IknowURider

I stumbled upon this video while researching an old Rush Limbaugh rant.

I have a different philosophy on this guy's woes:

1. If you ride roads where traffic is passing you at 50 MPH you can expect more problems with passing.

2. If you ride these roads as a commuter, get rid of the carbon fiber and the 23 C tires and get a bike with nice wide bulletproof Schwalbe Marathons or commuter tires and ride in the shoulder when there's heavy traffic.

Do not expect traffic on a fast two laner to respect you or even care, as half the time they are on the phone.

3. Expect to get buzzed more looking like that, in spandex. Especally on a fast two lane semi-highway. Keep in mind I wear spandex all the time. But sometimes it invites harassment.

4. Use a helmet mirror. If the lane is clear, fine, take the lane for a minute... If the lane is not clear, ride in the freaking shoulder. If there is a "pack" of cars approaching from behind, and you are in the lane, you are asking for it, as some will not see you because of the vehicle(s) in front of them.

Most racer types shun helmet mirrors though because they don't look cool.

5. Do not expect cars to slow down if there is a car directly to their left so they can't move over into the left lane. This is a major reason why they "squeeze" by you. Use your helmet mirror to anticipate this.

I am not talking about legality here. I am talking about survival. My god, if snowplows are coming up behind you, for god's sakes pull over for a second and let the man do his job. If you are climbing a hill and a truck is behind you, don't expect him to downshift for you, be nice and get out of his way, wave him past...

If you want to race cars on roads like that, you're gonna lose.

This guy's days are numbered........HEY!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJmxC...layer_embedded

B. Carfree

It looked like the rider was consistently making the noob mistake of riding just left of the fog line. He is "inviting", the unsafe passes. One needs to either commit to the shoulder or take the lane. You can't try to take just a foot or two of the lane unless you want trouble. As for the OP:

1. Most of the roadways didn't look like 50 mph roads to me, but I could easily be wrong here.

2. Marathons aren't bulletproof and there is some virtue in speed and the ability to accelerate. Marathons interfere with both.

3. Sure, carcissists are a bit more likely to aggressively express their bike hate if you are either in spandex or look like a homeless person. But there isn't much joy in the happy medium between those two either. Sometimes the clothing is just functional.

4. If one only leaves the shoulder when there are no cars, one is not taking the lane at all.

5. The cars are attempting to squeeze by because the cyclist isn't taking the lane.

CommuterRun

I agree with what B. Carfree says about road position. Be either on the shoulder or out in the lane. Riding to far to the right invites close passing. This cyclist could mitigate a lot of his problems by getting off and away from the white line.

Essex

The guy is inviting trouble by riding far too much to the left. At the end of the day - what is he gaining by recording his numerous incidences and believing that he wants to be "dead right!" I just hope he doesn't have a family that depends on him.

dougmc

Did you mean to say right?

DX-MAN

Naw, doug, I think Essex is a carcissist who happens to ride.

I've seen this vid before, and my opinion hasn't changed -- he's shining a spotlight on the problem, at the risk of his own life. It's a crusade for him, which is why he keeps doing it. The riding during the snowplow sessions prove that. (Right to ride anytime/anywhere is one thing; being an obstacle to someone who's doing their job of clearing the street, thereby making it easier for you, the cyclist, is just mule-headed stubbornness.)

I have a feeling we will be seeing this guy's obit.

Carley P.

I don't think the cyclist is in the wrong here. I mean, I usually stay a few more feet into the lane, but I don't see why we would blame him for anything, really. I mostly agree with B. Carfree.

I think this video is great for motorists to see, but bad for cycling noobs to see, because it could scare them off of the road. However, if I was a motorist in Milwaulkee and knew someone could be video-taping me every time I pass a cyclists, I'd certainly be more aware of my actions.

Also, assuming he got hit (and the camera survived), the driver would actually be prosecuted instead of ignored or slapped on the hand.

atbman

I think he means too far to the left on the shoulder, i.e. too close to the fog line

Bekologist

that fella has become a victim of his own fear.

Certainly some people pass too closely. On narrow roads with fast busy traffic some motorists pass too closely even if you're riding in the middle of the lane. and that's the way it is, them's the nuts.

VERY FEW of those recorded passes the fella showed looked in any way egregious

I think the fella needs to get a mirror so he won't be so surprised when motorists are approaching from behind.

More high viz wouldn't hurt. PB superflash, slomo triangle...

He also needs to get more effective at taking/sharing the lane. for his own sake. what a miserable state of being to ride in, i almost feel sorry for this self styled victim.


"HEY!"

gcottay

We are responsible for letting drivers know when it is safe for them to pass us in the same lane. When we ride to the left near the fog line we are letting drivers know that in our opinion they can pass in the same lane. This rider positions himself for lane sharing and then seems knicker twisted when motor vehicle drivers take him up on the sharing offer.

Riding narrow high traffic high speed two lane roads is never, in my opinion, particularly pleasant, but this is an example of making it worse than conditions dictate.

martialman.45

at least they have a 3 foot law. Our gov shot it down so buzzing is legal here

Archergal

Wow, lots of rider blaming here. If that road is the road he needs to take to get to his destination, I think he has a right NOT to be buzzed by cars.

I ride on a lot of moderately busy two-lane roads in my area. I do take the lane when I can and when it's appropriate, and I get the heck out of the way of cars when I can and it's appropriate. But there are still car drivers who are going to be obnoxious no matter what you do.

