Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Stop signs..

So I was riding to work this morning, about 6:30 am a time when really there isn't that much traffic.
Two blocks away from my house, I approach a stop sign slow down to about 8mph or so, and pass on through. You have to realize, I live in a very residential neighborhood with not much going on so early in the morning. The intersection was clear and safe, not to mention it was a 4way anyway. This guy pulls up next to me in his Mini-van and starts shouting...

"If you want respect you had better follow traffic laws." He said

"Huh? What? There wasn't any..." I reply a little bewildered.

Gruffly he replies "Don't give me that, I saw you, you didn't stop at that stop sign."

"Well, I figured...." I started.

"I am a driving instructor I know, what you did is against the law" He interrupts.

"Ok, Ok, geez" I say, trying to get this guy off my back really I wanted to just get going.

"What if some kids saw you, they learn from what you do you know." The old man says obviously feeling good about getting his point across.

"Ok!" I say, "I respect your opinion, have a nice day” I really need to be more of an a@@hole.

So the driving instructor pulls away, I keep going on my way to work. I see as I approach the next, stop sign, his brake lights giving away the tell tale sign that his eyes were affixed upon me.

So guess all of you if I actually stopped at the next light?

What I wanted to tell the guys is really, if my rolling through a stop sign on a Saturday morning is the worst sin I commit in a day, I really am going to feel pretty good about myself.

There are people out there on the road, stumbling drunk, speeding down streets all over this country. Talking on cell phones, fiddling with the radio, eating taco bell etc. How can this guy be so angry with me for my minor infraction, I say choose your battles.

I consider myself a very courteous bicyclist, I always yield to whoever has the right of way. As well I try to get as far over to the right as possible, even if it means a sore butt due to potholes etc.

How would you all handle the situation, I figured it is better not to piss off my other people in mi barrio, so I just let the guy feel better about him self.

So I was riding to work this morning, about 6:30 am a time when really there isn't that much traffic.
Two blocks away from my house, I approach a stop sign slow down to about 8mph or so, and pass on through. You have to realize, I live in a very residential neighborhood with not much going on so early in

I would have had a hard time not blowing thru the next sign, seeing as he was watching. Maybe you should have reminded him that the white border denotes "optional".

I would have had a hard time not blowing thru the next sign, seeing as he was watching. Maybe you should have reminded him that the white border denotes "optional".

Really I didn't change my riding style at all due to his watchful eye... I just kept on going as if nothing happened. I figure a good excuse is that I am riding a fixed gear, stopping just isn't an option....

I wonder what he thinks about SUV's with the driver watching tv and driving at the same time. I got yelled at the other day for riding by a building.
*****: Can't you read the sign?
Me: What sign?
*****: The blue sign!
Me:What sign?
*****: The sign that says no bikes within 50 feet of the building!
Me: Oh right, that sign. Have a nice day! ***** (as I'm riding away)

This self righteous lady was standing in the parking lot smoking, yelling at me because I rode by a building. All I could think was "Keep smoking lady"

I wonder what he thinks about SUV's with the driver watching tv and driving at the same time. I got yelled at the other day for riding by a building.
*****: Can't you read the sign?
Me: What sign?
*****: The blue sign!
Me:What sign?
*****: The sign that says no bikes within 50 feet of the building!
Me: Oh right, that sign. Have a nice day! ***** (as I'm riding away)

This self righteous lady was standing in the parking lot smoking, yelling at me because I rode by a building. All I could think was "Keep smoking lady"\

Yeah I forgot to mention that this guy did tip the scale to the higher numbers for sure. Really people like myself (and probably most of you commuters) are the only ones who even should consider driving once in a while. It is all the tubs-o-lard out ther who need to get out of thier suvs and hope on the bike.. I get at least 1.25 hours exercise everyday, not factoring in what I do at my job (chef).

But I couldn't drive anyway, I still don't have my license.
Almost 26 and I still haven't gotten it, damn am I a loser.....

Don't worry about it!

The only reason I got my license (well on learners ATM) is because I have started racing and need to get to races, and I moved out of Auckland where alot of my mates are.

But I couldn't drive anyway, I still don't have my license.
Almost 26 and I still haven't gotten it, damn am I a loser.....

damn am I a loser.....
Yes, but that's beside the point.

I don't even own a car. It's not really necessary where I live. I've even convinced my roommate to start riding to work. I've saved up enough to buy another motorcycle, but that money will probably just go into a SS MTB rig. With gas prices the way they are (2.49 at the Junipero Serra Chevron), I'll probably just stick to being on the B.ike L.ane A.ssault S.trike T.eam

Yes, but that's beside the point.

