Well, I was busy procrastinating half an hour ago when I realized I was hungry, and that a batch of cookies from the local grocery store would hit the spot. So I popped into the car (I didn't take the bike because my flashlight hasn't arrived from Hong Kong yet), and put on some Yo La Tengo for the drive.

There I was, speeding at 30 or so mph down the narrow two-lane suburban road when I barely noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I moved to the center of the lane, and two seconds later, passed a cyclist on my right. He was riding toward traffic (as in, towards me in the right lane), without any form of lights whatsoever, and yes, without a helmet. If I'd been driving a little closer to the curb, I'd have hit him easily. As it was, I only saw him because of the reflectors in his spokes. Looked like an older guy, maybe middle-aged. I drove the rest of the way to the store without incident, and found they were out of cookies, so I bought some pastry thing in consolation. But seriously...if you're riding at night, against traffic, and without lights, it's only a matter of time before you're going to get hit by someone who doesn't notice you until turning you into a human speedbump. I'm still not sure whether to be incredibly mad or incredibly sorry for the guy.

As a side note, some of you who've read my posts might note that I'm a strong proponent of sidewalk riding when the situation calls for it. Here is a situation that called for it; if this guy had been on the walk, I wouldn't have had to swerve to avoid running him over. Of course, he might have found some other way to get hit, but I can guarantee he'd have been safer there than the way he was tonight. Personally, I'll admit that I've ridden without front or rear lights at night before. But NEVER into traffic on a two-lane (or any other lane) road. This was just crazy.

Anyway, just needed to vent. I'm mildly pissed that some fool almost turned himself into a statistic on my watch.

I almost had a collision with a cyclist today as well. Nimrod turned left just a few feet in front of me while he was looking right at me. I locked up the rear wheel, and nearly the front wheel as well. Yeah, I was on my bike, doing about 16 mph on a bike path, nimrod wanted off the path pretty bad I guess. If this hadn't been one of the rare spots that was pavement instead of limestone, I never would have slowed down enough.

On a similar tack, I ended up in an argument with a guy at the taco bar next door (it's on old bar that is now a mexican restaurant), because he is a proponent of riding helmetless into traffic. And I am of the mindset that he's an idiot. Also a middle-aged guy. I eventually had to get my food to go because this guy wouldn't shut up about the "stupid cyclists that ride on the right."


By the way, you didn't almost hit a cyclist... you almost hit a person on a bike. Theres a difference.

Driving down Second Ave. near the East 70s in New York City one evening while trying to find a parking place, I nearly creamed two cyclists who were:
-riding the wrong way up the left hand side of the street (a major thoroughfare)
-with no lights or reflectors
-with no helmets
-wearing all black

They were almost impossible to see against the visual blur of store signs, street lights, car lamps, etc. Had I been going any faster I could not have reacted fast enough and would have hit them.

Why do people do stupid things like this?

Ya know, I think you are right!

https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/

Unfortunately, there isn't a difference to someone who doesn't ride. Any other person who misses that guy will simply generalize to all people on bicycles, which makes it worse for all of us. Like it or not, that guy is as much an ambassador to cycling as any of us here. I just don't understand why someone would choose to ride like that...especially with a perfectly good sidewalk just a few feet away. It made no sense at all.

Yea right...

And somewhere, some guy is wringing his hands about how you're a poor ambassador to car drivers for overdriving your headlights and reflecting negatively on him. The other 200 million couldn't care less and are busy crafting their rant about those annoying cyclists... kind of like you.

Still belongs here: https://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=8

Those are always great. The first and only time I've fallen since I started riding again occurred when some jerk in a van tried a right turn into the crosswalk and I hit the curb while trying not to get hit by him.

No clue. I can't imagine why warning bells wouldn't go off when trying stuff like this. It's bad enough riding against traffic in the daytime, but there's no good reason to do it at night. Especially on narrow roads where there's zero room to get out of the way if the driver doesn't see you.

I'm mildly pissed that some fool who rides on the sidewalk and rides at night without lights, comes on to the commuter forum to vent about some other fool.

And that's why I don't like riding at night.

+1

My only incident was at night when I was being cool and riding no hands through a gentle roundabout (basic 4-way with a cirlce in the middle) and a cyclist without lights or anything suddenly came from the right and scared the crap out of me. He stopped of course because I was lit up, but it was a funny moment.

+1.

+2. Moving on...

Speaking of A&S, I don't see how it's relevant to include that detail...

seriously, dont these people know the rules of the road in the slightest?

Dogmatic one-size-fits-all cookie cutter BS.

I ride on the sidewalk occasionally (but rarely). Yes, it can be done so responsibly if you know when and how to do it.

I have ridden at night without lights before. I didn't intend to, but it happened. And I needed to get home. And I (gasp!) actually survived!

Almost got taken out by a scooter. This one section of road is very busy and after leaving the bank I had to cross to get to the right side of the road. This is easier as a pedestian so I took the sidewalk for about 50ft to get to the crosswalk and got off my bike to walk across, cars will stop if your walking, not riding. As expected all the cars stopped and as I was walking across a scooter came shooting out between cars and just missed clipping my bike as I yanked it out of the way.

I ran down a car once in Brooklyn... at about 1AM... I had no lights... flying around a corner into a 1way street going the wrong way... when I wuz young... 'n stupid. Dude never knew what hit him and it being Brooklyn I didn't want to stop and find out if everything was OK. I think I ripped his mirror off as I ricocheted off the side of his car, I was fine but my Schwinn's crank arm bent. I did learn a lesson to watch out for cars rolling thru stop signs at 1 am but it took some serious growing up to realize I was in the wrong too. I was educated about driving in school, I was educated about biking by trial and error. It would be great to have new drivers be made aware of cycling, and new cyclists be made aware of their responsibilities on the road. Ahh, some day... or just move to europe!

Well here is video of someone that did hit a cyclist and drug him for 40 feet.

https://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/cri...n.on.tape.kmov

I almost hit some kid on a skateboard Saturday night. He was dressed in black pants (long) and a black shirt coming at me the wrong way on a poorly lit path that goes through a park. I'm not sure what he thought (if he had thought) he was doing, but he was moving pretty good when he popped into view and then complained that the light from the Fenix (180 lumens) and the Catyeye (1500 candlepower) hurt his eyes when we both stopped about 4 feet away from each other.

And were you responsible and get your light fixed the next day? Or did you jump on the forum to complain about another rider doing the same thing? Uke does not sound like a safe rider to me.

I think the point is simply that you need to be situated in something other than a glass house if you're gonna throw stones.

OP's experience seems on topic for the Commuter forums, I reckon.