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People are ***holes!
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 2014-04-10 5:23 PM |
Member  60 |  Subject: People are ***holes!So this year my goal for Triathlon was to get alot more time in the saddle. I have a background of running and have become a decent swimmer in my last couple years of Tri's. My weakness has always been the bike. Now that I'm signed up for my first long distance race (half in May) I've been working on really trying to get some miles in. Where I live it's been almost impossible to get any miles in off the trainer but the weather has finally started to break. I went for a ride yesterday and am just completely fed up. Everytime I ride on the road I feel like I'm taking my life in my hands. The amount of cars that dont slow down or don't give you even a bit of space blows my mind. A taxi passed me and literally was less then 6 inches from me.. speeding up. That guy is lucky he didn't catch a red light cause I was extremely upset after that one. Anyways I know this is something that you live with when riding on the road and a fellow BT'er has offered up some routes to me for long rides that I'm hoping have more room on shoulders but unfortunately they are a bit farther away. Until I check them out I'll be sticking to the trainer.. which sux because I know I get much more from riding on the road but I'm not trying to get run over!! Thanks for letting me vent!  |
| 2014-04-10 5:25 PM in reply to: SR2518 |
Pro 5361  | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! |
| 2014-04-10 6:02 PM in reply to: SR2518 |
Expert 1644   Oklahoma | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! I feel your pain. I do almost all my rides on the trainer for that reason. |
| 2014-04-10 6:37 PM in reply to: SR2518 |
Master 2759 Los Angeles, CA | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Damn those bastard drivers! |
| 2014-04-10 6:38 PM in reply to: SR2518 |
Master 8247 Eugene, Oregon Bronze member | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Don't ever come to Saigon then. Six inches would be really generous. About 50% of traffic doesn't even stop for red lights. Turning left or right from any lane on red without reducing speed appears to be perfectly legal--probably 90% of cars and motorbikes do it, I've never seen anyone stopped for it, and most local acquaintances I asked seemed to think it was okay. I do all of my riding on my trainer or in loops of an industrial park with little traffic other than motorbikes during the shift changes--have still seen fatal accidents in there. But I have to ride 5 km to and from the park--it scares the sh... out of me. |
| 2014-04-10 7:06 PM in reply to: SR2518 |
| 79 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! I live in a major city and typically NEVER ride on any roadways and would never advise it. I have a few "safe" roads to do extensive training on but they are a good 45 minutes away. That said, most of my improvement has been on the trainer. It's just more efficient and safer honestly. Every other weekend I'll take a drive out to these canyon roads where I can stay on top of my bike handling and practice descending at high speeds. If I were you, I'd definitely spend more time on the trainer, rather than outside. |
| 2014-04-10 7:52 PM in reply to: SR2518 |
| 265 Denver, Colorado | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! I agree. It's scary and my least favorite part of training is a hitting the roads for how dangerous it can be at times. I tend to drive to the local reservoir / state parks where bikes are the majority. Unfortunately this means either a lot of indoor miles or driving. |
| 2014-04-10 8:02 PM in reply to: morey000 |
Expert 2373 Floriduh | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! "People are ***holes!" Yep. |
| 2014-04-11 7:10 AM in reply to: #4979881 |
| 14 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! I ride my bicycle like I ride my motorcycle, as if someone is out to get me. One eye on the road and one eye looking behind me. |
| 2014-04-11 7:57 AM in reply to: jamesepoop |
| Regular 226 Saint Petersburg, FL | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! I clearly don't ride where you do, well I think I don't, but there can be some pretty busy, fast, un-bike friendly traffic around me as well. I've done a couple of things to improve my odds for safety: 1. I go on group rides .... I really believe there is safety in numbers. Not always convenient but I do it when I can 2. when riding alone rather than riding as far right in the lane as possible I give myself a littel more room to force people to slow down and go around me. I get a lot of 1 finger solutes and some pretty spirited comments as traffic goes by, but I'm given a lot more space than when I ride far to the right side. When I did ride closer to the white line I experienced the same thing most of you note .... people whizzed by and gave very little room. I'm certainly not saying these are fool proof but they have worked for me so far. |
| 2014-04-11 9:42 AM in reply to: SWFLFATGUY |
| 113 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! I'm in the minority I guess. I live in boring flatland Illinois but once I ride about 200 yard on a fairly busy road I can ride for miles and see very few cars. I've seen as few as 5 cars on a 40 mile ride. That said I still cringe everytime I hear a car coming from behind. You can never be too careful. Last summer I had some @$$hat come at me head on at about 80 mph forcing me off the road. I'm still livid about that one. Makes me want to get my concealed carry permit. Will a Sig Sauer P250 fit in a jersey pocket? |
| 2014-04-11 9:54 AM in reply to: SWFLFATGUY |
