For a bit of relevence- with gas prices on the rise and not likely to ever be as low as they were only a year or two ago, you’re probably going to be seeing a lot more cyclists on the road. Not only recreational cyclists, but people riding bikes for affordable transportation.
That being said, I’d like to remind motorists that cyclists share the same rights to use our roadways as you do. So when you pass somebody on a bike, treat them with respect, and drive safely. When you pass a cyclist, give them some room, and if you can’t move over, slow down. Don’t pass a cyclist in an intersection. Don’t cut cyclists off (sometime’s we’re moving faster than you think). Being a courteous driver means being courteous to everyone (And it goes both ways, too).
To put things in perspective, imagine yourself in a Honda Civic. Every other car on the road is a semi truck travelling two to four times your speed. You have every right to be out there, but how comfortable does that make you feel?
As a cyclist, I do my best to be safe and courteous around motorists. We really appreciate it when you do the same for us.
Oh. . . and this post might have something to do with a particular cyclist who was run off the road yesterday, who is about to go get his hip x-rayed. . . who is not very happy about the whole ordeal.
Yikes, Okie!! Good luck with that hip and let us know how it’s going. And yeah, that analogy of the Civic vs. the Semis was perfect. For a while I rode a recumbent bike around town. That’s more being really short and driving a white civic in a blizzard while surrounded by semis. Got too dicey for me. I hope you’re back to riding real soon.
Diane
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming-WOW—What A Ride!
Okie, I think cyclists also need to remember the rules of the road. Just because they are on a bike, doesn’t mean they can dis-regard laws and signs as they please. The biggest problem we have in our area is bikers riding two or three wide. It has created some big problems and I personally don’t understand why these guys do this sort of thing…
“I’d like to remind motorists that cyclists share the same rights to use our roadways as you do”.
Sorry bud, but I really disagree: I have no problem with cyclists on small roads or streets where the speed limit is 35 or less mph and there are adequate shoulders. However, on roads with higher speed limits, like state highways or interstates, they simply do not belong. In fact, in this state, non-motorized vehicles are not permitted on highways.
Where I live, there’s a 2 lane(1 each direction) state route that is mostly 55 mph and is kind of winding. The shoulders are about 4 feet wide. This area has had numerous accidents and several vehicular deaths. It is considered a dangerous road and the cyclists make it even more so. They always seem to be on the inside of the shoulder and could care less about traffic. To boot, I just love those tiny little cycles where the seat is about 4 inches off the ground and you pedal with your legs in front of you in a semi-reclining position. Sometimes a driver can’t even see these people.
Maybe we will be seeing a lot more cyclists on the road. If so, and if they continue to act like the road is theirs, we’ll likely see a lot more hospital emergency visits and obits in the newspapers. If it hasn’t come up, sooner or later, cyclists are going to be required to have the equivalent of auto insurance.
I don’t care if it’s not PC, bicycles do not belong where cars are going by at 45-65 mph. There are enough problems with poor drivers, drunk drivers, doped-up drivers, road rage idiots and the like. We don’t need to add men and women bicyclists who disregard others safety, much less their own. If they want to exercise, bicycle around the block 100 times. Just stay off the dam* roads.
Let me add that those tandem bikes and adult cyclists who must have the infant/child with them on the same bike should not be permitted anywhere where there is traffic.
Allan
[This message has been edited by tyeflies (edited 07 September 2005).]
I can speak from both sides of this argument. I am a professional tractor trailer driver with over 500,00 accident free miles. I also rode a bike up until 1994. There is room for everyone given a little common sense. Cyclists have an obligation to to make themselves as small and unoffensive as possible. Motorists need to give others a wide birth. It is only by the grace of God and because of Bell helmets that I am alive today. I still have a very bad short term memory as a result of the accident. I would plead with all cyclists everywhere to please always wear a helmet.
