Roypercy

To the spandex-wearing clown on the $3000 bike who plowed into me today as I was trying to exit the West Side Highway bike path:

1) Don't follow people so close, at such high speeds. I'm a strong rider and I was going pretty fast already, what, were you being chased by your groupies?

2) NEVER try to pass a cyclist on the right while other people are passing on the left. It's a bonehead move.

3) Never pass another cyclist on the right, anyway (see#2)

4) If you ride long enough, collisions are a fact of life. When you hit another cyclist your first words should be, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry", not "DUDE, are you serious?". You hit me, remember, not the other way around.

5) I am sincerely sorry that I was momentarily less vigilant than I normally am in watching out for the bad cycling habits of dumb sh#ts like you. What could I have been thinking?

6) I am sincerely grateful that metal, carbon fiber, flesh, bone and tooth enamel came out apparently unscathed on both sides. As much as the accident was your fault I wish you no ill-will and wouldn't want to be involved in your injury or loss. And my hand is probably just bruised, not broken, thanks for asking -- oh, that's right, you didn't.

7) Go **** yourself.

I guess that's about it. Thanks for your indulgence.

(Mods, if this is inappropriate please accept my apologies...)

Lascauxcaveman 

You urban dwellers are up against it, aren't you? I'm glad the streets and MUPs of my little town aren't as crowded as yours. Since you have 100x the number of cyclists to share the road with, you're logically going to run into about 100x the boneheads we get. And we do get some.

16Victor

It's all we can do sometimes to hold it in, but boy there I times I want to scream it. Glad you kept your civility at the scene (or at least I hope you did!). And more glad that you're essentially OK.

Notgrownup

Sometimes you just have to get it off your chest...

lostarchitect 

Yeah, that happens, and the culprit isn't always all kitted out like your guy.

16Victor

Aye. I about ran into a woman on Labor Day...it was on a local trail - she wavered across the path because she was texting. Dropped her pretty pink phone and everything. Hope it broke.

Completely clueless.

eschlwc

i was cruising along on a long downhill in town the other day in the bike lane when a guy passed me on the right in the three feet between me and the curb. i could not believe it. he was flying, probably doing 30mph, and could have easily clipped me if i swerved to miss a rock or something. there was no reason for it, as traffic was moving probably at his same rate. i caught up with him at the next red light, but i didn't say anything, just scowled.

i guess i only yell at cars anymore...

Lascauxcaveman 

Here's my favorite: two peds walking side by side, taking up both lanes of the MUP. You shout in a friendly, but properly urgent tone of voice, "Hello! Passing!" Ped on the left steps quickly to to the right lane; ped on the right steps deftly to the left.

Every. Single. Time.

phoebeisis

Dude, are you SERIOUS?!

Classic line-gave me a great laugh!

Is there a speed limit on that path? Bike only-no walkers?

How fast was he going?

DUDE

Chicago Al 

Some guy blew by me on the MUP last week right as peds on the other side and I were passing. He threaded the needle okay but it was pretty close, and no alert at all, so less 'unsafe' than 'impolite.'

I shouted 'On Your Right!' which caused him to look back as if to make a smart retort...but he evidently couldn't think of one.

Chombi

I rode many many miles, almost every day, along the lake shore in Milwaukee and its northern suburbs for years when I was going to college in the 80's, and never had any negative experience with peds, cars, trucks, motorcycles or other cyclists on the road. People just seem to all be aware of cyclists on the road and were respectful of them and each other (at least back in the 80's). Even the amateurs teams training on the same roads don't seem to exhibit the cocky road attitudes that I've encountered in other parts of the country. I've ridden in other cities since and have not experienced anywhere near the same good conditions as I did in SE Wisconsin..... I never could figure that out....Maybe people are just so glad to get back on the road on their bikes after long winter lay offs that people in that part of the country just feel like it's spring everyday when they ride their bikes??
for cycling in SE WI!

bici_mania

I sometimes spandex and lycra, I like to ride at racing speeds. Sometimes I ride at race speed on MUP, but --ONLY-- when no one else is out.

