What Would You Do?



slipinherstream

slipinherstream

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Apr 5, 2004
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Yesterday I was going down a moderately busy 4 lane boulevard about 10:00 AM. There is no bike lane, but there is easily enough space for a bike on the shoulder.

I am goind about 23-24 mph riding at good pace and I notice traffic is higher than normal. I do what I always do - keep my head up looking out about 50 yards or so, ride smooth as I can in a straight line close to the curb.

Here comes two cyclelist - heading right for me on the wrong side of the road! I sense traffic behind me and there is no where to bail out.

What would you have done? Maybe this would justify the proposed "concealed weapon" law. First time I seriously contemplated doing physical harm to another cyclelist!

Of course these two guys had no helmets and obviously were not serious riders.

Curious to hear what you think the best course of action would be for this encounter...
 
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Maybe not riding so close to the curb--was there a curb or a shoulder? I would have moved out into the traffic lane if it was feasible and traffic was running slow enough. If the shoulder was wide enough, then I suppose with a grimace I would have moved as far left as possible and passed these two and they would have gone single file past me.

Nuts. I just saw someone on a bmx today going the wrong way IN the designated bike lane, which was definitely not wide enough to handle two-way bike traffic. On that same stretch I've seen bikers going against traffic, and I just don't get why they do it.
 
There would be no way to move to the left into traffic to let these bozos by. I chose to move to the curb as close as I could and force them into the traffic - figuring they had the best view of what was coming up on them. It was like a game of Chicken, they were not moving and I am going for head on collision with these guys. Meanhwile a car starts to honk behind me - I refuse to take my eye of the road and decide its best to lock them up and bunny hop over the 5 inch curb. I quickly concluded that me and my $3,500 bike are more valuable than being right!

I yell at these morrons that they are riding on the wrong side of the rode. No profanity - just very direct. Of course they start cussing and yelling at me to mind my own business.

Like I said, I should have shot them and put them out of their misery. But I figure that they will be candidates for a Darwin award and probably will be taken out by a car turning right onto the road.
 
What did the oncoming bikers actually do? I suppose the reason they ride on the wrong side is that they believe they CAN see what is coming faster and more directly, but that places them in greater danger of a collision, a head-on impact being so much worse. It cannot be very good for you to be behind or approaching this sort of collision either.

I have a morbid fear of any curb and being trapped between a curb and any obstacle. I find it much safer in general to ride in front of a car than anywhere where a car can get by me and leave me less than three feet of lateral pavement for moving. But maybe that's just me.
 
The oncoming guys were impervious to me. They were not moving - I think they felt they were entitled to the road. I know the traffic on this stretch very well and the cars move along about 40-45. My instincts told me to stop and do a bunny hop bail out. I do not think that pulling off into the traffic would have been the optimal choice. I was lucky that I did not hit the concrete curb with my new DA 10 speed stuff.

I have seen some of these types rider before. I do not think they are mean I just think they are completely clueless. But it pisses me off because I try to be extremely aware, cautious and courteous to cars and other bikes. Many non-riders get on a bike and truly believe that they need to ride against the traffic for their own safety!

Unfortunately bike trails have more variables than the road, especially this time of the year. You get groups of gabby power walkers, mothers pushing strollers with cell phones, dog walkers with long leashes, whole families of out of controll roller bladers with ear phones and the worst of course is bicycle riders with ear phones!
 
Ah. I misunderstood. YOU did the bunnyhop to get out of the way. That was probably the wisest move given the obstacles: they were about as good as any wild animal encountered in an unexpected place.

Yeah, I don't generally ride on roads that exceed 25 mph (at least not yet). I might occasionally have to be on a stretch that's 35 mph, but that's generally very short, traffic-free or very light, or I just bail and walk the bike on the sidewalk.
 
How about a retractable lance (like from the medieval times) that looks like an innocent bicycle pump? But, but .. officer?!?!? I don't like the side of the pavement either cos that damm thing will flip your lil buns right off our trikes .. also one bit of advice - when out on a country road don't try to come back "on" the road when there is a 2" of nothing and then gravel .. you tend to kiss pavement .. ooh, and gravel all over the road makes for great practice for sliding to base .. I think years ago people used to ride "against" the traffic .. when did that change?
 
We were always tought to walk against traffic and ride with traffic. With no exceptions every time I see a bicycle going against traffic it is operated by an African American. This is only an observation.
 