I don't even own a car. It's not really necessary where I live. I've even convinced my roommate to start riding to work. I've saved up enough to buy another motorcycle, but that money will probably just go into a SS MTB rig. With gas prices the way they are (2.49 at the Junipero Serra Chevron), I'll probably just stick to being on the B.ike L.ane A.ssault S.trike T.eam

Yeah, what kinda bugs me about this situation, is that I still have to pay 1/2 of the car payment for my wife's 2001 vw golf. Even with the giant mountain of moulah I spend on bicycle stuff each month, it isn't as much as we have to pay for my wife's car/insurance/gas. I couldn't get here to ride her bike to work anyway, it is uphill pretty much 2 miles, then 5 miles more at a slight uphill grade. She isn't really keen on riding that far, I think the uphill part really bugs her. I should just get her one of those 50cc scooter things, they get about 100mph, I know when we went to Japan that is pretty much what everyone had.

Actually it was my idea to get her the car, so I shouldn't *****....

those 50cc scooter things, they get about 100mph,
Does that fast honkin' scooter have Hammye's god wheels???

...build a god wheel...

the way i see it (stopping at stop signs) is that bikes and cars are two completely different vehicles, with completely different manuvering capabilities, therefore, the same laws that govern how someone should operates a car should not govern how someone operates a bike. it's a hell of a lot easier to avoid a potential accident on a 20lb bike than it is in a 2,000lb cage of death. also, i've noticed that i can slowly roll through a stop sign in the same amount of time that it takes for a car to pull up, stop completely, and get going again...so if the same amount of time is being spent by both vehicles, isn't that enough? especially if the intersection is clear anyway? most of the time if it's a 4-way, i'll just run it, but not if there's a car that's already stopped and waiting to cross my path.

there are some intersections here in berkeley that are basically 3-ways...like one street stops where it meets another that continues on...like a "T." anyway...they almost always have stop lights at them and if i'm on the side of the road where the street just continues, i always want to just run the light, because hey, i'm on a bike, and the cars are all turning anyway, so there's very little chance of my being struck. eh, i always stop at them anyway, even though i could make it through...

when i lived in boston, i'd never stay stopped for an entire red light. but here in berkeley it's like i'm a totally different person. i don't know what it is...maybe i'm afraid i'll get stopped by a cop or something...this place reminds me of the small town i grew up in and cops there will stop you for anything on a bike. i once had a STATE trooper RACE down like, three blocks because i rode between the lines of cars at a light, and by the time i got to the front it turned green. i could hear his engine rev up like i was gonna get away...he must've been a couple blocks behind me when i did this, because it took him like, four extra stop signs plus two stop lights to catch up to me. i turned left onto a street and he got along side me and yelled out the window for me to pull over. he asked if i knew why he was stopping me and i said "uh, no, i don't." because i didn't. he was just was like "where are you going in such a hurry?" and "you know it's illegal to ride between the cars like that, right?" i was just like "derrrrrr, no?" because last time i checked, it isn't. funny thing about that is, my dad's a firefighter and my mom works at the courthouse and my mom was listening to the scanner at our house and she heard the trooper say my name over the radio...when the guy tried to do a check on me the dispatcher was like "uuuuuh....." and then never responded.

I kind of like to look at it as my own little world and I have my own little laws. It may not be right but thats the way I ride. Sorry if that bothers the folks that obey all the traffic laws. Good for you for promoting the good image of what we should all be doing.

I'm a driver as well as a bike rider, and I always respect cyclists on the road....and the way I see it, no one driving a car in this day and age has any right to come down on cyclists....that guy was way out of line for making an issue about you rolling a stop sign.

I live in LA and the crap I see on the road every day when I'm driving my car is absolutely unbelievable. that STUPID trend with the "car doods" with the dvd players in the car is the worst. so now you've got people blaring radios, talking on cell phones, talking to other passengers AND now also watching dvds...all while they drive.

the thing with drivers at stop signs is that they're ITCHING to make that right turn on the red light...just ITCHING to roll through it. whenever I'm waiting for the light to change while I'm on my bike (TRYING to track stand...:)), they get really really pissy if you're blocking their illegal rolling right. More cars roll through red lights on that right hand turn than any cyclists do.

someone on a bike rolling through a stop sign at 6 am in the suburbs is nothing...that guy should shut his hole and get some exercise.

Don't you hate self righteous drivers who feel they have the right to tell you how to ride a bike?

yup..

This is an advocacy issue. Push your local legislators. In Idaho, rolling stops are okay on a bike:
http://www.respect.to/legal/rolling_stops.html

My car is my other bike. I drive it like I drive my bike. I've been known to (horrors!) execute a rolling stop in my car at empty intersections. Ergo I rolling stop at unpopulated intersections with stop signs on my bike. I actually have more problems stopping at four way stops, because cars there before me wait for me to go through. They're getting better though, they must recognize the orange cycling pants...

