misssparklies

Hi, I'm new here. But not to cycling. I need to vent my rage, and make a desicion.
I had an accident and have been off the bike for a few years. I'm riding outside again, FINALLY, with a very specific set of training instrustions from my very cool bike geek/ orthopod. Specificly, riding a big fat cheap hybrid laps around a local park bike path at a really high cadence in a low gear. Very upright position 'till my back strengthens. I picked up a few cogs as my legs strengthened over the three weeks I've been doing this and I'm mostly so happy about the whole thing I just can't beleive it
The problem?
I'm a slightly pudgy petite woman on a cheesy hybrid- so idiot posers on expensive bikes just ride across the path in front of me without actually checking to see how fast I'm moving. I'm spinning about 100 rpm and have wind noise in my ears, no computer because I'll just stare at it. When I miss them- and a major crash- by bare inches (my skills, not theirs) and yell something to the effect of "ignorant as***le!" at 80 db I feel justified, even though the ignorant as***le looks surprised. Two of these losers have done this twice. I never forget a bike.
So- next time I can drop a few teeth in back and ride over the jerk. They look me in the eye and see me coming and move out anyway. It would be justified, as walking/ riding out in front of a moving bike is mighty damn stupid. I have done it before, when people tried to mug me for a high end ride. The downside is that I just did four years of PT and don't want to go back. I'm not as bike fit as I'd like. And you never know how a cheesy bike will handle in extreme cicumstances. The front end has a certain wonkiness. And there's pedestrians on the side of the path in their own lane, that would be messy.
Option two- ride them down and give them an ear blistering they'll never get over. The problem with this is that Idiots don't understand what they did wrong and look at you like you're crazy. This will tempt me to kick their asses and I'll have the inconvenience of a possible assault charge. (Don't think I can't do it. I was a fencer for twenty years and can do all kinds of not cute little girl things. Soviet coaches really DO know some swell stuff And then you should hear my shop owners advice for dealing with jerks!)
Now I am 95% the sweetest little southern debutante you will ever meet. The other five you really don't want to mess with. I'm just getting really tired- literally- of having to deal with this BS. It's hard to do this kind of rehab work and avoiding big crashes is just extra stress. When I take the pricey MT bike out for the same ten mile ride this doesn't happen. The same lot stops and waits. How stupid is that?
Now I know this is long, and may sound slightly pathological But if anybody has a better, say, utter humiliation strategy to get these jerks out of my space I'd so appreciate it. Most people riding in this park are just so pleasant and amiable. I met a spanish guy and his wife whose cousin was in the Tour to ride and chat racing with, some girls to ride and go to lunch with, It would all be lovely if I didn't have a major incident almost every day I ride. I like my bike life and want it back all mellow like it was before.

Lizzy

Feeling very put upon.

Joe Dog

Ummm. Sorry for the feedback, but here goes.

You might be going too fast for the multi use trail you are on. I agree 100 percent that posers more into themselves than the traffic and their environment are VERY annoying, but if this is happening every day, you might be contributing to the trail use conflict. So.....

After you have reflected on this situation and certain that you are not the problem here, you might try a warning device like a bike bell or... an air horn from a marine supply store. They shriek like HELL and are unforgetable once you have been on the receiving end of them.

But, be careful here. I have to ride some multi use trails on my commute to work every day. Some bikers think this is two-wheeled equivalent of the autobahn and they should be able to ride like the wind, and that anybody else on the trail is just in the way. Sorry, but that is just NOT the case - the other folks have as much right to be out there as you or I do. Blocking the trail is inexcusable, but it happens and we all need to cut each other some slack now and then. If you need the speed, get on the roads.

My $0.02.

LordOpie

My advice:

1. Compose a post that's not quite so chaotic.
B. Anger Management Course.
#. Get an air horn... that'll make 'em fill their shorts.

