i am cyclist, hear me rawr

[ScrumYummy]

So I posted this on my journals, aaaaand I like it and I think people should read it, so I'm sharing it on the forums I'm on. enjoy =)


i am cyclist, hear me rawr
So I took up cycling a few months ago, and have since been gradually getting more and more involved on the scene. In fact, I am to the point where I would rather ride a bike than drive a car; I don't even own a car, and my main source of transportation is my bike. I lurve my bike. It has become an extension of myself.

That being said...I have a few requests from people that drive cars. Warning: the following contains some rantage.


1. Do NOT honk at bikers, even if you know them and are saying "hi." The sound is deafening to us, and we assume that you are just being an ass. Also, if you honk because you're afraid that a biker is going to come out in front of you, well, get this--we have more control over our vehicles than you do over yours. So shut your trap.

2. Do NOT yell things out of your window. Again, even if it's something friendly, it still sounds threatening to someone on a bike. And in either case, we usually ignore it, so don't bother.

3. Do not throw things out of your window. Do I really have to explain this one? Didn't think so.

4. Let us decide how close is "too close." You don't have to go twenty feet out of your way to go around us, but at the same time, don't try to drive us off the road or nudge us with your car. Again, we have more control over our vehicles than you do over yours, so let us worry about what we are doing, and you can go back to talking on your cellphones or doing your make-up.

5. A BIKE IS A VEHICLE. This means that (in regards to traffic laws) you treat it like any other vehicle on the road. Don't cut of bikers. Do NOT overtake a bike at a stop sign (not only is that illegal, it's very dangerous for both driver and cyclist). If a bike is in the lane in front of you and you can't go around due to oncoming traffic, suck it up--don't honk, or yell, or throw things at us. It's not our fault you can't go around.

6. Check your mirrors, DAMNIT. A bike will always be coming up on your right (unless making a left turn), so always check your right and rear-view mirrors when making a right turn. I've nearly been hit twice (in the three months I've been cycling) by retards that weren't looking (and when this happens, I reserve the right to slap the hood of your car when I am riding by).

7. Check traffic before opening your doors. I shouldn't really have to say this, it's a no-brainer. But when you are parallel-parked on the side of the road, check behind you before you open your car door; an opening door can be very bad news for a biker. And I reserve the right to slam it shut if I am biking by and you almost door me.

8. SIGNAL YOUR TURNS. I shouldn't have to say this, either. But so many people don't, and it's really dangerous for us. >.>

Most of the things I mentioned are either common sense or GENERAL TRAFFIC LAWS, so while you might think I'm just being a whiney biker, realize that while you may know better, SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T. And most of the things I mentioned can mean serious injury or even death to a cyclist. So, yeah, I wrote up all of that because I'm tired of it happening to me, and while I know that the people who really need to read that never will, it still feels good to get it out somewhere.

Anyway. Urban group biking is so much fun! I love it muchly. :: And no matter how much shoyt I have to put up with, I'm still going to bike. So there.

Oh yeah! as for what I ride, I have a road/mountain hybrid (leaning more towards the "mountain" side, with upright/straightbar handles and tread wheels), a Trek 4300. It works really well for where I currently live, although I plan on one day (in the future, when I have that mythical thing called "money" once again ;_; ) on getting a nice road bike with drop-bars. I also want a hybrid-frame fixy with bullhorn handles, but the road bike takes priority.

Max and Selena have recovered antique road bikes from Josh's parents' garage and are fixing them up in our living room. There are parts and dirt everywhere, it's awesome !



*****

Oh yeah, after I posted this in my journal, I got this reply from a friend on DA (reposting it to show that I wasn't exaggerating in any of that):

[Doot]

My complaint of the whole thing being a motorist in a biker area and actually just a general question then.

If a bike is a vehicle and has to obey the laws of the road that every motorist has to obey, how is it that they can cut to the front of the lines at lights (thus forcing any motorist who has already passed them to have to pass them again AND how is it that many of the cyclist I've seen can run red lights/stop signs?

I'm all for sharing the road but I see a ton of double standards on the road when it comes to cyclists.

[RivaOni]

All the above applies to motorcyclists too!

I dont agree with byciclists running red lights Doot, but I dont see the issue behind them going to the front of a queue at lights, if you spot a gap in a lane thats going the same way as you are, and you're in a car, that gaps far enough in front to be an advanage to you, do you take it? of course you do, bikes have the advantage of being able to take up less space therefore they can take those smaller gaps.

In motorcycle lessons, you're also encouraged to do so, a motorcycle accelerates much quicker than an average car,so your encouraged to go to the front to avoid the possibility of being cut up by a car user and being knocked off your bike. Likewise, a bcyicle is slower than a car so you're encouraged to go to the front so all car drivers are aware of you're presence. Its a safety first thing, besides, a road isn't a race circuit, doesnt matter what order your in or how many times you have to take over somebody and its much easier to overtake something as small as a bycicle or motorcycle

[Doot]

The cyclists running up the queue would be those that - when seeing a line of cars waiting for a light - ride to the right of them (near the curb) and poise themselves at the front of the line.

