Comments on: Why cyclists ride in the road

By: messickc

messickc — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:26:40 +0000

@John: “I run stop signs in residential neighborhoods if they are all-way and I am the first or only person there. It’s not legal, but neither is speeding.”

Actually in some jurisdictions it is OK for cyclists to only yield through all-way stops.

By: messickc

messickc — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:23:53 +0000

@Anders: Cyclists nor any other vehicle have to “maintain the speed limit.” If you want to go 20 mph down a rural US highway with a 55mph speed limit in your car, you are free to do so unless a minimum speed limit is explicitly stated (as in the 40 mph speed limit on US Interstates). Speed limits only tell you that you may not go FASTER than the posted limit, but you may certainly go any speed below it.

P.S. I actually have received a speeding ticket– 32 mph in a 25 mph zone.

By: EarthMama

EarthMama — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:02:12 +0000

Yes, Bicycles ARE automobiles, by law. THerefore, you are not permitted to run red lights, dart across 4 lanes of traffic at will, make illegal turns, etc. And I venture that is MUCH higher than 1% of bicyclists. At least in the Denver Metro area. I see fewer than 10 % EVER obey actual traffic laws. As for bikes going downhill faster than cars, that is due in part to cars obeying speed limits, which cyclists often ignore, on a down hill.

I agree the bike paths are terrible, and need to be improved. But in absence of a decent and safe path, you must either behave like a vehicle, or expect to stay out of the roadways.

One last thing: Sidewalks are for pedestrians, not Tour de France wannabes. Please don’t run over my small children whilst we are walking on the sidewalk. EVER, for ANY reason. Else you may teach them to express the “stick in the spokes” instinct I am teaching them to repress.

By: kris

kris — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:45:46 +0000

Anders..hey man. If you even as much as try to run me off the road or injure me in any way..I will make your world a living hell..as I have already done to sevreal motorists who have done the same shit you say you do to cyclists. Treat them as you would anyone else. Im pretty sure you wouldnt want someone hitting you and leaving a 1,000 dent on your precious car..the same as when we are riding and enjoying ourselves. Please watch waht you say..one of us will take it the wrong way and you will find out the hard way what that means someday. Peace out!

By: kris

kris — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:39:48 +0000

To Stacey…I am a daily commuter by bicycle. Your comment on riding on shoulders has me wondering. If you read the top portion of this blog..it mentions that shoulders are quite dangerous to be riding on sometimes. A shoulder that is only 6 inches wide is not safe to be riding on. I really do not appreciate being squeezed onto the side of the road by some speeding car that doesen’t seem to care about a cyclists safety. We ride twoards the center of the road even when there are shoulders present. They are often filled with broken glass or sharp objects like sharp stones or debris..which can puncture a bikes tire instantly. We have legal rights to be riding on the road. As I said in my previous post..please dont be making any stupid or just plain dumb assumptions without first educating yourself with bicycle laws…its just that simple.

By: kris

kris — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:25:45 +0000

Id first off like to inform the people whom think that cyclists have no rights to use the road. WRONG. We have every right to use any public roadway exceptions being Interstate highways..limited access roads and other roadways that prohibit bicycle riding. Secondly..if you come upon any biker that is in the middle of the road..they are not there to piss you off..we ride in the center of the lane because alot of people think they can squeeze in between us and the car in the other lane..it doesent work like that. You are required to leave at least 3 feet distance from our bike to your car..example pass us like you would pass another car..SAFTLEY..and not in an unsafe and dangerous manor..like only leaving 2 inches from us to your car..that does not work. Thats an unsafe pass..and one wrong move from us or you at that distance can result in us being seriously hurt or worse. Thirdly…dont be tailgating us or riding very close as to being soo impactient ..waiting for us to move out of your way..that doesent work either. 3 feet is the minimum distance that you are required to leave us from all sides and from the rear. I especially dont like being followed in a dangerous and and in an unsafe manor. Most motorists are polite..but few do not be polite. Lastly, some of us may run stop lights or stop signs..its perfectly fine and legal if we look and slow down to a reasonable speed. Now everyone please read about bike laws before making any dumb assumptions becauase believe me..alot of us are tired of hearing about it.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:38:18 +0000

FWIW Anders, as Stephen says it’s a limit, not a target. Sometimes even driving at the limit could be dangerous considering road conditions, weather, other traffic etc.

I’ve taken a slightly different stance on riding in the road on a cycling community blog, regarding road positioning and why the cyclist isn’t placed in the gutter. It’s written with a UK audience in mind, but if you switch the lefts for rights I’m sure you’ll get the idea.

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/blog/2008/08/why-do-cyclists-ride-in-the-middle-of-the-road/

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:06:08 +0000

Speed limit? It’s not illegal to go under the limit (unless it’s the highway and it’s a minimum) for cars or bicyclists. It is illegal for cars and technically bicyclists to go above the posted limit. Where people get the idea that you have to be at the speed limit makes me curious where they learned to drive.