Joe Dog

A quick search leads me to beleive that that would be about 100 months (8 years & 4 months) imprisonment to be followed by 3 years supervised release. That would be inconvenient

Cyclaholic

I don't understand what you mean here, you mean someone going in the same direction as you cutting in as they overtake you? or a trail that crosses the one you're on?

misssparklies

I understand, Joe Dog. But how fast can I be going on a thirty pound bike in a 22 tooth chainwheel and a 26 tooth rear cog? Every other rider in the park is blowing past me except folks who slow down to chat because I wear cool t shirts or they know my family. I got run over by a freakin' pickup truck and have been back on a bike for three weeks, after four years of learning to walk again so I don't think its me.
As for newbies- I said posers. 4 to 6k exotic bikes and no helmet. Anybody with Spanish carbon fiber time trial goods ain't no newbie, so don't take me to task. And I said new to the board- I've been riding since I was in high school. 30 years of commuting, messengering, racing, touring, teaching the newbie class for my club. Was sponsered before I got hit. I think I know the deal. Maybe you need a little seasoning before you start lecturing your elders. You could also grasp the actual subject instead of making an issue up. That's called content- the thing grammer is applied to.
Adults are supposed to know to look before they cross the street. This is willfully attempting to cause a wreck- a bigger assault issue than poppin' the fool for doing it. Playing chicken with the comfort bike crowd is mean. I specificly mentioned most of these guys look me straight in the eye before they move out in front of me. That shows intent to me.
Down here the matter would be considered settled if I went after one of these jerks.The DA wouldn't bother. Besides, the cops would just laugh at some wuss guy who called them after he picked a fight with a short fat middle age chick and had to back down. Think that through before you toss about Alaska code in South Louisiana. Code is all very nice, but reality tends to set into the criminal justice system. As if a guy would ever tell a soul about that. Talk about make a judge laugh 'till he wets himself. Go back to the post, read it with the term "sarcasm" in mind. You must have heard the term- or do you just watch Space Ghost without getting the jokes?
You could worry more about my safety and the fact that if one of these fools puts me down on the pavement with a body full of spit and chewing gum joint repairs and titanium screws I'm the one who's gonna get the bad end of this. I don't care to wait for that to happen. I'll wreck my own self at a later date, thank you. In the meantime I find this cause for worry.
Your concern for my health is most touching. What did you think off the bike for a few years after an accident means? That it's OK for people to jam me up and maybe send me back into orthopedic hell?

I like the air horn idea. Anger management? I have an anger problem because some self absorbed fools want to play chicken. I think the real problem is the weird emotional makeup of poser boys and the general trouble they cause just being around. Maybe I have a right to be upset after almost daily near misses.
At the elite to pro levels in every sport there's a long standing tradition of at least a whop upside the head for dangerous behavior. Forgive me for keeping that attitude from my days on the USFA national team. It's certainly standard in cycling. It's for the greater good so nobody gets killed or maimed. Like somebody will be by a Mr Self Important trolling out in front of a moving bike to jerk around another rider. I can stop on a dime and trackstand- that came back last week. Sort of. Most park riders can't. And I shouldn't have to in a tame little place like this with injured knees.
I am nice. But I won't be jerked around and physicly endangered. Y'all are just REALLY naive.

misssparklies

Cycleholic- No, I'm on a bike path moving along. Some guy on a pricey exotic bike stares me straight in the face, on the side of the path, on the grass, then moves across into the path at right angles. Not entering the flow of traffic, but just riding or walking straight across the path at 90 degrees. Slowly, right as I'm getting to that spot. It appears the idea is to make me jam on my brakes and shreik in terror. I don't brake, and I don't shreik in terror. So far they've had to jump. My nature is to swear at them. It's creepy. Once or twice is a pain- ten times is freaky. I've only been riding again for three weeks. maybe 14 training days?
The bikes are always yellow, or have been so far. All different though. Too weird. And dangerous- I'm sure they ride in front of other people too. I'm the slowest slug in that park.

cryogenic

I say get an AirZound horn... when they get even remotely close, lay on it and watch them jump out of their skin and probably fall off their bikes. I guarantee you after one such experience, they won't be playing chicken with the slug anymore The amusement you'll get out of such an experience is just icing on the cake.

Cyclaholic

clearly


So, you think that may have something to do with it? all these 'near misses' yet no actual collisions. Perhaps these close calls aren't as close as you're seeing them, perhaps you're still gunshy from the accident that left you with your injuries. It's been my experience that owners of high end carbon framed bikes are generally not hell bent on getting t-boned by someone on a heavy steel bike, but what do I know, I'm just REALLY naive.


