lectraplayer

I'm asking this questions from both sides of the ball. I have good luck "burning" in city traffic away from the main roads, making efforts to move like a car (and very predictably) or stay out of the way. I also ride country roads and trails (with limited room for cyclists) and again I'm moving on. Motorists do seem to steer wide. However, Sanford University seems to be another issue with a few certain cyclists that dart through 55mph traffic sending cars across the median of the main road there. One about got a mouthful of a green Kia then a second helping of an F150 this way. While I know there are quite a few "brainless motorists" around here, I wonder how much of it stems from US CYCLISTS.

howsteepisit

1) What is 'burning"

2) What happened at Stanford?

Edit

3) What do you mean that you are "moving on"

FBinNY 

Idiots are idiots no matter how many wheels they have under them.

I'm not one who stops and waits for lights to turn green, but go crazy watching cyclists burn through reds with no concern about cross traffic. I still have a scar on my left arm from when I stopped at a red (4 lane busy highway) and was hit from behind by a cyclist planning to dash across without stopping.

B. Carfree

True that, but with very few exceptions they only kill when they have four or more wheels under them. I would rather have a few scars from a JAB than a more serious injury from a JAM.

FBinNY 

There we agree. Four wheeled idiots are capable of killing anybody including themselves, while 2 wheeled idiots only kill themselves (generally).

But this is the world we live in. I have little hope of changing those around me, so I control what I can (myself).

Meanwhile, though some people portray cycling in traffic as dangerous, my experience is that it's comparatively safe. Most drivers are fine and attentive (even in the cell phone world), and if we count close calls, minor accidents, major accidents, and accidents with fatalities or serious injuries we see that the ratio of actual serious accidents to close calls is pretty favorable.

Looking at it another way, if we look at the deaths of cyclists, we find that the vast majority die from something not related to cycling at all.

kickstart

Exactly, its the person, not the vehicle.

As with anything else, some feel entitled by their sense of moral or social superiority, others seek attention by creating conflict or being a victim, and some are simply so narcissistic they don't comprehend their effect on others.

If somebody rides like a jerk, they probably drive like a jerk too........because they are a jerk.

lectraplayer

"Burning" and "moving on" both mean going fast.

This happened at Sanford, not Stanford. Sanford Bulldogs is in Alabama. Stanford Red Birds is up north. Do we need to clarify with mascots?

My main question is how often the fact some cyclists appear not to use common sense and fail to obey traffic laws affects motorist-at-large treatment of most cyclists.

howsteepisit

Sorry about sanford, but you still have not referenced or explained what happened there. But generally yes, I think many of the bad thoughts about cyclists are supported by their own behavior. OTOH, some motorists would despise bicyclists even of they only rode on sidewalks and bike paths, provided at some point those same cyclists crossed the road.

LesterOfPuppets

Maybe nothing specific happened at Sanford, them college kids are just crazy! Probably hopped up on maryjane.

Worknomore

Clutching chest, flailing about the room; "Elizabeth honey.....I'm coming to meet you.....I'm having the big one"!

mconlonx

Much, much less.

lectraplayer

I guess that wasn't an incident? Two cyclists about becoming flats?

LesterOfPuppets

We had an elderly gentleman drive the wrong way down the freeway here a couple weeks ago. Not sure what colors the cars were but they turned out various shades of grey and black.

That was probably Mary Jane related also

So was there a newspaper report about the cyclist attempting to eat cars? Gotta link to the Sanford police blotter? Your description was so colorful I didn't know if it was an actual occurrence or a hypothetical one, possibly an amalgamation.

Ain't nothing wrong with color commentary but some dry play - by - play to accompany it is much appreciated.

Something with dates, times, etc, like:

84-year-old wrong-way driver in I-5 crash dies in second fatality | OregonLive.com

LesterOfPuppets

I hope they brought their patch kits

dynodonn 

Now if motorists would at least do (or less) the 40 mph speed limit that's posted in front of the university, or even better yet, have the DOT put in better and more non motorized road user crossings, cyclists/peds crossing this particular road would not be such an issue.

lectraplayer

Sad thing is there is a paved bicycle trail that cuts right through there. It is seperated a bit from the main road.

dynodonn 

....and with only one signaled crossing, on one end of the campus, for non motorized road users to access it, and yet there are several road crossings for motorists to choose from. One doesn't have to wonder who's creating the hazard.

Chris516

Cyclists' are not creating their own hazards. They are encountering hazards created by motorists'.

kickstart

Funny, I've been riding for 45 years, and I've never had someone force me to do something stupid or dangerous, I manage to do that all on my own.

Guess we can't all be perfect.

lectraplayer

Probably if you ask some motorists, they will probably claim they are responding to hazards created by cyclists. We have plenty of "those" cyclists here, and even more of "those" motorists. Maybe there's sonething those of us who has the superpower of common sense needs to know.

Astrozombie

We need more police on bikes, ticketing asshat cyclists and making motorists treat us with respect. But a lot of the time we don't earn it with all the idiots i see on department store mtbs

CB HI

How is your post even related to what Chris516 said?

You make it sound like every cyclist hit by a motorist was at fault because you claim the cyclist did something stupid or dangerous.

kickstart

No, there is plenty of guilt to go around for all user groups. His implication that everything that happens to a cyclist is a motorists fault is utter nonsense, as is your calculated miscomprehension of my post.

LesterOfPuppets

Because carbon riding roadies always stop at red lights and wait patiently, never break the 15mph posted down the hill in the cemetery, or the 10mph posted MUPs. Uh-huh.

CB HI

He made no such implication. You choose to take it that way, as you do so often in BFs.