We ain't blockin' traffic -- we are traffic. The day cars stop parking in cycle lanes is the day I'll cease the rolling stop at empty intersections.

Cheers

Cam

That driver = total assmunch. While there are some thoroughly irresponsible cyclists out there, people give us too much ****. Too much **** by far. I don't care how irresponsible a cyclist is in his ryding style, no matter what he does he's never any more than a wad of flesh + 20 pounds of metal, whereas as others have pointed out, cars are effin' bullets. They're death machines. Cyclist vs 7,000 lb Ford Expedition? Check please...

Why bother thinking about that guy any more than you already have?

Two buddhist monks were approaching a river. As the elder monk began to cross, he looked back to see his companion carrying a prostitute on his back, keeping her from being washed downstream by the strong current. The elder monk waited, and once the younger monk said goodbye to the prostitute, the two monks continued on their journey. The next day, the elder monk mentioned the incident:
"How can you do such a thing? A Prostitute! A terrible thing of this material world! And you...you carried her on your back across the river. Why carry a person whose lifestyle is so opposed to ours? Have you no shame?"
The younger monk responded:
"Brother, I stopped carrying her on the other side of the river. Yet you continue to carry her all this way."

']Two buddhist monks were approaching a river. As the elder monk began to cross, he looked back to see his companion carrying a prostitute on his back, keeping her from being washed downstream by the strong current. The elder monk waited, and once the younger monk said goodbye to the prostitute, the two monks continued on their journey. The next day, the elder monk mentioned the incident:
"How can you do such a thing? A Prostitute! A terrible thing of this material world! And you...you carried her on your back across the river. Why carry a person whose lifestyle is so opposed to ours? Have you no shame?"
The younger monk responded:
"Brother, I stopped carrying her on the other side of the river. Yet you continue to carry her all this way."

Much more well put than mine.

Good point, well spoken.

I have really gotten over it, I just wanted to vent to some people who would most likely understand my frustration to the man who was so inimical to a poor fellow bicyclist.

While working today, I don't think I thought about him once, not until I was passing through the same intersection on the way home.

And I personally think most monks need to carry a few more prostitutes if you know what I am saying...



']Two buddhist monks were approaching a river. As the elder monk began to cross, he looked back to see his companion carrying a prostitute on his back, keeping her from being washed downstream by the strong current. The elder monk waited, and once the younger monk said goodbye to the prostitute, the two monks continued on their journey. The next day, the elder monk mentioned the incident:
"How can you do such a thing? A Prostitute! A terrible thing of this material world! And you...you carried her on your back across the river. Why carry a person whose lifestyle is so opposed to ours? Have you no shame?"
The younger monk responded:
"Brother, I stopped carrying her on the other side of the river. Yet you continue to carry her all this way." ;) ;) ;)

Does that fast honkin' scooter have Hammye's god wheels???

You know I said MPH but that was a typo, I meant MPG.... Sorry for the confusion...

Hammye, do you build scooter wheels? That would be sweet....

20" and 700c only. Speaking of strong wheels, anyone ever want to lace up a set of 48 spoke 700c wheels just to feel the old BMX roots?

You know I said MPH but that was a typo, I meant MPG.... Sorry for the confusion...

Hammye, do you build scooter wheels? That would be sweet....


i knew you meant MPG. still though, a tiny scooter that could go 100mph? FANTASTICO!!!

Ok and speaking of the old BMX roots.(I know it's only me) But what about an american sized bottom bracket shell and run some of the somewhat older Primo or older yet the original GT Power series cranks? Sorry to go way off topic but I really want a frame and fork set based upon the mid 90's style bmx frames. Tough but not so out of control weight wise.
Ramble.
Ramble.
Ramble.

i knew you meant MPG. still though, a tiny scooter that could go 100mph? FANTASTICO!!!

Depending on how big the motor is in your scooter, there are some that can go 100mph....

Of course these are just tricked out motorcycles and really you don't get as great of gas mileage (better than a SUV though).


Speaking of SUV's, my sister-in-law just bought one, it came out of nowhere. A smart, educated woman goes and does something so idiotic, I just cannot believe it. It will take me a while till I actually talk to her again, I just don't wanna start shouting... My wife even went with her and tried to talk her out of it, but she was determined, for some reason in her mind the SUV she bought is exempt from being so malign, because it is a Jeep Cherokee or something like that. I wonder what is going on in her head....

Ok and speaking of the old BMX roots.(I know it's only me) But what about an american sized bottom bracket shell and run some of the somewhat older Primo or older yet the original GT Power series cranks? Sorry to go way off topic but I really want a frame and fork set based upon the mid 90's style bmx frames. Tough but not so out of control weight wise.
Ramble.
Ramble.
Ramble.

Thats a tough one, you got me....

I still need to learn how to build a normal wheel.... Let alone del dios.

Depending on how big the motor is in your scooter, there are some that can go 100mph....

