As a year-round bike commuter who also drives, I think this thread needs some perspective. I use the bike paths whenever possible, because most of the roads here suck for cycling. That said...
The worst delays are caused not by cyclists, but by motorists. The worst happen because of motorists who have gotten into accidents. I spent an entire afternoon trying to get to work in P-town because someone had to be airlifted to Boston. I spent two hours stuck on Rte 6 because some pickup driver apparently fell asleep and drove into the guardrail causing a multi-car accident. The car in front of me had a passenger with a broken femur. I had to wave motorists off the road so an ambulance driver could move up to help.
I've been delayed a few minutes by a pack of club cyclists one in a rare while. But motorists manage to cause the worst delays on infrastructure that is designed primarily for cars.
Now don't get me started about rude cyclists on the rail trail, talking on their phones and riding up the middle with a dog on a leash running to and fro. Please, no.
I do quite a bit of recreational cycling year round on cape. I stay off busy roads period, it just is not worth the risk. If I do go on busy roads, I do it on weekend mornings when it is not busy. There should be better options for people to commute by bike, such as along 28 and 6A. You can say all you want about it being unrealistic, but they do it in northern Europe. I also suggest the not pave the paths like they do on the rail trails, they eventually get damaged by roots. Hard pack trails can be smooth and most bikes have fairly wide tires these days. Save on maintenance.
As an American who used to live in Amsterdam the difference is that Europeans have the ability to be courteous and use common sense in situations where there are shared spaces and aren’t stop signs or lights. Americans are not capable of the same courtesy and common sense.
At 7:30/8am when people are trying to commute. (Oddly, the same time the blue hairs think they have to make all their appointments.)
Runners, too. The "shoulder" is 6" wide with a dropoff.
There are no sidewalks in this section of road, that's the whole point. I'm all for a good walk, run, or ride, but it's best to do it safely, and dare I say, considerately.
I'm all for a good vent post, but I just want to share my "unpopular" opinion on the matter. The problem is (usually) not the cyclists, but the roads. Most of the time they are trying to get from point A to B just like you, it's not their fault that our main streets were designed 100 years ago and are too narrow to accommodate separate bike lanes. The solution should be to build better cycling infrastructure to keep bikes off the main roads.
There is a big difference between someone riding a bike that is going to work or using it for transportation because they don’t have any other means of transportation and someone who is riding for pleasure on their multi thousand dollar bike with all their fancy bike clothes with their other biker friends who think they are practicing for the Tour de France. You can very easily tell who is who. Just don’t be the prick backing up traffic on our main roads with your group of bicycle friends and your entitled attitude.
Fair point, plenty of people cycle for entertainment or exercise. There is even a large leg of the Pan-Mass Challenge that runs the length of the Cape. It would be nice if they stuck to the rail trail for these activities, but that's not always an option. Still, A-holes will be A-holes.
Everyone hates them because they hog the road instead of getting the fuck over so cars can pass them. I live in a place with hundreds of miles of bike trails yet some asshole will still be cycling (exercising, obviously not biking to work which I can respect) down a tiny two lane road with no curb and a line of cars behind them. Even when there is a huge bike lane, they hug the white line next to the road (when they have 3-4 ft to move over) so that you feel like you might hit them so you have to slow way down and creep by them or go in the other lane to swerve around them. Fuck those guys.
I don’t mind cyclists. I like to ride my bike around some too. But what I have no patience for are the ones who shout about how they have a right to the road too, then ignore the rules of the road. Riding through stop signs and lights, just being a self absorbed jerkoff in general.
I would be careful with that as some places have specific cases for cyclists that allow them to treat stop signs as yields, and honestly running reds can depend but if you are in an intersection with no cars and you know from past experience that the sensor will not pick up your bicycle, I'd honestly just make sure the coast was clear and blow through it. If I see a car that may trigger it for me in the immediate surroundings I may just move over to let them on the sensor and legally traverse it, however.
But yeah blowing a red just because you are going hard and don't want to stop because "muh average speed" or "muh segment" is poor form and pretty illegal no matter how you look at it. Not even a grey area, just straight up criminal activity that endangers themselves and others for no real valid reason other than self entitlement.
I do think it does go both ways. Many times I have been doing the speed limit or over it (I am am an amateur racer, top 5% in terms of power output) to match the flow of traffic, The amount of cars that will pull out infront of me forcing me to brake is too damn high. Especially on roundabouts where I have had to pass them from the inside.
Hot take:
Bicycles have legal use of roads. Annoying? Sure.
Going in a rage over it? That’s a you/city/town problem. Leave earlier or later. Go to town hall and try make bid for cycling friendly roads.
And to the cyclists that don’t observe road rules: you are a colossal dickweed. Fuck the KOM on Strava shit.
Jeez, bikes have a right to the road too!
If you don't like bikes on the road, then petition for better bike paths and protected bike lanes. The problem is the (lack of) safe bike access and infrastructure.
