Cyclists are the bane of the planet

I too am very surprised at the hostility here. Many cyclists out there are doing a lot of the things we are doing in our cars - enjoying the harmony of man and machine.

I feel the same sense of satisfaction when I power up a hill or carve down a canyon descent on my bike as I do when I execute a nice 90 degree turn in my Ferrari. It's all the same - just a different vehicle. Cyclists are just out looking for the same enjoyment as we are....we have no right to say what they are doing is less of an activity then us driving our cars.

With the dawn of apps like Strava, more cyclists then you can imagine are actually competing in their own private races and you wouldn't even know it. The same motivation we have on the racetrack to drop .1 sec the next lap they experience constantly throughout the ride....and the results are public. What many don't know is the routes and roads cyclists take are broken up into individual segments - everytime a rider rides through that stretch of road their time is recorded and later posted on leaderboards. Imagine if they had this for cars how insane drivers would get trying to get top times????

The stop sign complaint about cyclists not stopping at stop signs is getting old. How often to drivers come to a complete stop? In many cases, the cyclists are doing you complainers a favor. If the cyclist came to a complete stop, you too would have to wait...for the cyclist to completely stop, then get back clipped in, and ride across the intersection all while you wait...it's much smoother for the cyclist to keep rolling across the intersection.

I'm a very active cyclist, but I'm also a Ferrari owner and a 3 time national champion race car driver. To think cycling is any less important then us driving our cars is very ignorant. Many of those you come across are doing the same thing we are, just using a different tool.

 

rob,

I was hit as well and live with the pain everyday. I too have gotten scared on the roads and with the advent of the smart phone and texting...I have found training loops as well. I ride at fiesta island in san diego to do my training as it is safe. I just don't need to be a road warrior anymore.

ride long enough and you will have all things thrown at you, run off the road, threats to fight...you name it. those who know me know I am 6-4 and a sprinter build. I would actually enjoy when some little punk would get out of the car to challenge me as they figured all cyclists were pencil neck puzzies. lol...you should see their faces when you get close and clip out...actually worth all the danger we all have to live with.

 

Yikes. This thread scares me.

I have recently become much more serious in my riding as a complement to my normal workouts/gym training routine. I ride about 20 miles a day, to and from the office entirely on city streets. My morning commute is around 5:30am with very little traffic, but the ride home is in full traffic.

I've nearly been run over twice by huge Suburbans with cellphone yapping drivers who are absolutely clueless of the environment around them. I'd bet 99% of riders -- both casual and professional -- know where each and every vehicle within a safe proximity is located. On the flip side, I'll bet 99% of the drivers do *not* know where the riders are, or their relative speeds. Drivers are too zoned out/distracted, from what I can tell.

Here's a real question for Ryan, Pete, and Rob --- as I've gotten more serious in riding, I've just begun using proper clipped-in shoes. How in the world do you safely unclick and re-click into these things when riding in traffic? It scares the crap out of me. (But once clicked in, the pedaling efficiency is so nice!)

 

good post. points well stated.

 

Daniel, it will become second nature. you will get to a point soon where you do not need to look down to get clipped in. trust me on this

glad you found the bike!!!!

 

This is the first time I've wondered if I really want to be part of the Ferrari community or not. Avid amateur cyclist here. Reasonably high performance carbon road bike here. A few points. The reason I don't ride on dedicated bike paths is because of the high performance nature of my bike. Little kids on trikes and people walking dogs don't mix well with bikes going 20 mph or more. I guess I thought Ferrari owners would understand and appreciate high performance equipment and why a sedate bike path is often not the place for it. Traffic laws? Ever come to a four way stop and patiently wait your turn to go only to be cut off as all the participating cars ignore you and your traffic rights? Or one car is waving you through, it's not my turn to go so I stay put while the other cars get pissed at the car waving at me. I ride as reasonably far left as I can to AVOID FLATS (lots debris on the far right side or didn't you guys know that?), not to purposely block cars and piss them off. The half dozen or so drinks that have been thrown at me. You guys want bikes to face plant and crash? What a bunch of arrogant d&@kheads. The thread makes me very angry and represents the epitome of the kind of Ferrari owner I can't stand and never want to be.


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^ you laugh.... but it really hurts! I did it on Saturday morning as I raced back into my driveway trying to beat a personal record. Crash goes the bike and me, directly into our vegetable garden. I was mad at myself, dirty, and worst of all... was it took me another few seconds to hit "stop" on my computer to log the ride times.

I hope the clipping gets easier, because the gains I achieve in pedaling effort are being offset by the downtime holding onto telephone poles and stuff while fumbling with my foot placement.

 

Isn't this a good occasion to start a proper forum's section dedicated to bicycles and bike races? I was surprised there's so little about it and no dedicated sections here. Btw I love bikes too and they're a big part of my life. Just came back from an hour long ride pushing in the park on a TT styled track bike I built myself yesterday.

