Originally Posted by Joe Minton

Perhaps I should have said stupid instead of rude.

I accidentally put one of these guys down a while back. Just as he was about to pass me, I moved to the left a little to avoid a dead rabbit. If'n he'd let me know he was there, I would've ran over the road kill. Instead, he clipped my arm with his bar which turned it to the right and steered the bike out from under him. He got a bit skinned and tried to blame me for getting in his way. That, friend, is arrogance and it was stupid.
I have and use a mirror but I don't stare into it in case one of these guys might be coming. They owe it to the person they're about to pass that they 1)are there and 2)are about to pass. It's simple, it's courteous and it's safer.

It is illegal to ride two-abreast here in California, but the roadies do it all the time, even three and four abreast, then -- refuse to get over so cars can pass. I do not see this behavior with other riders, just roadies. I have yet to see one with a bell or mirror on their bike, maybe they're afraid they won't be invited to try out for the TDF if they were to do so -- ;o)

The EU requires that all bikes have: generator-driven lights, reflectors and bells. Bikes are treated like the road vehicles they are and have to meet reasonable safety standards although they get a pass on helmets. We're still Cowboys over here.

Joe

chasm54:
You dont know me. If you were to, you'd know better than to say what you said. You can, of course, respond but I wont be reading what you write because you've made my ignore list.