Of course these are just tricked out motorcycles and really you don't get as great of gas mileage (better than a SUV though).


Speaking of SUV's, my sister-in-law just bought one, it came out of nowhere. A smart, educated woman goes and does something so idiotic, I just cannot believe it. It will take me a while till I actually talk to her again, I just don't wanna start shouting... My wife even went with her and tried to talk her out of it, but she was determined, for some reason in her mind the SUV she bought is exempt from being so malign, because it is a Jeep Cherokee or something like that. I wonder what is going on in her head....

I'll be honest here and pony up the unsolicited info that I am guilty of owning one. It's slightly smaller then most but all the same it is an suv.

I'll be honest here and pony up the unsolicited info that I am guilty of owning one. It's slightly smaller then most but all the same it is an suv.

You would think with the relative anonymity of the forums you wouldn't admit to something like that, especially in the SS/FG area.... As long as you actually use it for purposes other than commuting, I don't really see too much harm. Like if you have to drive off-road to go camping/mountain biking etc. I just know my Sister-In-Law, will ONLY ever need it for getting to work everyday, to me it is just too much... The same way she is single and lives in a 3+ bedroom house, who really needs that much space?

I haven't even seen the new vehicle yet, so I guess I shouldn't be so quick to judge.

Hell go ahead and judge, it's fun. I infact do not use it for commuting, my wife does but that is soon to end when I get her bike up and running.

Hell go ahead and judge, it's fun. I infact do not use it for commuting, my wife does but that is soon to end when I get her bike up and running.

Nice, like I said before, I wish I could get my wife to commute, it is just too far uphill for her...

To any of you that know the MSP area, she would have to ride lake street-marshall and up that giant hill.... I keep telling her it would get easier every day, but she isn't having it.... To bad she didn't work in downtown minneapolis anymore, she did actually ride to work then.

"I am a driving instructor I know, what you did is against the law" He interrupts

You need to have a drivers license to break the law.

Did you take a drivers examine to get a license for your bike?

You did not break the law.

You need to have a drivers license to break the law.

Did you take a drivers examine to get a license for your bike?

You did not break the law.

I don't need a license to walk, but a cop can still give me a ticket for jaywalking.

Also, at least in DC, Regulation 1201.15 reads "No person shall operate a bicylce except in obedience to the instructions of official traffic control signals, signs, and other control devices..."

Not saying I necessarily do this, but the absence of a license in no way prevents Johnny from busting me for it.

I'll be honest here and pony up the unsolicited info that I am guilty of owning one. It's slightly smaller then most but all the same it is an suv.

I don't hate you, I hate your SUV. :D http://www.ihateyoursuv.com/

Living in Toronto, most people use their SUV's for in city commuting. Coming from Saskatchewan (farm country here in Canada), I've found this surreal. It tempts me to buy a Unimog and go SUV hunting. I saw a guy yesterday with a jeep that looked like he polished it with a diaper every day. He'd even Armorall'ed his spare. Poor deluded people.... I can only pity them (and hate their SUV's).

Cam

I don't hate you, I hate your SUV. :D http://www.ihateyoursuv.com/

Living in Toronto, most people use their SUV's for in city commuting. Coming from Saskatchewan (farm country here in Canada), I've found this surreal. It tempts me to buy a Unimog and go SUV hunting. I saw a guy yesterday with a jeep that looked like he polished it with a diaper every day. He'd even Armorall'ed his spare. Poor deluded people.... I can only pity them (and hate their SUV's).

Cam

My commute:

Ok and speaking of the old BMX roots.(I know it's only me) But what about an american sized bottom bracket shell and run some of the somewhat older Primo or older yet the original GT Power series cranks? Sorry to go way off topic but I really want a frame and fork set based upon the mid 90's style bmx frames. Tough but not so out of control weight wise.
Ramble.
Ramble.
Ramble.

you mean using a road frame with an american BB and putting on some bmx cranks? you can get a euro BB conversion kit for most of the good bmx cranks these days. i think they even make one for the new primo powerbites, that use the HUGE (when compared with a normal euro spindle) 1" spindle. i know profile makes one for their standard cranks...not sure about their SSes though. more and more BMX frame companies are putting euro BBs on their frames...to save weight or something. personally, i'd rather have huge, heavier bearings and solid cups than...something that's light, but lacks the beef.

No I actually mean a custom track frame with that type of shell. 1/4" thick dropouts the whole bit. A frame that can tear doors off of cars. It's just a pipe dream.

harry havnoonian. i bet he'd make anything for the right price. 4130.

It will take me a while till I actually talk to her again, I just don't wanna start shouting...


Put me on ignore, I own a SUV. 165 called it the uber jeep. But I own one. No shame in it. And sometimes, I commute with it. (3 - 4 times a month).