Bicyclists.......

[RoyBatty]

Grrrrrrrrrrr..
Why? WHY!

Why is it that every time I decide to get a little "exuberant" with my driving on a back country twisty road,
I brake going into a corner, downshifting at just the right time and as I get just a little more than halfway thru the turn I see......BICYCLISTS!!?!?!
Now mind you, I'm not crossing lines and I'm not squealing tires.
I'm just having a little motoring fun and the next thing you know there are people dressed like rainbows stretched out for the next couple of miles of roadway. Right in the heart of the best part of the road.
Kills the fun.
On the return trip back thru that same stretch of road, I took to hitting a short burst on the horn as I approached a turn.

Good thing I wasn't younger and in my old V8 '72 RS Camaro. I'm one of the few that survived doing many stupid things in such a car.

[wikkid]

Somewhere tonight, there's a cycling forum with the following post:

Grrrrrrrrrrr..
Why? WHY!

Why is it that every time I decide to get a little "exuberant" with my riding on a back country twisty road,
I brake going into a corner, and as I get just a little more than halfway thru the turn I see......SPORTS CARS!!?!?!
Now mind you, I'm not crossing lines and I don't have any playing cards in my spokes.
I'm just having a little cycling fun and the next thing you know there are people driving with their tops down, dual tip Ansas blatting away, stretched out for the next couple of miles of roadway. Right in the heart of the best part of the road.
Kills the fun.
On the return ride back thru that same stretch of road, I took to ringing a short burst on my bell as I approached a turn.

[So Cal Mark]

we've got the same problem in the mountains here in So Cal. The biggest aggravation is when they won't move over and use both sides of the road so they can't be passed.

[RoyBatty]

Me thinks wikkid is a closet biker.
Or at least enjoys wearing brightly colored tight fitting clothing...
Really tho wik, that was well done, touche'.

And Mark I have seen a few like that in this area.
They seem to think we shouldn't be driving a car....on the road?! Madness!
And when you do get around them, they seem to have a look on their faces as if they were wishing bad things upon you.

[grittracing]

well my friend we have the same problem here in Michigan! went to F.U.N (Fiat up north) with West Mich-FLU and Chicago FLU and I was there for the Detroit chapter. we where enjoying some really great roads and every turn seemed to have rainbow colored people enjoying some of the same roads..if you think about it we have the right of the road.we have to buy plates every year for our cars.they do not(here any way) we are also bigger! all i can say is the rainbow ones are 50 points the all black are 40.the other colors like yellow or blue are 65 just because ....

[htchevyii]

I feel ya, some of the ones here think they are cars, they ride side by side and don't even move over. These are very narrow windy roads, wait till two big trucks come around the corner at the same time!

[wikkid]

I'm the worst triple-standard, or even quadruple standard type, really: Driving, I scowl at bikers; riding my motorcycles, I scowl at cars and bicycles; on a bicycle, I scowl at bikers and cars; and if I'm not moving, all I want is peace and quiet and freedom from cars, bikes, motorcycles, jet-skis, leaf blowers and loud talkers.

I'm basically a curmudgeon

Pass me those tights.

[mdrburchette]

A curmudgeon in tights? Now that's a picture.
There are several bicyclists here in our area too. I often get behind them going up mountain roads and find myself wondering what in the hell is wrong with these people?!! It looks like way too much work to be enjoyable....oh well, to each their own. I'll continue to enjoy my Fiat through the mountain roads. BTW, you ought to lay on your Italian air horns and see what it does to those guys on bikes. It's quite a scene!

[ventura ace]

Sheesh! I'm one of those bikers, and I'm trying to tolerate all your comments. Agreed, I have seen some cyclist that tend to hog the road, and I don't see any sense in that. I think that they are soon to be a statistic. Most that I see or know use proper road etiqette, and keep to the right, or better yet, the shoulder. Myself I prefer off road biking or less traveled quiet roads where you can hear the cars coming 1/2 mile away and keep an eye out for them in my helmet mirror. I'm always concerned about a distracted driver wiping me out from behind, so I try to keep a good watch of the traffic behind me. I will say that modern cars are so quiet these days, that sometimes I don't hear them even on a quiet road, and they catch me by surprise.

An old retired coworker of mine used to jab me about all the cyclist he had to cope with on his daily twisty mountain road drive to work. He said he knew what the problem is: it's those darn tight pants that they wear that squeezes all their blood up into their head, and they're just confused! Yeh, maybe that's it!

Alvon

[narfire]

The Penticton area has herds of cyclists... year round. I to will ride both the road bike and mt. bike,great exercise for one with gammy knees from past work history and soccer. There have been several fatals and numerous collisions involving bikes and cars the past few years,especially when the Ironman participants are in town several weeks prior to the big event in August. Both have been deemed to be at fault. Yes some riders seem to have this attitude when riding side by each regardless of the traffic backing up behind them(I'm the first to see my blood pressure rise),but the ones that get it, do single file and obey the traffic regs/rules.
Problem here is the winter sand/gravel works its way to the road edge and the riders,to avoid a flat,will ride a bit further onto the road. When the crap is swept up, most riders will migrate back to the other side of the white line and all is good.
Like drivers that come up to a light,stop, light goes green, they then turn their left turn signal on,don't advance to turn left... there are bike riders and pedestrians as well that are.. well... twits,to say it politely.
Taxes from fuel are supposed to goto road maintenance and capital improvements but like all taxes everywhere go into general revenue and dissappear, like sales tax, income tax...
Have a great day, lucky the lot that still have top down weather.
Chris

[tonyfromjersey]

I don't do group road rides because the groups around me in farm country (yes it exists in New jersey!) are assholes.

I also got into an argument with the local bike shop owner who runs several of these groups, and told him they need to cut the crap because they are making it dangerous for the rest of us. Just then, another guy from my military unit who rides came in the bike shop, and piled on the conversation as well. I doubt we had any effect but I felt better.

Yes, its work to ride, but my job consists of sitting on my ass for long stretches of time. I need exercise or I'd look like jabba the hut.

Tony

[mdrburchette]

My main concern with bikers is the danger to them on the road. I respect them just as I do big rig truckers. I just ask for the same respect.

[radiopilot]

As a bicyclist myself and have always taken my family biking on trips and sanctioned biking trips I can understand some of the frustration here but alas we must consider that just as pedestrians are accorded certain rights of the road so are bicyclists... for those that think otherwise and would rudely blow their horns or drive very close to the biker so as to cause them undue panic and maybe throw them off the road... may I suggest you consider just in Florida alone the number of deaths this year and the faults of the motorists:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafe ... 138362.ece

I suggest most look up the laws in their particular states regarding motorists and bicyclists before the bicyclists and or their family wind up in litigation to own your Fiats, homes, or cause you financial ruin.

Here are the laws for Texas alone:

http://austincyclingnews.com/?page_id=84

Similar laws are in place in every state and I would strongly look them up!

Just my two cents...

[grittracing]

as most of this thread has been in fun. I guess what we all should do is call our governors and start demanding a separate lane for just the bicyclists .maybe run in between the street and side walk or if the is now room ,mark the edge of the road to allow for cyclist and if cars are caught past the lines strong fines and the same for cyclist. maybe this would keep everyone where they are suppose to be. with out having to risk one another's lives,

[RoyBatty]

Just to clarify my position.
I hold no animosity or hard feelings against folks on two wheels, self propelled.
I just wish they would understand that there's other folks trying to enjoy themselves too.
I don't try to scare bikers or anyone else on the roadway.
As I mentioned before. I have taken to popping the horn for a short burst before rounding a turn on the back country roads as a way to let others know I'm on the way.