Grasschopper

Ok two different topics wraped into one post. First off a quick rant about my car. At this point I am a full fledged cycle commuter, cold, rain the works. This means my car doesn't get much use anymore. Well on Friday I had to do the registration (PA is annual registration for $36), today I am having my emissions inspected ($20) and in a couple of days the PA safety inspection (another $20 plus anything it needs to pass which shouldn't be much). In 20 days I have another insurance payment due for another $240 and of course on the 20th of every month I have to make a damn payment. We live in the middle of PA and other than PSU there isn't much here with the exception of cows and trees so I can't really be without a car. At least it is paid off in less than a year. End of cage rant.

So now the wrong way cyclist comment: why do these idiots do this? This morning after dropping off my car to get the emissions done I was on the wrong side of a 4 lane road so the only real option was to ride down the shoulder the wrong way for about a mile. Man that was nuts...yea I could see all the oncoming traffic and I thought every one of them was gunning for me. Wont ever do that again.

bikebuddha 

I think they do it because they can imagine nothing worse than being hit from behind. Unfortunately the first time they're hit head on, they quickly discover that it is worse.

supcom

Wrong way cyclists are under the mistaken impression that cycling is like walking in that it is safer to be facing traffic. It stems from a fear of being struck from behind but ignores the much greater risk of collision at intersections from motorists who do not expect traffic to be coming the wrong way down the road.

When a motorist is preparing to enter an intersection, he looks to his immediate left and across the street to the right for approaching traffic. He generally does not look to the immediate right because traffic does not normally approach from that direction. As the motorist pulls into the intersection, he naturally is looking to the left. A cyclist riding the wrong direction can come up on the car and never be seen by the motorist.

operator

Or it might reaffirm to them that they need to be even more careful next time around cycling the wrong way. I don't see how someone would switch from riding wrong way to right way. The fear of getting hit from behind is a big one.

RT

I believe it has a lot to do with how you rode a bike growing up. Like going from right-handed to left-handed, it is difficult to switch. If I am going the wrong way in traffic, I'm walking. Sure, it takes longer, but it's a helluva lot safer. When I'm doing 20 mph with traffic, it's like I'm part of traffic. I swear, drivers sense confidence and respect it (most of the time).

madhouse

Friday I met a wrong way cyclist and baby trailer with an approaching car on the other side of the road. I was driving my 8' wide motor home. I could a) keep my lane and speed and feel a slight bump and more than likely mess up my paint job. b) cross the yellow line and meet the car head on. or c) Come to a complete stop on the road (The closeing speed was such that simply slowing down would have still left me with options a and b.) and wait until both approaching vehicles pass. I opted for c becase of the baby trailer... No trailer and I would have forced the idiot off the road!

If he would have been going with traffic I would have had pleanty of time to slow my speed and wait for a safe place to pass. With him coming towards me and increasing the closing speed that wasn't an option and I had to brake hard.

pj7

I rode the wrong way this morning, purposefully.
I noticed about 3 miles into my commute that cars were honking like hell at me. At this time I was riding on the correct side of the road. It was dark and I was about 2 feet left of the fog line. I began to wonder why people were honking and took a look back and noticed my rear light was off, then upon further looking I noticed it was gone!
On that side of the road there was no shoulder to rid on, but on the other side of the road I had about 2 feet of paved road outside of the fog line. I still had my front lights though and tried rigging one of them up in the back. After that failed I jetted across the road and did the last 7 miles or so against traffic. It was my only truely safe option on a dark rural road at 4:30 in the morning.

Longhorn

This brings up a question I have. If I'm ever able to commute, I can either go ten miles down a four-lane, heavily-traveled U.S. highway with no shoulders or take a meandering alternative route. The highway really is not a choice. Austin Cycling Association rates it as severe to high stress and as many cyclists as there are in this area, I can't recall ever seeing one on this highway, even on the weekends. The alternative route conjoins with this east-west highway from the north for about a hundred yards or so, then heads off to the north again. When traveling to work, I could enter the highway at the light, travel in the left lane of the highway a little ways to the turning lane, and then turn onto the other road but with no light. The speed limit is 60 mph here. The other choice would be to ride the narrow shoulder the wrong way for those hundred or so yards, then negotiate the intersection with the next road -- either cross at the wrong direction (while lots of folks are trying to make a left onto that road from the highway) or go the wrong way down that road a ways and then cut across to the right side. These are all heavily traveled rural roads and as I mentioned before, no one is going to be expecting a cyclist in any of these scenarios.

My conclusion is that I just can't do either but maybe I'm just a wussy newbie.

P.S. This isn't even the deal-breaker on commuting. The deal breaker is that I live on the south side of this highway and I can think of no safe way to even cross it to get to the "alternative route."

Marylandnewbie

There is a commuter on here (I think up in PA) who has a similar situation with a major highway cutting through his commute. I beleieve his solution was to drive over to a spot on the safe commuting route on the other side of the highway and then bike from there. I don't nkow if that would work for you, but it seems to make sense.

Cycliste

While driving, check the following while approaching an intersection with a stop sign or where you must yield: how far did you go into the intersection while scanning left but before looking to your right?