Rusty <><
if you wanna catch something ya gotta get a hook in the water
Remember Paul, I said it’s a two way street. Inconsiderate cyclists are just as bad as inconsiderate motorists. In Oklahoma the law is no more than two-wide. When my friends and I ride together it is usualy in a pace line (single file) but when we do ride two abreast the man on the left moves behind the other guy to let cars pass. Cyclists also have to obey all traffic signs and signals, people that don’t are in violation of the law (and stupid, it’s a good way to get hurt).
Tye, in regard to where we should and shouldn’t ride- Having the right to ride somewhere doesn’t make it wise I don’t ride highways unless there’s a shoulder or it’s flat, remote, and I’m very visible. Cyclists have a responsibility to themselves and to motorists to make wise decisions about where it is and isn’t safe to ride.
As for recumbent bikes (little bitty low bikes), I think slow-moving-vehicle signals (think orange triangles on tractors and horse buggies) and bright orange dune buggy-style flags should be mandatory (I know a lot of folks ride with them already). Being that low to the ground is much, much more dangerous than riding a traditional diamond frame bike. And I’ll agree about banning child carriers in traffic, and tandems in city traffic (they’re fine for open road, but not manueverable enough to be safe for high traffic areas). Not smart at all.
Rusty, you hit the nail on the head on both counts. Sharing the roads is a two-way street. And never ride anywhere without a helmet. I won’t even go around the block without my hard hat on.
Diane, everything with the hip is A-okay. X-rays showed no fracture, so I’ve just got a pretty nasty contusion. About a week of taking it easy and lots of stretching and I’ll be good as new. Thanks for your concern!
In Illinois the law says bycycles are to obey the laws just like a car.Funny thing is the main roads are safer to ride on then the side roads and subdivisions. They flew a 12 year old,bike car accident,on life flight. He was in the street,on his bike and was hit from the rear,in a culdesac no less. Cell phone in use by the driver.
I ride and am always watching out for cars but they don’t always look out for me.We don’t have many sidewalks and there are no shoulders just street and ditch.I HAVE been in the latter several times.I guess its just a bycycle and doesn’t count as having any rights to the road.
Glad to hear you are ok Okie! I’ll take bruised ego over broken hip ANYTIME.DIDN"T HURT your castin arm did ya???hope not.
“Sorry BOSS to sore for work but the Therapist said to go fishin,the wadin in the water will be good therapy”.
I guess I did not realize you too were a cyclist. Sorry to hear of your accident. I hope the stiffness works out quickly. A couple of years ago I caught the rear view mirror of a Lexus with my left butt cheek. Thank God for collapsing mirrors!! I am seeing more people riding for transportation locally and agree that the numbers will probably increase. I am working with the city bus system to put bike racks on the busses to make biking for transportation a more practical option.
I don’t know how the law is interpreted in OK but in AR the law says about the same. It is interpreted in the driver’s test study book as “Don’t share a lane with a cyclist or pedestrian” So in AR give the bike the whole lane. I confirmed this with our municipal judge who handles traffic court. Also in AR the only roads that bicycles are prohibited from are limited access (eg interstate) highways.
tyeflies you said
“…if they continue to act like the road is theirs, …”
Well the roads, like the rivers, belong to all of us. We need to be respectful to all legitimate users.
“Well the roads, like the rivers, belong to all of us”. - Really?
“We need to be respectful to all legitimate users”. - I agree and cycling on certain types of roads(as I mentioned) should be illegal and thereby illegitimate.
I do lot of night driving, and what I fear most is the early morning cyclists/joggers, that think that they can pedal/run around in the early morning darkness, with no safety lighting.
Really hard to see a cyclist/jogger in navy blue sweat pants and sweat shirt in the dark. Hard enough to see the darn deer!
In my area there are very few street lights, and hardly any sidewalks. So everyone uses the streets for their exercise track. Maybe communities should setup bike/running trails.
Be visible at all hours, be safe, remember…
4,000 pound car traveling at 30 mph, always will win, against a 180 person that is cyclist or jogger.
[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 09 September 2005).]
