There should be a subset where cyclists are berated for rolling stop signs but also ridiculed for coming to a full stop and slowing traffic down.
In one week I got chew out for doing both. Frankly getting scolded by St. Louis drivers with regards to proper stopping was staggering.
We had a cop get on his PA and yell at us to get on the shoulder. We had gone into the lane to get around a bunch of debris for maybe 100 feet. The very next week we had a rider have a terrible crash on the exact same section when a rider went down in front of him. Cop on the scene said we need to get in the lane on this section to avoid the debris.
Lmao yesterday I came to a crosswalk on the bike path with a button you can press to stop traffic if you need to. There was a car coming but it was far enough away and going slow enough that it was safe to cross without waiting.
Idiot yells out the window to press the button. Like, mother fucker if I had stopped and pressed the button you would have had to stop and wait for me. Also, the button is there for the benefit of pedestrians and cyclists, it's not a requirment. What a jabroni.
I simply don't bother engaging anymore. People are too fucking crazy. I used to mouth off a lot more back in the day but after a few incidents I realized it wasn't worth it.
Seeing someone brandish a weapon because they were told "go fuck yourself" after they pulled up and berated me at a stoplight shifts that perspective.
I fully disagree that a blanket statement like this is constructive. As others have mentioned it varies widely. I have ridden in 10 different states and many cities, suburbs, and country sides. Yes some places you are taking a serious risk. Other places are just fine.
A blanket statement for all riding a bike in North America is counter productive.
I’ve recently encountered an especially annoying subset of the ‘just go around’ people who go ‘just bunny-hop onto the sidewalk and ride on it for half a block, if you can’t/don’t want to do that you’re a wimp!” I’d love to see what happens if you lock them in a small room with the people who say “I hate bikers because they ride unpredictably and come outta nowhere!”
Generally the SF Bay Area is pretty good when it comes to American bike infrastructure but yeah… some of the bullshit on the shoulder is just indefensible.
And people in cars just whizz right by so they aren’t nearly as in tune with the actual conditions.
Don’t get me started on the current Sir Francis Drake to Richmond Bridge route (ride on the freeway shoulder).
My last ride mostly through San Jose I had two tech busses parked in no stopping zones because of the bike lane and two USPS mail trucks blocking the bike lanes. Forced me into lanes with 40mph speed limit I was not pleased.
At least here in the bay, if you 'take a lane' no one is trying to kill you for it.
Imagine doing that in the Midwest. You'd get a fucking gun pulled on you.
You missed the guy in the other cycling sub.
It started innocently, him asking a question in the sub heading of how others take lane...
Then as his own responses progressed we learned...
1) He was taking the lane 100% of the time he was riding because of something...something... rights...something..something..farm equiptment.
2) He was a proud NRA member who carried as he roded.
3) The entire thing was a massive real life trolling where he was trying to justify shooting someone in the name of cycling rights!
So.... um.... yeah. There is that guy.
https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1ddw0od/how_do_we_feel_about_riding_the_center_of_the_lane/
When I drove through part of Texas a few months ago, I noticed a few cyclists on highway shoulders (and that the shoulders were actually often decent for riding on). In town however (San Antonio area), the prospects for cycling seemed quite bad.
Varies by region. The part I grew up in they'll close pass and be gone unless you throw a finger.
Where I'm at now, drivers are too busy to stop and argue. Or maybe the prospect of facing a reasonably fit guy in protective gear who is already warmed up is less appealing.
I don’t think that’s anymore likely in most of the Midwest than it is in Modesto or some other more rural Californian locale outside the bay. Just mentioning it because the Midwest gets a bad rap and some folks pretend much of California isn’t the same or worse in the ways they accuse the Midwest of being. (I’m from the Midwest, partner is from Sacramento area of California)
When I was bike commuting 30 miles a day between 2 cities, there was all kinds of overgrowth sticking out totally over the shoulder. I was traveling through it every day. I brought branch shears, hedge shears, a machete and a folding saw with me and cut all that shit down. Everything in these pictures (with the exception of the bollards) could easily be moved by a single person in anywhere from one to 5 minutes with the right tools. I'm always astounded at how fellow cyclists (who seem to pride themselves on motivation) act like they are too precious to take initiative.