I was out with my 10 year old son a few weeks ago on the the MUP when a lycra-clad numb-skull came time-trialing around an over cooked turn and nearly plowed into my son. Mr. numb-skull had the audacity to yell at us although he had crossed over to the wrong side. Had he hit me or my son, there is little doubt violence would have ensued.

Those kinds of cyclist really need to be repeatedly splayed with their carbon forks, IMO.

jet sanchEz

I was flying along on a busy street last wekk when I had a guy call me an a**hole when I passed him on the left. I looked back and guffawed because he was a tiny guy who was all kitted out and super serious. He caught up to me at the next light and explained to me that I should always call out "On your left" when passing someone so that they are not startled. I guffawed again and told him that he shouldn't continue to call people names on the street or he is going to run into someone who has nothing to lose and he will be very sorry very quickly that he called them an a**hole. I continued on my way, still laughing on the inside.

For the record, I am 6'1 and look every inch of it and this guy who was all mad at me was about 5'3, I guess his adrenaline was pumping or something, it was really odd.

Shp4man

No near misses this weekend, but the brainless stupidity displayed by some people on a dedicated bike path never ceases to amaze me. My little Japanese bell gets a workout most weekends.
Plus the pass you and slow down brigade was out in full force, too.

zukahn1 

I do agree passing on the right on a bicycle is a boneheaded move. Acutally it was one of the main things taught in bicycle safety classes in the Boyscouts 30 years ago. Rather one is passing another cyclist or a car, people typically slow done to exit turn off most likely to the right so passing on the right is a good way to cause an accident or get run over.

unterhausen

I got run into today by a college kid -- rear ended. Funny thing is, he and I were both trying to make a right turn requiring us to cross a crosswalk that was full of peds. I laughed

Velognome 

Cross post to the roadie forum, I'm sure he's there,...... "Dude, like this guy with like fenders...."

kunsunoke 

I was thinking that if he was on carbon-fiber, the Lance-wannabe that smacked you this morning would have maybe tried to be a little more careful. Maybe the guy has more cash than sense - that or bikes are disposable to him.

One can only hope that the encounter proved to be a "teachable moment" (hipster for "dumbass-removing").

cb400bill

I did a 65 mile group ride on Sunday, and a 27 mile group ride tonight, with no incidents.

RobbieTunes

Very well put. Running a stick through his spokes is all you have left to do.

Drillium Dude 

I was going to suggest a pump, but why waste a nice, vintage Silca on a doofus like that?

30 years ago I suffered an awful high-speed accident that bent my forks when an ex-friend went bombing past on my right. He stayed up, I went down - lucky I didn't need dental work after that one, but it might have rattled my brain and contributed to the way I am today

There's a reason I ride no more than a foot from the extreme right edge of any MUP; pass on the left, folks!

OP: Glad you and your bike are okay.

DD

dveneman

"Running a stick through his spokes ....................", Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

David Newton

Hope your hand heals quickly.

The Galveston Seawall is packed with walkers and slow cruisers, the doofus in spandex sails through the crowd at about 20mph, swerving between us, his skinny tires catch the expansion joint in the sidewalk and he goes down, hard.
He's the only one down, so it's like "hey, you ok? sorry you crashed"
30 minutes later on our return trip, he's still sitting there with his head in his hands, waiting for the wife's suv, 'cause his wheel is toast.

daihard 

+1.

I guess it's also a fact of life that there are stupid and inconsiderate cyclists everywhere.

koolerb

Riding fast is for the road. Public paths are full of people with kids, people walking their dogs, people out for leisurely rides making frequent stops, etc. My youngest started riding a two wheeler this year and our local canal path has been the perfect place to take her. Nice and flat; and 95% of the people riding at appropriate speed for the path or walking. But there are always a few frigging a-holes blasting down the path like they're the only ones on it. I guess if you want to feel fast ride where everyone else is riding slow.