Problem is they don’t know the difference. Roads, multi use paths, sidewalks, etc are all for them at all times. Whatever rotating rules it takes to avoid inconvenience or get their training in…. Although training also seems to include riding 2-3 wide so they can chat. 22x has a huge shoulder, but I’m constantly seeing kitted riders on the white line so they can be side by side and yap as they ride. My wife and I cycle 22/22x all the time single file ‘cause we’re out there to work.
Also, shove your banana peels back into your “kit” pouch instead of tossing them on the shoulder ya fricken slobs!
I think it’s because there is so little that is actually “for” them. Even bike lanes, they’re basically just “wheel” lanes. If you’re on wheels and you aren’t a car, a motorbike, or a wheelchair, you use the bike lane. In a lot of places it’s illegal to ride anything but a bike on the bike lane.
Whenever someone complains about someone else on a multi-use pathway, bike lane, or anything else really, I assume they’re actually the problem, because none of these things have well established rules and nobody is ever actually taught them. People crying about common courtesy based on some expectation that everyone should know and understand the subjective rules they think are most important… I don’t know, that’s a them issue.
Except for roads of course. Roads are pure. Roads have rules. Roads are where the civilized find themselves and the uncivilized are justifiable complained about. Multi-use pathways? Good luck, you’re on your own. Roads? Now we’re talking.
Yes. Again, I’ve been a cyclist in this city for over 40 years. Longer than I’ve been a driver. Only a fraction of cyclists follow the basic rules of the road - hand signalling at turns, stopping at stop signs, keeping to a lane rather than lane drifting, announcing when they’re overtaking. Maybe 20-25 per cent. With drivers, the numbers are reversed: 75-80 per cent signal when they turn, stop at stop signs, etc.
I've also been a cyclist for 40 years and I ring my bell for everyone I pass, if I forget my bell "I call out on your left". Maybe your experience is just your experience and it sounds like you may have some ingrained bias. 75-80 of drivers follow the rules??? Go to the Mckenzie towne traffic circle, the amount of stupid that goes through it is incredible. Everyone sees what they want to see, you think a cyclist is an Ahole, you'll find a reason to call them one.
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Last edited by Icantwhisper; 06-27-2024 at 08:52 AM.
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Problem is they don’t know the difference. Roads, multi use paths, sidewalks, etc are all for them at all times. Whatever rotating rules it takes to avoid inconvenience or get their training in…. Although training also seems to include riding 2-3 wide so they can chat. 22x has a huge shoulder, but I’m constantly seeing kitted riders on the white line so they can be side by side and yap as they ride. My wife and I cycle 22/22x all the time single file ‘cause we’re out there to work.
Also, shove your banana peels back into your “kit” pouch instead of tossing them on the shoulder ya fricken slobs!
Yes, you're working out and they are lesser than you because you're "putting in the work", you ride all the time and don't understand what a rotating pace line is? Is your expectation that the group rides single file for the entire ride with no passing with in the group? I ride 22x all the time, 2 a breast I see all the time and the shoulder is big enough that no one is near the white line, 3 a breast I call BS as I've never seen that and you're just exaggerating to make your point
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Yes, you're working out and they are lesser than you because you're "putting in the work", you ride all the time and don't understand what a rotating pace line is? Is your expectation that the group rides single file for the entire ride with no passing with in the group? I ride 22x all the time, 2 a breast I see all the time and the shoulder is big enough that no one is near the white line, 3 a breast I call BS as I've never seen that and you're just exaggerating to make your point
I “spin” my legs for most of the ride, even while “resting” but I still stay single file. I’ll chat when we’re done. To quote a tour rider, my 1st job on the road is to “not get dead”. I don’t care what the rules say I can do, and what others should allow me to do. My job is to keep myself as safe as possible. You want to leave it up to the vehicles to keep you safe, good luck, you’re not going to win.
Re how often I see 2-3 across on the shoulder, all I can say is I’m on that road almost everyday since I live and ride out here, and my perception is it happens quite a bit.
There was a prolific YYC bike rider (who has since moved out East) and his go to instead of his bell was to whistle part of the tune of The Littlest Hobo.
Yes. Again, I’ve been a cyclist in this city for over 40 years. Longer than I’ve been a driver. Only a fraction of cyclists follow the basic rules of the road - hand signalling at turns, stopping at stop signs, keeping to a lane rather than lane drifting, announcing when they’re overtaking. Maybe 20-25 per cent. With drivers, the numbers are reversed: 75-80 per cent signal when they turn, stop at stop signs, etc.
I gotta call complete and utter BS on those numbers. You must be using dishonest criteria for what 'basic rules' mean for each user. If we are going absolute letter of the law then it's probably closer to 1-5% for each group.
The problem is it's harder to estimate a 'IRL reasonable rules of the road' figure because we've normalized incredibly ####ty behaviour for drivers, so a motorist turning without signalling probably doesn't even register in your brain anymore. Or maybe sometimes I just can't see their signal until they are already in the slip lane. Maybe it's a bad headlight design. Or maybe they didn't flip it on until very very late.
Just like maybe sometimes you don't hear a bell that was actually dinged. Over the sound of your own bike and/or the wind in the trees and/or the wax in your ears.