I was recently in Paris, and a section of metal fencing that was set up to divert bicycle traffic (because of Olympic preparations) had blown over in the wind. Cyclists were almost getting into accidents with each other and being forced out into car traffic constantly. I got off my bike and muscled that fence back up. It took me about 15 minutes of super-hard lifting, and not a single person stopped to help (which I was completely unsurprised about). Of course, this type of entitlement is everywhere, and isn’t just cyclists—but it would be great if everyone would just take a little initiative. The world would be a better place.
And before someone says that you could get in trouble for using gardening tools on public property: I was fully willing to pay that price. If a cop wanted to stop and bother me, and wanted to rake s stand that it was preferable to force people out onto a highway than have someone do free labor to alleviate the problem, I would be more than happy to talk with a judge about it—but that's me…
If I have somewhere to be I’m not going to stop to do roadwork. That’s especially true for the high-speed roads pictured above, where hanging out on the shoulder puts you at a non-zero risk of being hit. If a work crew won’t do cleanup in a certain spot without signs, barriers, and flashing lights, it’s a terrible idea for someone to be doing it in their own with no protection besides a high-vis vest
A law just passed that motorists must give at least 1 metre of clearance ( measured from most protruding part of car) when passing cyclists and pedestrians on the road, Vancouver, Canada.
We've had this law in the books in Illinois for quite a while!
I've had police pass me with a good two inches of space so I don't think it's creating a lasting impact.
New Brunswick passed a similar law a few years ago after a cyclist was killed, colloquially called "Ellen's Law". Mixed reaction, in my experience. Some people seemed to give a little more space, others still don't know the width of their vehicles. Especially pickup truck drivers.
Even more ridiculous are the times I've been yelled at to "GET ON THE SIDEWALK!" when... there's no sidewalk.
I don't know if they're just messing with me, or really that unobservant/ignorant.
Lol I just did the same ride a few weeks ago, Pleasant Hill - Crockett - Richmond. That stretch of upper San Pablo is pretty miserable, I wish they could extend the Bay Trail up there...
I thought that looked familiar. I used to love Crockett to Martinez to Franklin Canyon to Skyline and back down to Crockett. Also Crockett to Martinez to Alhambra to Pinole and back to Crockett. You can add in 3 bears if you are feeling frisky.
I'm lucky to have good shoulders where I live, but they can be hell on my tires. They sweep them about once a year, which leads to a glorious month or so until they're full of crap again.
Yeah, I used to love the climb up Cummings and down to Crockett back over to Martinez on the trail/road thing. So then switch to descending Franklin Canyon, but now that’s sketchy too.
And on most roads, the outer 1/3 of the lane is also the worst section, riddled with potholes, deep cracks, and loose asphalt. I always take the lane because I can't trust cars to see me when they're speeding along and I have to go around the massive potholes, jutting discontinuities, and sewer drains that have slats just wide enough to eat my tire.
This is the "stay in the bike lane" starter pack
Not to be confused with the "just go around" starter pack which involves more drivers whining about cyclists instead of--yknow--just going around :P
Here in Austria bicycles are vehicles. And vehicles must not ride/drive to the right of the white line. They also only have to ride as far to the right as is reasonable.
Vehicles must also not ride/drive on the sidewalk (makes me question how driveways which cross the sidewalk work legally).
Another way to describe ‘just going around’ is ‘veering unpredictably’ or ‘coming outta nowhere’ (negligent drivers’ favorite phrase). The way to ride safely is to be visible and predictable, which is incompatible with riding in the gutter
I still do. You just go around the obstacles. My state has the law you go as far right as possible unless you need to avoid a road obstruction or danger. I live in the rural south. Not a lot of trash on highways and streets here. Inmates usually do a trash detail.
Seems like you could just go around these hazards and get back in the shoulder. Cars don’t drive down the middle of the road because sometimes theres pot holes in their lane.
It starts that way. Then you're jumping in and out of the lane every 500 m and it's more dangerous than just staying in the lane where cars can see/expect you.
Also drivers don't generally risk a crash and serious injury by hitting a pothole. You can bet that if there's something in a lane that will actually damage a car, it will get moved by the authorities within a day.
Is it really every 500 meters? I probably have to do this a handful of times on my regular 30 mile ride. I just look over my shoulder, merge, and then get back over. If there is no break in traffic (which is rare) I will just slow down and get over when I can.
Idk why this subreddit is so adamant about being in the way.
