Cyclists are the bane of the planet

I too live in Seattle, it is absolutely legal for cyclists to ride on the side walk, they can choose what they are most comfortable for them, side walk, street, bicycle lane. Just because there is a bicycle lane does not mean they have to use it. There is an HOV lane and no compulsion to use it if you have a high occupancy vehicle.
As to running up to a stop light between or next to cars that is dependent on each state and city laws. Just like in some states Motorcyclists can zip between cars on a highway, in many places cyclists don't have to wait in the back of the congestion at a stop light, they can ride to the front. Most cities allow that, don't know of any off the top of my head that don't.
You may want to familiarize yourself with the laws before calling out cyclists that behave in a fashion that YOU don't like.
In general in the Puget Sound cyclists ride rather safely. We have one of the best places to ride bicycles in the country in terms of both safety and enjoyment.
I can list on a daily basis all the illegal activities I see of drivers on a regular basis, still I don't brand all drivers as reckless.

 

Well, I certainly disagree. MOST bicyclists here behave in a bad fashion as you call it. They need to find some other place to peddle their bicycles. As far as clothing, the women I know laugh at them! Their stories are pretty funny. Its not the beach and, no, you are not sponsored. I have been a motorized racer for a long time and it is way difficult to get real sponsors - especially at my age. Please stop thinking you need to share the road with dangerous vehicles.

 

That's just selfish and pitiful, I am sorry that you feel that way.

 

Its neither. Like I said, I bike on the road too. There is a way to do it without endangering yourself and others. In the end, its best to separate vehicle types.

 

Please go ahead and read on WA state laws:
RCW 46.61.755: Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles.

Cyclist must obey all traffic laws when sharing the road. Vehicles cannot ignore red lights nor stop signs, neither can cyclist but they do all the time.
WA doesn't allow lane-splitting, cyclists do it all the time here. There is no special provision allowing cyclists to ride to the front of the line.

WA does have a lot of bad drivers, no question about it; but whereas I'll see 10% of drivers running red lights or making illegal turns, 90% of cyclist fail to obey basic traffic laws.

 

Phil,

You can give back some hate by driving a nice old diesel truck and drive real slow.

 

I used to have similar feelings to those expressing your ire about cyclists. Then a switch flipped and I bought a kick-ass road bike (all Italian carbon fiber, sexier than my Ferrari). I've now ridden over 8,000 miles in the past 15 months and needless to say my opinions have changed dramatically.

The amount of ignorance, hate, and a55holery on display here is really disgusting. Would you say these things out loud to your friend, colleague, or neighbor who is an avid cyclist? If you answer 'yes' then please seek some professional help.

 

This weekend I was driving on a road, which has a huge, separated by grass and trees cycle lane (wider than the road for cars for christ sake). And what's right in front of me? 2 cyclist. Not right behind each other either. Nope. cycling next to each other and not moving, even when I was clearly being held up and after 10 long seconds I hooted...wouldn't budge. Hooted again and they looked at me as if I was satan.

God it was tempting to accidentally drive over them. I do hope they got hit by a truck later on.

Not long ago I was walking my friends dog on the sidewalk. Again. Massive cycle path next to it. Cyclist decided to drive on the sidewalk and yells at me when the dog suddenly changed path and almost got hit by the cyclist. I called him some colourful names, he looked at me in disgust and would phone the police. Go right ahead...

Now, there are plenty of cyclists who are more than normal and I'm just highlighting 2 exeptions, but **** me, the 2 I named really should be burned at the stake out of general principle. Would make the world a better place.

 

I have largely stayed away from reading this as it really bothers me. To see people that I had previously respected show such unabated ignorance is entirely disheartening and I don't know how I can ever respect them again.

I could go on with a lot but I'm only going to make a few points:

I raced bicycles as a profession for several years. At my height I was ranked 19th in the world. I was on the national team and represented the country at the highest levels in sport. I saw the world several times over and earned a living in a very difficult and demanding profession with integrity and pride and competed cleanly throughout my career. I endured 36 broken bones, including breaking my back three times, and breaking my pelvis two times (one time it was a catastrophic break). If anyone had the balls to tell me that I was "pretending to be an athlete," they would have been knocked on their ass. If someone told me that "the only good cyclist is a dead cyclist" to my face, I think that maybe it would go a step beyond that.

Now that I'm a few years removed from my athletic career, I have a successful business career and I'm also the regional director for the Rocky Mountain Region for the Ferrari Club of America. As such, I plan a fair number of events in Colorado where there are many cyclists. We have never had a drive be ruined or made worse by cyclists. We are also very conscientious of them and make an effort to share the road properly.

The road was my office and just like how anyone else knows what its like to have a hostile work environment at the office, I know what it's like to have a hostile work environment on the road because of stupid recreational cyclists. Imagine working all week and having people come into your office for three hours a week for them and treat it as a playground and mess it up. When I would see retarded cyclist doing stupid crap, I would tell them. I needed to have a pleasant work environment for 30 to 35 hours a week, as opposed to their 3 hour a week "playground." So when anyone says that cyclists do dumb crap, you're preaching to the choir.

That said, cyclists have a dedicated place on the road. Bike lanes and such are reserved for cyclists. They're not turn lanes, parking lanes, or anything like that. Also, Phil brought up the issue about cyclists not using bike paths. I rode on bike paths whenever I could as they are super. However, many bike paths are multi use and can be crowded (especially on weekends), not only making it dangerous for cyclists but for others on the path as well. Speed differential is a real thing and the bike path isn't always a the appropriate place to ride a bike at speed. To test this, try riding a bike at a leisurely 20mph on a crowded bike path on a weekend and see what kind of response you get.