Expert 3126 Boise, ID | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Originally posted by SWFLFATGUY I clearly don't ride where you do, well I think I don't, but there can be some pretty busy, fast, un-bike friendly traffic around me as well. I've done a couple of things to improve my odds for safety: 1. I go on group rides .... I really believe there is safety in numbers. Not always convenient but I do it when I can 2. when riding alone rather than riding as far right in the lane as possible I give myself a littel more room to force people to slow down and go around me. I get a lot of 1 finger solutes and some pretty spirited comments as traffic goes by, but I'm given a lot more space than when I ride far to the right side. When I did ride closer to the white line I experienced the same thing most of you note .... people whizzed by and gave very little room. I'm certainly not saying these are fool proof but they have worked for me so far. These are the two things I was going to post.^^
We don't get harassed hardly at all on our group rides around here. Lucky for me we have a great LBS that holds Wednesday night rides then we have a good local group that does Saturday morning rides. You definitely get a lot more space on the road when in a group. Might be worth checking out in your area. You mention looking for wider shoulders. Riding the shoulder has always given me worse results than taking the lane. I tend to ride in the right hand side tire track of the lane. It is far enough right for people to easily see around me and get around me, but it also requires them to time things so they don't swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid me. I always get more space from drivers when I do this. If I ride the shoulder or hug the white line it seems to encourage people to try to squeeze past me when they shouldn't, I get a lot more close calls when riding the white line. Hope you find a solution. I would quit biking if I had to ride the trainer year round. |
| 2014-04-11 11:16 AM in reply to: jamesepoop |
Extreme Veteran 909 Westchester, NY | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Whee I live - in Westchester County NY. We recently passed the 3 ft law. That means cars etc.. Have to give cyclists a 3ft bubble for safety. I'm amazed at how many do give us the 3 ft. I'm also shocked at how many don't. That said, there a great many cyclists in the area, and there has been a drop in cycling accidents. The roads around here look like they've been testing bombs here. It'll be interesting to see how the summer and the local racing season starts. Some of the roads that the Westchester Triathlon rides on are a total mess. |
| 2014-04-11 11:32 AM in reply to: louamerica |
Pro 4578 Vancouver, BC | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Yeah, sorry that happened. I guess you just become more used to it? Around here, it is quite nice to ride out of the city because you can ride for a long time without as much traffic or stoplights. However, in general, you actually get a bit more room from drivers in the city. I think that they are more used to seeing bikes. |
| 2014-04-11 11:52 AM in reply to: SWFLFATGUY |
Member 388 Miami | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Originally posted by SWFLFATGUY I clearly don't ride where you do, well I think I don't, but there can be some pretty busy, fast, un-bike friendly traffic around me as well. I've done a couple of things to improve my odds for safety: 1. I go on group rides .... I really believe there is safety in numbers. Not always convenient but I do it when I can 2. when riding alone rather than riding as far right in the lane as possible I give myself a littel more room to force people to slow down and go around me. I get a lot of 1 finger solutes and some pretty spirited comments as traffic goes by, but I'm given a lot more space than when I ride far to the right side. When I did ride closer to the white line I experienced the same thing most of you note .... people whizzed by and gave very little room. I'm certainly not saying these are fool proof but they have worked for me so far. x2 I was hit by a car not so long ago (no major injury happened) and since then I also do what SWFLFATGUY suggested. I had some scares with cars turning and merging, but that is the best that it can get here in Miami... Another important point is to really look for areas with very low traffic. Even though I live in a major city, if I ride 10-15 miles out I can pretty much ride for miles on end with minimal to no traffic at all. |
| 2014-04-11 12:03 PM in reply to: 0 |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Overwhelmingly, people are NOT ***holes. Unfortunately, if 500 cars pass you on your ride today and 1 or 2 act like idiot morons it's easy to see all people in that light. I enjoy people...I enjoy dealing with them every day, and I know without hesitation how good they inherently are. BUT....hear this.....the number of people who drive distracted/impaired in some way is mind boggling. They are in a car, you are on a bike......... proceed accordingly. AND, if you ever get the chance to show one of the idiot morons the error of their ways....by all means, don't pass up the opportunity. Edited by Left Brain 2014-04-11 12:05 PM |
| 2014-04-11 12:04 PM in reply to: jamesepoop |
