cma043097

Luck has been running against me as of late. I am always looking for bicycles as I started touring with my parents at 6 and have spent nearly 3 decades riding since. But in the last year I have managed to hit two guys riding bikes while stupid. What do I mean by riding stupid...

The first accident was last year. I was stopped at a light waiting to turn right at a busy intersection on a divided road. When the traffic cleared I started my turn and heard a god awful crunching sound from the back of my truck. I stopped and got out to find a once really nice Bacchetta had spent some quality time under my right rear tire. It turns out this guy had ridden up on my right passing between the stopped cars and the curb intent on going straight. Luckily for him he managed to bail onto the sidewalk before I hit him.

The second was yesterday about 3 blocks from the first incident. Once again I was waiting to turn right at a busy intersection of divided roads. Traffic cleared and I turned only to have a guy join me through my cars drivers window. His Madone was ok, but the front wheel was history. This Lance wannabe had ridden up on the left of the cars waiting to turn left at the light with a red turn arrow. Once he got passed them he jumped into the cross walk and crossed against the do not walk light. His first comment was "I was in the cross walk, I had the right of way."

What really got me was that both tried to sue me after they had both received tickets. Too bad riding while stupid isn't a traffic offense. Luckily I managed to get both suits dismissed. What I have noticed in the last decade or so is that more cyclists, usually ones who's knowledge of riding starts with Lance are riding stupid and giving the rest of us who use common sense bad names.

Commando303

Enough with relating to a "Lance-Armstrong wannabe" every bike who's disliked...

cma043097

You are right, I shouldn't call him that it was presumptuous on my part. He was 43 and riding a Madone 5.9 with Astana shorts, jersey and helmet. I heard him tell the cop he had been riding "for a few months, I got interested watching Lance Armstrong in the Tour of Australia."

Bikepacker67

Join Date: Jul 2009

So, how long have you lived under a bridge?

trustnoone

The joy of more money than brains or fashion sense.

John E

I have been in two bicycle-automobile collisions, from the two opposite viewpoints.

In the first case, I was left-crossed by an errant motorist while cycling down a hill on a residential street in west Los Angeles. I spent the night under hospital observation, with a double fracture of the left clavicle and a concussion.

In the second, a wrong-way bicyclist struck the right front corner of my car while I was starting to creep forward from a stop sign, to begin a right turn. Fortunately, the cyclist was not significantly injured, and he kept apologizing to me.

John E

When you have money, you know what will do for brains.

UnsafeAlpine

What the hell does what someone wears have anything to do with anything? You sound like an ignorant motorist...

cma043097

I'm sorry that I haven't been on here for very long... maybe it is because I forgot what my user name was during the 18 months I spent in Afghanistan. Since I don't remember logging on between tours maybe I forgot when I was in Iraq. Sorry to have inconvenienced you.

Bikepacker67

Ohh freakin' get over yourself.
Last I checked it's a volunteer military.

Speedo

Unfortunately, a post with a fresh join date about hitting cyclists (even if they are in the wrong) just seems to scream troll.

Fortunately, you will have developed the thick skin required to post in A&S.

You can recover your old password: https://www.bikeforums.net/login.php?do=lostpw

Welcome home. Go ride your bike.

Speedo

nelson249

Geesh I wish people would read a post thoroughly before screaming troll.....

cma043097

Bikepacker67,

Who was whining? You were the one who started off by trying to insult me, I just answered your question. I am proud of my 16 years of service, no complaints or regrets. So before you insult someone to start with from now on take your smart ass comments and shove them ....

Speedo,

Thanks, but I really don't want that password back. Yes I have a thick skin, but when people start with insults I will give as good as I get. But since you seem to actually answer questions, why is it that when I look at other threads,I see that most people seem to think that it is always the drivers fault? Most of the time it is, but why the automatic assumption?

UnsafeAlpine

It's a cycling website. Get onto a car website and the assumption would be that it's always the cyclists fault.

HenryL

Welcome back.....good job (I have a son in the Army)

I hit a wrong way cyclist last year...rider came out of a one way street the wrong way around a blind (for me) corner. Cyclist OK (car lost right side mirror) but it sure shook me up. Rider demanded money from me and rode off when I suggested we call police to file a report. Since police station was across the street I walked over to file report and their response was to shrug.

The city I travel through has lots of folks who cycle because they can't drive. Defensive driving takes on a whole new meaning there. Even when cycle commuting through I was almost T-boned by a cyclist who couldn't care where they were in the road. At least no one was hurt in your two events.

apricissimus 

There are worse thing to want to be than Lance Armstrong, no? I'm glad Lance inspired him to take up cycling. Why is this a bad thing?

He may or may not be stupid... but what's wrong with wanting to ride a bike?

probe1957

The second incident happened yesterday and you have already been sued and had the suit dismissed????

apricissimus 

Yeah, there's a lot of BS in this post, I think. Just like the guy who dressed like Lance, talked about Lance to the cop, had a poster of Lance above his bed, etc.

probe1957

Yepper. My BS flag was fully erect on that post.

Speedo

Well, really, look some more. This being a bike site you'd expect a natural bias for cyclists. But people in A&S are pretty hard on cyclists that they perceive as riding in a dumb manner. What constitutes dumb pretty much depends on the poster, but there can be some fairly wide agreement. While there is always sympathy for those that are injured or killed, that sympathy does not prevent picking over the details of an accident, and being critical of the riding style of the cyclist.

Speedo

Dchiefransom

Yes it is, one that you could join.

unterhausen

I see a large number of cyclists that are lucky to survive a ride without a crash. Since I don't ride like that, I don't find it remarkable enough to discuss. There is an asymmetry between the negligent and belligerent actions of the motorists that threaten my safety, and the careless actions of cyclists that endanger only themselves.

Bikepacker67

I did.
1/327th 101st.

Bikepacker67

That's fine.
Just don't use your service as a way to end an argument.

Also, pointing out that a noob ranting about 'those damn cyclists' is trollish, isn't insulting you.

gcottay

I too see the new poster as a fiction writer.