Bicyclists and the pack mentality.

[cupman]

Just gave my friend a ride to work. Got stuck behind a pack of 4 bicycles and didn't have an opportunity to pass. Would be nice if they had the courtesy to move over and let me by. Speed limit is 45 and they are only pedaling about 25. All I could think about was this thread.

 

[Matthew3590]

In my area bicyclists are hard to come by. Every now and then I will see someone going down the road, but I have never seen any more than two. Usually it is either people training for a race or just getting around. They are usually on the side of the road, but sometimes they have to be in the road for it is safer for them and when they have to do that I usually get pretty slow cause I am afraid of hitting them or them swerving in front of me.

 

[speckledhen]

Just gave my friend a ride to work. Got stuck behind a pack of 4 bicycles and didn't have an opportunity to pass. Would be nice if they had the courtesy to move over and let me by. Speed limit is 45 and they are only pedaling about 25. All I could think about was this thread.

And if they cannot abide by the rules of the road, including speed minimums and maximums, as vehicles must do, then again, they should not be there. At least, they deserved a ticket as any motorized vehicle going too slow and holding up traffic would have gotten. JMHO. Just try driving with them on mountain passes. Not fun in the least and very, very dangerous. There are no bike lanes on most of those, for sure.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Cycling has become very popular in my county, with Levi Leipheimer and the tour of California gaining popularity. Usually both cyclists and drivers try to work together, especially since most of the roads are rural narrow 2-laners, but poor behavior occasionally occurs on both sides. Cops will ticket cyclists. This summer alone, 5 cyclists have been killed in road accidents in and around my town! Regardless of who's at fault in these situations, the cyclists die.

Down in San Francisco, there is a large contingent of militant bicyclists who purposely block traffic in the city and on bay area bridges. They call it "critical mass" and are so organized, that the local traffic reporters can warn drivers which areas to avoid. I do not think these folks engender the good feelings of most drivers or mass transit users. I'm not even sure of what they are protesting, but in my mind, they are giving cyclists a bad rep, are breaking the law, and should be cited. I think their belief is that no one should be driving cars, and since they don't, and are holier than thou, they have the "right" to do what they want.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I have never in my life seen a minimum speed on any road other than the interstate highway system.....

 

[dainerra]

I have never in my life seen a minimum speed on any road other than the interstate highway system.....

(a) No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or in compliance with law.

that is the wording for most states. There is no actual number, just that you can't interfere with the flow of traffic that is traveling at the speed limit

 

[cafarmgirl]

In my personal opinion, bicycles do not belong on roads constructed for vehicle traffic, period, not ever, not even the polite riders. If there isn't an actual bike lane or a park constructed just for bicycle use, then the bicycle shouldn't be there, I don't care what the law is. You won't change my mind about that.

I agree with you Carol. If they're going to be allowed on the streets, then they should be ticketed for turns without signals and for running lights and stop signs like cars. They are a real hazard on the roadways, especially if they're monkeying around like I've seen many of them do.

I couldn't agree more. My husband and I regularly travel a mountain highway near us, it is steep in some places, narrow and winding in most. Also in most of the upper reaches there is NO shoulder. Now for some reason many cyclists use this road and we have been flipped off and yelled at several times. I'm talking about the cyclists in their spandex and expensive bikes by the way, not your average bike rider going down the block. With our truck and trailer we are about 40 feet + of fully loaded rig, we cannot stop on a dime. Last time we traveled that road we came around a narrow corner, granit outcrop on our right, oncoming traffic on our left.... there was a cyclist in the middle of the road. Luckily my husband drives very cautiously and very well and was able to avoid him and oncoming traffice though very narrowly, but where was any of us supposed to go??!! If my husband was going faster as I've seen many do, there could have been a very nasty accident. Well in thanks for his life being spared we got the finger!! Let me tell you, had there been any kind of room to pull of the road that jerk would have dealth with my husband right then and there. And this is not an isolated incident, this type of thing has happened on that road many times. I don't ever want to be responsible for someones death or injury even if it's not my fault, so needless to say I have a very dark outlook on the behavior of cyclists.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
I've seen signs that say the delay of 5 vehicles is illegal and to pull over and allow them to pass.

Imp- I'm sure there are more, but with my lead foot, most signs are just a blur.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote: Catch the word "reasonable" in there or the part about "unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, because of a grade, or in compliance with law."

Good luck saying that having to pass bikes is unreasonable an that it is safe for bikes to run as fast as cars.


Fact is that anyone that hits or almost hits a bike that is following the law is the one that has no business on the roads.


13 years in EMS on mountain roads an I never "almost killed" a bike rider. I have never "almost killed" a horse & rider. I also have never "almost killed" a pedestrian. Driving with in a speed that you can safely stop when needed keeps these things from happening. The speed limit an your max safe speed is not one an the same. If you have a hard time stopping for anything in the road in front of you then you messed up an need to hang your keys up until you get it in your head that you are the one behind the wheel of the most deadly thing man has ever invented an anything that you hit is your fault an anything you kill is your fault.


FYI the "almost killed" in quotes is quoting the woman that hit me something like 20 years ago...

 

[bakerjw]

Rest assured that every cyclist, unless they are dumb enough to ride while listening to music, knows when a car is approaching from the rear. Bicycle are very quiet and it's not unusual to startle wildlife attempting to cross the road. I've had coyotes trot onto the road in front of me without a clue that I was coming. Cars are much noisier than bicycles, but if you could hear the cyclists as you approach a group, you'd hear "Car Up", "Car back", or "Car around". It is standard practice in every group that I ride with regularly so that every one in the group knows that there is a car nearby. I have had cars follow me for miles, with all kinds of passing opportunities, because they are afraid to pass me. And that's while I am out alone, not as part of some radical super pack of cyclists. Eventually I'll wave them around and give them a wave of thanks for their caution. I know when a car is being cautious following me and they get a friendly wave of thanks for the consideration. I will even pull off of a grade specifically to allow cars to pass because some times I really suck going up hills.

But on the flip side.
If you buzz me, like close enough that your mirror almost hits my arm. Happens all the time.
If you ride close behind me, revving your engine because I'm not climbing a section of grade fast enough. Usually it is somebody in a bug duallie pickup truck.
If you lay on your horn right as you pass beside me.
If you are pulling a trailer and whip it across in front of me. Usually pulled by a big duallie pickup truck.
If you spit or throw anything at me.
If you take any action that puts my life in danger.
Then, yes... There will be words and probably gestures involved and if you want to call the police then I will be more than willing to cite from the Tennessee Code Annotated when the officer arrives.

If a cyclist flips you off and yells anything at you, then you've most likely done one of these things. The types of cyclists that you will encounter climbing a mountain pass are serious athletes that don't just go around flipping people off and yelling at cars for no reason. And next to rednecks who do this for fun, the folks who do these things are usually the ones that believe that we have no right on the road.

Odd as it may sound, one of the most supportive groups for cyclists are the kids that ride sport bikes. It is rare for them to not give a thumbs up while doing a grueling climb. Harley riders are a different.