I understand it's not a race - but a motorist would not do that without getting fined and if we indeed want equal road rights for cyclists of any form, then they should adhere to the same rules.

[ScrumYummy]

I will admit that there is a double-standard when it comes to traffic laws and cycling. But when you consider the fact that in any accident, the cyclist is probably going to be the only casualty, it's almost fair. The majority of accidents aren't even the cyclist's fault--they come from when a driver isn't using their signals, or just doesn't see the cyclist when the cyclist is following all traffic laws.

Another problem is that there are very few states that have any actual laws for biking. Most states only have two--cyclists must have headlights and backlights at night, and a bicycle is to be considered a vehicle. So it's common sense for us to follow traffic laws, but most people aren't aware of biking laws, and the laws that do exist are so vague that you can almost argue either side for it.

Cutting to the front at a red light is not only done for safety reasons, but a cyclist accelerates much slower than a car, so if we waited in line, we'd still be pissing off the people behind us. *EDIT* And not by law in most places, but generally speaking, a biker is supposed to always stay to the right of traffic unless making a left.

As for running stop signs/red lights, most of us only do it if there are no cars around, or (when at a stop sign) there are people behind us, nobody at the other stops, and it just makes sense to go. Several occassions that I have stopped at stop signs, the car behind me overtakes me, which to me seems more dangerous than running the stop-sign when there isn't any traffic.

We also do it because of physics. We can slow down and make sure that there isn't any traffic coming without losing much momentum, wheras if we stopped at every single sign/light we would have to rebuild all of the momentum we had. So while if there is traffic at the other stops, or traffic at lights, I always stop, but if there's nobody there, I go (except at red lights, which will usually give me a green or somebody in a car will come up behind me and set of the sensor).

[Ming]

Ok, I feel like spreading the seeds of dissention, so bear with me. I have a general notice to all the "cyclists" out there:

YOU ARE NOT A CAR

Now, I know that that may come as a surprise to you, but I assure you that it's the truth.

All sarcasm aside, I respect bikers. My dad was a very big fan of cycling and got fairly into cycling before he got sick. And my brother, Tobias, is very much into cycling as well. And I am saddened to hear when cyclists get hit by cars, but I can tell you that, given the way I see some people conduct themselves on a bike, I'm not surprised.

If you weave in and out of traffic (which I have seen done MANY times) then YOU are wrong. If cars are so dangerous to you, then stay away from them. The town that I live in has bike lanes. Use them.

Also, I'm tired of "cyclists" being arrogant pricks. Like it or not, that guy's post is arrogant. If you don't like the sound of car horns honking, then get off the road. And if a car honks at you because they think that they might hit you, odds are you are doing something to cause that worry. And because of the backward laws that we have, the car will always be at fault, even when the biker is clearly wrong. Cars have horns to alert others of danger, deal with it.

I had an experience with a "cyclist" once. I was pulling out of an underground parking lot in Manhattan. The "cyclist" is standing at the end of the driveway, on the sidewalk. He looks at me and says (in a nasty tone), "Turn on your lights. I can't see you." First of all, I JUST pulled out of the UNDERGROUND parking lot. When I got into my car, I did not know that it was STARTING to get dark. Excuse me for not being quick enough to turn on my lights, which didn't even HAVE to be on yet.

Let's get something straight, don't tell me how to drive my car. Just because you're on a bike because you can't afford a car doesn't mean you can take your aggression out on me. I obey the rules of the road, and I even respect you arrogant bikers. And don't, under any circumstance, DARE touch my car unless it is a dire emergency. If you have so much control over your "vehicle", and you have time enough to shut my door (since you came up on me without warning), then you had time enough to avoid my door.

Finally, you may notice that I keep referring to bikers as "cyclists", and you may be wondering why I keep doing that. Well, the reason is this:

YOU ARE NOT LANCE ARMSTRONG

No matter how much you try to be, or try to pretend to be, you're not, and you never will be. Nor will you ever be any other kind of REAL cyclist. Why? Because they don't complain about all the "evil oppressive drivers". Because they repect the cars on the road. Because they respect that fact that they are a mere insignificant minnow in a sea of giant 2000 pound colossi. And because they understand that the road belongs just as much to cars (in fact more) than it belongs to bikes, and they know how to share, and not be a greedy jackass.

[FawkesFyre]

This has been in interesting and kinda fun thread...

I'll be honest and say that as a motorist, I'm not too fond of cyclists. I'm afraid of them. I'm one of those who swerve way out of the way because I don't want to hit them, and I don't trust that one moment I pass next to them is not the one and only time they lose control and hit me.

I support the idea that a bicycle is a "vehicle" and has to abide by road rules but their lack of speed makes for a more dangerous situation on the road. That's the part that I really don't understand. Roads have a speed limit where slower traffic keep to the right but cyclists go WAY slower than a car. The slower traffic cars have to pass any cyclists to keep from getting run over by the traffic behind them.

I wish they would allow cyclists to ride on the sidewalks. It would make for a much safer situation for everybody. They'd get to use the same direct routes as cars, but are safely out of reach from the motorists.

[Ming]

[ScrumYummy]

[FawkesFyre]