And you know what? I've very intentionally stopped signalling my left turns when I only have a car approaching head on and nobody behind me. Because at least half the time that approaching driver comes to a complete stop and tries to wave me through. So I have to shake my head and wave them through, because they are just making things more dangerous for me and slowing us both down (though I appreciate that their heart was in the right place).
Things are just clumsy sometimes. Just like when there are no wheels involved at all (save maybe a shopping cart at Costco). Cyclists are not a unique breed of bozo.
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I “spin” my legs for most of the ride, even while “resting” but I still stay single file. I’ll chat when we’re done. To quote a tour rider, my 1st job on the road is to “not get dead”. I don’t care what the rules say I can do, and what others should allow me to do. My job is to keep myself as safe as possible. You want to leave it up to the vehicles to keep you safe, good luck, you’re not going to win.
Re how often I see 2-3 across on the shoulder, all I can say is I’m on that road almost everyday since I live and ride out here, and my perception is it happens quite a bit.
If a vehicle comes on to the shoulder riding single file isn't going to save you, you want to be as safe as possible stay off 22x and ride indoors. The shoulder is at least 6 feet wide possibly more, I can ride two abreast and be 2 feet from the white line. Lots of people I see riding single file are just as close to the white line as those riding two abreast, drivers get upset about it and make a way bigger deal of it than it is.
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I think a lot of this issue and a bunch of others in this thread are the symptoms from our city becoming less considerate. People are just plain not as nice as we were a decade ago, and it shows in things like driving, cycling and areas where we are supposed to share space.
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I think a lot of this issue and a bunch of others in this thread are the symptoms from our city becoming less considerate. People are just plain not as nice as we were a decade ago, and it shows in things like driving, cycling and areas where we are supposed to share space.
Agreed. I expect it’s a consequence of the city becoming bigger and more congested. More friction, more anonymity, more stress.
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I think a lot of this issue and a bunch of others in this thread are the symptoms from our city becoming less considerate. People are just plain not as nice as we were a decade ago, and it shows in things like driving, cycling and areas where we are supposed to share space.
One of the nasty side effects of the pandemic is people looking at stranger with fear and contempt.
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If a vehicle comes on to the shoulder riding single file isn't going to save you, you want to be as safe as possible stay off 22x and ride indoors. The shoulder is at least 6 feet wide possibly more, I can ride two abreast and be 2 feet from the white line. Lots of people I see riding single file are just as close to the white line as those riding two abreast, drivers get upset about it and make a way bigger deal of it than it is.
You’ll never eliminate the risk, but you can do your best to limit it, which means checking your ego. The pair I saw the other day were an odd contrast. One was hugging the right side of the shoulder, to the point of dropping off into the ditch, so ultra cautious. Her partner was riding on the white line beside her talking, so several feet of space between them, but he was going to take the line. Could have been a couple feet off the line but came across as one of the “I have a right to be here, fight me!” attitude. I’ve had some cyclists tell me they do that on purpose. They have a right to that space, so they’ll take it. Great, you were right, and your 6ft under. How’d that work out for ya?
You’ll never eliminate the risk, but you can do your best to limit it, which means checking your ego. The pair I saw the other day were an odd contrast. One was hugging the right side of the shoulder, to the point of dropping off into the ditch, so ultra cautious. Her partner was riding on the white line beside her talking, so several feet of space between them, but he was going to take the line. Could have been a couple feet off the line but came across as one of the “I have a right to be here, fight me!” attitude. I’ve had some cyclists tell me they do that on purpose. They have a right to that space, so they’ll take it. Great, you were right, and your 6ft under. How’d that work out for ya?
That's kind of a result of another feature specifically for drivers who shouldn't be driving...rumble strips. So you've got the white line, about a foot of smooth space, then the rumble strips, then an actual ridable area. So if you do also want to discuss something with your riding partner, it's almost the only choice. Despite the wide space, a chunk of it is unusable.
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Having to be aware of things coming up behind you is always unsettling. Separation is always best, but I think whenever you have something comparatively slow sharing the road with something faster, it would make more sense for the thing that's slow to be on the left side of the road.
Ie. on shared pathways, it would be safer for pedestrians to walk on the left side. They don't have to be quite as aware of what's coming up behind them as that bike has it's own lane, and they can also see bikes coming their way and both can adjust if needed. It makes for a nicer experience for everyone as nobody has to be so paranoid.
Same thing with bikes riding on the road/highway. Both cars and bikes can better adjust when they both see each other and there are no surprises.
I always get a smile riding behind my wife. Bell dings, then she says "thank you! Have a nice day!" every time.
I also get a smile riding behind my wife, knowwhatimsayin?
More seriously. we bought her the jauntiest ding-dong bike bell in Belgium a couple of years ago. I'm convinced it makes people happier. I'm on the lookout for one for my bike, right now I just have a boring atonal ding.
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Curious what bell it is? I have ridiculously expensive (for a bell) Spurcycle bell that I got as a gift, that has a really nice and even tone. It's loud too, without being obnoxious.
Curious what bell it is? I have ridiculously expensive (for a bell) Spurcycle bell that I got as a gift, that has a really nice and even tone. It's loud too, without being obnoxious.
Get a horn from a 1963 Mercedes Grosser.
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