Originally Posted by
trekker pete
+1
After watching joeybike's crazy videos and reading his take on urban biking, I am convinced this is way to ride in such conditions.
He has come to the conclusion that if you rely on anyone else to keep you from being smushed, you will eventually be smushed. Assume you are the invisible cyclist, because in reality, it's not far from the truth. And being invisible, you are reliant on getting yourself out of the way. So long as you have some sort of forward speed, you have the ability to do this. When you are stopped at a light, one foot on the pavement, you're a sitting duck, make that invisible sitting duck.
So a day or so after I wrote that, I'm coming down the street, and there's a weekend warrior inching through a light. Couldn't take his eyes off it. I had the light and had to make a violent swerve to avoid this guy. Was still fixated on the light as I passed. I've gotten better about keeping my mouth shut in such situations and didn't comment. Seemed obvious though he'd be an NYC statistic one day. I flashed on this thread.
Originally Posted by
hairytoes
It's my experience that drivers treat you like you treat them - ride aggressively, and you get aggression back. There is a big difference between being aggressive and being assertive. Heck, I've had taxi drivers slow down and drive in front of me so I could draft them.
Never ridden in New York, just cities in UK, France, Germany and Australia, so what do I know?
I agree that what goes around... That said, here in NYC, nearly all the cabbies are all from countries where life is cheap. Where you use horn rather than brake.