[leavetrekalone]

So I ride a bike. A bicycle bike. I put 500 road miles on my bike this June. Though I use back roads as often as I can, sometimes I have to share the highway for a few miles. I try to be respectful to drivers, to stay on the shoulder when I can, and not to hold up traffic or impede it.

Here where I live, we have mostly wide shoulders with lots of room to stay over. Funny thing happens. While most four wheelers with a few exceptions try to give me a wide berth if possible. There are always a few who don't want to share the road. But what bothers me is the motorcyclists.

How funny is it to try to tick the mirror of a bicycle? How funny is it to get real close and slow and then goose the throttle right beside a bicycle? How great is it to ride the white side stripe when nobody's even in the other lane just to show that bicycle who's boss?

So yesterday I did a 50 mile ride. Minding my own business and 4 big motorbikes came from behind and the guy in back tries to tick my mirror AND gooses his throttle directly in front of me. Pretty funny. In light of the at least 8 "Give a Motorcyle a Brake" posters I'd passed on the road that day, it struck me that you can be a bully in whatever form of vehicle you ride in or on. Also, it almost always happens when group riders pass me.... never loners. Impress the biking friends, eh?

Well look here. If you think a bicyclist doesn't also happen to own and drive a pickup, you'd probably be wrong. I still intend to give the motorbike the same courtesy that the loner constantly gives me. But I'm sick of being bullied just because my bike isn't as big as yours and I don't intend to offer a whole lot of quarter or sympathy to bikers from inside my pickup. Group bikers...feeling full of yourselves..... why not 'Give a Bicycle a Brake' once in a while, or does that not fit into your bada$$ self image?

Just food for thought. I'm out.

 

[billo]

Well get over it. We like to play. Welcome from Texas

 

[Porky]

A lot of you Bicycle riders know that you have certain legal rights on the street and some of you do dangerous things just because you can and will someday get you hurt or killed and all because you forced the "letter of the law," and forgot the "Spirit of the law."

We see you guys ride on sidewalks, run stop signs and just pause at traffic lights and then proceed. Some of you weave right and left in your imaginary riding lane and scare the POOP out of anyone approaching you.

By the way, those stupid little lights you put on your very expensive racing bicycle are absolutely useless and we cannot see you at all in dusk conditions and barely when it's pitch black!

When I pass a Bicycle, I go all the way over into the other lane for his/ her safety and my own because frankly a person never knows what a Bicycle rider may do--in a heartbeat.

The Bicycle thing is a perfect example of how "Loud pipes save lives" since you will no doubt hear the Motorcycle as it approaches you and you can be diligent to your situation.

Be careful out there--cages are out to get all of us riders.

Sam:coffeescreen:

 

[Luvs2Play]

Bicyclists are the most rude and obnoxious people on the road. They hold up traffic, run stop signs, block lanes, and go extremely slow when they want to make a point. They believe that because they have the right to be there, they can disregard their own safety and the safety of others. Just because they have the right to be idiots, it's everyone else's job to make sure they stay safe. They all forget that right is right, but dead is permanent. Since you are going well below the posted speed limit, move the hell over or get off the road when an actual vehicle is coming up to go around, make it safe for yourself and the person passing you.

Trust me, unless you are wearing tight pants and a tube top, we aren't impressed with your shaven legs and cute little plastic helmet.

I give them the room that they are willing to give me, crowd me and guess what, law here only forces me to give 36 inches, and sometimes I have to reach out to make sure I give that much, too bad the mirror gets in the way of my 37" reach.

 

[CTX]

I ride both motorcycles and bicycles. Don't sweat it LTA. Those guys you met on the road probably had their wemens comment on how nice a cyclist's legs and butt looks in bicycle shorts and suggested that maybe they should get fit and take up cycling too. Bullies are driven by their insecurities. :biggrin:

 

[Lurch77]

I'm one that gives bicyclist a break. I also ride a bicycle. So does my wife. So do my kids. And I was fully on board with what you were saying until you added in the part about not giving bikes a break when you're in your truck. You've now become absolutely no better than those jerk bikers. And remember this, for each jerk on a motorcycle, there are a lot more that aren't jerks. Just like in any other group of people. Let's remember that there are a great number of bicyclists out there that refuse to follow the safe rules of the road, as well.

 

[junkbonds]

Some of these responses are down right ignorant.

A bicycle deserves space and the same courtesy a motorcycle should receive.

To kick a bike's mirror and the other ignorant actions IS being a bully from a guy with a very small penis.

That some bicyclists are ignorant and rude does not mean all are.

