General Cycling Discussion - Do I look stupid?

So the other day I was riding on a bike path toward germantown in Philly. There was this dude riding a ridiculous contraption that had 3 wheels. basically this thing had a front wheel with platforms connecting each rear wheel to the front. He stood with one foot on each platform. Anyway this guy took up a lot of space on the path (more than is reasonable = more than even those god damned rollerbladers). Anyway seeing as he was going all of 5mph, i look ahead and swing out to pass him. I see a couple of roadies blazing down the trail knowing that i had time to make the pass. The roadies speed up and as i try to cut in front of the three-wheeled monster, the roadies cut and try to fly between us. I threw down into a skid and basically got forced off the path. I tried to see it through the roadies' eyes and the only explanation I could come up with is that i must have looked stupid enough to not be gauge speed and they didnt think i'd make it in time for them not to have to slow down at all (which there was time for). but either way, this is kelly drive, there are a million people on that path and to think that you can go that fast, and they were really moving) without slowing down when you approach people is astounding to me. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they didn't speed up. But their cadence definately picked up and whats more is I have not seen anyone going that fast and i am out there 3-4 times a week. So they certainly never thought about slowing down.... just ruined my day... but really, could i look like someone who's too dumb to ride a bike responsibly?

It seems more likely that they were just being dix

also, has anyone seen anything like the three wheeled monster? and can someone tell me why anyone would use it unless they were being paid large sums of money? i mean its not like it was cool, it wasn't a ride that required practice or skill like say a unicycle, it wasn't aerobic, it didn't go fast....

Sounds like the roadies were getting caught up in the "arrghhh I am a bike god! No puny mortal is as a tough or as fast as I am and thus I must enforce my devine right to the road", and were therefore were just being bike idiots.

Somewhere in their lycra constricted brains they reasoned that if they don't go blindingly fast, they may have to have to slow down and co-operate with other users of the bike path.

But I think ryan_c said it more concisely.

BTW I don't know if people with these trike scooters have ever seen themselves, I think they should be asking the "Do I look stupid?" question. The answer to which, is a resounding YES!

celephaiz, I have seen these three wheeled scooter things. I had a similar experience to you with a very slow lady forcing me out of the right lane into traffic. I think that Fixedpip had the right idea...these scooter people should be asking themselves if they look stupid. It was the most inefficient mode of transportation I've seen since the Razor scooter. I could have walked much faster than this lady was moving. It reminded me of those little ground level seats with handlebar things that I had as a kid...where you wiggled them back and forth to make them move.

Oh man, even the Razor scooter is more efficient than those three-wheeled platfor things. I've seen people riding those things in GG park on Sunday, but never to actually get somewhere.

You're talking about the things you "scissor" your legs to move right? The worst part about them is that they take up a variable amount of space on the road. So one moment they are relatively thin and the next moment they're all wide. At least a Razor scooter has a static width.

As for the d1ckhead roadies, that's why a cro-mo bike is nice. Next time you're in that situation (assuming you ride steel), just stay your course. Steel Nitto B123 or bullhorn bars are nice for that as well, they have good, "don't get in my way", intimidation factor.

You're talking about the things you "scissor" your legs to move right? .

AS SEEN ON TV

18MPH max speed on a bike trail ok? If roadies (and I am one) want to go faster than that ok fine but got to slow down when there are other people around. Lots of people are selfish and don't want to share, at this point in time it happened to be two humans who happened to be on road bikes with egos bigger than that scooter.

yeah i've never seen anything like this scooter thing. It wasn't only that the width of the contraption changes but also that the thing doesn't move in a straight line. Rather, it sways from side to side in an s-pattern. Furthermore, that s isn't even constant. Some bike paths definately need some rules... preferably as follows:

1- people cannot walk/run more than two across. If two across, remember that the whole path isn't yours, you have to provide sufficient passing space

2- no rollerblades. You look like a dork! and you take up too much space.

3- 2 wheel max. No tricycle-scooters

4- Everyone remember that bicycle collisions hurt everyone involved (i guess besides car drivers their wallets just hurt).

i just wish that these roadies ( and actually pedestrians too) would realize that running into anything on a bike can severly injure all involved and it can be fatal. I remember that when i cross the street....

and for the record, i don't hate roadies... i find it ridiculous that they come up behind me and draft me... it really should be the other way around... making me work all hard for them. damnit

The 'serious' cyclists ride the drive; not the path.

I dont think they gave any cognitive thought to you, the scooterist, or the situation; More likely, there just a bunch of guys who can afford to buy a 30 speed and plastic clothing. Too bad they cant buy common sense.

