Originally Posted by webist
I cycled 22.5 miles this AM. All of it on roads cohabited by motor vehicles, many SUV. I would guess that during my travels I encountered a conservatively estimated 1500 vehicles. No incidents of rage or other abberant behavior to report. Everything went well. Yesterday was a different story.
I was directly confronted by the operators of 2 different SUV. I had a flat. Both stopped to see if I needed a ride. Guess what. I wasn't at all surprised. It happens around here all the time.
My other vehicle is a Dodge Durango.
Ah Cochise County, I know it well. The lifestyle there has a lot to do with your pleasant cycling experience.
Cycling in Atlanta is different animal altogether. I've had way to many encounters with angry soccer moms, rednecks, and other clueless boobs, not all of which were in SUVs. These whackjobs will attempt to PUNISH you for being out there driving the speed limit, for riding a bike, or just for the hell of it. They will run you off the road or attempt to run you over. They also insist that they are always in front of you, even if they're driving slower than the rest of traffic.
That said, my personal experience with SUV drivers leds me to believe that a larger than normal number of them can't drive or they think they own the road. Perhaps it's because there's more SUVs here than cars.