JeStOnE

I been riding fixed for about 2 years now, I dont own a car and ride about 100 miles a week in the chicago winter and close to 300 miles a week in the summer. Weirdest thing is when Im riding in a car with friends or family I get a bit nervous and jumpy. Never had the problem when I did have a car. Maybe it's knowing how bad most drivers are. Anyone have any imput? It's starting to really bother me.

adamkell

now that i only drive about once a week, i'm much less comfortable behind the wheel...not that I ever drove like a ny cabbie, but there's been a change. driving in heavy traffic definitely puts me on edge. I'd much rather ride through it.

sloppy robot

maybe you should conviince a friend to let you drive their car a little bit? you'd prob. get some comfort when you rememeber again how the brakes work and such..i know someone who is christian scientist.. so he doens t believe in doctors.. which is fine.. but his lack of knnowledge (he was excused from health class in school..) has turned him into a total paranoid hypochondriac.. the point is.. there is comfort in knowledge.. annd getting behind the wheel every now and again to rememeber this woudlnt be such a bad thing

Slartibartfast

yeah ... as mentioned in a previous post, i am a pretty conservative rider (by brakeless fixie standards) but once i get behind the wheel i am ridiculous to the point that once my passenger made me let her drive because i was going too slow. maybe it's because i never want to be one of the reckless idiots i yell at daily or maybe i now feel like 30mph is uncontrollably fast. whatever, i'd rather be on a bike.

MKRG

Cycling turned me from someone who blew up at least one motor drag racing into somebody that is usually 5 under the posted limit. I don't mind I'm a lot more calm these days...sometimes.

Low3rthird

Now that I ride a fixed gear I drive like a little girl.

ryan_c

Yeah, I've become a much more peaceful driver, although in a car I find myself getting frustrated at not being able to cut lanes while waiting in a long line at a red light.

rithem

I drive about twice a week, I'm aggressive on my brakeless/fixed in traffic and also in my car...I always watch for and give way to cyclists, always.

PhillyBikePunks

i'm the same way in cars. even while in a car thats parking. but i'll almost get smoted by public transit and not blink on a bike. but i don't have my liscense, which is what mygirfriend tells methe problem is.

Fugazi Dave

I still accelerate too fast and have this thing about being precise with turns and such. I just get nervous when I'm riding with other people and I can see them doing all sorts of things they're not the least bit aware of.

bostontrevor

I drive maybe once a month. I'm the worst. I'm not a bad driver or anything like that, but being in Boston combined with being a chronic urban cyclist sort of brings out the worst in me driving-wise. I'll split a lane in a Jetta if I gots to, sneak in through that gap between my lane and the next one over. You know.

But when I'm riding at highway speeds in particular...yeah, that's when my brain starts reciting statistics that tell me that per exposure-hour cars are twice as deadly as bicycles.

JeStOnE

The damn stress of it all is getting to me, I almost cant stand being in a car peroid.

yam

i can't believe this is not just me!
the other night i had a panic attack driving through the midtown tunnel. I think i get freaked out in cars now because i don't know where exactly all four corners are. This has kind of always been a problem for me, but now it is just WAY TOO BAD.

loaf

I've noticed that I've become a much better driver, on regular roads at least. Looking farther ahead and being generally more aware. I also lost a bit of my sliding skills. I grew up on a dirt road so me and my friends were always messing around with E-brake slides and then moved on to left foot braking and dabbled in scandanavian flicks. Now that I've moved and don't even have a car, I find went I go home every so often, I'm not quite as good with a car. I might do better with a manual tranny though. Rolling around in an auto feels strange to me after putting in all those miles on my fix.

As for the car corners problem, you might want to look into an older model golf, one of the really boxy ones. My roomate said those were excellent for knowing where your bumpers and such are. He could parallel park that thing anywhere.

phidauex

Agreed, old square cars are great for knowing your bumpers. I drive a big mercedes turbo-diesel wagon from the 80's ('82 300TD) for when I need to move a lot of people or a lot of stuff, and despite its size, it is very square, and has predictable bumpers so I can park very effectively.

I wouldn't say I drive like a little girl, but I think I'm more aware because of my experience on bikes and motorcycles, and think I'm probably more considerate to those folks while I'm in my car, simply because I know what they need to be safe, where as most people have either no idea, or the wrong idea, about what bikers need.

peace,
sam

SSSasky

I love driving, but the more I bike, the more I dislike cars. The big thing for me is the frustration of being stuck in traffic. I sit in the car and daydream about weaving through the gaps and smoking all the drivers, while making them angry because I'm having more fun. Then I come back to reality and I'm still stuck in a $30,000 cancer coffin. Grr.

I now find I'm much more comfortable in heavy traffic on a bike (or even on foot) than in a car. I just feel like the car lacks manouevrability, and I'm trapped.

Sometimes, when driving at 110kmph out to the suburbs to visit people, I fall into the trap of thinking how great it is to have a car. Then i remember that the 'burbs only exist because everyone has cars and i get mad again.

My parents just bought an SUV...

Kerplunk

This happened to me when I started riding sportbikes. It's even worse now that I pedal everywhere. On that note, I do think both have made a more astute driver. Your much more aware of your surroundings as well as expecting other drivers to do something stupid...not surprised by it.