-05, 21:56

A little public information campaign - via print, radio, TV and/or Internet - might go a long way.

Explain that:

a) sidewalks aren't for bikes
b) cars should try to move out and give some room and not seek to "tag cyclists" or make their lives miserable
c) cyclists shouldn't make things harder by doing the "multi-rider side-by-side" horseshit or acting like they own the joint either

That way everyone's a bit more clued-in, on the same page, realize they each have a simple job to do to keep things moving along, etc.

Lots of people - motorists and cyclists alike - just don't think, or don't know the straight scoop. Drivers might be more understanding and forgiving if they know that bikers have to use the roads, and cyclists might realize that riding single file and not hogging the road and acting like two-wheeled asshats goes over easier with people.

Both sides have room for improvement, from what I see. It's not one or the other causing all the trouble.
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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
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2008-06-05, 21:57

Quote:
Originally Posted by atomicbartbeans View Post
Okay,

Were you the toolbox that yelled at me today?

Seriously. I was riding around town with a friend (on my way to buy some supper), keeping to the right and minding my own business... a car passes me and someone yells "HEY, THE SIDEWALK IS OVER THERE".

Not to mention that in addition to all the reasons mentioned above, many sidewalks (especially those in my town) are kept in really poor shape... at times it's inconvenient - if not dangerous - to ride along on the sidewalk, unless you're really careful not to hit any rocks (or errant pieces of sidewalk) on the ground.
OMG, that would be just deliciously ironic.

But yeah - there's a piece of sidewalk in front of my house that literally juts up about 12-18 inches and then goes back to its prior height, all in the space of one "square". It's so weird, and it's tricky to walk (much less ride) over. And there's lot of other crappy sidewalks around here, too. I walk more than I ride so I notice things like that.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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atomicbartbeans
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2008-06-05, 22:03

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
A little public information campaign - via print, radio, TV and/or Internet - might go a long way.
Yeah, agreed. Unfortunately, commuting via bicycle is comparatively rare in the states compared to Europe - from what I've heard, European cyclists and drivers alike are much more apt to share the road with each other.

You ask me for a hamburger.
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-06-05, 22:08

I realize that. That's why my idea is good, to edumicatify folks here in the States. Make them all hip to the cycle jive and so forth.

It's obvious there are some disconnects and differences in attitudes out there...

"Get off the road, dicksmooch!"

"I'm supposed to be riding here! It's illegal to ride on the sidewalk."

"Oh, I didn't realize that. Well, could you perhaps scoot the hell over a bit?, please?"

"Sure, no problem. My bad!"

Annnnnnd...scene.

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Banana
is the next Chiquita
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2008-06-05, 22:13

+1 for public information campaign.


Even if we know everybody else ignore it...
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SKMDC
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2008-06-05, 22:15

I had a guy do the "the side walk is over there" routine (on Irving Park Road in Chicago) and the did a quick swerve in my direction, causing me to hit the curb and endo on the sidewalk missing the hydrant by inches. A lady saw it and between the two of us, I had the plate #, she was the witness and the guy got fined large, like a grand, and that was 9 years ago. I know Mayor Daley's made the laws even more severe since as he's a bike geek.

"What's a Canadian farm boy to do?"
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RowdyScot
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2008-06-05, 22:28

A lot of places in my area don't have sidewalks, or they're in terrible condition. My only problem with cyclists here is that they tend to fall under the "99% of people in NW Ohio are above average in stupid" rule. I'd never do anything malicious, but I've had to full out slam the brakes seven times in the past month because of cyclists. There are an absolute shitton of roads around my town on which semis don't travel, and are very recently paved and wonderful. The cyclists here seem to adore going on the shithole roads complete with semi traffic, then swerve at will around the holes. What cyclist, given the choice of roads, especially when they get to the same place, would choose the road with heavy traffic and numerous foot-deep potholes?

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billybobsky
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2008-06-05, 22:43

MB... the sidewalk isn't for bikes... it's called a sideWALK for a reason...
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drewprops
Space Pirate
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Atlanta
 
2008-06-05, 23:01

While I smile any time I see our local bicycle flash mob in action, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that fanatical bicycle rights enthusiasts annoy and anger me. These folks have no ability to understand the argument from the other side.

