Old 09-21-12 | 09:02 AM
  #56  
Chitown_Mike's Avatar
Chitown_Mike
That guy from the Chi
 
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,000
Likes: 3
From: Chicago

Bikes: 88 Trek 800 - gone to new cheeks; '14 Trek 1.2 - aka The X1 Advanced; '13 Trek 3500 Disc

Originally Posted by Hellarar
Yeah, I'm a Chicago hipster and I know the scene, skinny jeans, flannels, a vintage bike (not fixed, 14 speeds and two brakes). Handlebar moustache, beard, Buddy Holly glasses (they're real, and I'm blind without 'em) and everything. That said, if somebody's riding faster than me and I know they're intending to pass, I'm more than happy to ride my line and let them past. It's not a race, at least for me. And I like to think I'm relatively comfortable passing people moving slower than I am as well, though I could probably stand to be a bit more vocal. Being a relatively new bike commuter, old car habits like passing with silent impunity have been a challenge to give up, but in the scenario you described, even being vocal didn't seem to help.

Riders like that are going to be a problem regardless, but the difference being the line of parked cars and plastic pylons on your left that could get you hurt if you attempt a pass and get boxed over by a swerving rider reluctant to get passed. Granted, a line of moving cars isn't necessarily better, but it feels a lot easier to find open spaces in traffic than in parked cars.

As for the additional pictures posted, I found two in particular that voice the negative concerns about it (though as a whole, the bike lane is far from a horrible thing, and looks like it could be a pretty good idea in lighter traffic areas where it may protect you from traffic that just isn't expecting you and is going too fast to deal with you).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6416875...7627308547752/ - Cars parked close enough to door riders on the passenger side, and knocked over pylons. Sketchy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/6416875...7627308547752/ - Cars pulling into the middle of the active bike lane while stopped and waiting to pull into what is effectively parking-lot traffic.

I didn't notice those pictures, but I see your point in there being a safety issue, but like you said, it is far better than the nothing Daley did.

And side note, I don't mean any disrespect to the hipsters in Chicago, or any where for that matter. Granted it is not my style, but this gentleman wasn't the first run in I have had on my bike (which is a vintage 82 Schwinn Continental!) but it was the first, and potential issue, in the new lanes which is why I said anything.
Chitown_Mike is offline  
Reply