Sidewalks are never appropriate for a bike. The rule in Denver is it's only acceptable for less than 6mph and a half a block from the origination or destination of a ride. However, as with a lot of places, the bike path and side walk run together in places essentially making them one and the same. So are they being a-holes by riding on the sidewalk or are they being a-holes by riding on the road instead of the bike path (which is actually the sidewalk)?

Anyways, seeing a lot of these very vile, very hideous remarks has irrevocably painted some people here in a very poor light in my eyes and it makes me embarrassed to be a Ferrari owner to see this self important, self righteous BS spewed by people who are supposed to be smart and successful. I'm going to try my best to bow out now because much of this is too ridiculous to read.

 

I raced as a pro, 1,2 for many years. I have been known to ride w/ my full race kit. I suspect my friend Sherpa has as well. they were not fake sponsors either. just saying.

at any rate, I like a few posting here find it strange that there is so much hostility against those of us who choose to enjoy cycling. too bad. mostly surprised at philnothill as he has always seemed a very reasonable, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic poster/member of fchat.

carry on.

 

Have always enjoyed riding, especially when younger and the country was much closer to our home. Today I would probably haul my bike the 5 miles necessary to get to the countryside where there are fewer cars and those driving appear to pay more attention to what they are doing.

As to the comments above, I would expect that the average bicyclist is a better driver than the average car driver due to the previously mentioned weight disparity upon impact. Not that it can't happen but most I rode with paid good attention to errant drivers due to the likely negative outcome.

 

I think the problem is many fold. Cities need to restrict cyclists from certain roads because it causes huge problems with traffic. Where I live there is a highway that runs straight through downtown. It's a main road that connects cities together and is the only way to get to a lot of neighborhoods and is the trucking route, so heavily trafficked with commercial vehicles. It is also one lane for a good majority of it with little to no shoulder. On the weekends, cyclists ride on that road and sometimes it takes twenty minutes or more for me to just turn out of my neighborhood. Surely, that is something the city should address.

My husband and I have a condo in Pensacola Beach and we're there now. They have dedicated bike lanes on a lot of their roadways - right next to the vehicle lane, same asphalt, same condition, nice and wide, dedicated ONLY to bicycles. We just sat behind a cyclist (think vacation traffic on the only single-lane road on an island) because a cyclist decided he needed to ride beside his wife in the vehicle lane rather than ahead or behind her in the bicycle lane. Now, I ask you, who's at fault there? Maybe it's not illegal, but is being a complete ****** doing him and other cyclists any favors? Especially in a city that has gone out of its way to accommodate cyclists?

 

In Vancouver they want more green space, larger bike paths and in some areas they have closed entire streets to cars. The socialist mayor wants it very difficult and time consuming to drive in downtown Vancouver. Encourage people to walk and bike. The stated goal is to be the greenest city in the world! Its the enviro wackos who get in the way of the car. Not the pro racer or exercise cyclist.

 

This is what they are building in downtown Vancouver. Turning streets into one ways and reducing cars to two or in some places one lane. Wasting $100's of millions to look green.
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They where completely at fault for not using the cycle lane and instead use the road, for cars.

 

I never advocated harm to cyclists. And I'm hardly an impatient vigilante. Since when is it policy to allow personal attacks on this board? I found a post funny because it seemed to address a stereotype of cyclists where I live and drive. My personal opinion that many seem rude and not half as considerate as I am when I share the road with them makes me an *******? If another car purposely blocked your progress and slowed to a crawl in front of you, would you feel the same way as you do when cyclists do the same? They're just "sharing" the road which they have a right to travel upon? And their selfishness justifies them throwing objects at my car as I wait to LEGALLY pass them in a passing zone? Or justify their swerving further out to the left to make me take an extra wide pass? Those jerks make it tough for the rest of the cycling community (which includes me, btw), yet rather than try to get them to refrain from such conduct, the cycling community tends to cheer them on. Thanks for the personal attack, Rob. I would have thought you better than that.

 

Nice attack. I do want to note that when a cycle lane is not available (tough in Holland to NOT have one, but it stands), I have little issue with cyclists.

When they decide to completely ignore said cycle lane and make zero effort to move over, they are the ones that are ****ing idiots.

I use a bicycle myself as well quite often so I'm not anti cyclist at all, as i'd be anti myself.

EDIT:

Added a picture to show where the cyclelane is. There is no way to not get on the cycle lane and being forced to use the road. It's nearly as wide as the road. Tough to see though.
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In my picture I've selected the width of the cycle lane and show where the sidewalk is. There was no reason why the cyclist would a) cycle on the sidewalk and b) shout at me for walking there.

EDIT: pic is downsized. cyclelane is 3.09m wide (so 10 foot).
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I'm a cyclist..I do Tri..so I do not ride in groups,in fact it's against the rules,sorta..when I ride on the road I stay to the right of the right tire wear track and the road edge..lots of riders I know ride more on the tire track so taking more of the road itself,but I'm not comfortable doing this..it's the silver silver Buick syndrome,as they seem to like getting by you without moving over very much,much at all..
Feel pretty puny out there..vulnerable..not much of a miscalculation,a mistake,a misjudgment could change a life for a long time,if not longer. I mainly ride on the path/trail for walkers and bikers but it's a compromise,but one I make to avoid the hostility..of drivers..walkers bristle some too but I tell'em "on left" real far out(and their earphones are their choice).😉
I have not been hit yet..yet..but I know it's possible,and if it's so I do hope it wasn't intentional even a bit. I have lots more in harms way than the silver silver...but I have the wonder about the hostile.
Cheers,
RE