Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight (Page 2)

Forum guidelines BT super discount
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
 
 
of 2
 
 
2009-08-12 11:10 AM
in reply to: #2342794

User image

Veteran
294
100100252525
Papillion, NE
Subject: RE: Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight
elbi999 - 2009-08-11 8:11 PM I was just driving home from my masters swim.  I was stopped at a red light on a busy road (2 lanes in either direction)  On the other side of the road I see a muscle head mashing away on his mountain bike In the DARK, with black shorts, black shirt, no light on bike, no helmet, ipod attached to his arm with ear buds in ears, AND there is NO SHOULDER on this road!!  Which means he is biking in the righthand lane!!!  I so wanted to turn my car around and get on my soap box.  


WOW. While I agree that he may not have been using good judgment in his bike riding decisions, I don't see any reason to categorize him a "muscle head", as if we are all ignorant.
I consider myselft a "muscle head" and like to think I use good judgment when doing most things.

I guess your story is like when I see the "little twigs" in the gym trying to squat with 135#, only going 4" deep and not using collars so the weight gets dumped on someone nearby.

2009-08-12 11:15 AM
in reply to: #2342794

User image

Royal(PITA)
14270
50005000200020001001002525
West Chester, Ohio
Subject: RE: Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight

I was coming home from volunteering at a race last month and saw a neighbor do this one....

 

He's riding helmetless (yeah they all do--jerks)....holding his toddler in his arms (she has a helmet) while pedaling the bike and maneuvering 2 large dogs on leashes.  Wurkit was with me and we both couldn't believe it!

2009-08-12 11:22 AM
in reply to: #2343825


94
252525
Subject: RE: Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight
meblack - 2009-08-12 11:54 AM
Sager - 2009-08-12 8:04 AM
meblack - 2009-08-11 10:20 PM
DrPete - 2009-08-11 8:30 PM There's nothing wrong with riding on a road that has no shoulder, or riding in the traffic lane on a road that does.

The rest of it, though, is dumb.


I think he/she meant that its pretty dumb to ride on a road with no bike lane/shoulder, on a busy street, with absolutely no way for other drivers to see you. If you are going to have no light and wear black clothes you could at least ride on the sidewalk where its a little bit safer. It's just another person not having common sense...I saw an idiot today on a bike too.


This may sound hard to believe but you are actually more likely to get hit by a car on a bike if you ride on the sidewalk. 


Are you being sarcastic? Where are the statistics? haha At least to me in this situation it doesn't seem safer...maybe not so safe when crossing intersections since cars might not see you when they are turning right...I figure in this situation you are target any time you are on the street (since nobody will see you until they run you over), if you are on the sidewalk you only at worry about intersections. That's my thinking.


I was being serious.  Here is a link to a study from that shows that when riding on the sidewalk youre 1.8 times more likely to be in a serious accident with a car.
http://www.vehicularcyclist.com/wachtel.html

For those of you who dont want to read the whole study here is a little teaser

A 1994 study by Wachtel and Lewiston examined many factors affecting bicycle safety. One factor was road position. They compared cyclists riding on sidewalks versus riding on a road (both with and without bike lanes.)

Bicyclists on a sidewalk or bicycle path incur greater risk than those on the roadway (on aver­age 1.8 times as great), most likely because of blind conflicts at intersections. Wrong-way sidewalk bicyclists are at even greater risk, and sidewalk bicycling appears to increase the inci­dence of wrong-way travel.

Thus the aim of a well-designed roadway system should be to integrate bicycles and motor vehicles according to the well-established and effective principles of traffic law and engineer­ing, not to separate them. This conclusion is in accord with the 1981 and 1991 AASHTO Guides and the California Highway Design Manual, and with our own experience as bicy­clists. The goal of integration can be promoted through the use of wide, smooth outside lanes that encourage bicyclists to travel on the road­way rather than on an adjacent sidewalk or path.

Sidewalk bicycling adjacent to busy streets with many intersections presents special dangers, and should not be encouraged through the construction or designation of bicycle paths parallel to the street.



Edited by Sager 2009-08-12 11:24 AM
2009-08-12 12:12 PM
in reply to: #2343875

User image

Extreme Veteran
453
1001001001002525
Long Island, NY
Subject: RE: Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight
DJS - 2009-08-12 11:10 AM
elbi999 - 2009-08-11 8:11 PM I was just driving home from my masters swim.  I was stopped at a red light on a busy road (2 lanes in either direction)  On the other side of the road I see a muscle head mashing away on his mountain bike In the DARK, with black shorts, black shirt, no light on bike, no helmet, ipod attached to his arm with ear buds in ears, AND there is NO SHOULDER on this road!!  Which means he is biking in the righthand lane!!!  I so wanted to turn my car around and get on my soap box.  


WOW. While I agree that he may not have been using good judgment in his bike riding decisions, I don't see any reason to categorize him a "muscle head", as if we are all ignorant.
I consider myselft a "muscle head" and like to think I use good judgment when doing most things.

I guess your story is like when I see the "little twigs" in the gym trying to squat with 135#, only going 4" deep and not using collars so the weight gets dumped on someone nearby.

Ahh, I called him a muscle head because he had seriously juiced up arms... so maybe a poor choice of words.  Didn't mean to offend...

 
2009-08-12 12:40 PM
in reply to: #2342794

User image

Veteran
294
100100252525
Papillion, NE
Subject: RE: Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight
No worries, I see your point.
2009-08-12 12:42 PM
in reply to: #2343220

User image

Member
51
2525
Oklahoma City
Subject: RE: Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight
nadaswimmer - 2009-08-12 6:39 AM Passed 5 bikes tonight on my ride...coming towards me! Idiots. Two were teenagers (who should really know by now what side of the road bikes belong on) but the other three were actual, real cyclists. Or maybe they weren't.


See it all the time.  I work next to a busy six-lane expressway.  See a guy ride his bike (the correct way) to Starbucks.  Returns to his office going the wrong way in a traffic lane, no helmet, carrying his coffee.  I'm hoping that the police nab him some day before he dies or causes an accident.

That being said, I know adults who do not know the traffic rules and actually believe that it is safer to bike against traffic.  I had a family member who I had to work with on this who initially would not believe me.  Thankfully, I have finally convinced the person to ride with traffic and now feel more comfortable with that person being out on the road.

New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Saw pure stupidity on a bike tonight Rss Feed  
 
 
of 2