So, I'm driving down the road with my friend/roommate.
A one lane road.
A one lane road with a 45 mph speed limit.
And some bikers are riding three abreast, at about 15 mph, blocking the whole lane.
For about 2 miles.
They blow through stopsigns, almost getting hit, and flip off the drivers coming the other way.
They don't seem to care that there is a line of cars behind them.
They don't seem to care about much of anything.
This wasn't punks on bmx bikes either, but lycra-clad bikers on what appeared to be proper road bikes.
Now, I know unfortunately, that 99% of the people who read this WONT be the ones this applies to, and I'm not calling anyone out.
But please, for every driver that doesn't see you 99% of the time, 100 will see you every time you do something rude or unsafe.
I know we're all human and all make mistakes, but we're also all subject to the consequences of the PR battle we face to win over the majority of people on the road to being friends of the bicycling community even if they don't join in.
So despite your "right" to drive down the middle of the road at 15 mph, please, when you can, try to share the road with cars, and we might have a better chance at getting them to share it with us.
Thanks =)
-- James
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.
Did this incident occur on a one-lane road, or on a two-laner, i.e., one direction each way? How wide is the lane in question? I concur with everything you say about blowing through stop signs and using obscene gestures, but if the lane is too narrow for a bicyclist to share side-by-side safely with a motor vehicle, then is riding two or three abreast really worse than riding single file, which would greatly lengthen the passing distance required and tempt motorists to crowd the bicyclists dangerously?
Aside: I am a native Angelino. Which road was it?
jbarros
I forget the name of the road, but it's the one that leads into griffith park from the burbank side. It was one lane in each direction, and I personally consider it plenty wide to share, but I've got friends who's definition of wide enough varries greatly from my own, so I'm not sure if they would agree. No parked cars, so no door zone or anytihng like that.
Either way, My personal ethic is that if you're blocking traffic, be you in a car, bike or anything else, after a mile or two, you should find a place to allow traffic to pass. Others may disagree :(
-- James
bragi
I totally agree with you on this one. All it takes are a few obnoxious riders (e.g., Critical Mass riders at their worst) to ruin it for the vast majority of riders who behave like adults.
jbarros
It's funny because I'd been a motorcycle only commuter for about 6 years. Then I got my car 3 months ago, and I've already decided that driving is the pitts, and so for april I've given up my parking pass at work for a train pass and am starting riding my bicycle in. I watched the exact same thing with motorcyclist. maybe 1/100'th of the riders out there have to be fools, and the 99 good riders who are helping to cut down on traffic, getting 50+mpg and just doing their thing get a bad wrap.
The problem is that none of the people who this actually relates to are going to care :(
-- James
CB HI
A one lane 45 mph road with lots of stop signs.
Does that discription sound odd to anyone else, as well?
jbarros
Found it. Riverside drive, leading up to zoo drive.
-- James
jbarros
A one lane 45 mph road with lots of stop signs.
Does that discription sound odd to anyone else, as well?
Yeah, alot of burbank and glendale is a little "odd" to say the least. :( It seems that most of the city wasn't so much planned at all, as kind of landed on top of whatever was already there. There's a road on my commute to work that someone dropped an elementary school in the middle of. The road just STOPS from another 45, into a 25 for about a block before the school, you then jog sideways a block, cut over to the back of the school, jog back up a block and are back on the same road. (note, this is not the same road I was referencing earlier, but just another example of poor... no, of a lack of planning.)
-- James
ChicagoClyde
Oh man, ZOO DRIVE.
When I was living in LA some years back, I remember a lot of good rides through Griffith Park. Clear asphalt, miles of roadways closed to car traffic, great road surface - it was the best. Sad part was, actually getting in there to those routes was a bit of a life-threatening proposition.
The drivers are distracted...going to Travel Town or the carousel or the zoo...and no one wants to wait behind a bike. I found the best tack was putting myself in their shoes (kids in the back, screaming for the zoo, etc) and then being overly courteous with my riding style. Once you get into the heart o' the park, I found plenty of chances to ride quickly and with little traffic interference.
Incidentally, I try to always ride as I drive: courteously, lawfully, and AWARE.
Just my dos centavos. Thanks for a post topic that took me back!
slowandsteady
Perhaps you misunderstand the whole share the road thing. You are not to share the lane with another vehicle. If you could not pass these cyclists by leaving the entire lane, then it wasn't safe. I am sure they rode three abreast to prevent drivers from trying to pass them with only inches to spare.
That said, there is no excuse for running stop signs.
hairlessbill
Is it legal to ride three abreast out in your area? The law here only allows two abreast where it is safe (i.e. no cars behind you) and single file at all other times. I think it came into effect after a few high-profile accidents involving cars colliding with riders on the big roadie ride (Boulder-Hygiene) here a few years back.
I agree though, that even if it is your right to ride in the middle of the road that doesn't make it a good idea all the time. Pissing off drivers is a bad idea anytime. I'd rather be alive and wrong then dead and right.
lima_bean
If you couldn't pass them by changing into the oncoming lane, then it probably would not have been safe to pass them in the same lane as them, so not sure what they could have done besides kick it up to 400 watts =p
I dont know the area, but on narrow roads that are unsafe for passing they often have occasional areas for slower traffic to pull over for a sec for faster traffic to pass. But some drivers/cyclists ive found are opposed to this for apparent religious reasons =p
jbarros
hrm, I think this is my main issue with the VC arguments I've seen, FOR ME. (not saying it's a bad idea overall, just saying this is why I don't really subscribe to it for my own use)
If I was in a car that was unable/unwilling to do X mph on a one lane road, and I had 5 or 6 cars backed up behind me, as a vehicle, I'd pull over and let traffic pass. This is regardless of the vehicle I was in/on. I have alot of practice with this, having had a 1984 Volvo 244 DL for quite some time.
Yet this seems to not be considered the right thing to do by most of the VC advocates I've ran into.
Once again, as I know tone doesnt carry well online, this is not a challenge or me trying to be a punk or say I hate VC or whatever, but could someone please explain to my why this is not considered the smart/sane/polite/"right" thing to do on bicycles?
I'm a newb, I know I'm a newb, that's why I'm asking for an explanation, so I can understand it, not as a challenge.
Thanks. :)
-- James
banerjek
Either way, My personal ethic is that if you're blocking traffic, be you in a car, bike or anything else, after a mile or two, you should find a place to allow traffic to pass. Others may disagree :(
In Oregon, we have a law that requires this. Slow moving vehicles are required to pull off and let others through even if it means they must stop.
When I'm on roads like what you describe, the problem I encounter more often is that the motorists won't pass when they should -- i.e. I'll let up and try to wave them through while I shift right, but they follow instead. Purposely letting cars stack up is not wise. You won't have to do it very long before someone attempts a very dangerous pass.