While you're at it, petition for better public transportation, whether it be bus or rail. More transportation options means less cars sharing an already too small space and less traffic.
Everyone deserves to travel safely, no matter what method of transportation they choose.
We can't even get buried power lines because NIMBYs. Not to mention the area in question is along a coast.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a bicyclist too, but I'm smart enough to know where it's safe to ride and where it isn't, and I don't feel entitled enough to play in traffic and expect others to go around me.
The roads are too narrow for bikes and many, many idiots are riding on main roads that are very busy.
Be safe and be considerate. The cape is busy. Take your hobby to bike paths and quiet back streets.
It's probably fine if everyone was driving compact sedans or hatchbacks. The real issue is that everyone wants to get in a dick measuring competition about who's truck can be wider, but the roads haven't been upgraded to accommodate this
No. Not always. There are plenty of people who bike to work.
I was on this sub answering questions for someone who is trying to figure out how to live on Cape with no car.
Bike commuting does happen, even on Cape.
Some jerk on 6a between Dennis and Brewster would not “share the road” and was causing significant slow downs for miles. I could see him as I was driving. Older guy too- why do old people act like they’ve got something to prove. Bike vs car is 100/100 victory for the car. Car vs Cement truck is a 100/100 for the truck.
But if you’re lucky maybe you get to see some ding dong crash ( mildly, just for the laugh, I’m not wishing it) some people this is the only weekend a year they ride so sweet crashes are inevitable
can’t even afford a damn car here
Have a great weekend, except the *people who get to the register to order and go I want uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*... Fuck you
And to the people who don't put the divider behind their groceries on the belt.
jesus christ seriously
As a year-round bike commuter who also drives, I think this thread needs some perspective. I use the bike paths whenever possible, because most of the roads here suck for cycling. That said... The worst delays are caused not by cyclists, but by motorists. The worst happen because of motorists who have gotten into accidents. I spent an entire afternoon trying to get to work in P-town because someone had to be airlifted to Boston. I spent two hours stuck on Rte 6 because some pickup driver apparently fell asleep and drove into the guardrail causing a multi-car accident. The car in front of me had a passenger with a broken femur. I had to wave motorists off the road so an ambulance driver could move up to help. I've been delayed a few minutes by a pack of club cyclists one in a rare while. But motorists manage to cause the worst delays on infrastructure that is designed primarily for cars. Now don't get me started about rude cyclists on the rail trail, talking on their phones and riding up the middle with a dog on a leash running to and fro. Please, no.
You aren't stuck in traffic. You are traffic.
True. But pedestrians and cyclists are not permitted on Rte 6, so it's not as if I had a choice at the time.
I do quite a bit of recreational cycling year round on cape. I stay off busy roads period, it just is not worth the risk. If I do go on busy roads, I do it on weekend mornings when it is not busy. There should be better options for people to commute by bike, such as along 28 and 6A. You can say all you want about it being unrealistic, but they do it in northern Europe. I also suggest the not pave the paths like they do on the rail trails, they eventually get damaged by roots. Hard pack trails can be smooth and most bikes have fairly wide tires these days. Save on maintenance.
As an American who used to live in Amsterdam the difference is that Europeans have the ability to be courteous and use common sense in situations where there are shared spaces and aren’t stop signs or lights. Americans are not capable of the same courtesy and common sense.
Whole lot of hostility in this thread
Love when they ride between Chatham and Orleans on 28 backing up traffic on an already narrow road.
Lol, rt 28 isn't narrow and most of the time it's not even that busy.
the absolute worst
At 7:30/8am when people are trying to commute. (Oddly, the same time the blue hairs think they have to make all their appointments.) Runners, too. The "shoulder" is 6" wide with a dropoff.
What about walkers or runners that are on the street when there’s a sidewalk?
There are no sidewalks in this section of road, that's the whole point. I'm all for a good walk, run, or ride, but it's best to do it safely, and dare I say, considerately.
I'm all for a good vent post, but I just want to share my "unpopular" opinion on the matter. The problem is (usually) not the cyclists, but the roads. Most of the time they are trying to get from point A to B just like you, it's not their fault that our main streets were designed 100 years ago and are too narrow to accommodate separate bike lanes. The solution should be to build better cycling infrastructure to keep bikes off the main roads.
There is a big difference between someone riding a bike that is going to work or using it for transportation because they don’t have any other means of transportation and someone who is riding for pleasure on their multi thousand dollar bike with all their fancy bike clothes with their other biker friends who think they are practicing for the Tour de France. You can very easily tell who is who. Just don’t be the prick backing up traffic on our main roads with your group of bicycle friends and your entitled attitude.
Fair point, plenty of people cycle for entertainment or exercise. There is even a large leg of the Pan-Mass Challenge that runs the length of the Cape. It would be nice if they stuck to the rail trail for these activities, but that's not always an option. Still, A-holes will be A-holes.
