Fun With Bicycles

[Ronin13]

If you know how to drive, the cyclists wouldn't be a problem, just sayin. You have an 8 foot wide vehicle in a 12 or 13 foot lane, if you have problems sharing the road, maybe you should learn to drive better rather than being angry about the bicyclists taking up 2 or even 3 feet of that space.

I think one of the issues (not pertaining to the a-hole in the vid) is that cyclists don't know how to ride. I consider myself a pretty damn good driver (often times this claim gets me into trouble when telling off duty cops I can out drive them- another story for another time), and I give cyclists a little room at the cost of infringing upon oncoming lanes- just out of courtesy. But that happens when they ride their bikes nearest to the shoulder as possible. Those that take more room than they need and use more lane than is permitted I choose to give them a boost in their heart rate by coming very close to clipping them with my mirrors (but never actually make contact). Just a friendly reminder of how small they really are compared to what else travels our roads. So I say: If you pedal your ass around and take up 2 feet (or so) on a 12-13ft wide road, and you have problems sharing the road, you have no room to cry when a diesel gives you a face full of smoke because you're being an asshole.

[hollohas]

I laughed but those cyclists all looked to be riding like they should. Dick truck driver.

That being said, there are far to many cyclists that are dumb, inconsiderate and dangerous. Anytime you drive in downtown Denver you come across cyclists running stop signs, red lights, cutting off on-coming traffic, failing to signal, etc. Just the other day I was stopped at a 4-way stop and as I entered the intersection a cyclist comes blazing through the intersection without slowing down, just missed my bumper and he was yelling profanities at me. That same thing has happened to me more than I can count.

Or last weekend when I was driving between Pine Grove and Buffalo Creek. There is a hairpin turn near the river there with little viability. What did I see as I came around the corner, 6 cyclists (2 rows, 3 wide) in the middle of the road. The speed limit is 35mph I think and they were maybe doing half that. Good way to die dipshits. If they want to endanger their lives that's fine by me, but setting some other innocent person up to have to live with killing you for the rest of their life is BS and ignorant.

Oh, and nynco, a dedicated bike path is the area in the street between two white lines with an image of a bicycle in it...

[spyder]

I will play the advocate here and say on this one, the bicyclists are being very nice by not taking up the road and instead letting you pass in any way shape or form (unless there is a dedicated bike lane). You are supposed to treat them like any other vehicle under colorado law. They can without any legal problems, ride in the middle of the street and piss everyone off and there is nothing anyone can do about it unless they are riding under the minimum speed limit if there is one for the road they are on. So, really, the next time some ass hole of a biker gives you the room to get around, you should appreciate it because he legally doesn't have to, he can make you and everyone else go his speed.

[DSB OUTDOORS]

That depends on where they choose to take their space. I agree that the cyclists in this specific video were all doing it right. But most of the times I have encountered them, their 2 to 3 feet were right in the middle of my 8. And more often than not, there was a dedicated bike path running right along the side of the road.

+1 ^^^ In our neck of the woods it's different. Check out the "Deer Creek Challenge" web sight!!!! And how much area they ride! Not only on the day of the event. Spring, Summer, Fall almost every day, especialy on the weekends!! Bike after bike. Pissing and littering in everyones driveway etc.

I think one of the issues (not pertaining to the a-hole in the vid) is that cyclists don't know how to ride. I consider myself a pretty damn good driver (often times this claim gets me into trouble when telling off duty cops I can out drive them- another story for another time), and I give cyclists a little room at the cost of infringing upon oncoming lanes- just out of courtesy. But that happens when they ride their bikes nearest to the shoulder as possible. Those that take more room than they need and use more lane than is permitted I choose to give them a boost in their heart rate by coming very close to clipping them with my mirrors (but never actually make contact). Just a friendly reminder of how small they really are compared to what else travels our roads. So I say: If you pedal your ass around and take up 2 feet (or so) on a 12-13ft wide road, and you have problems sharing the road, you have no room to cry when a diesel gives you a face full of smoke because you're being an asshole.

