Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree that this area is not very friendly to cyclists. Not just the drivers, but the roads as well. Those are the reasons I pick my routes and times, that may not always be perfect for me, but it saves a lot of stress. I have lived in areas where I load up and drive 45 minutes just to get in a low traffic area.
This is exactly why we chose to move to Chapel Hill. Seriously. Because you can ride out your front door and into the country (low traffic country) within a few minutes.
I have found this lack of tolerance in Raleigh toward runners too. I'm part of a running group which meets in Raleigh and we run early (6am). Neighbors apparently complained about the noise we were creating in their area! Yes, we are a fairly large group (about 10 of us, sometimes up to 15), but we are only talking!! Sometimes we run 20 miles, so we have to start early and we're certainly not yelling or anything. It's happened more than once. I find that bizaare.
Yeah, being able to get out to country was important for me. I lived in Apex and could get out quickly towards the south end of Jordan. Now in West Cary I would ride out toward the lake from here, too. But in recent years with stuff starting to go up quickly west of 55 it is getting trickier. It helps that stuff like the White Oak Greenway and American Tobacco Trail exists to give other options than just roads.
[quote=KFran;3028255]Deers get hit all the time, that is why there is so much road kill on the streets - you are really supporting my point with that one. Bicyclists could also end up as road kill on my street. "
If you come around the curve and see a stopped school bus are you saying
there is no way you could stop???? You need to slow down if this is true!!!
The other day I was sitting at a red light. The light turned green and I started to proceed through the intersection. I am accelerating and am half way through the intersection when suddenly two bicyclists blow through the red light (I had green now) and cut right across the intersection in front of me. I almost hit them and had to slam on my breaks. I honked at them and they gave me the finger.
Unfortunately this is the attitude I receive from most cyclists also. I knew as soon as I read that they blew through the red light that you were going to receive the one finger salute. Like I said in a previous post in this thread the majority of the cyclists give off an attitude of, "They won't hit me because I have the right to ride.". The cyclists are going to let their ignorance to common sense get them killed!
Yes! And this is Bike to Work Week, with tomorrow being the culmination (Bike to Work Day), so keep a lookout for more cyclists on the roads. Not to mention, more and more people are purchasing bicycles to use for transportation due to gas prices, so this is a trend that will only increase in the near future.
Unfortunately this is the attitude I receive from most cyclists also. I knew as soon as I read that they blew through the red light that you were going to receive the one finger salute. Like I said in a previous post in this thread the majority of the cyclists give off an attitude of, "They won't hit me because I have the right to ride.". The cyclists are going to let their ignorance to common sense get them killed!
While cyclists have the right to ride, they must observe all traffic regulations. Granted, they have no tags to 'report,' but you could call 911 and report cyclists on the road where you are, riding unsafely and ignoring lights and such.
So silly on the part of someone on a bicycle when you consider how quickly things can happen, even if the cyclist and drivers are doing everything they should be. My poor husband and I were riding one morning, traffic passing us okay, everything going smoothly, when his front tire wedged itself in a crack between the asphalt of the road and the concrete curbing, and flipped him and the back of the bike over, heads first. The helmet saved him, but he was pretty beat-and-banged-up, and I was so scared, thinking that in that split second, he could have landed in the lane of the road, moreso than what he did, and been run over -- fatally.
For the cyclists' sakes, don't let them get away with doing stupid, unsafe things -- any more than cyclists should ignore drivers who are inconsiderate of them. Please be mindful of how very quickly things change. . . even with everyone being careful, considerate, and operating a vehicle, any vehicle, safely.
Although I'm a fair-weather cyclist (I don't ride when the temp dips below 50--the "wind chill" is too much for me--LOL), the warmer weather months find me putting a lot of road miles on my bike. As a motorist, I have the same complaints as many of you: single riders taking up an entire lane when there is plenty of room on the far right, groups of cyclists riding in packs rather than single file and not moving to single file to let cars pass, cyclists running red lights, riding the wrong way on roads and--yes, cyclists riding on sidewalks!
But as a cyclist, I really despise a lot of rude behavior by motorists: honking at me when it's not necessary (scares the you-know-what out of me), a related one---FRIENDS honking at me as they pass---just to say "hi" (also nearly throws me off my bike), cars trying to force me off the road, cars pulling around me then cutting in front of me, then coming to a sudden stop. Yes, this has happened several times and once, when I couldn't get my shoe unclipped from the pedal quickly enough, I rode right into the back of the car and I thought the guy was going to assault me!
Oh, one more cyclist rant: Bikers, PLEASE do NOT wear your Ipods while cycling! Sheesh!
single riders taking up an entire lane when there is plenty of room on the far right,
Most of the time there is a reason the cyclist is doing this. It can make things much safer for the cyclist. For instance, at some places on roads (especially in turns) I will "take the lane" to purposely prevent cars from passing me until I know it is safe for them to do so. That is just one example. And it is allowed by law.
Quote:
groups of cyclists riding in packs rather than single file and not moving to single file to let cars pass,
A pack of bikes is much easier and safer to pass than a long group of single file bikers. My only issue with some riding groups is that they have grown too big and the sheer size makes them unsafe. They should not ride in groups larger than around a dozen or so.
Quote:
cyclists running red lights,
If they just blow thru, I agree. If they stop and wait and treat as a stop sign because they can't trip the light, that is ok.
Quote:
riding the wrong way on roads
This is almost certainly ignorance. From my experience these are almost always people with very little experience, often kids.
Quote:
and--yes, cyclists riding on sidewalks!
The funny thing is, I've had people yell from cars that I should be riding on the sidewalk. Also, there is some inconsistency in laws. In general, most riders would prefer to ride on roads as long as they feel their safety is not at large risk.
Quote:
Oh, one more cyclist rant: Bikers, PLEASE do NOT wear your Ipods while cycling! Sheesh!
I try to stay off well-trafficked roads.
As I don't know whether a rider has the volume up or even has it on, this one doesn't bother me. A lot of riders may switch over to greenway or very lightly traveled roads and the iPod may not have an impact. I agree they shouldn't be playing music loudly on heavily trafficked roads and should never have it turned up if it interferes with their ability to detect traffic. But even hearing impaired riders can ride safely.
For instance, at some places on roads (especially in turns) I will "take the lane" to purposely prevent cars from passing me until I know it is safe for them to do so. That is just one example. And it is allowed by law.
It may be allowed by law but think about what you are saying here. You say you are doing it "for safety" but yet you are on a bicycle in a turn trying to block a car. I'm sorry but that's plain stupid. You are trying to control when they pass when you feel it's safe to do so? You are on a bicycle and are trying to control a car/truck? Does not compute.
Quote:
If they just blow thru, I agree. If they stop and wait and treat as a stop sign because they can't trip the light, that is ok.
This is ok only if the bicyclists is there alone. You are correct that a bicycle will not trip the sensor preventing the light from changing. But a lot of cyclists do it regardless and this is illegal.
Quote:
As I don't know whether a rider has the volume up or even has it on, this one doesn't bother me. A lot of riders may switch over to greenway or very lightly traveled roads and the iPod may not have an impact. I agree they shouldn't be playing music loudly on heavily trafficked roads and should never have it turned up if it interferes with their ability to detect traffic. But even hearing impaired riders can ride safely.
If a cyclist is riding on the street they must follow the rules of the road. Wearing headphones is illegal.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Weak point
You need to slow down if this is true!!!
