Quote:
Originally Posted by pylon
Okay, my much anticipated response.... never knew anyone actually gave a crap about my opinion...lol
Originally I was gonna type out a big FU response, however that wouldn't have been productive.
Don't forget, I do drive cars as well, and motorcycles, so it is not like I cannot see it from both sides. A lot of Locke's points I agree with, some, I do not. I was simply stating how I ride, and I know some of my etiquette isn't perfect.
I think it is an ego thing to be honest. A ton of motorists get all peeved because they get passed by the same cyclist in a rush hour situation a few times. Look at some of Pinners old posts, he admitted he would block them to impede their progress... why? Ego. Where as a bike enthusiast, I am usually checking out what kind of bike they are riding, but a lot of drivers are all rage mad because my $1600 ten speed, is giving them the perception that I am getting there quicker than you $45000, 450 HP Mustang. In tight traffic in the core, maybe.. probably, but trust me, after it is all said and done, the car will beat the cyclists once you get out of congestion. I am not racing the cars, but a lot of drivers, and admittedly cyclists, are racing.
I will leave with this. Locke, It is obvious by your post you know very little about cycling. Not a slight, simply an observation. Why don't you do this. Why don't you, accompany me, through the downtown core, on a weekday say at...7:30 am, and see if your opinion is any different. See the hell that cyclists have to deal with from the other side. See how comfortable you feel riding in a bike lane, that drivers are cutting into, see if you will really sit in traffic at the head of the line at a light with a guy waiting to turn right on your back wheel, or if you take the curb instead. I have a pile of bikes, I would be happy to lend you one for the experiment.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pylon
You totally missed the point as per usual. $1600 is totally poor ass for a real road bike. The real serious dudes will have wheels or groupsets worth more than $1600. It is not an attempt to puff my chest. I could have said "On my $232.56 bike, passing his $3500 Dodge Neon." I was just using the facts in front of me with what I know I paid, and what I would estimate the cost of what Locke drives.
The point I was trying to make was a relative cost thing. A lot of people have ego issues with being passed in the big expensive SUV by either a skateboard, another car or a bike. Pure ego.
And it can create a ton of conflict in a dense traffic situation, when you pass the same guy multiple times due to stop and go traffic. 90% of the conflicts I seem to have had, are with guys driving big trucks or SUVs.
Where have I said drivers are jealous, show me one spot. I have stated drivers get mad, which is an entirely different emotion altogether.
Also what is with the personal attacks going on in this thread? I get that you guys hate frikkin cyclists. But the vast majority of the chirping is being done by people that have probably never once in their life, actually commuted on one, and have no clue what they are talking about, let alone ridden one more than a few hundred kms in their entire life. That is an average week for me between commuting, and just excersise.
All I have been trying to point out, is until you actually are in the position of a cyclist, during a rush hour commute, you really have no idea what it is like in the position of the cyclist.
And lets clear one thing up here. I am not running lights at controlled intersections in downtown Calgary at 4:00 pm, That would be suicide. And as much as some of you would love me to become a road stain, I am not that stupid. If there is a light, I stop, unless it is late at night, and I am the only guy in site, or in the middle of nowhere and hit a 4 way. All you holier than thou guys can claim you would sit and wait... but 99% of cyclists don't, and likely neither would you.
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I want to clear one thing up, I posted what I drive not as a measurement of ego or cost, but rather in your initial post you mentioned the hassles involved in slowing down or coming to complete stops because of gearing issues and the fact that your feet are clipped into your pedals.
I was merely pointing out that I drive something that isnt the easiest daily driver in the world either, but I still have to obey traffic laws with it or I'm endangering the other people around me.
Whether that cyclist gets home faster than me or whatever really doesnt bother me, I'm not Peter from 'Office Space' raging that the old man with the walker is going faster than me. Now, if the old man with the walker is trying to jaywalk across Deerfoot, then we've got a problem.
Other things like the biker going all the way to front of the line at a light is insane. Now all these vehicles have to constantly pass a slow moving cyclist. Is he doing that for his own safety? Cant possibly be, because by making cars pass him over and over and over again hes simply just upping the odds of a potential accident and making up his own rules again.
For me its not an ego, cost or jealousy thing, the cyclist is just trying to get to work, just like the rest of us. Its the idea that the cyclist's commute to work is more important than mine and thus he should be allowed to do whatever he damned well pleases, all in the name of safety mind you, to get there while the rest of us are expected to preserve his safety at all costs while having no idea what the cyclist is going to do next.
As for your challenge, I dont work downtown and I dont particularly enjoy biking so I dont think so.
And I'll reiterate, the ultimate problem with cyclists is a lack of respect for the rules of the road, and the lack of a definitive set of rules that they
must adhere to. Switching between pedestrian and motorist on a whim
while at speed and expecting everyone around you to just deal with it is the problem. They are inconsistent, unpredictable and inconsiderate of others on the road, we might as well have fast moving hand grenades running around with a pin that could fall out at any second.