The whole drafting on the trail thing. Guys on road bikes do it to me on the trail all the time. Mostly I'm in like a 70 inch gear going 18 mph. They'll sit on my wheel, too close for comfort (6 inches or less instead of like a foot back). I mean, its not a TdF TT with a 32 MPH average ok? There isn't that much to be gained at that 18 MPH speed. The usual suspect won't say anything to let me know that he (always males) is there, he'll just sneek up until a shift betrays his presense. Then as soon as I get to a steep downhill they'll click down like three gears, stand up, and attack like they're going for a 100 dollar prime in the local crit. The word for that is wheelsucker. I mean if you're going to draft fine, a)let me know you're there, chances are I'm training anyway and don't care if you pull through or not, but at least let me know and b) at least offer to pull through or come through gently on that downhill so I can spin up to 210 rpms to keep up. and stay a foot back unless I've ridden with you before.

I commute fixed 9/10 times but race road bikes on the weekends.

http://www.johnlewis.com/jl_assets/product/230178545.jpg

Looks pretty stupid to me...
:p

NONO you don't even get it. This wasn't like a razer scooter.... the wheels were big enough to have spokes. The guy looked like he was on stilts. i'd say the wheels (with tires) were just shy of a foot tall

The 'serious' cyclists ride the drive; not the path.


Nothing wrong with being a great racer and training on the bike path, it is nice to escape the cars. But your right to go full speed MUST give way to the rights of other users to enjoy the trail.


I dont think they gave any cognitive thought to you, the scooterist, or the situation; More likely, there just a bunch of guys who can afford to buy a 30 speed and plastic clothing. Too bad they cant buy common sense.

Is there something wrong with having enough money to afford a nice bike? What have you got against Lycra? Are you some kind of anti-elitist elitist? You should rail against these inconsiderate people for how they acted, not for the kind of bikes they were on or what they were wearing. They could just have easilly been hipsters on suicide Schwinns with 92 inches and strong legs.

http://www.johnlewis.com/jl_assets/product/230178545.jpg

Looks pretty stupid to me...
:p

AS SEEN ON TV - they advertise these things on TV. This isn't it. They're trikes and you move side to side to make them go forward. It has to be SEEN ON TV to be fully understood, I think.

The 'serious' cyclists ride the drive; not the path.

I dont think they gave any cognitive thought to you, the scooterist, or the situation; More likely, there just a bunch of guys who can afford to buy a 30 speed and plastic clothing. Too bad they cant buy common sense.

I actually think he was referring to the fact that a lot of roadies ride on Kelly Drive in Philly. The problem is, I do many of my rides, this one included, during rush hour on the drives and its illegal to bike in the roadway during those hours....

and he's right. These guys most closely resembled the kind of guy who blows his wad on a ferrari and drive behind people goin 90mph flashing his lights to get out of the way. you know the type mid thirties successful throws money at any and everything to make himself appear cooler. Sure its fine to be able to afford a 30 speed. But we're talking about someone who uses the 30-speed in the manner described above.

flythebike,

I think you missed the intention of my post. Firstly, you're obviously unfamiliar with the kelly drive path if you think it's ok to train on it.

Secondly, I have nothing against expensive equipment or lycra. However, many people, including many of those who buy it, think it is a mark of a skilled or knowledgable cyclist. More often, it is a sign of vanity or ignorance.

the point of my post WAS against their attitude;I was merely trying to point out that the mark of the roadie had less to do with their actions than lack of common sense.

thats all. life is good.

cele;

thanks for the back...didnt see your post before i posted....

anyhoooo, i didnt know kelly was off limits during rush hour....i knew West river was, but not kelly.

anyway, I stick to the path during rush hour because the sites are much better this time of year. if yaknowwhatimean.

ciao.

but really, could i look like someone who's too dumb to ride a bike responsibly?
I don't think it matters what you looked like, or what other contraptions are on the path. Sounds like those guys were just going too d@mn fast for a bike path.

Whoah... i guess this is a general cycling discussion... i only ride a fixed gear at this point but i can see how this is less about fg and ss than:

-"My new Dank bag"
-"Continental GatorSkin Tires: Price?"
-"Shoved by a car passenger last night"
-"Anyone from the netherlands?"
-"What music do you listen to?"
-"Bikeless... " (yes there was no mention of anything specific to fixed gears in the posting)

perhaps someday i will understand where moderators draw the line... or at least how. As it stands, there are more boundary changes here than in israel.

flythebike,

I think you missed the intention of my post. Firstly, you're obviously unfamiliar with the kelly drive path if you think it's ok to train on it.


Admitedly. But there is a a bikepath in DC/N.Va with tons of kids/moms/pops/old folks/dogs/ and cross traffic. The same principle applies to any bike path that I can imagine. If it isn't crowded (mornings, rainy days, cold days) that is one thing, if it is crowded (nice days) that is another.