 

I have to hope some of the posts are just hyperbole over anecdotal problems with the occasional rude cyclist, but otherwise it's just sort of terrifying. I don't cycle very much these days, in part because I, too, was struck by a car. I live pretty far from the best riding, and just wanted to ride to White Rock Lake instead of drive out there. I was on a 6-lane street, with 3 lanes each way and in the right lane (there was no shoulder). I had only about a mile to go to get to the smaller roads I intended to use for most of the ride. A motorist who was tailgating a car in the center lane went into the right lane and struck me from behind, destroying my bike. Miraculously, I broke nothing but had plenty of road rash and a great groin pull.

I wish riding was better respected and tolerated. It's good exercise, cheap transportation, and generally fun. I'd like to see some roads with dedicated bike lanes and others on which cycling is not allowed, provided that the objective is to improve overall traffic flow while incentivizing cycling.

But those of you posting with comments about actually wishing harm on cyclists ought to sound off with some kind of modification or apology. If you were anywhere close to serious you should consider some kind of counseling or therapy - not much bad behavior deserves physical injury. At most you were inconvenienced and cost some time in your travels; the rude cyclist should be physically injured in retribution?

 

In San Francisco they are closing part of Market street to keep people and cyclists from being run over by cars...in each case the cyclist or walker lose....

I cycle a lot, both road and MTB..i road cycling in europe every year...there isnt the same attitude there towards cyclists,...perhaps its the same of cyclists..there are both bad on each side stateside.....

I have a rear camera on my bike for a reason, i got hit years ago by a hit and run driver, riding on the shoulder.....some have both front and rear...CYA...

 

I was just in Vancouver last week (assuming you mean BC Canada). I loved the open spaces, the layer back and calm attitudes of everyone and driving was slow but painless. It was even ok during the parade that took over major roads of the city. I was very impressed. I would say that whatever they are doing in Vancouver is fantastic and they need to do more of it.

 

A local incident from a couple of years back...

Lewis: Two powerful financiers on opposite side of Vail bike crash - The Denver Post

CW

 

I too am an Avid cyclist, Road, Mountain, Downhill, I do it all. I am also a Ferrari owner and an avid auto enthusiast. Don't give up on Ferrari owners yet!

 

We have the local biking/walking trail right on my back property line. My personal opinion, from close contact with them, is that quite a few cyclists are downright rude and aggressive, for no apparent reason at all. Around here, it's not the people who are just out for a nice ride in a nice setting. It's the people decked out in full riding gear, who come up from behind with no warning at all and intentionally go past as quickly as possible, and as close as possible. I repeat, it's intentional, there's no excuse for it. A few bad eggs...

 

Oh man, this makes me laugh. I did win a track stand competition at one of the American Velodrome Challenge events a few years ago. The way it works is that everyone (usually 30 riders) has to ride around to a cone on the home stretch within 30 seconds and then the last person to cross the finish line wins. The "race" is limited to 5 minutes so after 5 minutes, the officials blow a whistle and the first guy across the line wins. So the object to get right up to the line and track stand without crossing it because you don't know when the 5 minutes is up. Ideally, you're the last guy standing but in reality, there are usually at least three or four guys balancing at the end of the 5 minutes. You can't touch another cyclist but everything else goes. So you would balance right next to someone and start rocking back and forth or slightly hop your rear wheel or some other shenanigans to distract them and get them off their game. That little game was always a huge crowd pleaser.

Daniel, you'll get the hang of it. Like Pete said, it becomes second nature. Although we have all had our embarrassing incidents when we were learning. After a while, you'll start track standing and then at some point, you'll never unclip .

 

Ok fair enough. I didn't mean to adopt the entire statement. Geez.

 

So here is what I don't understand..

By me we have a lot of single lane and 2 lane roads with minimal or no shoulder. the north shore of long island is notorious for ****ty roads with blind spots and holes everywhere.

Why the need to have 25 bikers during peak beach time or park time right between 10am and noon on a beautiful 80 degree day riding 2-3 wide and holding up traffic for the entire 4 mile road going 15mph? How is one not supposed to get enraged?

 

Obviously a sore spot. Sorry.

 

..yeah,I'm very aware I'm a gear change away from persona non grata on the trail so pay close attention to who/what is coming up( dogs on flexi-leads?)😵and slow way down for youths/peddlers etc..and do not ride there on Friday/sat/sun,and call out left..I go off my way not to be rude or inconsiderate..it's just nice to be off the trainer..So I appreciate what's said here. I'm trying to be careful.
And I run/train on this track too so I know/and like the left calls when you get them..some times you don't..I usually say ding,an imaginary bell.
But it's becoming apparent the driver/cyclist/pedestrian disconnect will necessitate some more "lemme look at that map again" moments.
Cheers,
RE