True, but I actually assumed that drivers would be MORE accepting of cyclists outside of New York. At least that's what I see almost everywhere I travel.

If I knew how to use emojis, I'd have inserted some type of wink or something there. I was simply commenting that I am shocked by the experiences some of the posters recounted.

Definitely not stereotyping anybody, or not intending to, anyway. It's a fact that many cyclists wear flashy clothing and that many cyclists blow through traffic lights. Some cyclists do both. From speaking extensively with drivers who have remarked to me that they "despise those bicyclists on the road," I have gotten a good deal of insight into who "those bicyclists" are, and it almost always comes down to the ones who ignore the rules of the road. And in the physical description that ensues (the one that includes all the nasty and violent things they'd like to do to "those bicyclists"), there is always some mention of the yellow jerseys and the tight shiny pants. So my conclusion is that many drivers are irked by the behavior of many cyclists on the road and that (for some reason) the flamboyant clothing worn by many cyclists adds even more fuel to the fire.

I can tell you from personal experience that I have never had any problems with motorists, but that I hear from the same local roadies all the time that they "nearly had a fist fight" or "almost got pushed off the road" by a driver. These are ALWAYS the same guys I've seen fly through intersections against red lights and give drivers the finger when they honk. So I don't think I'm stereotyping and, truthfully, I'm getting tired of apologizing every time I use the word "roadie" or "lycra" ...or CHRISTMAS!!!!! (insert appropriate emoji here)