I find it funny and true that cars will accelerate past a bicycle only to get caught back up to on a downhill — or only to both get stopped at the the same stoplight. Car drivers should learn that passing/speeding angrily isn’t worth it only to wait at the next traffic light.

By: John

John — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:47:24 +0000

I run stop signs in residential neighborhoods if they are all-way and I am the first or only person there. It’s not legal, but neither is speeding. Do you honor stop signs when walking? Would they even be there if cars didn’t use the neighborhood as a thoroughfare? The point of stop signs in residential neighborhoods is traffic management
of motor vehicles. Some of the stops signs are on cul de sacs.

There are three lights on my commute that don’t pick up the metal in my bike. I cross on red because it’s legal if I wait an appropriate amount of time. It is scary as hell, but I have to do it. The most that a driver has ever been behind me is 30 seconds; If he can’t wait 30 seconds, he left too late.

It is illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk. The sideWALK is for people who are WALKing.

I own four cars. I wish that more drivers would ride. They never smile. I might come off as a smug prick, but I get up two hours earlier than I used to, I have a four month old son and a 12 mile ride. You can do this. Other than that, I just want to live. Please don’t kill me

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:03:18 +0000

I’ll accept your “responsibilities” as soon as my tax dollars no longer subsidize your gasoline. Also, it’s hard for a cyclist to “damage another vehicle”, but really easy for a car to damage 10 cyclists. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080603/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/mexico_bikers_hit

By: Stacey

Stacey — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:51:08 +0000

I am not a cyclist and never will be (despite my boyfriends best attempts). Before I was dating a cyclist, I hated them on the road. As a driver you will find a large number of people on bikes who piss you off, swerve in front of your car, block the road (even when there is a clear shoulder or ride in huge packs), and disobey traffic laws. I now understand the trials of cycling on the road with cars. However, I still get throughly pissed off at a majority of people on bikes; the ones who don’t obey the common courtesies or laws of the road. Roads were not built for bicycles, I will share them with you so long as you are following the rules of the road.

By: burlinw

burlinw — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:43:57 +0000

First off, I realize bikes have the same rights. I am VERY safety conscious around bikers on the road. I give bikes on the road more respect than 99% of other drivers. I’ve lost 2 friends in bike accidents, and have plenty of friends that ride on a daily basis. I’m not advocating hitting riders, or giving them less room on the road, or looking for anyone to get hurt.

My problem is that bikes have the rights of the road with NO responsibilities. Cause an accident? Damage another vehicle? Injure another rider/driver/pedestrian? Keep riding!

That said, I find these responses hysterical. I think bikers should have the same responsibilities as all other vehicle drivers, so I’m to blame for the Iraq war?

By: Anders

Anders — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:34:11 +0000

Cyclists must maintain the speed limit. And they have to understand that when they ride in traffic they have to follow the common rules.

Im one of those that hate cyclists, ive hurt a couple of them. And i quite enjoy it.. The main problem is the police, but as long as i can prove that the cycelist was the one to blame im free. And i got to hurt one of you suicidal dumbasses.

By: Heather

Heather — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:08:22 +0000

In Japan, cyclists ride every damn where they want. Roads, sidewalks, the midle of the road, the park, inside the train station, on the wrong side of the road. And they also run the light on a regular basis….WITHOUT LOOKING. Which is pretty darn scary considering that most corners are blind and you can not tell from a distance whether or not a car is comming. They also don’t use hand signals, so you don’t know where they are going (straight or turning) and like pedestrians, they seem almost incapable of moving (riding) in a straight line…all of which makes it pretty difficult to pass grandma or grandpa when they are moving slower than the local cockroaches. Oh, and the people who walk out of buildings and don’t look before they step in front of you, when everyone knows that cyclists ride on the sidewalk….and then sue you when they get a broken leg…yeah, the pedestrians are great…!

You motorists should be thankful that a cyclist’s behaviour on the road is at least somewhat predictable. Try driving in Japan..and then shut the **** up.

And you cyclists, please pity a poor North American who misses the luxury of road rules. If I didn’t hate the hot crowded subways and trains so much, I would use my bike less. AS it is I ride everywhere and it’s faster and cheaper than using the trains. So I have to contend with all the crap. sigh!

By: voodoomanifesto

voodoomanifesto — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:09:49 +0000

@Burlinw,

You maintain that when cyclists “start paying for the road [they] can have the same rights”, while admitting that bicyclists “have the same rights under the law”.

You go on to say that after you see a bicyclist get fined, you’ll “start considering them equals on the road”.

First you contradict yourself as blatantly as possible. Then you sob, and make a gracious offer to actually obey the law (forget about simple human decency, such matters must always be reduced to the capital-L Law with your kind) — but only if some magical police officer who represents all police officers gives a ticket to some magical bicyclist who represents all bicyclists.

People like you should sequester themselves in their homes. And. Never. Leave. And the reason behind this has nothing to do with bicycles or automobiles or driving. The reason behind this is — simply — you are a troglodyte.

Perhaps a Homo erectus, you are responsible for a wide gamut of social issues, the least of which include: the war in Iraq, inadequate health insurance coverage, and the increasingly unethical pricing policies of big business.