Once you write something it is out there and how I read it is up to me, because you have let it go down on paper/electronica. I didn't "miss your intention." You didn't manifest your intention to jibe what you actually wrote. There is a difference.

But I agree, Life is Good.

also, has anyone seen anything like the three wheeled monster? and can someone tell me why anyone would use it unless they were being paid large sums of money? i mean its not like it was cool, it wasn't a ride that required practice or skill like say a unicycle, it wasn't aerobic, it didn't go fast....
"fun", thats why people buy alot of stuff

So the other day I was riding on a bike path toward germantown in Philly. There was this dude riding a ridiculous contraption that had 3 wheels. basically this thing had a front wheel with platforms connecting each rear wheel to the front. He stood with one foot on each platform. Anyway this guy took up a lot of space on the path (more than is reasonable = more than even those god damned rollerbladers). Anyway seeing as he was going all of 5mph, i look ahead and swing out to pass him. I see a couple of roadies blazing down the trail knowing that i had time to make the pass. The roadies speed up and as i try to cut in front of the three-wheeled monster, the roadies cut and try to fly between us. I threw down into a skid and basically got forced off the path. I tried to see it through the roadies' eyes and the only explanation I could come up with is that i must have looked stupid enough to not be gauge speed and they didnt think i'd make it in time for them not to have to slow down at all (which there was time for). but either way, this is kelly drive, there are a million people on that path and to think that you can go that fast, and they were really moving) without slowing down when you approach people is astounding to me. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they didn't speed up. But their cadence definately picked up and whats more is I have not seen anyone going that fast and i am out there 3-4 times a week. So they certainly never thought about slowing down.... just ruined my day... but really, could i look like someone who's too dumb to ride a bike responsibly?

Nothing personal, but I kind of disagree with the general concensus.

The roadies may have acted brashly, but when passing on a MUP or elsewhere, it is the responsibility of the passer to make sure they have time and space to pass safely, not think they probably have time and space. If it's not safe to pass, wait until conditions improve. If it was close enough for you to get forced off the path, it obviously wasn't safe. It's not like you didn't know they were there. You saw them before passing.

The roadies may have acted brashly, but when passing on a MUP or elsewhere, it is the responsibility of the passer to make sure they have time and space to pass safely, not think they probably have time and space.

But don't you have to make some allowance for safe or common speeds of the oncoming traffic? The passer's judgment of whether it's safe is based on how fast he thinks the oncoming is, um, coming on. If they're going twice the expected rate, what's he supposed to do?

Children (both human and goose), as well as strange contraptions, use these paths. I bet we would all feel horrible if we hit a kid, no matter whose "fault" it was. It sounds like all 3 cyclists were just a little reckless in this situation--but sometimes "just a little" is too much. I'm glad the OP and his bike didn't get hurt.

About the strange contraption--I talked to a lady who was riding (?) one. She said it was a lot of fun, but very tiring, and she looked to be young and in pretty good shape. So maybe they are good aerobic exercize after all. She said it was supposed to be great for hip extensors and flexors. She told me the name of it but I forgot it.

There are a couple of women who ride those things on our local trail. They even got a little write in the newspaper's fitness section.They're very slow and won't go up the slightest hill, so I'm sure the fun will wear off soon enough. They're much less of a pain the headphone-wearing-take the while trail-oblivious-to-all roller blade dude.

HAHAHA, if I do more than 15 on my trails I'm going to end up hitting someone, normally at 15 I get yelled at repeatedly.

Nothing personal, but I kind of disagree with the general concensus.

The roadies may have acted brashly, but when passing on a MUP or elsewhere, it is the responsibility of the passer to make sure they have time and space to pass safely, not think they probably have time and space. If it's not safe to pass, wait until conditions improve. If it was close enough for you to get forced off the path, it obviously wasn't safe. It's not like you didn't know they were there. You saw them before passing.

Not taking it personally, but I DID have the time and space. Their speed, while faster than i was expecting, didn't throw off my calculations as I had allowed for error. What DID throw them off was the original intent of the post ("Do I look stupid?"). When the roadies decided that they didnt think i knew what i was doing, they turned and tried to pass between me and the person i was passing. This forced me to turn back and threw everything off. Everything would have worked out fine if they had continued their original course OR if they had slowed down had they doubted my ability to gauge their speed etc. This is why i believe them to be the problem. If they hadn't made any adjustments, things would have been fine. If they had used the rule, when in doubt, slow down till you work it out, things would have been fine. They took the worst course of action and forced me off the road. That is why i was pissed... that and the fact that giant contraptions have no place on an already narrow heavily used bike path.