Like I say, that’s on motorists. Bicycles are and should be legal on the road. Slow the hell down and give some space for a few seconds. It’s literally the least you can do.
It’s not safe to have them flying down the sidewalk. Build biking infrastructure on the streets to make them safe.
We have a 6 foot cart path for golf carts but cyclists don't like that so they ride in the road. When 2 cars are passing, there's not enough room for the cyclist and they get clipped. Just get out of the road.
https://www.pps.org/article/livememtraffic Widening sidewalks and tightening driving lanes is very effective. My city just did this with the main thoroughfare while removing stoplights and now people drive slower and traffic moves more efficiently
Or build a bike park like we do skate parks. If skateboards aren't welcomed on streets, cyclists shouldn't be either.
Bike lanes in cities or downtowns make lots of sense. Keep bikes off the sidewalks where there's a lot more foot traffic. Bike paths in suburbs where there's more space to build makes sense to keep bikes off roads. If you have a super wide bike path (6-10 feet) and choose to ride in the street instead you're an asshole.
The real enemy in 2021 are e-scooters. - they’re everywhere in cities that have them, which clogs up sidewalks and creates hazards for disabled people and seniors - people ride them like maniacs and disobey traffic lights and rules - lots of drunk people riding them and getting into accidents - provide no fitness benefits
Was driving the other day and there's two whole ass bike paths on either side of the road and some degenerate cyclist was riding down the middle of the goddamn street.
Imagine having a whole lane of road, along with another opposing lane, and not having the mental capacity to figure out how to safely navigate passing a person on a bicycle without having a melty equivalent of a 2 yo getting his favorite toy taken away at bedtime.
In the mornings, especially the weekend, you'll see 50 of them in a pack in the middle of the road and 10 cars going 10 miles per hour backed up behind them. Meanwhile there's a massive cart path about 10 feet from the road.
Oh I figured out how. But what sort of asshole rides down the center lane of a decently traveled road when there are other safer less dickish options right there? An inconsiderate asshole is who
Imagine having an entire path built for you but deciding that's not good enough so you want to ride in the car path and inconvenience everyone else.
Most people cycle to travel between two places, not to do BMX tricks. But I agree that ideally they shouldn’t have to compete alongside cars. Build them bike lanes or bike paths but if those don’t exist they have as much right to the road as a car does.
The ones here act like they are in the Tour de France, outfit and all. They are just doing it for enjoyment, not to go somewhere.
yes, you said that earlier. A golf cart path. So a) not intended for bikes and b) would just make it the golf cart people’s problem.
It's much easier for the cyclists and golf cart to pass each other than cars to play dodge the cyclist. A cyclist may pass 2-3 golf carts in their ride while 50 cars have to get around them. If you're a cyclist and you ride in the middle of the road meant for cars, you're an asshole.
just get a stationary bike you’re not going anywhere important me and my jeep gang need room to do hand signals at one another
Most paths like that are mixed use run/bike paths and are not golf cart paths. Don't take his example and make it the norm.
The reverse is also true. Don’t take your example of a bike path or his example of a golf cart path and say it is adequate for all cycling and just get with the program. Most “cycling” lanes and “multi-use” paths are littered with hazards that could easily put a cyclist in the hospital because there is not a single ounce of thought put into cyclist. When pretty much everyone can agree that the lack of planning and infrastructure is the actual culprit, laying blame on one group just shows a preference. It does not make you right.
To be clear, I think ideally, cyclist should be able to cycle however they want, but realistically it’s incredibly dangerous to trust motorists to keep you safe my high school had a swim coach who was killed by a driver, he was an extremely experienced cyclist who cycled every morning
I don't blame any one group. I do blame cyclists who refuse to use the infrastructure that we have to make things more dangerous for everyone. Those people are dicks. If that isn't you, sweet. If there's no infrastructure then cyclists have as much ability to ride in the road as anyone and cars have to adapt. But if there's infrastructure and you refuse to use it, you suck. Btw I ride my bike like miles and miles and would never ever imagine being a turbo dick and taking up the entire road going 12 miles an hour when there are 2 bike paths available.
I know you might think you are making a funny point but absolutley yes. All of the “bike paths” where I live are almost 100% doubling as vehicle turn lanes and bus stop lanes. So avoiding a car that rapidly gets into the “bike lane” to either stop or make a turn. All while keeping an eye on pedestrians a foot away. Also ubiquitous in “bike lanes” from my experience: trash from road as it is always on a shoulder, concrete/roadway joints large enough to swallow an entire wheel, drainage grates large enough to swallow an entire wheel, trash cans, yard debris, I could go on.
This video is also a good reminder to stop behind the crosswalks. If they were on them, both cars would have been smashed even worse.
I really enjoy it when three cyclists ride side by side so they can talk to each other while they clog the road by going 10 mph
You are extremely fortunate that you have actual bike paths then. Most people see a sign that says “bike lane/path” and assume that it is some grand thing that is more than just an afterthought to placate angry motorists while placing the cyclist in actual greater danger than prior.
We’ve had a big increase in traffic fatalities in Raleigh the last 18 months. Combination of less traffic congestion due to COVID so people can drive faster and less enforcement from cops for a variety of reasons and it’s not keeping speeds down as much.
It's basically like this in a bunch of suburby type places where there's lots of space. It's completely separate from the road.
I am sure that your point holds plenty of water. As it is made only for cars, I can assume it is illegal for cyclists to ride on the road and they are granted no rights or responsibilities on the road in your state.
Bike lanes and bike paths are two different things. Bike lanes are areas carved out of existing streets and are frequently in cities or downtowns where space is at a premium. Bike paths are what I'm talking about that are built specifically for walk/run/bike and not at all part of the road.
those exist outside of your third world country but they’re far from universal or comprehensive enough to safely navigate the entire city on a bike.
That article was great to read. My City has been doing a lot of changes to the roadways over the last couple of years. They took 3 lane roads down to 2 in one section, Added bike lanes and a large center medians where it used to be a universal turn lane. One thing I had noticed, and hated until reading this, is the taller and sharper turning curbs. Whenever I see them I slow down to make the turn because I have to. Otherwise I won't make the turn (it's not gradual at all, so to turn into the inner lane you have to go slow) and/or will scrape the rims on my car. It makes sense now and i'm all for it. I wish they would explain the "why" with some of the changes they make. I think it would help get more buy-in.
how much is tongue in cheek is hard to tell, but since its inception the attitude of a good chunk of this board has been like two or three degrees from the 16 y/o rolling coal and accidently running over a pack of cyclists.. there's a lot of baseline aggression in Americans and it seems to come out while driving for whatever reason. I avoid driving on paved roads but a few times a year and there's national forest land down the road from me that I take my bike on *blessed*
My state is dumb as fuck on just about every subject. Bottom line, if you want to ride in the middle of the road, it's on you to dodge traffic, not on traffic to dodge you. *I've never hit anyone bc I'm not a dick. I'd also never ride in the middle of the road bc I'm not a dick.
This might be the dumbest thing you have said on the board. It is the obligation of a law abiding cyclist to not get ran over from behind by a non-law abiding motorist.