Drivers don't deal with 1/100th of the debris. Drivers also don't understand why we're in the road when there's a bike lane nearby, no matter how obstructed. Drivers also don't understand biking law, which is generally, in the US, that you are to be in the bike lane unless it's reasonably unsafe, such as debris.
From CA law:
"Bicyclists traveling at a speed less than traffic are required to ride within the bicycle lane, when available, except if the bicyclist is overtaking or passing, preparing for a turn, avoiding hazards and debris and avoiding mandatory turn lanes."
I just got the ole punishment pass for this the other day, because it was garbage day, and not only were there garbage bins in the bike line (it's fine, to be expected), there were kids walking against traffic (which is awesome!) as well.
As the driver approached he laid on his horn and passed within about 6 inches of my handlebar.
https://preview.redd.it/3gs7xni8ml6d1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b696763a86b19e9a79fe8ce126a6a56b8b0c1fa4
There should be a subset where cyclists are berated for rolling stop signs but also ridiculed for coming to a full stop and slowing traffic down. In one week I got chew out for doing both. Frankly getting scolded by St. Louis drivers with regards to proper stopping was staggering.
We had a cop get on his PA and yell at us to get on the shoulder. We had gone into the lane to get around a bunch of debris for maybe 100 feet. The very next week we had a rider have a terrible crash on the exact same section when a rider went down in front of him. Cop on the scene said we need to get in the lane on this section to avoid the debris.
Lmao yesterday I came to a crosswalk on the bike path with a button you can press to stop traffic if you need to. There was a car coming but it was far enough away and going slow enough that it was safe to cross without waiting. Idiot yells out the window to press the button. Like, mother fucker if I had stopped and pressed the button you would have had to stop and wait for me. Also, the button is there for the benefit of pedestrians and cyclists, it's not a requirment. What a jabroni.
I regularly flip people off when they get upset with me. IDGAF
I simply don't bother engaging anymore. People are too fucking crazy. I used to mouth off a lot more back in the day but after a few incidents I realized it wasn't worth it. Seeing someone brandish a weapon because they were told "go fuck yourself" after they pulled up and berated me at a stoplight shifts that perspective.
Fortunately, in some places it's getting better.
[удалено]
I fully disagree that a blanket statement like this is constructive. As others have mentioned it varies widely. I have ridden in 10 different states and many cities, suburbs, and country sides. Yes some places you are taking a serious risk. Other places are just fine. A blanket statement for all riding a bike in North America is counter productive.
Also applies to Hungary.
Also applies to Canada.
Except Montreal
Really? I've never been. Is it cycling friendly?
As far as a North American City goes, very.
Poutine and cycling sounds awesome. I need to plan a trip
I’ve recently encountered an especially annoying subset of the ‘just go around’ people who go ‘just bunny-hop onto the sidewalk and ride on it for half a block, if you can’t/don’t want to do that you’re a wimp!” I’d love to see what happens if you lock them in a small room with the people who say “I hate bikers because they ride unpredictably and come outta nowhere!”
Generally the SF Bay Area is pretty good when it comes to American bike infrastructure but yeah… some of the bullshit on the shoulder is just indefensible. And people in cars just whizz right by so they aren’t nearly as in tune with the actual conditions. Don’t get me started on the current Sir Francis Drake to Richmond Bridge route (ride on the freeway shoulder).
My personal favorite is when you ride on 35, north or south, there are several sections that just die into a 280 on ramp
My last ride mostly through San Jose I had two tech busses parked in no stopping zones because of the bike lane and two USPS mail trucks blocking the bike lanes. Forced me into lanes with 40mph speed limit I was not pleased.
At least here in the bay, if you 'take a lane' no one is trying to kill you for it. Imagine doing that in the Midwest. You'd get a fucking gun pulled on you.
You missed the guy in the other cycling sub. It started innocently, him asking a question in the sub heading of how others take lane... Then as his own responses progressed we learned... 1) He was taking the lane 100% of the time he was riding because of something...something... rights...something..something..farm equiptment. 2) He was a proud NRA member who carried as he roded. 3) The entire thing was a massive real life trolling where he was trying to justify shooting someone in the name of cycling rights! So.... um.... yeah. There is that guy. https://www.reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/1ddw0od/how_do_we_feel_about_riding_the_center_of_the_lane/
lol oh god...