I constantly see people -- mostly kids, but also adults -- riding on the wrong side of the road. It seems to be all too common a sight in the areas where I live and work - New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
 
Just found out my county is supposed to have directional arrows painted in the bike lanes. If they're there, they are so far apart and so hard to see that I don't believe I've ever seen one. Of course, the bike symbol is painted so that it would be upside-down if you were going in the wrong direction.

The county is so full of bike lanes, that this one small mechanism may help teach the ignorant masses which direction they're supposed to be going when they're on the road.

Of course, the Uniform Virginia Code is itself a treat when it comes to knowing the law related to biking... Turns out I've been breaking the law for years! (although the law clearly states that cyclists are to ride with the flow of traffic "on the highway"
 
Originally posted by brightgarden
Just found out my county is supposed to have directional arrows painted in the bike lanes. If they're there, they are so far apart and so hard to see that I don't believe I've ever seen one. Of course, the bike symbol is painted so that it would be upside-down if you were going in the wrong direction.

The county is so full of bike lanes, that this one small mechanism may help teach the ignorant masses which direction they're supposed to be going when they're on the road.

Of course, the Uniform Virginia Code is itself a treat when it comes to knowing the law related to biking... Turns out I've been breaking the law for years! (although the law clearly states that cyclists are to ride with the flow of traffic "on the highway"
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i hate douche bags like that
i usually check play chicken and sometimes i wreck..
but if i had new DA 10spd... i would just clothsline them
haha
 
i would of ****ing stopped traffic and asked for a ride because the ****ing traffic was crazy
 
Originally posted by slipinherstream
[B


It was like a game of Chicken, they were not moving and I am going for head on collision with these guys. Meanhwile a car starts to honk behind me - I refuse to take my eye of the road and decide its best to lock them up and bunny hop over the 5 inch curb. I quickly concluded that me and my $3,500 bike are more valuable than being right!
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This story is BS, why would the car suddenly start honking?? who went in the road for car to honk? why would you refuse to take your eyes off the road and least take a glance behind you to see what options you have, did they come flying around a corner or alley from outa no where?? sounds like you took more of a risk to lock up the brakes and bunny hop the curb, if you had enough time to do that you had enough time to look behind you, you stretched the truth.
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Zaskar, You are right, it was completely my fault for keeping my eyes on the road and trusting my instincts on this. Have a nice day and thanks so much for chiming in on this matter - you do not know how much it means to me to find your kind of support on this board!
 
Happens to me every single ride and i do the same thing every time. I ride to the insde so they have to go out into the traffic around me.
 
Originally posted by slipinherstream
Zaskar, You are right, it was completely my fault for keeping my eyes on the road and trusting my instincts on this. Have a nice day and thanks so much for chiming in on this matter - you do not know how much it means to me to find your kind of support on this board!
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you let them punk you! why freak out? stand your ground and ride if it happins again jump out the saddle and keep charging at them, or stop get off your bike and throw it at them, it wont hurt the DA. LOL kidding lighten up don't sweat the small stuff.
 
LOL....this is why i only ride the country roads. Only thing I have to worry about is getting my Campy set soaked in roadkill goo.

If they do it to you again, set your bike against something for a quick minute, chase them down, and beat the **** out of them.

I also do some riding on a 7 mile paved loop and constantly have the huffing fatties churning away on their 20 year old schwinns and the groups of rollerbladers. The pathway is an easy 10 feet across and we'll have two fat asses taking up the entire way. A neat little trick is to bring your shoulders in, lower your center of gravity, and haul ass right between them. Try that next time....only thing you can really damage is your shifters and that's ify.
 
Hmmm...

Straightarm? Clothesline:)

But seriously, having your head on a swivel to check options during a road race with other cyclists around you is one thing... Trying for the same level of observation in heavy auto traffic (especially heavy traffic with a twist thrown in) is completely different, at least for me.

I always have borderline anxiety attacks when I have to negotiate areas of heavy, congested, or fast moving traffic. there is something about the idea of getting your head crushed under a car wheel that I find distressing, hence I tend to be more skiddish, hesitant, and rattled when cars are around.

That's why I like to cycle in the early morning and on dedicated bike routes... The alternative is seeking less congested (dangerous routes)

If it were me in yur situation, I would have moved toward the curb as close as practicable, slowed to a crawl, and unclipped my curbside foot... Sure I would have looked like a dork, but not as much of a dork as I would have all splattered on the street under a car.

Feanor
 
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