| 72 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Yeah, as was suggested, go on group rides. Do the ones put on by well established bike shops as they have it dialed-in to where the safe routes are. I do many of mine after work during rush hour in the Boston area and have no problems with the ones Landry's put on as they go on the safer, lesser travelled routes. Also, consider established bike paths/rail trails that are paved. The Minuteman Rail Trail around the corner from work here is very good and the other bikers/people walking and street crossings (the latter all being pretty safe) lend itself to practicing shifting with the acceleration/decelerations, etc and one round trip is 20 miles with long false flats that make for a good workout. In Hudson, there is a 5.2 mile (one way) rail trail with a false flat that works out well as it is a relatively safe 5+ mile RT to get to the start and then doing 2 laps gives me a safe 27 mile ride. Also, consider going out early in the morning before the fat slob human rectums that are envious of your physical capabilities & ambition come out and the road rage starts to heat up. |
| 2014-04-11 12:07 PM in reply to: Mahk |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Originally posted by Mahk Yeah, as was suggested, go on group rides. Do the ones put on by well established bike shops as they have it dialed-in to where the safe routes are. I do many of mine after work during rush hour in the Boston area and have no problems with the ones Landry's put on as they go on the safer, lesser travelled routes. Also, consider established bike paths/rail trails that are paved. The Minuteman Rail Trail around the corner from work here is very good and the other bikers/people walking and street crossings (the latter all being pretty safe) lend itself to practicing shifting with the acceleration/decelerations, etc and one round trip is 20 miles with long false flats that make for a good workout. In Hudson, there is a 5.2 mile (one way) rail trail with a false flat that works out well as it is a relatively safe 5+ mile RT to get to the start and then doing 2 laps gives me a safe 27 mile ride. Also, consider going out early in the morning before the fat slob human rectums that are envious of your physical capabilities & ambition come out and the road rage starts to heat up. Dude....some of those fat slobs are my friends.......they don't give a rats arse about your physical capabilities. Most think you're/we're goofy. They may have a point. |
| 2014-04-11 12:14 PM in reply to: Left Brain |
| 72 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! ......but are they "fat slob human rectums"! It's OK to be a fat slob.......just don't be a human rectum and/or be envious of others and commit road rage. Yeah, I'm goofy which is probably part of the reason I enjoy life. |
| 2014-04-11 12:17 PM in reply to: Mahk |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Originally posted by Mahk ......but are they "fat slob human rectums"! It's OK to be a fat slob.......just don't be a human rectum and/or be envious of others and commit road rage. Yeah, I'm goofy which is probably part of the reason I enjoy life. I've talked to and written tickets to people who have raged at cyclists......they are NOT envious of you in any way. They just don't think we belong on the road. I will admit that you can't fix stupid, but the idea that people are envious of what you/we/I do as a cyclist is pretty far out there. My friends would rather go fishing. |
| 2014-04-11 12:32 PM in reply to: Left Brain |
| 72 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Hmmmm.....actually, come to think of it you’re right and they probably really pity us especially when we’re in Mile 57 of a 60+ mile sufferfest pale & dehydrated getting delirious and having hallucinations of pizzas. |
| 2014-04-11 12:37 PM in reply to: Mahk |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Originally posted by Mahk Hmmmm.....actually, come to think of it you’re right and they probably really pity us especially when we’re in Mile 57 of a 60+ mile sufferfest pale & dehydrated getting delirious and having hallucinations of pizzas. Dude - they don't think about you at all. |
| 2014-04-11 12:42 PM in reply to: Left Brain |
| 72 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! Originally posted by Left Brain Originally posted by Mahk Hmmmm.....actually, come to think of it you’re right and they probably really pity us especially when we’re in Mile 57 of a 60+ mile sufferfest pale & dehydrated getting delirious and having hallucinations of pizzas. Dude - they don't think about you at all. Oh! Well, then that’s the problem – they see a biker/buncha’ bikers ahead and don’t think of them and wind up darn near plowing into them if not indeed plowing into them.  |
 2014-04-11 12:48 PM in reply to: Left Brain |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2014-04-11 1:14 PM in reply to: Fred D |
| 96 | Subject: RE: People are ***holes! throwing in the some cyclists don't help the attitude and IN NO WAY IMPLYING THE OP OR ANY OTHER POSTER WASN'T AS FAR OVER AS COULD POSSIBLY BE ON ANY RIDE. I ride a lot and constant think thinks like, man, what if someone nails me from behind in this part where I don't have a shoulder to ride on. yesterday though, after I had packed it up and was driving in my car, I came upon a group of cyclists - all riding side by side strung out across the road so as I came around the corner, there they are, blocking the road and giving me no choice but to go into the other lane - on the corner! I was tempted to pull over, show them my bike and yell at them, 'I'm a cyclist too, don't be an ***hole out there and screw us all!" there is NO excuse for a group ride to ride even 3 people side by side much less 5 people. 2 people I can deal with, any more is just ***hole behavior that unnecessarily hogs the road. there is the say, you own a car, not the road. same goes for the cyclist, you own a bike, not the road. that said, I would still rather have a bike buzz my car than the jerks in the cars nearly clipping me with their mirrors whilst on my bike |
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