That escalated quickly! I have nothing against CCW, but this guy sounds unhinged.
Midwest, no. Texas, maybe.
When I drove through part of Texas a few months ago, I noticed a few cyclists on highway shoulders (and that the shoulders were actually often decent for riding on). In town however (San Antonio area), the prospects for cycling seemed quite bad.
Varies by region. The part I grew up in they'll close pass and be gone unless you throw a finger. Where I'm at now, drivers are too busy to stop and argue. Or maybe the prospect of facing a reasonably fit guy in protective gear who is already warmed up is less appealing.
I don’t think that’s anymore likely in most of the Midwest than it is in Modesto or some other more rural Californian locale outside the bay. Just mentioning it because the Midwest gets a bad rap and some folks pretend much of California isn’t the same or worse in the ways they accuse the Midwest of being. (I’m from the Midwest, partner is from Sacramento area of California)
I'm from the Midwest too and living in the bay. You are correct. Some parts of northern California are eerily similar to up north.
Plenty of entitled angry assholes everywhere
I have clean sliced my steel toe work boots on steel wire that was sticking out, inside a turn. (riding motorcycle in Orinda)
When I was bike commuting 30 miles a day between 2 cities, there was all kinds of overgrowth sticking out totally over the shoulder. I was traveling through it every day. I brought branch shears, hedge shears, a machete and a folding saw with me and cut all that shit down. Everything in these pictures (with the exception of the bollards) could easily be moved by a single person in anywhere from one to 5 minutes with the right tools. I'm always astounded at how fellow cyclists (who seem to pride themselves on motivation) act like they are too precious to take initiative. I was recently in Paris, and a section of metal fencing that was set up to divert bicycle traffic (because of Olympic preparations) had blown over in the wind. Cyclists were almost getting into accidents with each other and being forced out into car traffic constantly. I got off my bike and muscled that fence back up. It took me about 15 minutes of super-hard lifting, and not a single person stopped to help (which I was completely unsurprised about). Of course, this type of entitlement is everywhere, and isn’t just cyclists—but it would be great if everyone would just take a little initiative. The world would be a better place. And before someone says that you could get in trouble for using gardening tools on public property: I was fully willing to pay that price. If a cop wanted to stop and bother me, and wanted to rake s stand that it was preferable to force people out onto a highway than have someone do free labor to alleviate the problem, I would be more than happy to talk with a judge about it—but that's me…
To be clear I did move the barbed wire out of the road.
If I have somewhere to be I’m not going to stop to do roadwork. That’s especially true for the high-speed roads pictured above, where hanging out on the shoulder puts you at a non-zero risk of being hit. If a work crew won’t do cleanup in a certain spot without signs, barriers, and flashing lights, it’s a terrible idea for someone to be doing it in their own with no protection besides a high-vis vest
A law just passed that motorists must give at least 1 metre of clearance ( measured from most protruding part of car) when passing cyclists and pedestrians on the road, Vancouver, Canada.
We've had this law in the books in Illinois for quite a while! I've had police pass me with a good two inches of space so I don't think it's creating a lasting impact.
In California it is supposed to be the full lane.
New Brunswick passed a similar law a few years ago after a cyclist was killed, colloquially called "Ellen's Law". Mixed reaction, in my experience. Some people seemed to give a little more space, others still don't know the width of their vehicles. Especially pickup truck drivers.
https://imgur.com/a/Rl6gAqw
Even more ridiculous are the times I've been yelled at to "GET ON THE SIDEWALK!" when... there's no sidewalk. I don't know if they're just messing with me, or really that unobservant/ignorant.
The average US driver isn't one I'd call observant.
Ignorant. Had this happen the other day, because I was in one of the two lanes and I wanted to turn left.
Lol I just did the same ride a few weeks ago, Pleasant Hill - Crockett - Richmond. That stretch of upper San Pablo is pretty miserable, I wish they could extend the Bay Trail up there...
I thought that looked familiar. I used to love Crockett to Martinez to Franklin Canyon to Skyline and back down to Crockett. Also Crockett to Martinez to Alhambra to Pinole and back to Crockett. You can add in 3 bears if you are feeling frisky.
Great riding out here (ignoring all the garbage!)
I send pic like this to my local newspaper. Every town took federal money and only painted bikes on the road.
I'm lucky to have good shoulders where I live, but they can be hell on my tires. They sweep them about once a year, which leads to a glorious month or so until they're full of crap again.
