Wanderer

Just recently, I have noticed that more drivers are being more courteous to bicyclists around here. They seem to wait and let us take our turn in traffic, and even smile at us.

Maybe they, too, are starting to use their bikes more, or, are finally starting to realize that there are many more bikes on the streets lately.

My LBS has just been hammered with tune ups, and repair, all summer long. And also say new bikes are flying out the door as fast as they can put them together.

Maybe it really is starting to get better - but, keep your eyes peeled..........

dogbreathpnw

Same thing here in the Pacific NW as well. Yeah, I know, Portland is so weird that even the UFO's don't land here any more, but still, there are enough cowboys on the road that I've been duly impressed.

StrangeWill

I'm thinking it's probably from cycling becoming less of an elitest thing and more of a nice cheap enjoyable mode of transportation.

All people I've heard complain about cyclists is some elitest ******* flipping them off after running a stop sign or something.

ckeizer77

It seems to be the opposite here on the Lower Left Coast. a lot of violence and motorist outbursts.

Darkrider23

It seems to be the opposite around here with cycling in Northern NJ. Cars usually have no problems with me as far as I know. They actually give me a chance on the road, but the general public here hasn't changed much. The only people who I have seen cycling are usually kids.

bhop

I dunno, I haven't experienced any violence or outbursts, or even been yelled at. Most people seem tolerant (probably wouldn't describe it as courteous) of me when i'm in the lanes.

socalboomer

I've had a lot of very good experiences here in the IE (SoCal, but inland a bit - Ontario, Upland, Glendora, Claremont, LaVerne areas) - far more good than bad. I've had a few incidents where the driver was "over-courteous" which caused some issue (would you just PASS ME**********) but I'd honestly rather have that than the under-courteous.

wahoonc

Around here they have been running them over, killing them and hitting pedestrians on the sidewalks. When it gets posted on the local TV news site, the JAM's really come out of the woods. I am thoroughly disgusted with the attitude of a lot of motorists in this area. We have a pretty large cyclist population that participates in group rides, unfortunately their scofflaw attitude hurts cycling for everybody. I have gotten behind these groups before and yes they are a PITA. I came up on a group of over 20 the other day, they were pulling a double pace line. I waited until the passing zone to attempt to pass, when I started my pass several of them pulled into the passing lane to block me. Pissed me off, and I am a life long cyclist. I happen to know where that group is based out of, next time I drive that way I will make sure I have a camera with video capabilities. It is crap like this that gives ALL cyclists a bad name. The other issue around here is the drunk drivers. Everyday someone is being killed by a drunk driver, and it isn't just at night it is occurring all hours of the day and night. What is pathetic is that many of them are repeat offenders with no license and quite often no insurance. I am beginning to believe we may have to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against these people for violation of our civil right to move freely about under our own power, because they are making it impossible to do so.

Aaron

ritepath

Before joining here (less than a month ago) I drove our local roads much faster. Since I've started riding again, with my kids on the road, and reading threads here I've learned a huge amount in a short period of time, about how to drive and how to cycle on public roads.

Our county is kind of popular with cyclist because it's a mix of level and twisty roads, with some nice hill climbs thrown here and there. Before I'd just kind of slip by cyclist without slowing down that much. Now days I'm much more cautious on routes that I know bikers are going to be on. I now realize how quick you can close on a rider and how blind turns can cause trouble for both driver and rider.

Another problem is some of the hills/mountains are really popular with motorcycle riders, when it comes to the cruisers this isn't a problem, but when a R1 comes into a turn at 80 and there's a cyclist there bad things happen.

Long story short, I've learned a lot from this site.

The Human Car

Ya but there is always the loud mouth hold outs:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081403258.html

StrangeWill

Same here.

CB HI

I am getting a lot more close passes here in Hawaii.

Carusoswi

Not certain what you mean by elitist. I meet people everyday who are otherwise normal, hardworking, dedicated types and wouldn't purposely hurt a flee, and, if opportunity allows us to converse long enough, it is not unusual to discover, when the issue of cycling comes into the conversation, that they think cyclists belong somewhere else or that they get nervous around cyclists and wish they would just not be in the way.

Rather than become indignant, I let them know that I am an avid cyclist and that cycling is of great benefit to me physically and psychologically . . . and then I give them a mild view of the cyclist's perspective as it relates to the interaction with motorists . . . a bit about the cycist's dilemma in choosing where to ride, and, if they haven't become indignant themselves by that time (most do not), a bit on cyclists' rights.

I am always amazed that most get it, but have just never stopped to think about what the view (social/political) might be from the bike seat.

These are not elitists, just people long accustomed to a one way view of the issue.

I respect your right to use language of your choosing, but (especially in the politically charged atmosphere here in the US right now), I have grown quite sensitive to what I think are incendiary terms like elitist. They cast the debate in a stark me/him, we/they light from which it is difficult to find common ground.

My two cents.

Oh, and, for the most part, I'm finding folks a little more polite, also. In my neck of the woods, I think it's because those who might otherwise have delighted in attempting to honk you off the road are probably feathering their own gas pedal these days, so they cannot be certain that you aren't out there riding in an attempt to bring down oil prices rather than just being out for an annoyingly pleasureful ride (which, to them in more ordinary times, you could better do on the sidewalk or that bike path 'right over there').

Caruso

trackhub

I've also noticed this trend since last year, at least in the 'burbs west of Boston, where I do most of my riding. But,,, On my evening rides, I've noticed a marked decrease in the number of cars on the road. My LBS told me that this season, there has been a huge increase in the number of commuter bikes sold.

A recent article in U.S. News and world report states that Breezer Bicycles boss Joe Breeze says that sales of his companies commuter bikes is up 40 percent so far this year. Link to article.

StrangeWill

Huh? I'm talking about the jerkoffs that give cyclists a bad name, riding against traffic, running signs, but demanding rights to road, blah blah blah.

Carusoswi

Well, uh, uhm, 'jerkoffs',then, ok?

Guess I don't equate jerkoffs with elitists. My bad.

Caruso

Allister

Wow. You sound just like bigoted motorists.

Allister

I fail to see how it's the cyclist's fault that impatient morons don't know not to pass on blind curves. Obviously he is missing something.

JohnBrooking

Last week I amused myself counting cars that passed me on my commute, and also the number that gave me any problem. There were 2-3 somewhat close passes among a total of maybe 250 passes, about a 1% problem rate. And they weren't the worst I've ever had. And no one happened to yell anything to me.