I try to see both sides of any picture and do what is best for ALL concerned. Yes Allan, cyclist do get a whole lane. They do have the right of way over a motorized vehicle at all times.
I raised both my daughters on bikes and I purchased the blaze orange hunting vests for each of us to wear when biking. In the country we could hear semi trucks gearing down for a mile before they got to us. VISIBILITY is a requirement that is too often forgotten. I almost hit one the other night because he was dressed in dark colors. Luckily his Nikes had reflective tape on them. Put reflective tape on the front and back of your bike. Don’t take chances! Use common sense!(Something that seems to be rare nowadays).
Watch out for the other guy whether you are on a bike or in a car or truck.
Okie, hope you get better quick! Keep ice on the affected area, that forces the body to increase circulation in that area and reduces swelling. Slow repetitive repetitions of approved rehabilitative exercises with a gradual increase in the range of motion is the norm here. Don’t hurry it and give all the soft tissue time to heal.
Let’s all be safe out there and be kind to the other guy!
Andy
all types of fishermen must pull together for the good of all!!!
After a year and a half in this city,I’d like to see them banned altogether in cities,Seeing a cyclist,Completely ignoreing the red light that YOU are stopped at and coming mear inches from becoming road pizza, Is one reason.
The major gripe I have is,Why when there is a perfectly good useable sidewalk right there and NOone is useing it…Why then must every idiot on a bike, Ride right down the middle of the street…???..are they just stupid???..or, Is everyone soupposed to just stop for all these morons…I used to live in a hick town …and never seen such stupidity as I have here…As Allan says, They have their place and time to be allowed…such as parks and back roads.
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
I am tired (sorry about the pun) of seeing people on bikes ignoring all of the traffic laws locally. There really ARE some streets where the traffic is too fast and heavy for bikes to be a viable option. Locally there are a lot of hills. I can’t tell you the joy of being stuck on a 2-lane road behind a bike while a couple of dozen cars behind think that I am being an unfathomable slowpoke because they can’t see the guy on the bike doing 5 MPH.
As far as the bike ALWAYS having the right of way and having the whole lane, I think that those are matters of state and local law. The laws in Texas may say that, but in Tennessee you can get ticketed for obstructing traffic regardless of what vehicle you are driving. That applies to cars, trucks, tractors, and bicycles. Bikes have no special rights on the road and are required to obey all traffic laws. I am occasisionally amused to see a cyclist getting a ticket for passing on the right side of the road, etc…
It all boils down to people being responsible and polite. One doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) get special priviledges on public roads because of the vehicle that one drives, be it bike or beemer (or Chevy pickup truck…).
Happened yesterday: I was driving on the state route that I mentioned in previous post. It is 1 lane each way, the speed limit is 55 mph and shoulder is about 4-1/2 feet wide. Going into a curve I see 3 idiots walking abreast on the shoulder on my side. The idiot on the left was overlapping into the car lane and there was on-coming traffic from opposite side.
Talk about a recipe for disaster. Sorry, but pedestrians(not emergency walks) and cyclists should not have the same rights as vehicles. Their rights end when they ignor reasonable behavior, become a danger to others and to themselves. There are places and roads where bicycling is great. Cyclists can have at it without the probability of endangering anyone else. However, there are places where bicycles should not be permitted. You want to be PC and say they have every right to be there? Okay, but don’t scream and yell that your friend had every right to be on route(#) when he got creamed. You’ll be dead right and he’ll just be dead.
state and by community. Often times I will
see bikers pull onto the shoulder to let the
traffic clear without impeding it. Many
bikers are very considerate of drivers.
Probably indicitive of someone with good
common sense. I call it the “Might has
right” rule. Not much of a contest between
a 180 pound biker and a 98 pound lady in an
SUV. The Schwin isn’t gonna fare as well as
the SUV. Common sense. Obviously the lady
would not hit the biker intentionally.