I bet many times your car front bumper is already on the line or at least half way into the shoulder, simply most of the time because of lack of visibility + what's you last scan before you cross the intersection ? Left, then right. That's when you can hit or get hit by a bike riding on the left shoulder.

Shoulder or not, be predictable, don't ride on the left side of the road.

JOHN J

We have some wrong way riders here too (myself included)

I see 3 commuters daily riding on the sidewalk the wrong way , the road is a major county route 4 lanes and very very busy, no shoulder and probable death to all those that want to cross during the morning hours. many stretches of this Rt are residential so there are sidewalks for almost all of its 17 or so miles (I always see cyclist on sidewalks on this route) the traffic volume might as well be a major thruway.

I personally dont like riding the wrong way and I do feel safer going with traffic but I will travel the wrong way for the 1/2 mile or so (on sidwalks) as the other 3 riders I see daily do , as its much safler to get to the side road that takes me to the bike trail.

crossing Rt 7 at 7am would be way too risky.

"John"

Roody

I would never feel safe riding the wrong way for more than 20 feet or so. I would rather ride on the side walk, or walk my bike the wrong way, but I would rarely do either of those either. I do realize that some roads are unsafe for some cyclists, so to each his own.

On the other topic--since you no longer use it much (Congratulations!), have you considered selling your car and using the cash to buy an older car? No more payments! More money for bikes!

palmertires

This morning I encountered a wrong way cyclist on the street. Not only was he putting his own life in danger by riding the wrong way, but mine as well. He was riding close to the parked cars, but there still wasn't safe space for him, me, and two cars on that street. I mentioned as I passed that he should be on the opposite side, but he just ignored me. Now I understand when other cyclists really rant about this. In a case like this, it is just dangerous behavior. There was no reason for him not to be on the proper side of that street. None at all. It kind of pissed me off. And, he crossed the street just minutes before I cam along. What was he thinking?

genec

Wow, the local group rates the various roads... too cool.

Santaria

Austin is a cycling meca really.

Living 60 miles north of it puts me outside of the 'meca' enough to realize I have to be very VC or be squashed.

My main roads for commuting are a 40 MPH 4 lane and a 55 MPH 4 lane, I go the 40 and make sure to be safely holding a lane, even if it takes folks an additional 30 seconds to drive into the other lane to pass. I even had 2 cops pass me today and wave - so I can conclude I'm not doing anything wrong.

As far as wrong way riding, I see it daily - people riding on a one way road, the wrong way, from the sidewalk into the lane and back - without a care in the world.

dee-vee

Some of them do it because with todays traffic its freaking impossible to cross the street sometimes.

jaggtass

english tourists?

Cycliste

Hey jaggtass, Can you tell us a bit about cyclists behaviors in Germany?

webist

Somewhere someone who observed you this morning is posting: "So now the wrong way cyclist comment: why do these idiots do this?"

atbman

English cycle tourists? Tut tut, young fella-me-lad.

Have ridden in Canada on the right a number of times with no trouble.

On the other hand, did once help a Philadelphian brother and sister find a safer road between Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick on their hired bikes and showed them how to use derailleurs. Nice people and they managed to ride on the right, i.e., correct side of the road, i.e.the left side

BTW, for some reason, we get very few wrong way riders in UK, altho' too many pavement (aka sidewalk) cyclists

operator

There are places for sidewalk biking, but wrong way riding... I think that's just bad anyway you look at it.

jaggtass

sure - not to sound glib, but its pretty marvellous to cycle; bikes have effective right of way and the whole place is laid out with a cyclepath network independent to the roadsystem but just as effective. If you do ride on the road, theres usually a dedicated lane (sometimes even little traffic lights), or the drivers give great berth. On the flip side - pressure is really high to follow the rules (they yell at you if you jaywalk an orange crossing light, kid you not) so you'd better not break them, but it works both ways. Got hit by a car once crossing at lights (*b* rolled straight over me!); the driver nearly got lynched by witnesses who detoured to yell at him. You'd probably be arrested if you cycled the wrong way down a road although it happens in the dedicated paths-running-parallel if theres a shortcut (only 100m or so).

If ever a pedestrian is on the bike path, just ring the bell and they instantaneously jump to the right in a group motion - its an innate reaction. Its good stress relief if you're having a culture-clash day...

atbman - should read "tut tut young lassie"

Cycliste

Yes, I experienced that once in Germany
Great, thanks for the cultural input.

kb0tnv

I do get mad at "wrong way" cyclists. Every time I tell them they are riding the "wrong" direction they just give me a dirty look or say something about needing to "see vehicles". I have given up trying to educate other cyclists. I do carry some materials in my bag for when I run accross cyclists who may actually want good information. I run accross most of them at cycling events like the "Ride of Silence". It is really hard to tell someone they are doing something wrong if they are riding some "cheapo" bike from Walmart. They aren't going to spend time and money for lights, mirrors & Road I training which would be necessary to ride the safest in traffic. I believe each state should start requiring drivers to learn the proper cycling techniques so that drivers can ride bikes properly and would be more respectful of cyclists in general.

my .02

Keep Cycling,

jaggtass

from www.ananova.com
MORAL: dont mess with the green men or german grannies