Cyclists and cars should not be on the same roads. It's silly to pretend that drawing some chevrons on the road or making a law that you need to do whatever around cyclists will make a difference. People who want cycling options should be advocating for separate paths dedicated to cycling, with proper signals when they need to cross car lanes so there is no ambiguity
Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
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Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#12Cyclists and cars should not be on the same roads. It's silly to pretend that drawing some chevrons on the road or making a law that you need to do whatever around cyclists will make a difference. People who want cycling options should be advocating for separate paths dedicated to cycling, with proper signals when they need to cross car lanes so there is no ambiguity
Very much so, going so far as to convert some amount of street inventory into bike and pedestrian only. Barcelona superblocks and such.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/9/18273894...
Can’t take the lizard brain out of the human behind several tons of metal, so put in firm infra guardrails (literally) to mitigate harm.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#13Cyclists and cars should not be on the same roads. It's silly to pretend that drawing some chevrons on the road or making a law that you need to do whatever around cyclists will make a difference. People who want cycling options should be advocating for separate paths dedicated to cycling, with proper signals when they need to cross car lanes so there is no ambiguity
I'd think the motorists who want them off the roadway should be avocating for more bike paths actually. In the meantime it should be completely legal to use roadways, because otherwise there'd be no way to commute by bike.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#14Why is "legally" in quotes? That's the way you're supposed to ride a bike. Where dedicated bike infrastructure doesn't exist, you have to use the street, and this is the safest way to do so. If you want bikers off the streets (which you should), build biking infrastructure.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#15Why is "legally" in quotes? That's the way you're supposed to ride a bike. Where dedicated bike infrastructure doesn't exist, you have to use the street, and this is the safest way to do so. If you want bikers off the streets (which you should), build biking infrastructure.
I suspect they used quotes as emphasis. Common but super stupid.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#16When cycling without bike lanes, I ride in the safest way I can:
I often take up the middle of the lane at stopping intersections so that I get a turn in the queue and I have direct visual communication with drivers, and to eliminate at least one of the potential conflicts at the intersection. (Right hand turners from beside/behind in your lane.) I sometimes use a car in my lane as a "blocker" if I'm convinced it's not turning to help shelter me from other potential conflicts. I generally ride with aggression and quick acceleration in these situations.
If no one is behind me, I also take the middle of the lane to avoid doors. When someone is behind me, and I'm not riding at the speed of traffic, I get the fuck out of the way and I let them through, being cognizant of the proximity to doors, then bump back to the center until the next potential passer. This is courteous, costs me basically nothing and keeps everyone traveling efficiently. On gridded streets with stops at every intersection, this is usually a non-issue because cars don't have the distance to exceed my speed anyway. I'm not afraid to assert my space in the middle of the lane when it doesn't impeded anyone, but I also make effort to be courteous.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#17Why is "legally" in quotes? That's the way you're supposed to ride a bike. Where dedicated bike infrastructure doesn't exist, you have to use the street, and this is the safest way to do so. If you want bikers off the streets (which you should), build biking infrastructure.
In NZ (and probably elsewhere) it is against the law to impede the flow of traffic. Specifically if travelling slower than the speed limit you need to pull over and let other people pass.
Its a fine of ~$150, but hardly enforced.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#18I used to be this annoying when cycling in London sometimes when I was a bit younger. When cycling this assertively, it's just a matter of time before someone does one of three things: a super-close revenge overtake, ram your back wheel, or fight you in the street
Can confirm. I was intentionally rammed from behind in Oakland, California, while riding 25 in a posted 25 zone on College Ave on my e-bike. Some clown just decided he would murder me because he wanted to go faster.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#19The problem is he's slow; he's going something like 15 km/h in narrow lanes where drivers are expecting to be able to go 30 km/h.
Drivers can fuck off. There are not minimum speeds in urban areas.
Re: Bicyclist pisses everyone off by ‘legally’ riding in the street (2020)
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s true. Drivers can often be absolutely psychotic. Like they actually, sincerely want you dead because you (theoretically) inconvenience them briefly. I rarely ride my bike on the road in my home country, Australia, for fear of my life. Instead I travel to bike-friendly countries, like Japan and the Netherlands, to do my cycling. The difference is night and day. Somehow in countries where cycling is normal drivers…
Almost purchased a bike second-hand this afternoon. Reasons like this made me back out.
I ride exactly the opposite - I move over the right side and let cars pass me unless I'm about to turn left.
And I've never once had a single car get mad at me - quite the opposite they are respectful of me, as I am of them.
I am aware that I drive slower than cars, and I act that way. Cars don't get mad a bikes for being not-a-car. They get mad at bikes for being slow.
I also drive, and when I see a bike acting like he's a car, I also get annoyed - and I'm a bicyclist too! A bike is not a car, and should not act like one.