How Bike Friendly is Texas? (Page 2)

WOW it takes a REAL MAN to be aggressive with a woman riding a bike alone.

People are such stupid @ssholes sometimes.

Had my first serious incident last night on a ride with 5 other triathletes.  One of the guys dropped a water bottle and went back to pick it up (not even a 1/4 mile).  We waited for him at the next intersection.  When he rolled up to the intersection I noticed a guy get out of a white ford pickup.  I thought my buddy knew him but after a few seconds it was clear they did not know each other.  I and everyone else dropped their bikes and hauled @ss over to them and before the guy knew it he he had 6 guys in his face.  By the look on his face I am certain he was not expecting to have to deal with all of us.  He was obviously drunk (judging by the beer smell and his demeanor).  He thought better of it all and got in his truck.  He was reaching into the glove box and I was almost certain he was going for a pistol.  He circled us twice and then I told one of the guys to get his picture and call the cops.  He only pretended to call the cops but that did the trick.  Crazy stuff.  Luckily this was the first serious incident and it ended without anyone getting injured.

I ride in Dallas when I am working and in east Texas when I am off and at home, at least Dallas has White Rock Lake although the creek trail can get crowded.  In east Texas about 95% of the roads are chip seal and every other person owns not just a pick-up but a one ton dually so they can put you in the ditch with their rear fender and keep on going.  For the record my favorite redneck stunt is what I like to call the "fish/bird"  this involves being flipped off as they pass you usually accompanied by some sort of verbal abuse once they are past you if you see the rear of their vehicle their is one of the fish symbols just so you know that they were displaying their best church going, god fearing behavior 

I don't even take much note of people yelling, laying on the horn, cutting me off or just barely missing me. It just happens too much. I actually feel safer when I ride at 5am in the dark in south houston.

I've had a off duty cop pull over, flash his badge and then tell me to get off the road.

Edited by smilford 2009-06-04 10:22 AM

Heh, I love this post.  That's my usual ride!  You get used to it though.  As long as they aren't hitting me, I'm not complaining.  I'm sure the day will come when I get hit though...

But I will say that riding in East Texas is WAY better than riding at White Rock Lake.  The scenery is nice, the hills are nice.  And while the chipseal sucks, you eventually get used to it.  White Rock Lake is overcrowded, and it makes me feel like a hamster.

Edited by jcbolton 2009-06-04 10:23 AM

Like this dude who slams his brakes and waits for me to get closer but as I get closer he goes away. I've also slapped the hood of truck before and hung onto a mirror when they get with in centimeters. There were some verbal words exchanged. It brings out my non christian behavior in me, but I will say I haven't noticed a christian fish yet on the back of a pickup truck. Actually with the ones with all of that are the nice ones that I've encountered. Maybe it's the area I am in.

The good thing about our roads though is we still have  a lot of asphalt roads in East Texas as compared to the concrete roads in Dallas, much better for running atleast.

Dang. At least everyone ganged up against the guy in the truck.

When we have had aggressive people come around my cycling club... most of the people ride off leaving one person alone against the car. It's horrible really.

If we all stood up together, the people in cars would think twice.

Otherwise, Jonny and I discussed the other day how most of the time people in cars who are mean and aggressive are typically:

1) Driving a truck
2) VERY, VERY LARGE... aka: never worked out or rode a bike a day in their lives

As a belated follow-up to this, it seems like Plano is significantly better at dealing with cyclists than most of Dallas. They have signs up to share the road, mark bike routes, etc. It's not a lot, but it's more than I see in many other parts of the metroplex.

While I am disgusted with Gov. Perry for not passing the safe passage bill, I am proud of Fort Worth for their "Bike Fort Worth" plan to radically improve Fort Worth for cyclists. The plan calls for much needed bike lanes, expansion of roadways/trailways for cyclists, commuter storage areas in urban areas and a goal of TRIPLING bicycling in Fort Worth by 2015. Good job Fort Worth.

