Rahzel

I was riding my bike back from school today (Indiana University Bloomington--eastbound on 10th street). The lane was narrowing from two lanes (traffic + right turn merge lane) to one lane, and I was about two feet from the white line on the right side. This basically means that a car has *plenty* of room to pass me safely without crossing the yellow line.

Anyway, a westbound driver shouts at me "Take the f***ing lane, dude!!" The irony is, about 200 yards further along my route, I have no choice but to take the lane, due to a blind hill and upcoming left turn! So I was in the process of trying to merge to the center when he yelled at me! I guess drivers are always wrong, even when they are advocating VC!!

Has anyone else ever been chided by a driver to be *more* VC?

Pig_Chaser

lol! Never, must've been a cyclist himself. That's too funny.

cudak888 

This post made my day.

-Kurt

randya

HH must be vacationing in Bloomington

genec

"Breaking Away" country... is it possible that since Breaking Away, Indiana has learned to adopt "Effective Cycling?"

CommuterRun

That's cool!

I-Like-To-Bike

Yep, shows that even VC folks can be as stupid as any slack jawed yokel by yelling "advice" to total strangers from their passing vehicle.

hxzero

Haha, sometimes when I'm driving to pick up my lazy younger siblings I feel like yelling at cyclists, stuff like "Get off the sidewalk!" "Use the road!" "You're on the wrong side!" That kind of stuff.

z415

I do that too, and I also sometimes shout out my Tour de France choices or advertisement for a newly moved, or just plain new, LBS.

cudak888 

Watch out - I'll be likely to yell back "Do your own repairs!"

-Kurt

rando

what a ******.

z415

I do - I am more in support of buying stuff from your LBS as opposed to online. I try, at least.

I also shout out "nice bike!" once in a while.

cudak888 

Same here - I despise purchasing online. That said, the local shops aren't particularly friendly either, and I must say that I've found few that I care to support myself (once they know you fix your own machine or sell used once in a while, prepare to be treated as if you were dirt).

For that reason, I try to support the fellow local bike builders (mostly fixie fellows, sometimes otherwise); bartering and selling parts at minimal profit or below value. Helps to keep a nice steady stream of reasonably priced used bikes on Craigslist, and it also affords the benefit of knowing some nice fellows in the hobby.

And, yes, I'm guilty of shouting out a compliment about their machine to another rider - just recently, I came across some fixie riders in the neighborhood, one on a beautiful early '90s Cannondale in mink metallic blue. Couldn't help but mention how nice it looked (in retrospect, I shudder to think that he might have re-spaced/cold-set that aluminum frame ).

Take care,

-Kurt

noisebeam

I wanted to say that to a cyclist yesterday. I was motoring on a multilane road with lanes to narrow to share. A cyclist was ahead ~3ft from curb. I was making a right turn well beyond that. I could have use the middle open lane to safely pass, but why speed up a bit just to have to slow again up ahead.

So I gradually slowed down behind cyclist and kept good distance, figuring I'd slip into the RTOL lane ahead.
But at intersection they rode directly on the lane line between narrow RTOL and narrow thru lane. I waited behind them even though the right turn had a right turn green arrow. A more impatient motorist could have squeezed by on their right perhaps.

By using the lane line they cyclist was effectively (to a law abiding motorist) blocking two lanes of traffic! I understand why motorist like to pass when they have the opportunity.

Al

z415

Not to get off track..., but how is that possible? I'm no frame worker, but won't it, ummm... snap?

Cyclaholic

Should have yelled back - "not before you buzz me and tell me to get the f*** off the road"