Commuting - Idiot cyclists

I commute home every day and have a bit different times. I usually take the same route. But I swear most of the people I see are stupid. Well poorly trained.
Ok here I am stilling behind three cars at a stoplight. Right behind a cop no less. With the cars parked there is only a little room to go past them. Well what do you know but this guy on a spendy racing bike and matching shorts and jersey scoots down the shoot. Well the light turns green and a car turns and almost gets creamed. I was surprised the car seen him since no one would expect to see someone there.
Well he gets stuck at the next light and turns left like I do I see him in my sights and pour on the coal. I catch up then pass him at about 25mph. now this has to be humiliating a overweight 232 pound guy that does not even have matching clothes and does not have racing wheels (G) but I figure he deserved it.
Here I am waiting to cross a one way street. Traffic is backed up in one lane I am about to cross where a car in the closest lane comes so I wait. Just as the car that was waiting to go starts this female rider passes me right in front of the car. What I am stilling there for my good health???? Lucky the car stopped in time.
I am the only one that is behind cars or in the right lane for a turn. Everyone else is way over to the right. Now this is perfect to get mashed and no one seems to know it. I see it over and over from so many riders. They all have helmets and yellow vests and drive like idiots (G) I always feel good if and when I pass them most of the time.

Well, in most places, the roads are designed for cars first and there aren't any clear directions or instructions for cyclists; and, if there was a bike lane, that's where it would put you - off to the right of the right-turning cars - that's where a lot of traffic engineers are trying to *train* cyclists to ride...and you proved something i saw in another thread - you got all competitive and had to catch the dude in the tights...IMO you should watch out for yourself and not worry so much about the other cyclists...or get their email addresses and send 'em this link ;) :

http://bicyclesafe.com/

Yep. There are idiots on the road, irrespective of the vehicle choice. We knew that.

The question is, what did you learn from these experiences?

Yes there are idiots out there. Over here passing on the left is legal (equivalent of right side in America). As to catching a roadie and passing him at 25mph, big deal! A lot of roadies can hold that speed on the flat without even breaking a sweat. They don't care if you zoom past them. I know I don't care. Wait till the road turns toward the sky, that's when we see who is fast or slow. What the guy was wearing or riding is irrelevant to the story.

CHEERS.

Mark

Yes there are idiots out there. Over here passing on the left is legal (equivalent of right side in America). As to catching a roadie and passing him at 25mph, big deal! A lot of roadies can hold that speed on the flat without even breaking a sweat. They don't care if you zoom past them. I know I don't care. Wait till the road turns toward the sky, that's when we see who is fast or slow. What the guy was wearing or riding is irrelevant to the story.

Agree with every word of that -- although personally I prefer overtaking on the right rather than the left (reverse sides of those in the US due to differing road rules out here). The other thing to note is that you've no idea how far he'd ridden up to that point. I know for a fact that I'm a lot harder to pass with 20km in my legs than 200km -- and I imagine that applies to everyone else too.

As far as passing cars at traffic lights or in traffic generally goes -- I have no hesitation in doing that. It's simply overtaking -- the same as cars do to me all the time (or at least when traffic allows them to). If you don't believe me, try waiting 10 metres away from the lights next time you get a red, and see how many cars try to pass you -- regardless of which direction you intend taking.

I am a commuter first, and a weekend road warrior second. It KILLS me to run red lights on group rides, but if I am going to ride with a group I have no choice around here. Otherwise, like most of you, I find it safest to obey traffic laws. My sole objective is to get home alive. If it takes an extra 10 minutes I can live with that. I am amazed that there are not more cycling fatalities considering the way many of our colleagues ride.

I don't understand the other cyclist either, and it is the ones I don't understand that stick out, as I think about what they demonstrate to the other vehicles on the road, and I become lumped in with them. There are just as many inane operators of steel coffins as there are bikers. Yesterday I was riding in the designated bike lane, well marked down a great avenue. To my right was some nut case on a MTB riding the sidewalk, dodging mothers with strollers and joggers. I just shook my head and left him in my dust. Then on the way home I'm riding down a main street and this car stops just ahead of me, I watch as the driver reaches across the car and their passenger to open the passenger door right in front of me, as if they just passed me and didn't see me. They didn't even check the mirrors, I could have been another car, and taken the door and the passenger with me. Fortunately I am wary of these situations and was able to avoid being doored, and as I passed I overheard the driver telling the passenger to get out of the car. Evidently, a quarrel.
While I love getting on the bike paths in the drops and pouring on the coal, getting some speed on the flats, passing other bikers, I do want to get home safely. That often depends on me, not the other people on the road.
I don't have a solution to either, but I hope I'm not looked on as one of "those idiot bikers, why can't they keep their toy on the sidewalk."

Well, in most places, the roads are designed for cars first and there aren't any clear directions or instructions for cyclists; and, if there was a bike lane, that's where it would put you - off to the right of the right-turning cars - that's where a lot of traffic engineers are trying to *train* cyclists to ride...and you proved something i saw in another thread - you got all competitive and had to catch the dude in the tights...IMO you should watch out for yourself and not worry so much about the other cyclists...or get their email addresses and send 'em this link ;) :

http://bicyclesafe.com/

the one intersection that I see everyone on the right has a markings for a bike in the left lane. You jog left to keep going straigh. everone is in the right turn lane. usualy against the curb.

