big chainring 

I live in an affluent area, northern burbs of Chicago. And in recent years a huge increase in the number of sporting cyclists on the roads. Sometimes I think motorists get annoyed with our presence.

Last evening I went for a short spin. I have a 20 mile route that goes through less traveled roads and an MUP. One of the roads goes through a residential area. It's sort of the last undeveloped streets around. No curbs, and the road is less than 2 lanes wide. So if cars were to pass they really have to slow down to a crawl. A car and a bike passing each other, no problem.

I rarely encounter a car on this street. If I do they are courteous and slow down and pull over as far as they can. Until my encounter yesterday. I could see a car approaching, black Mercedes with blacked out windows. It was approaching fast. Me I was in bright red jersey, white helmet, very visible. I assumed they would slow and pull right. I was as far right as I could be and still be on pavement. They kept coming maintaining their position on the road. We passed each other, the drivers side view mirror maybe 6" from my handlebars, the car going 25mph?. It wasn't comfortable. And the car never changed its course, even though we were in eyesight of each other for some time.

Close encounter for sure.

texaspandj

So a tie?

Lazyass

Big mistake there.

bikecrate

May not be personal. Many people drive distracted. Since you couldn't see in the windows they may have been looking down at their phone or something. I've had a similar experience. I saw a car heading my way on a narrow street. It kept coming over to my side of the road. When it got closer it appeared to have no driver. I was just about to bail into a drive way when the driver popped up from the passenger side of her car and yanked the vehicle back over. I'm guessing she dropped something on the floor and decided it would be a good idea to look for it while moving down the street.

vinfix

It's the one you don't see that gets you.

NYMXer

If you ride defensively and treat every encountered vehicle as a threat, you might live to ride another day. Don't depend on others to do the right thing and expect the unexpected.

ARPRINCE

Ahhhhhh...VIRB, GOPRO, etc.

I never ride without my VIRB.

Flinstone

Happened to me many times. I generally ride out away from the curb in that situation, maybe even without enough room at all to pass (with time to swerve safely). This usually gets their attention and they will slow and/or swerve. Holding an arm out can help too. They don't actually want to hit you. If your arm would come within 6 inches of the car, you can pull it in at the last second and then you have a couple of feet. You have to worry about looking like you're signaling in that case though. Try to look like you're just shaking out your elbow. If you sell it they might not even think you're trying to antagonize them (it's better if they don't think that).

PepeM

He probably considered that was enough room to make it through. Which, to be fair, it was since no collision occurred. Not that it's right or anything.

eric1971

I agree. It was probably just ignorance on the driver's part. If this is the worst indecent you have experienced, you are lucky.

merlinextraligh

I want to put a dowel 35" long on my handlebar, with a sign "3 feet please" (with a spring mount so hitting the dowel won't knock you down.) The outside end of the dowel might just happen to be a little sharp and unfriendly to car paint.

merlinextraligh

Not to blame the victim, but next time being a little more assertive to your right to the road might help. If you hug the edge of the road, sometimes you're inviting drivers to pass where its not safe.

If you would have positioned yourself a bit farther out in the lane, the car may well have slowed or moved further to his right. If he didn't you still would have room to move right yourself. As it played out, you pretty much pinned yourself.

I wasn't there, and so I don't know whether my suggestion would be appropriate in your particular circumstance, but something to consider.

Lazyass

There's a girl who has driven towards me from the opposite direction and swerved into my lane to scare me 3-4 times in the last few months. Always the same road at the same time in the morning.

PepeM

Good suggestion.

Owlex

I wish reporting criminal **** like this to the police mattered but at least where I live, cyclists are considered trash on the road. Just recently a local guy here was hit and left for dead, only charge against the driver was "leaving the scene of an accident". Bond was so cheap it was disgusting.

79pmooney

I have noted license numbers and called them in to the police non-emergency number several times. On one, a deputy called me back and told me the truck that buzzed me belonged to a woman but was probably driven by the man she had a restraining order against. This guy did little right and had a long history with the police. Since I didn't note whether the driver was male or female, the police couldn't take action on my call, but it would get mentioned next time when (not if!) they talked to him.

Another time I was buzzed by a truck, obviously quite intentionally. Called it in. He got a visit soon after from a deputy.

I do this so there is a record of the incident. If that driver comes before the legal system again in a bicycle incident, perhaps this will serve to show that it is not an isolated incident.

Ben

RPK79

Well, that is technically the crime committed. Same would be done if it was another car and not a cyclist. Just because we're the more vulnerable road user doesn't mean we should have special punishments for being involved in an accident with us. We're not special flowers to be coddled and protected. We're just another form of traffic and traffic accidents happen. An accident (usually) isn't a criminal offense.

jtaylor996

Why not carry a camera? If it's intentional it's absolutely assault with a deadly weapon if she doesn't even hit you. Put her in jail.

Owlex

I mean if you hit a pedestrian/cyclist/motorcyclist and drove away while he laid there, wouldn't attempted vehicular manslaughter come into play? Honest question, don't know.

RPK79

I feel adjectives shouldn't immediately be offensive. Are you offended that the driver was black? Personally I think in this day and age blacks should be allowed to drive.

Only if the driver were impaired.

PepeM

I would like to know what color the car she was driving was.

texaspandj

Great adjectives, so from now on always note the color of the person in every one of your stories, or better yet just leave color of people out of the story.

Maelochs

Funny people complain because he happened to note the race of the driver, but nobody minded that he is contemplating attempting to murder the driver with a rock or brick.


I second the GoPro approach. If he had her on film four times and took that to the cops it might work out better for him than if he put a brick through a windshield, possibly killing her or causing her to drive into someone else, killing an innocent party.

topslop1

Yeah you should start an engagement with a 4,000lbs vehicle versus your 16lbs road bike. Or your 400lbs motorcycle. Smart. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

texaspandj

Only one person complained, Me. On this forum or in person I'm the same person.
In 1984 Rick Springfield came out with a movie about being a rock star the local paper did a review and not one time did they mention color or race. A few months or so later Prince starred in Purple Rain and the review started with a story about a Black Rock star. Same thing here, no relevance.