Thanks to our uninhibited love affair with the automobile, we have an amazing, if expensive, network of asphalt ribbons connecting virtually every location we would want to go with any other location. These afford us "bicycle commuters" the opportunity to go anywhere we might otherwise go in our cars.

It is our duty and calling to "tame" these roadways and press them into service for bicycles. I do not say we should take risks when doing it, just that we should take them back for bikes, whenever feasable.

My dream is to go anywhere with my bike that I can go in a car with a similar level of confidence. In fact, I already do this in many places. I go many places with my bike that most people think I "don't belong." But the law supports my right to do it.

This is the foundation of successful bicycle transportation: a sound system of paved roadways. This is what early cyclists of the 19th century fought for and began to win. It belongs to us.
Let's take it back.

Except for the risk of getting creamed on busy highways and boulevards, I'm with you, Pete.

I don't like it when I have to pay to use bicycle paths while "automobile only" traffic is not charged extra for the demands they put on the roads.

Since I got a road bike I've been on the road a lot. I've started using up more of the road by biking in the middle. I think drivers are about ready to make Fubar5 pie outta me. The other day me and my buddy were riding and a car got mad that he had to slow down for us and honked long and loud. My buddy just smiled and waved...Vigorously. It was so funny from the rear where I was, My buddy didn't just wave, he wave waved!!

Hmmm, sounds good! Is that anything like rhubarb pie? :confused:

Fubar, forgive me if this is butting in, and maybe I misunderstood your post. But here are a couple of points of bicycle etiquette:

1. Yes, take the middle of the lane if there are cars coming from the other direction and not enough room for an overtaking car to pass safely. But when there is room, the cyclist should move over to let the overtaking car go by.

2. Cyclists should ride single file, certainly when there is traffic. In some states this is not just polite, it is the law.

Yes, we do have the same rights as motorists, but we also need to extend them the courtesy of not slowing them down when we can help it. Remember, although there are a lot of jerks behind wheels, most drivers, in my experience, are reasonably courteous and considerate. It's just the few that aren't that give us such fits.

Regards,
Raymond

Ditto Rainman, I think it also good to note that when cars start to crowd you out routinely, it is a signal for you to claim a bit more road. Being to the right, means anywhere from the middle to right line, of course avoiding broken bottles, trash, and road kill. I too make way for the car to pass. I would rather they go ahead, and flee and begone! The suggestion to wave to those who cut TOO CLOSE, has been a fun alternative to muttering to myself! :irritated I think if I were having a lot of difficulty being cut off, I would try one of those cycle flags that hang out on the left rear of your bike.

Rainman,
The driver that honked at us didn't REALLY have to slow down, if he could have passed, because we were riding single file and to the side, and no cars were coming.But I think he just wanted to take out anger on someone, he was also speeding, we were in a 25 zone and me and my buddy were doing just that.

I usually try to ride to the side, but most of the roads are narrow, so if I ride to the side and cars try to pass me I will probably get hit, I have had some pretty close misses a couple times, so I figure if I ride a little towards the middle, then they have to go farther aroung me, and not being able to see me will be less of an excuse, and then I won't get as hit.

Imagine riding along about 2 feet from the edge of the road. A car starts to pass too closely. Emergency maneuver: move over a little. Now imagine this again, only this time you are riding about one foot from the edge. Emergency maneuver: leave the road (if you can!)



You are right on, Fubar. Except I don't ride in the middle of my lane (I ride alone,) I ride closer to the center of the rightmost half of my lane. I like my intentions to be absolutely clear to motorists.

I ride about two feet from the curb if there is heavy traffic; if there are cars parked along the curb, I ride about two feet out from them if the tinted glass allows me to see that nobody's behind the wheel; if I can't tell, I try to signal and move out farther; if I can't do that, I say a quick prayer and keep moving.

When I come to a stop sign or red light, if I'm first in line I move to just left of the dashed line separating lanes. This allows the more intelligent (say 2%) of motorists to make a (legal) right turn on red without my being in the way. It also maximizes my visibility to every driver.

When it's time to go again, I check over my right shoulder and move to the accustomed position again as quickly as possible, so the cars behind me are not impeded.

So far this way of doing things has not caused one adverse reaction.

It's too bad motorists and their passengers are so delicate they need glass tinted almost black to shield them from the sun. It would make life easier if I could do better than guess at occupied cars. There's a law in Missouri that the driver's window cannot be that dark (it made the police mighty uneasy, too), but that doesn't help with out-of-state cars--and Kansas City is on a state boundary!

Fubar, I had a feeling you were probably doing the right thing. Just thought I would go ahead and throw out a reminder just in case. I had a somewhat similar incident last Friday. On a street lined with apartment complexes someone came up behind me just a few yards before a stop sign for which I was already slowing. They honked. I stopped for the stop sign and turned right. The car turned behind me. On this street, there were 3 cars in front of me, 20 mph speed limit, and stop signs every block. I had no trouble staying right behind the cars in front of me and had to wait for at least 2 of the cars in front to stop for the stop sign before I stopped. Immediately after turning on to this street, the following car again honked. Only at this point did I suspect that she had been honking at me the prior time. Keep in mind there was no place for her to go even if she passed me. After the first stop sign on this street, again immediately behind the car in front of me, approaching another stop sign, I hear the young lady yelling out the window "Excuse me! Excuse me! By this time I was STOPPED again behind the 2 cars in front! Another block, another stop sign, but after stopping for the stop sign, she could not even catch up with me before the last one so I was already moving by the time she got there, turned left and pulled over to the right of the lane since there was space for her to pass now, which she did. I mean no harm done, but where the hell did she think she was going to go? I was right on the tail of the car in front of me very shortly after each stop sign, and certainly before she even caught up with me. Would she have been honking at another car? I don't think so. Some people are just idiots who don't look any farther ahead than their own steering wheel.
Regards,
Raymond

Unfortunately, there is no common sense test when a motorist gets a drivers license. Too bad, really, becuase things would sure be a lot quieter out on the roads...very few would pass such a test!