+1 also. My next truck will be a Diesel and I will not feel bad for the cyclists. The Colorado bike pricks are the worst! They think they own all the roads up here. More than 5 times this year I've had to follow this same group riding 4 wide and 6 - 8 deep. And they will NOT even budge to let you by! Do I feel bad NO!! A high speed buzz is some times nessary to wake them up! IMO.

[UberTong]

Man, that video is funny. A bit uncalled for, but funny. I hate inconsiderate bike riders as much as the next guy (yes, stop signs and signals are for you too dick weed), but these guys were all on the shoulder. Now, had they been in the middle of the road, well that's a whole different animal.

Agree with Ranger on this one. I have no problem with cyclists sharing the road, but obey the law if you're going to operate on it. Daily in my area I see cyclists run red lights, ride across Broadway in traffic etc.

[nynco]

As someone who was run off the road by a redneck douchebag with a truck when I was a kid, I can understand why the bikes stick in a pack 4 wide 6 deep. Safety...

The asshole who ran me off did it on purpose and my choice was get clipped by his truck or get run into a set of garbage cans. I went into the cans and flipped end over end a few times because I was tied into my bike. It was not pretty.

You are safe in your car, that car is just like a loaded gun. You should treat it that way too.

[Ranger]

I've had to follow this same group riding 4 wide and 6 - 8 deep. And they will NOT even budge to let you by! Do I feel bad NO!! A high speed buzz is some times nessary to wake them up! IMO.

The problem is now they are entitled since the Colorado law passed making it a law that you have to give them a wide berth. I've personally noticed many bike riders really being even MORE of a road hog or entitled prick since this law went into effect. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against any bike rider that obeys the traffic law and is not just courteous but also mindful that they are sharing the road with motorists - the problem is that so many are neither obeying the law nor sharing the road and that is what gets under my skin.

Seriously, to all of you bike riders - why do you have the right to be in the street at all if you cannot match the speed limit? I'm sure many people would have no problem with you being IN THE ROAD (not talking about bike lanes or shoulders here) if you would just do the speed limit and not be such a dick about cars passing you and honking.

Personally I feel that if there isn't a bike lane that bikes don't belong on the road. Maybe that makes me a jerk for saying so, but I've been in more than one traffic jam because ONE bicycler was doing 30 under on the road.

[Ronin13]

I will play the advocate here and say on this one, the bicyclists are being very nice by not taking up the road and instead letting you pass in any way shape or form (unless there is a dedicated bike lane). You are supposed to treat them like any other vehicle under colorado law. They can without any legal problems, ride in the middle of the street and piss everyone off and there is nothing anyone can do about it unless they are riding under the minimum speed limit if there is one for the road they are on. So, really, the next time some ass hole of a biker gives you the room to get around, you should appreciate it because he legally doesn't have to, he can make you and everyone else go his speed.

Ok, but there is no law stating I can't lay on my horn and flash my lights for vehicles doing GROSSLY UNDER THE LIMIT. So next time I'll respect his right to use his 1-man-power vehicle on a road normally used by internal combustion engine vehicles, but he has to respect the fact that I get pretty peeved if someone is doing 10 in a 45... and thus will let him know that my horn is properly working.

[nynco]

So are you advocating spending tax money to put a bike lane on all roads now? Are you willing to raise taxes to pay for that? If not, learn to share...

[spyder]

Ok, but there is no law stating I can't lay on my horn and flash my lights for vehicles doing GROSSLY UNDER THE LIMIT. So next time I'll respect his right to use his 1-man-power vehicle on a road normally used by internal combustion engine vehicles, but he has to respect the fact that I get pretty peeved if someone is doing 10 in a 45... and thus will let him know that my horn is properly working.

No, I understand completey, trust me. Here when you go over the monument you usually get stuck behind some prick who rides dead center (well not every time, but it has happened to me twice already this year). That kind of shit makes me appreciate those that are nice and use the side of the road mainly because they don't have to and they are just being nice by doing it.