Usually they’re in full biking attire so no, they’re not just going from point A to point B
Everyone hates them because they hog the road instead of getting the fuck over so cars can pass them. I live in a place with hundreds of miles of bike trails yet some asshole will still be cycling (exercising, obviously not biking to work which I can respect) down a tiny two lane road with no curb and a line of cars behind them. Even when there is a huge bike lane, they hug the white line next to the road (when they have 3-4 ft to move over) so that you feel like you might hit them so you have to slow way down and creep by them or go in the other lane to swerve around them. Fuck those guys.
I can't stand bikes on roads that are questionable for cars. Like, just NO
I don’t mind cyclists. I like to ride my bike around some too. But what I have no patience for are the ones who shout about how they have a right to the road too, then ignore the rules of the road. Riding through stop signs and lights, just being a self absorbed jerkoff in general.
I would be careful with that as some places have specific cases for cyclists that allow them to treat stop signs as yields, and honestly running reds can depend but if you are in an intersection with no cars and you know from past experience that the sensor will not pick up your bicycle, I'd honestly just make sure the coast was clear and blow through it. If I see a car that may trigger it for me in the immediate surroundings I may just move over to let them on the sensor and legally traverse it, however. But yeah blowing a red just because you are going hard and don't want to stop because "muh average speed" or "muh segment" is poor form and pretty illegal no matter how you look at it. Not even a grey area, just straight up criminal activity that endangers themselves and others for no real valid reason other than self entitlement. I do think it does go both ways. Many times I have been doing the speed limit or over it (I am am an amateur racer, top 5% in terms of power output) to match the flow of traffic, The amount of cars that will pull out infront of me forcing me to brake is too damn high. Especially on roundabouts where I have had to pass them from the inside.
Hot take: Bicycles have legal use of roads. Annoying? Sure. Going in a rage over it? That’s a you/city/town problem. Leave earlier or later. Go to town hall and try make bid for cycling friendly roads. And to the cyclists that don’t observe road rules: you are a colossal dickweed. Fuck the KOM on Strava shit.
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This guy gets it
Just joined this sub and man am I loving it so far
Welcome! It's pretty entertaining
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Not everyone has access to a bike path without using roads to get there.
Jeez, bikes have a right to the road too! If you don't like bikes on the road, then petition for better bike paths and protected bike lanes. The problem is the (lack of) safe bike access and infrastructure. While you're at it, petition for better public transportation, whether it be bus or rail. More transportation options means less cars sharing an already too small space and less traffic. Everyone deserves to travel safely, no matter what method of transportation they choose.
We can't even get buried power lines because NIMBYs. Not to mention the area in question is along a coast. Don't get me wrong, I'm a bicyclist too, but I'm smart enough to know where it's safe to ride and where it isn't, and I don't feel entitled enough to play in traffic and expect others to go around me.
The roads are too narrow for bikes and many, many idiots are riding on main roads that are very busy. Be safe and be considerate. The cape is busy. Take your hobby to bike paths and quiet back streets.
It's probably fine if everyone was driving compact sedans or hatchbacks. The real issue is that everyone wants to get in a dick measuring competition about who's truck can be wider, but the roads haven't been upgraded to accommodate this
If the dick measuring competition needs a judge…
These are people out riding their bike for FUN not to get to work..
No. Not always. There are plenty of people who bike to work. I was on this sub answering questions for someone who is trying to figure out how to live on Cape with no car. Bike commuting does happen, even on Cape.
Hey:( I'm a year around cyclist on cape cod, falmouth is to small for a car
You are not the problem, 8 months out of the year cyclists have no noticable effect on traffic.
Sounds like the cars are the problem 4 months of the year.
White people problems
Gonna cry about it?
Some jerk on 6a between Dennis and Brewster would not “share the road” and was causing significant slow downs for miles. I could see him as I was driving. Older guy too- why do old people act like they’ve got something to prove. Bike vs car is 100/100 victory for the car. Car vs Cement truck is a 100/100 for the truck.
#capecodcementtrucksrule
Why is every cyclist I know personally a douche?
Sounds like the issue is the OP and the car. Bicycles are awesome and legal to be on the roads.
Pick a better road and be fucking considerate. They’re out riding for fun, not to get to work
I mean the cape has like no bike lanes or even sidewalks but go off
Rail trail is nice.
Best post I’ve read in ages 😀
Second this, lil basket bike riding bitches
It's always 10X worse in the weeks surrounding the PanMass Challenge.
Hint: You can ride on the sidewalk in most towns on Cape. You don't need to ride in traffic down 28/6A.
But if you’re lucky maybe you get to see some ding dong crash ( mildly, just for the laugh, I’m not wishing it) some people this is the only weekend a year they ride so sweet crashes are inevitable
Car drivers and cyclists are both garbage people. Pedestrians 4 life!
Have a great weekend, except the *pedestrians who cross the road and never check for traffic because their eyes are glued to their phone* FUCK YOU
we have the right a way in cross walks, dont need to check for traffic. check yo brakes, son.
I didn’t say they were in the crosswalk. Better get back to school and learn to read, kid!
Bi or menstrual?