 

[cmonSTART]

Group bikers...feeling full of yourselves..... why not 'Give a Bicycle a Brake' once in a while, or does that not fit into your bada$$ self image?

Just food for thought. I'm out.

Not helping your cause there....

Either that or just a troll...

 

[Lurch77]

That some bicyclists are ignorant and rude does not mean all are.

The OP made the same assumption about motorcyclists, with some of their remarks. So I can understand the defensive or aggressive replies from some. Lumping all of us in as "bad asses" and as being aggressive when riding as a group is wrong. If you want respect from a group of people, you first have to show respect. That's common knowledge. The OP's posted started out respectful, but degenerated toward the end.

 

[Metaldoc]

The OP's posted started out respectful, but degenerated toward the end.

My thoughts as well. Being a bicycle rider as well as a motorcyclist, I was on his side to start but apparently he was getting angrier as he wrote.

When I'm on my bicycle I'll wave at bikers and most will wave back. When I'm on my motorcycle I'll wave at bicyclists and show them courtesy.

Most folks on both sides of the fence are good people. It just takes a few bad apples to make everyone look bad.

 

[Porky]

Is this a bicycle forum:

I have about 5 very nice, expensive but old 10-20 speed bikes and at least that many high tech but old mountain bikes but I haven't ridden in years--even then, I picked my places and times for safe riding.

Sam:biggrin:

 

[CDRW]

I've got a pretty nice mountain bike that I bought this winter, nothing super expensive, but good enough to say I've got a nice bike. It's nice enough to have hydraulic brakes. I never knew bikes even came with hydraulic brakes. I didn't know that when I when to adjust said hydraulic brakes...

Anyway, my bike still doesn't have a functioning rear brake because I used the bleed kit I bought to remove some oil from my motorcycle when I overfilled it. I should get that fixed someday.

@OP: Yeah, those bikers are *******s, but I don't have any sympathy because you are too.

 

[Lurch77]

I have a 1997 Specialized brand mountain bike. It was nice when it was new. Front suspension. Never gave me a problem over all these years. Bought it when I was stationed in Maine, and I beat the heck out of it in the mountains out there. The newer bikes have better technology, but it still does everything I need it to. No hydraulic brakes, though.

 

[CDRW]

Honestly, I'd prefer a cable anyway. I haven't had the chance to do any of the downhill biking I had planned because of those stupid hydraulic brakes.

I want to like the bicyclists on the road. I feel a certain kinship with them. But every time I try to wave at them they're staring at their goddamn front wheel, oblivious to the world around them!

 

[wadenelson]

Some of these responses are down right ignorant.

A bicycle deserves space and the same courtesy a motorcycle should receive.

To kick a bike's mirror and the other ignorant actions IS being a bully from a guy with a very small penis.

That some bicyclists are ignorant and rude does not mean all are.

Amen.

Bikers NEED cyclists' support in combatting our MUTUAL enemy, the distracted cager. Setting cyclist against biker is just plain stupid. So is making excuses for bikers who pull this sort of b.s.

No wonder I don't "fit in" on this forum. Some of you actually believe that was acceptable behavior on the part of the bikers who harassed this cyclist.

Payback, my friend. One day that biker will be in HIS pickup truck...

 

[hogcowboy]

I see some folks that are very wrong on both sides of this issue. And in no way do two wrongs make a right. We are all exposed to the idiots texting in cages. You darn sure ought to be aware of that and fighting your real enemy together. Rather sad what I've seen here.:thumbsdown:

 

[Stablefull]

Seattle might be the bicycle capital of the world. They areeverywhere. And there are some bicyclists that follow the rules of the road. But l find many that expect everyone to give them plenty of room and extend them a branch of respect, yet they have no respect for the rules of the road. They ride on sidewalks when it is convenient to them, they always run red lights, and, in general, they act like they are above everyone else because they pedal to their destination.

So my plea to the bicyclist is this...please go [email protected]#% yourself

 

[slumlord]

This video came to mind--- Hilarious
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2011/jun/09/casey-neistat-bike-lane

 

[Jo6pak]

I am a former bicyclist (knee injuries made me stop riding about 10 years ago) I've been nearly run off the road by all kinds of vehicles crowding the shoulder for no apparent reason.
He made a post to ask motorcyclists to give bicyclists a break and give them some room. Don't hassle them, show some respect. Maybe he could have been a bit nicer, but aren't we all adults? Some of the replies seem like a child screaming, "He started it" when they get scolded. Rent a backbone people.

 

[Stablefull]

Sorry man, but the bicycling community as a whole has made their own bed as far as l am concerned. I have no sympathy for whatever they encounter. I'm actually amazed they don't get in more wrecks