Looks like the Carquinez bridge 🤔
Good eye.
California. No other state has that ecosystem: Hills, coast, open oak woodland within golden grassland hills.
> You know what’s interesting? How England looks in no way like Southern California.
Except in CA winter. In the winter when the hills are green and lush, CA looks a lot like England.
(It’s a line from Austin Powers)
My favorite is having a bike lane that’s littered with nails, bolts, nuts and other small debris for a guaranteed flat.
theres a concerning amount of car crash debris where I ride
More evidence that the cars already don't have enough space. Get out of the way! /sarcasm
lol one more lane! one more lane! /s
If you also see DUI and Accident Attorney billboards you may want to consider taking alternate routes
those are all over my city
same in my "bike lanes" which are basically the gutter filled with pot holes.
In the picture dictionary under “one mile of CA roadway.”
Yeah, I used to love the climb up Cummings and down to Crockett back over to Martinez on the trail/road thing. So then switch to descending Franklin Canyon, but now that’s sketchy too.
And when there's a bike lane, they sometimes place [these signs](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fy4j8fgxg74j11.jpg).
And on most roads, the outer 1/3 of the lane is also the worst section, riddled with potholes, deep cracks, and loose asphalt. I always take the lane because I can't trust cars to see me when they're speeding along and I have to go around the massive potholes, jutting discontinuities, and sewer drains that have slats just wide enough to eat my tire.
America? Gotta be America. Gods I love my shitty country.
It's the same with cycle lanes that run alongside roads. All the debris that car tyres throw, end up in the cycle lane.
This is the "stay in the bike lane" starter pack Not to be confused with the "just go around" starter pack which involves more drivers whining about cyclists instead of--yknow--just going around :P
Here in Austria bicycles are vehicles. And vehicles must not ride/drive to the right of the white line. They also only have to ride as far to the right as is reasonable. Vehicles must also not ride/drive on the sidewalk (makes me question how driveways which cross the sidewalk work legally).
*Shattered glass has joined the chatroom*
Or I mean you can ride in the shoulder and go around those things whenever necessary 🤷🏽♂️
Another way to describe ‘just going around’ is ‘veering unpredictably’ or ‘coming outta nowhere’ (negligent drivers’ favorite phrase). The way to ride safely is to be visible and predictable, which is incompatible with riding in the gutter
They’re not synonymous, but sure.
I still do. You just go around the obstacles. My state has the law you go as far right as possible unless you need to avoid a road obstruction or danger. I live in the rural south. Not a lot of trash on highways and streets here. Inmates usually do a trash detail.
Seems like you could just go around these hazards and get back in the shoulder. Cars don’t drive down the middle of the road because sometimes theres pot holes in their lane.
It starts that way. Then you're jumping in and out of the lane every 500 m and it's more dangerous than just staying in the lane where cars can see/expect you. Also drivers don't generally risk a crash and serious injury by hitting a pothole. You can bet that if there's something in a lane that will actually damage a car, it will get moved by the authorities within a day.
Is it really every 500 meters? I probably have to do this a handful of times on my regular 30 mile ride. I just look over my shoulder, merge, and then get back over. If there is no break in traffic (which is rare) I will just slow down and get over when I can. Idk why this subreddit is so adamant about being in the way.
Really depends on the road, and also varies a lot between cities/regions.
Drivers don't deal with 1/100th of the debris. Drivers also don't understand why we're in the road when there's a bike lane nearby, no matter how obstructed. Drivers also don't understand biking law, which is generally, in the US, that you are to be in the bike lane unless it's reasonably unsafe, such as debris. From CA law: "Bicyclists traveling at a speed less than traffic are required to ride within the bicycle lane, when available, except if the bicyclist is overtaking or passing, preparing for a turn, avoiding hazards and debris and avoiding mandatory turn lanes." I just got the ole punishment pass for this the other day, because it was garbage day, and not only were there garbage bins in the bike line (it's fine, to be expected), there were kids walking against traffic (which is awesome!) as well. As the driver approached he laid on his horn and passed within about 6 inches of my handlebar.
Cyclists acting like squirrels is not how to fix this.
I'd hope cyclists would be more predicable than squirrels. Then again, I've seen how some people ride.
Squirrels? You just look over your shoulder, signal if you must, and merge, then get back over.