The car ahead hides the bike from her view
until the last second when he swerves to
avoid it, and the poor lady (insert gent,
teen, or whatever suits ya) is involved in
an intense conversation with her friend on
the phone while balancing a hot expresso on
her lap. There are those among us that have
a tough enough time making the trip from
home to work and return without making
contact with other vehicles. Higly visible
ones. Big too! I for one would NOT put my
butt in harms way in a contest I could not
win until after the fact in a court of my
peers. I am alergic to pain! Warm regards,
Jim
EdD I hate to see other cyclists violate the laws also. They should (and occasionaly do) get tickets.
Allan If cyclists and motorists can see each other as equals we would all get along better. Referring to someone as an idiot because they are exercising their rights is not helpful to the debate. You have made it clear that you feel that the roads are for motor traffic and that cyclists and pedestrians do not have equal rights. The LAW says differently for most areas of the country. You should run for office and change the laws in you area if the majority will support that idea. Until then please respect us idiots on bicycles.
I hope nobody thinks that I am angry with people on bikes or on foot. I am not. I am concerned. I really don’t want to run over any of them, or anybody else. I agree that bicycles, pedestrians, motorcylces, etc… have the same basic rights to use public roads as my S-10, governed by certain laws and with some areas excepted (e.g. interstates). But if they have the same rights, then they also have responsibilities, such as obeying the traffic laws. In Tennessee, that includes the requirement to be able to travel at a speed of t least within 10 mph of the posted speed limit. There are some cyclists who can maintain that speed over most of our roads. They are welcomed to share those roads with me. Most of those cyclists are “professional” enough to also have generous reflectors on the bikes so that we can see them more easily. Others cannot keep up with the speed limit and would be well advised to avoid certain streets at certain times, IMHO.
None of this has improved my rotten backcast, however. And my rotten backcast means that there are certain streams that I should avoid… <sigh>
On the plus side, I am about to set up a casting lesson for a nephew and myself. I can hardly wait to reduce the poor instructor to tears.
Warm regards and lousy casting,
Ed
The reality is that a 3000 to 4000 pound car traveling at 55mph and a pedestrian or cyclist weighing 200 pounds are not equal. Drivers must take and pass tests. Cars must pass annual(sometimes bi-annual) inspections that include rear lights, brake lights, etc. What requirements are there for bicycles? Are cyclist required to have lights on the bikes? No. Are they required to wear reflective clothing? No. Gee, I’ll bet that more cyclists are killed or injured than hunters, yet hunters must conform with certain clothing laws! How often do you see bicycles going the wrong way compared to cars? How about bikes vearing into or across traffic or across two way lanes? Cyclists break all sorts of rules and expect vehicles to yield, come to a screaching halt, or just don’t care at all.
That ‘idiot’ I refered to was just that. He was putting himself in jeopardy without any concern for his well-being or the danger his action posed to vehicular traffic. You don’t like my use of that word? Okay, what would you call a person who is walking 3 abreast, his back to traffic, and has positioned himself on the far left of the group and overlaps the shoulder line. If a motorist can get a ticket for ‘reckless driving’, then this person can get one for ‘reckless walking’. Remember, I said that that road has had numerous vehicular accidents and several deaths.
Paraphrasing, and I don’t know who to credit for it,
‘All vehicles are created equal but some vehicles are more equal than others’.
Theres’ always a$$0les on the road these days… it’s just that a higher percentage are on bicycles now 'cos of the fuel crisis/keeping fit/just stole bicycle/love to dress in lycra/just wanna cause problems, brigade!!!
Here in the UK , we get points penalised from our drivers’ license for breaking the speed limit… howabouts, we get these reinstated for every a$$h0le we ‘nudge’ and take outa circulation for awhiles???
"My fishing is no longer an obsession, an addiction, or a mania; it’s much more than that!
" - Dave Micus
I don’t ride highways unless there’s a shoulder or it’s flat, remote, and I’m very visible. Cyclists have a responsibility to themselves and to motorists to make wise decisions about where it is and isn’t safe to ride.