Like it or not, the fact is that shared paths are relatively lawless when it comes to traffic flow, having had all that vast riding experience competing at the highest echelons of the sport surely you'd know that.


Are there no other parks nearby that are not so heavily used by roadies on yellow mega$$$$$$$ carbon time trial bikes hand made by virgins on the night of the first full moon of the summer solstice?


Over here in the real world that's assault, it could lead to a whop upside the head with a conviction.


Once you get a handle on your issues you'll find that the pleasure you derive from your cycling (and everything else) will improve accordingly.

Retro Grouch 

The simple answer is that if you are having numerous near accidents you are going to have to change something about where or how you are riding. You are pretty much powerless to change how other people act but you can change your ow behavior. It sounds to me like an accident could seriously set back your re-hab so my top priority would be to avoid that.

samp02

simply ignore them...their comments. You will still need to be aware of their poor navigation skills.

Bigmark

It takes a big man to mess with a girl on a bike. If I were you I would watch myself. They may just be trying to pick a fight.

Soon you will be able to catch up to them before they have a chance to kick it in, and you can give their bike a little kick. Just to make their shifting a little easer. Then if they yell, use their head like a speed bag.

I am a very easy going guy, but stuff like that ticks me off.

KirkeIsWaiting

I smell troll.......

Bockman

Damn, I'm falling in love with misssparklies....

va_cyclist

Misssparkles (what an ironic name) sounds like a bitter, angry attention wh0re, the kind of person who thinks the world is out to get her and owes her something. Everything, including her previous accident and current near-misses, is someone else's fault. My advice to all on this board is not to feed this monster with advice or sympathy. I predict she will respond to this post with a dense, rambling paragraph of sarcastic insults, probably directed at things like my manhood or my total lack of understanding for her plight.

Cyclaholic

cydewaze

Another vote for the air horn here. Hold it at arm's length and give them a blast as they pass.

LordOpie

hmmm... misssparklies?

Miss Spark Lies?

PWRDbyTRD

Ya know....I read about 1/3 of that and decided if it was me...I'd be the one to throw a stick in your spokes....obviously if you're continually having these problems it might be YOUR fault. /rant.

SpiderMike

I wouldn't go that far. Maybe awesome riding partner.


As for idiots cutting in front of me.... I get that all the time. Be it when I am riding the trails, commuting, and even when I drive my truck. I have a white truck, with headlights on during the afternoon.

I have a theory on this phenomenon. I call it the Cyclist Cloaking Syndrome or CCS. Since I am a cyclist, I am transparent to the typical mortals. Be it walking, riding or driving, someone is bound to not see you. Now there are those that can see you. But they see you like Bigfoot, your blurry. Since you are blurry, then it is hard for them to judge your distance from them, let alone your speed. I am sure a air horn would be a good start for curing CCS.

tom cotter

Lizzy


Bordon?

webist

I'd have trouble deciding where my sympathy lay were I to encounter an accident between someone with an attitude and another using a $7000 bike as a matadors cape on a MUP.

scarry

I'd say, give em the air horn.
If that dosn't work stop and give em tongue lashing.
If that dosn't work and you are so inclined, let em have it in the jewels.

Hope you get stronger.

Siu Blue Wind

I ride a comfort bike. I'm an Athena (female clydesdale). Nobody picks on me. I also ride an alum/carbon full suspension fancy schmancy upper crusty nose-in-the-air "higher line" la-tee-da all mountain bike. Still I'm fat. Still nobody picks on me. And I don't pick on others. If I catch eye contact, I smile, or nod, or simply say hello. It's all in the attitude. You can be a bitter, hate-the-world type of person, or the thank-God-I'm-alive-and-I-love-life person. I choose the latter. Wanna join me?

monogodo

What would I do?

1. Invest in a bell for my handlebars to warn riders I'm there.

2. Find a therapist to help me work out my anger issues, maybe enroll in an anger management class.

3. Pull the stick out of my @$$ and realize that the world is not out to get me.