I don't think he was surprised by the folks coming up from behind him. You'd be able to hear them on a bike. He just didn't appreciate them coming so close. I DO agree that riding that far to the right of the lane does encourage people to come a little close. But he didn't have much of an option where he was going.

Bekologist

He's victimizing himself. he IS being surprised by the passers. "HEY"

No one likes to be close passed. but close passes happen. not many of the passes in thw video seem that egregious.

IknowURider

Ok I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Thanks. Yes there is no happy medium. LOL you are right.

I lived in the midwest for awhile, and it is pretty hammer-down straightaway. I know some parts of Wisconsin get a bad rap from the loaded touring community, just not sure where at the moment. I dunno, these road look pretty damn fast from the footage.

Okay, how about this, you don't "take the lane" like you would in slow city traffic. But you wait 'till it's clear, and then "utilize the lane" , but then just humbly "give it back" when you (snicker) have no choice anyway....

Doohickie

Dude needs to get laid.

Flying Merkel

His cameras could come in handy then.

IknowURider

+1. Agreed

Chris516

Just this alone, caught my eye. Prior to my accident in 2007, I was riding in fear thinking it would be safer on a bike path. I have had one too many close calls on a bike path. So, I choose to take the lane, on the road. Since then, I ride in disgust for the errant motorist, not in fear of them.

IknowURider

Carfee wrote:
"It looked like the rider was consistently making the noob mistake of riding just left of the fog line. He is "inviting", the unsafe passes. One needs to either commit to the shoulder or take the lane. You can't try to take just a foot or two of the lane unless you want trouble".

Agreed. and at that speed, you have only split seconds to see if you will fit into the mix.



1. "Most of the roadways didn't look like 50 mph roads to me, but I could easily be wrong here".

I dunno, they look pretty damn fast to me




2. "Marathons aren't bulletproof and there is some virtue in speed and the ability to accelerate. Marathons interfere with both".

Good point. I'm just saying it's probably better to just deal with the crap in the shoulder if you see a gigantic truck approaching, oh wait , it appears he doesn't have a mirror, never mind....


3. "Sure, carcissists are a bit more likely to aggressively express their bike hate if you are either in spandex or look like a homeless person. But there isn't much joy in the happy medium between those two either. Sometimes the clothing is just functional".

Ok. but reducing your chances of death by 25.2% according to DOT fashion studies may carry some weight, but it's up to the rider. What if you saw Michael Jackson...


4. If one only leaves the shoulder when there are no cars, one is not taking the lane at all.

LOL. Now we are entering into the study of Zen. I mean, does the lane even exist as a lane if there are no cars to witness it? Does essence precede existence?


5. "The cars are attempting to squeeze by because the cyclist isn't taking the lane".

Correct, but taking the lane is really best at road speeds below 30 MPH. I still think these are pretty fast roads. Just look at the footage again.

The speed factor, as we all know, amplifies everything. Notice how fast they blow past. I don't see that as a gentle "squeeze". A gentle squeeze is when they inch by you. Not apparent here. Listen to the whoosh of the draft....


Heyyyyy!!! Could somebody write to this poor bastid and see if he's still with us?

cyclezealot

I think this thread has given me a new found interest in cameras.. In the past I'd thought my interests were in the scenery. Not so much now.

oban_kobi

Several of his "close passes" Seemed normal for where I ride. I imagine he's getting more upset about it because he's lucky enough to have a 3' law, and gets upset when they pass closer than that. I'm just happy if they're far enough away I couldn't touch them with my fingers.

dynodonn 

I put off getting a camcorder for a long time thinking it wasn't necessary, now after owning one, it's become a very useful tool. Nothing like reviewing one's commute in high quality 1080p HD, full video or frame by frame stills.

dougmc

I would expect any slowness caused by Schwalbe Marathons tires to be very small compared to other tires of the same size, and really, even if they are wider than typical road tires, I wouldn't expect them to slow you down very much -- a few percent, tops?

As for ability to accelerate, you mean they weigh more and are on the outsides of your wheels? Yes, mass in your tires is roughly twice as important as mass elsewhere in your bike when it comes to it's inertia-- but really, so what if you have an extra pound (warning: made up figure) in your tires? If you+your bike weighs 200 lbs, that extra pound in your tires will reduce your initial acceleration by 1%, and the difference will go away as you come up to speed.

If you're racing other cyclists with similar skill and gear, the small differences will be significant. If you're on the road jockying with cars ... not so much. Having fatter tires may allow you to ride in places you would have problems with thinner tires -- there's a reason many people like fatter tires for commuter bikes.

dedhed

Here's his blog if you're interested.

https://bikesafer.blogspot.com/

contango 

I've never tried shooting at mine (Marathon Plus) so can't say whether they are literally bulletproof (I suspect not).

I have ridden them over broken glass, hawthorn clippings, brambles, sharp gravel etc and never once has anything pierced them. One time I pulled an inch long thorn out of a tyre, chucked it in the bushes beside the trail and carried on cycling.

I don't feel I have issues with acceleration, but I'll know for sure when I replace my worn out rear tyre with a Marathon Extreme which is some 500g lighter. It too has puncture protection. Going downhill I've managed to freewheel up to almost 40mph so I don't think there's much interference with speed.