Now, I hope that it will rub off on the county - where I live, just outside of town - and the State.

I love Texas - I just wish it would love me back in this one area of my life.

Having lived and ridden in Fort Worth, N. Dallas/Plano (back in the late 80's), Big Bend/Alpine, and Houston - I've experienced a lot of different pockets - I'd say 36% is fair. I've had bottles thrown at me in Brewster County, been stalked by trucks in Houston, run off the road in Dallas/Houston and all of the above outside of Fort Worth. If you have to ride alone alot like I do, then you'll get picked on eventually. It's a cultural thing in Texas - many Texans just don't like bikes "slowing us all down" on the road. Here's to change!

BTW - I am a strict rider on the road and don't put myself where I'm not supposed to be, nor put others at risk. I ride defensively - same as when I owned my motorcycle.

Gov. Perry doesn't seem to want to make Texas any better for cycling, even though he rides and runs - two of his feared "new class" of roadway users.

Here's his ridiculous rationale:

June 19, 2009

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Pursuant to Article IV, Section 14 of the Texas Constitution, I, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, do hereby disapprove of and veto Senate Bill No. 488 of the 81st Texas Legislature, Regular Session, due to the following objections:

Senate Bill No. 488 would create a new class of users of roadways, called “vulnerable road users,” which would require specific actions by operators of motor vehicles. These vulnerable road users would include pedestrians; highway construction and maintenance workers; tow truck operators; stranded motorists or passengers; people on horseback; bicyclists; motorcyclists; moped riders; and other similar road users.

Many road users placed into the category of vulnerable road users already have operation regulations and restrictions in statute. For example, a person operating a vehicle being drawn by an animal is subject to the same duties as a motor vehicle, and a pedestrian is required to yield the right of way to a motor vehicle, unless he or she is at an intersection or crosswalk.

While I am in favor of measures that make our roads safer for everyone, this bill contradicts much of the current statute and places the liability and responsibility on the operator of a motor vehicle when encountering one of these vulnerable road users. In addition, an operator of a motor vehicle is already subject to penalties when he or she is at fault for causing a collision or operating recklessly, whether it is against a “vulnerable user” or not.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have signed my name officially and caused the Seal of the State to be affixed hereto at Austin, this the 19th day of June, 2009.

RICK PERRY
Governor of Texas

ATTESTED BY:
COBY SHORTER, III
Deputy Secretary of State

I was hit by an old Hispanic guy sporting a UT longhorn logo on the truck while in Lubbock. On another ride out there people can easily pass and yet come within inches while laying on the horn. East Tx hasn't been as bad, but then again I haven't ridden much here yet.

Yes, that's precisely why they're vulnerable jack*ss. I hope you get hit by a truck next time you're on your bike.

Ouch!  Note to self - don't pss off Jonathan.

ETA:  Aparently pi$$ doesn't make it through the filter.

Edited by KeriKadi 2009-06-23 1:22 PM

judging by the bird shot pellets dented into the "share the road" signs around my house, magnolia, tx is probably not a great place to ride.  the roads are all really uneven with little to no shoulder at all (right yellow line is sometimes on the gravel or the grass).  plus with all the trucks and the trucks pulling trailers, you wouldn't catch me on one of the roads in my neck of the woods without a bubble around me and my bike.  but, there are bikers out all the time.  with the increased popularity of cycling, the roads are jammed packed with people on bikes.  there are too many other roads to ride on further out of the city that are safer than those around my hood.  gotta be crazy to trust your life to someone else on the roads in magnolia!

Guv. Helmet Head is a total doosh

It's the latest in a long line of things Gov. GoodHair has done that I find repellent. I'm glad KBH is coming in to clean his clock, even though I don't agree with her that much it's better than him & Craddick trying to *ssf*ck the state.


Sorry, I'll save the rest for COJ.

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