Dangerous? Hands down SE San Diego and second is Linda Vista. Either everyone can't understand what the signs and lights are for or they are just ignored. People crossing the streets against lights, jaywalking and cars careening all over the place like they are driving in some 3rd world Country. The roads are ok but the people are nutz.

Well, in their defense, SE San Diego and Linda Vista ARE 3rd world countries.

I can't really talk about "worst" because I don't ride too many places, but Pasadena is pretty bad. The bike lanes are a joke -- most are simply "designated parking lanes" -- nice, clearly marked places for cars to park. Motorists do not look before opening their doors, make right turns in front of cyclists, city busses try to run you off the road. Motorists throw things at you, scream obcenites, and give you all sorts of (wrong) cycling advice. I once had a nice Mercedes sedan in San Marino try to bully me out of the designated bike lane to the right and off the road entirely!!

The more expensive the auto, the ruder the driver. Thus, San Marino, South Pas, and the "nicer" sections of Pasadena, Altadena, and Arcadia are the worst.

Yesterday, I had a VERY scary experience. I had been invited to dinner by a genuine LOLFP, and she was driving. On the way home, we came up behind a cyclist. He was doing everything he was supposed to (in my opinion, anyway), but my hostess suddenly got very irrate. When we came to the intersection, the cyclist in front of us moved over to the left of the right-turn-only lane (like he was supposed to), and Mrs. *** squeezed in beside him to turn right. I wouldn't have. I was afraid she was going to scrape him right off his bicycle -- the RT lane was very narrow, and there was a vehicle to the cyclist's left -- there was nowhere for him to go. And after we passed by, she REALLY started to rant about bicycles, and how when she comes up behind a peloton, she can hardly restrain herself from ramming the last riders in the pack and "sending them flying."

I probably should have said something. As it was, I was too stunned (and frightened -- after all, SHE was driving) to know what to say. I was frankly too afraid to upset her further by challenging her attitude or her behavior.

In the broader picture, I really don't know what the answer is. A lot of drivers still haven't gotten the message that cyclists have the LEGAL RIGHT to use the public roads, and have as much right (and the same rights) as motorists. A lot of people I talk to still have the idea that cyclists don't "belong" in the streets, and that the streets are for motor vehicles ONLY. They don't understand that they really do have to "share the road," and that if they don't want to share, they can kill someone. I suppose the only thing that's going to change this is a very high profile wrongful death lawsuit with a very high award for damages -- if people get the message that they can be stripped of their home(s) and every last cent that they own and permanently lose their license for trying to "teach those cyclists a lesson," then maybe that would be a deterrent. On the other hand, that same strategy (plus jail time) doesn't seem to deter too many people from drinking and driving, so I'm not optimistic.

I guess you're best strategy is to make sure you're good with "The Big Guy" and just pray a lot whenever you go out to ride.

Oh, and my fave places to ride are out east -- LaVerne, Upland, Claremont, and Fontana. Beautiful, wide streets, designated bike lanes with "No Stopping" signs posted next to the bike lanes, politer drivers, beautifully maintained roads.

VP

Well, in their defense, SE San Diego and Linda Vista ARE 3rd world countries.LOL

That would explain it. Still wish I had alternate routes instead of straight through that area. YIPES

+100,000

Words cannot describe how awful Laguna Beach was.Yesterday? It was wonderful. No traffic at all. We used the full lane widths and flew through town.

Yesterday, I had a VERY scary experience. I had been invited to dinner by a genuine LOLFP, and she was

VP

que?


What's an LOLFP? (actually glad ovoleg's banned right now, so I won't openly be called "n00bsauce")

I was wondering the same thing....

I haven't had problems in CDM or Laguna Beach, although I usually skip the "village" along PCH and take Ocean Blvd instead.

I was wondering the same thing....

n00bsauce

Augora Hills there are a million cyclist who break the law and the local residents have started to grow distaste for other cyclist. I've had a few close calls in Augora Hills...

Wouldn't call this a bike unfriendly town by any means. I will, however, agree with you on this issue; way too many riders are running traffic lights and stop signs. When I ride with a group, I'm practically the only one who stops.

There was a recent flurry of letters to our local paper from both sides about this. Seems to me that as a group, we're not going to get a lot of respect if we continue to act as though we own the roads.

Sheldon

que?


What's an LOLFP?

Little Old Lady From Pasadena

Wouldn't call this a bike unfriendly town by any means. I will, however, agree with you on this issue; way too many riders are running traffic lights and stop signs. When I ride with a group, I'm practically the only one who stops.

There was a recent flurry of letters to our local paper from both sides about this. Seems to me that as a group, we're not going to get a lot of respect if we continue to act as though we own the roads.

Sheldon

yes, the problem is when "groups" break the rules. I always run lights and signs. I go if it's safe to go. This is why I don't and will never ride with large groups. Groups are what piss the public off.