I just rode behind two girls this evening who were riding in the leftmost lane of a 4-lane one way street... except they were riding along the white line between that leftmost lane and the next inner lane, effectively slowing two lanes down to a SERIOUS CRAWL. They weren't even TRYING to go at any speed... it was like their own personal blockade action.

Dedicated bike lanes are my preference.
Getting our culture to admit bicyclists to the dance might happen a bit faster, but there's still going to be a good deal of friction.

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matthias
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2008-06-05, 23:10

More effort needs to be put into bike lanes everywhere...and not just some crappy strip where they expect a cyclist to stay perfectly in there. But in reality that would cause too much money...
In some places though where riding a bike on the sidewalk isn't illegal I still see cyclists riding on the road. They are basically asking to get killed considering the way many people drive...I just hope they are brightly dressed to been as obnoxious as possible so everyone sees them. Perhaps with the gas prices and more people biking, it will spark more awareness of being kind to sharing the road with bikers.
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iFerret
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2008-06-05, 23:14

Similar things here.

Cyclists insist on riding on the road - apparently, there's only certain zones where you can legally ride on the sidewalk/footpath here in New Zealand.

Pisses me and other drivers off. They're always in the way.
Regularly they come very close to being hit, but do they care? No.
They get in the way, can't respect cars, etc., etc.

Then part of the bloody government supports them with "Don't burst their bubbles" signs that tell you to keep 1 metre away at least.
The "we're road users too" thing also annoys me. You are not a road user.
I have four wheels and weigh a few thousand kilograms. You have two "wheels" a spindly frame and weigh a few thousand grams. You are not a road user, you should be on the sidewalk where non vehicle traffic belongs.

I have nothing against cyclists and bikes, I just can't stand it when they're all over the road, getting in the way and getting themselves almost killed.

Scares the shit out of you when you nearly hit a cyclist, and it's their friggin' fault.
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billybobsky
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2008-06-05, 23:16

drew,

dedicated bike lanes are great, sure... when their borders are unbroken by moving autos. the problem is that drivers don't automatically accept or avoid crossing into the bike lane -- this is especially true of cabs and public buses. urban drivers often, incorrectly, assume that they are traveling that much faster than bicycles and act aggressively towards them sensing that they are somehow slowing them down only to be passed by the cyclist at the next light. the point is that drivers have no right to be aggrieved as their lives aren't risked by stupid actions by cyclists...
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onlyafterdark
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2008-06-05, 23:33

Umm, dont you guys have to learn this stuff when you are doing your drivers tests? I know that up here in Canada it is taught all the way through the drivers ed program.

Or am I just expecting too much?
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thegelding
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2008-06-06, 00:06

as a year round 2 wheeler (either scooter or bicycle) and can tell you this...

it's no win...if i ride on the sidewalk i get yelled at...if i ride on the road i get yelled at

cagers are stupid
bikers are stupid

every fucking body is stupid


i almost never ride on the sidewalk as it is a sideWALK...but i do sometimes as nobody in new mexico walks anywhere...

we do have some bike paths and bike trails...and i try to take them, but they don't cover the whole city...

but, by law, bikes are suppose to be on the road and suppose to follow traffic laws...stop at lights, signal turns etc etc

i ride as if every car plans to kill me...and with good reason...we have at least 2 deaths every year...usually much more...

i will say that there are also a fair number of bikers that ride like assholes...

i will say that there are also a fair number of cars that ride like assholes...

and for some reason people will swerve toward you and yell for no reason at all...mostly kids, but even people old enough to be past that silliness

we really do just need the price of gas to get quickly to 10 bucks a gallon so we cut the cars on the road by a good 75 percent...more bikes and bike lanes would help actually

but it is really a communal fault...we really just need smarter people and better bike riders and better car riders...

but if you see a bike on the road, remember that is where it is suppose to be by law

g

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FFL
Fishhead Family Reunited
 
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2008-06-06, 00:11

Quote:
Originally Posted by Banana View Post
+1 for public information campaign.
That's noble and optimistic and all... but seriously? Trying to INFORM the American public, when 36% of them can't even name the continent they are currently standing on?

Good luck with that.....

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