Yes there are idiots out there. Over here passing on the left is legal (equivalent of right side in America). As to catching a roadie and passing him at 25mph, big deal! A lot of roadies can hold that speed on the flat without even breaking a sweat. They don't care if you zoom past them. I know I don't care. Wait till the road turns toward the sky, that's when we see who is fast or slow. What the guy was wearing or riding is irrelevant to the story.

CHEERS.

Mark

I just had fun doing it. He must have slowed up a bit for me to catch in with such a lead time because of the lights.
but hell I was almost at the end of my daily 20 mile commute and it felt good to pass him.
I jsut feel good passing people who take shortcuts in traffic. they save tiem but I pass them anyway.

Agree with every word of that -- although personally I prefer overtaking on the right rather than the left (reverse sides of those in the US due to differing road rules out here). The other thing to note is that you've no idea how far he'd ridden up to that point. I know for a fact that I'm a lot harder to pass with 20km in my legs than 200km -- and I imagine that applies to everyone else too.


in this case there was not room for the pass and it is unsafe to be clear over to the right where cars love to not look while turning right. before I knew better I had two people run me right off the road turning right and they never neven noticed me.
I have passed a few cars but you have to do it on the left.

I shoudl never have caught up with him since I had missed the light but what the hell it was fun passing him. I had almost done my 20 miles.

I just had fun doing it. He must have slowed up a bit for me to catch in with such a lead time because of the lights.
but hell I was almost at the end of my daily 20 mile commute and it felt good to pass him.
I jsut feel good passing people who take shortcuts in traffic. they save tiem but I pass them anyway.
There are times I wish I could catch and pass the monkey in the auto that just blew past me to catch the next red light. I don't get that, and would love to ride by and wave at the sucker to show him all that angst and tude he just expended only has him sitting at a light and a guy on a bike caught him.

There are times I wish I could catch and pass the monkey in the auto that just blew past me to catch the next red light. I don't get that, and would love to ride by and wave at the sucker to show him all that angst and tude he just expended only has him sitting at a light and a guy on a bike caught him.

I hate drivers that pass me then slow down. I was goign down a hill monday and I was not quite up to speed to take the lane and this pickup passes me then rides the brakes down. I ahd to slow the whole way down.

Ok, but what does "stilling" mean?

There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition on the path or the road. I go faster when others cyclists are around. But you shouldn't pass if you can't stay ahead.

We do have to admit that there are more untrained cyclists than untrained car drivers out there. But an idiot riding a 20lb bike is a lot less dangerous to others than an idiot driving a ton or two of steel.

I agree that can be OK to pass cars on the right, but it can be dangerous. Generally, I pass stopped cars on the right, but I pass moving cars on the left. If I am passing a line of stopped traffic that looks like it's going to start to move, I pick a gap, get in it, and wait for traffic to move.

[QUOTE=steveknight]I commute home every day and have a bit different times. I usually take the same route. But I swear most of the people I see are stupid. Well poorly trained.

I am the only one that is behind cars or in the right lane for a turn. QUOTE]

The urban legend here is that "if you look the driver in the eye" then you can go! whaz? uh? uh no, you either wait your turn, or exit and go around. Here in Seattle, "yellow" is an easy target for the cops. You will be ticketed and yes it goes on the driver's license (whether you brought it with or not)...and yes, it does affect your insurance. It's safer to ticket a bike than chase a crook.

I see the same stuff on my commute route. The regulars seem to observe the laws...but then nicer weather seems to bring out crazy stuff..At times, I just want to yell out...come on people, cut the drivers an even break.
....steps off soap box and sits down.

I am a commuter first, and a weekend road warrior second. It KILLS me to run red lights on group rides, but if I am going to ride with a group I have no choice around here. Otherwise, like most of you, I find it safest to obey traffic laws. My sole objective is to get home alive. If it takes an extra 10 minutes I can live with that. I am amazed that there are not more cycling fatalities considering the way many of our colleagues ride.

They must make special allowances where you live. I've been stopped with a warning ticket for cycling through a yellow that turned red. I was going slower and misjudged. I've made alot of cycling errors are misjudging the speed of cars, peds and my own speed.

With the cars parked there is only a little room to go past them. Well what do you know but this guy on a spendy racing bike and matching shorts and jersey scoots down the shoot.
I was waiting in traffic at a red light one afternoon as traffic started to move. I started along with it, which takes a bit more concentration than it does for motorists, when another cyclist flys by me and the rest of traffic. I didn't appreciate being startled like that.

in this case there was not room for the pass and it is unsafe to be clear over to the right where cars love to not look while turning right. before I knew better I had two people run me right off the road turning right and they never neven noticed me.
I have passed a few cars but you have to do it on the left.

Agreed. Remember that passing on the right out here is the same as passing on the left in the U.S. In anycase, it's a judgement call. I simply follow the law that puts the onus on whoever is passing to do so safely. However, if there is a gap and it's safe to pass through, don't even try to stop me! Holiday traffic here right now, and I have no intention of taking two hours over a 30 minute commute.