Little Old Lady From Pasadena

So the Phoenix was in a car with my Nana? I feel her pain, and understand her predicament....can't steer the thinking of that old battleaxe one bit.

Laguna Beach is in the middle of the Sawdust Festival and Pageant of the Masters right now, and that is why traffic was really bad yesterday. Corona Del Mar (between Laguna and Newport) is always crowded with cars and that is why I have gotten used to flying between the parked cars at 25MPH...

exactly, Sci Fi and Mo' Phat-- a genuine, real-deal, Little Old Lady From Pasadena.

And you don't mess with LOLFP's, particularly not when they're behind the wheel, and especially not after 2 glasses of scotch and water. I didn't feel up to the challenge of arm-wrestling her for her car keys. And it was hard to tell if she was snockered or not -- she can't walk a straight line when she's stone cold sober (balance problems), so how can you expect it after tossing off a couple?

Them Beach Boys weren't kidding -- "The Terror of Colorado Boulevard."

I'm hoping to be one (an official "LOLFP") one day myself.

vp

I've had problems in Leucadia. Last year I got "hooked" into a parking lot. Last weekend I took the right lane where the bike lane ends and is replaced by parked cars. I had a lady behind me start honking her horn at me. I motioned for her to go around in the other lane which she finally did. She gave me a dirty look as she went by! I just smiled and waved!

Yesterday I had something happen in Irvine too. I was was in the right land trying merge to the left, (traffic cicles suck), and the SUV behind me jumped out into the left with the intention of speeding up to go around me. I turned around looked at him with my hand out in a "WTF" kind of way and he stopped and let me merge. The funny thing was that he then had to wait for the people who where behind him in the right lane to pass so he could merge back. He would have been better off just being patient and let me get out of his way, which is what I was trying to do.

The first situation the guy didn't see me or wasn't paying attention and felt bad when he got out of the car and realized he cut me off. Me asking him if he was f***ing blind probably didn't help. :o I felt bad at my explosion when I realized he felt bad. The other two where ignorance of the rules of the road and plain impatience.

i have to say IRVINE is the most unfriendly town. i've been pulled over by the irvine police 4 times for not coming to a complete stop at the stop signs. i'm never gonna ride in irvine anymore.. guess i'll stick with PCH and the mountains.

i have to say IRVINE is the most unfriendly town. i've been pulled over by the irvine police 4 times for not coming to a complete stop at the stop signs. i'm never gonna ride in irvine anymore.. guess i'll stick with PCH and the mountains.

This sticks in my craw.

I ride, wear a helmet, stop when I'm supposed to stop, etc. But then I'll look over and see some guy on a beach cruiser, riding the opposite way on the sidewalk, crossing the street in the crosswalk (after pressing the button and cruising through in 2 seconds), not wearing a helmet, not doing handsignals, blowing stopsigns, etc.

But it always seems that the 'serious' cyclists are getting ticketed by police and admonished by the public.

I can't tell you how many times I've almost had my car whacked by some guy (no shirt, no shoes, riding a beach cruiser one handed, carrying a surfboard). It irks me. I'm irked.

^ Sometimes riding on the sidewalk and using the crosswalks is the safest option as long as you aren't flying/speeding. There's one stretch along Rodeo Road between La Brea and La Cienega blvd eastbound that the police recommends you use the opposite sidewalk for safety reasons instead of flowing with motor traffic that can exceed speeds of 60+ mph and there's no bike lane or parking lane. A few fatalities have happened on that 2 mile stretch esp where the trees shade the road and cyclists seem to disappear from sight/being seen by drivers.

Use common sense and good judgement instead of "being right" or insisting on exercising your road rights. Better to get home and be able to hug your loved ones than being transported to a hospital or the city morgue. So it takes a few minutes longer because of the reduced speeds, but you'll be in one piece. It's one thing to be a "serious cyclist" and it's too easy to become a statistic.

MY SO rides the cruiser bike all over the place...shopping, visiting, just for fun and exercise. Sometimes she feels that the drivers are too crazy on a particular day and takes to the sidewalks instead of tempting fate on the road. Then you have those drivers that want to play chicken with you and to see how close they can buzz by you...that's my pet peeve and major concern on a daily basis....esp on Jefferson blvd going to the marina.

emoticons are for girls in junior high.
Apparently so is capitalization and apostrophes. :D :rolleyes: :p ;)

what laws are being busted??
Stop signs mostly. At least that's the only law I see broken in Agoura, while the valley has people riding the wrong way, on the sidewalk, running lights, riding in crosswalks, etc.

Agoura Hills??? There is like one road that anybody really rides.....
Actually, Agoura Rd, Kanan Rd, and Thousand Oaks Blvd are very common, but yeah that's about it. And I think those roads are fairly safe in Agoura. It's when you get to Westlake that the Mercedes/Hummer/Lexus driving snobs turn right directly in front of you, buzz by you even though you're inside the bike lane, and honk at you just for existing in "their" world.