Cars are big and deadly, they win every time. I let them pass.
Slow down to let cars pass by?
I'm getting back to riding in San Francisco, and where there are no bike lanes and I'm going only slightly slower than cars next to me, I feel like I should slow just a little for them to pass by quicker if I'm in no hurry. I know when I'm driving and see a cyclist going 18-20mph with a 25mph speed limit it's annoying to have to either follow him slowly, or gas it to pass him. From a driver's perspective, I think it's much less pressure to cut a lane or go into opposing traffic to pass a cyclist quickly than to take a few more seconds to pass a slightly slower cyclist, especially in heavier traffic.
I know I can just stop worrying and let drivers decide for themselves whether to follow me or pass by, but as I am perhaps a bit too empathetic, I'd like to know what you all think, especially if you are drivers as well. Of course, I'm not going to cut perhaps 20%+ of my speed to let them fly by me
I know I can just stop worrying and let drivers decide for themselves whether to follow me or pass by, but as I am perhaps a bit too empathetic, I'd like to know what you all think, especially if you are drivers as well. Of course, I'm not going to cut perhaps 20%+ of my speed to let them fly by me
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I would only slow, if I was creating a traffic jam. then I would just pull over until it is cleared. I have a right to transport down that road on my vehicle too, but causing traffic jams ain't cool. I don't really ride in the city, certainly not SF, so take my hypothetical answer for what it's worth.
Some people get unreasonably angry at the mere sight of cyclists, even if you're not in their way. Don't risk inducing road rage to save yourself a few seconds, or to assert your rights on the road. If you search around you can find a thread or two about a doctor of all people who hospitalized a couple riders just to teach them a lesson.
I avoid the roads whenever possible. I see too many people doing dumb **** all the time.
I avoid the roads whenever possible. I see too many people doing dumb **** all the time.
In most states, bicycles are legally entitled to the full use of the traffic lane (just as much as any motor vehicle). And most states do not have minimum speed limits for roads that have posted speed limits below 35 mph.
I am not advocating doing anything that would reasonably be expected to antagonize motorists, but if you're going close enough to the posted speed limit for this to even be a question, I suggest that it would be safer for you to "take the lane".
I am not advocating doing anything that would reasonably be expected to antagonize motorists, but if you're going close enough to the posted speed limit for this to even be a question, I suggest that it would be safer for you to "take the lane".
That's one of the reasons that many U.S. citizens choose to exercise their God-given rights, as recognized (and supposedly protected) by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.spsoon said:Some people get unreasonably angry at the mere sight of cyclists, even if you're not in their way. Don't risk inducing road rage to save yourself a few seconds, or to assert your rights on the road. If you search around you can find a thread or two about a doctor of all people who hospitalized a couple riders just to teach them a lesson.
I avoid the roads whenever possible. I see too many people doing dumb **** all the time.
I'd rather have it and not need it, than the other way around.
You can't go wrong with the Golden Rule. You have good instincts. Follow them.biomanz said:... I feel like I should slow just a little for them to pass by quicker if I'm in no hurry. I know when I'm driving and see a cyclist going 18-20mph with a 25mph speed limit it's annoying to have to either follow him slowly, or gas it to pass him...
Or you can get a gun, do whatever pleases YOU, and shoot anyone who interferes. After all, it's your God-given right. :madman:
That didn't work out so well for this guy:tduro said:You can't go wrong with the Golden Rule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Denny_incident
And that didn't appear to work out so well for this guy:Or you can get a gun, do whatever pleases YOU, and shoot anyone who interferes. :madman:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seung-Hui_Cho
Nobody's forcing you to exercise your rights, or even to take any role in your own survival. Drivers operate a weapon that weighs thousands of pounds and only has to be reloaded once every couple of hundred miles. If you choose to leave your fate to every single person you encounter, you are free to do so. Like they say:
"Don't like guns? Don't have one."
here here, touche :thumbsup:spsoon said:I avoid the roads whenever possible. I see too many people doing dumb **** all the time.
i have NEVER read a post on this form that reflects my view more accurately than that
Stand and hammer so you are doing 25? Thats what Lance would do.
Hmm. I don't ride on road ever, and my blood pressure rises when a see a roadie up ahead of me (while I'm driving). I expect him to do something douche-y, even though 9 out of 10 won't.
I'll have to bone up on my bible knowledge, I must have forgot the part when God says "let there be guns...". Is that the King James version?
I'll have to bone up on my bible knowledge, I must have forgot the part when God says "let there be guns...". Is that the King James version?
Hmm, I don't think so. Maybe the King George version?BigSharks said:Is that the King James version?
I think it's simply a matter of perception. I don't perceive that all motor vehicles are out to kill me, therefore I don't perceive a need to shoot them. It's worked OK for me so far. How about you?RIS said:That didn't work out so well for this guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Denny_incident
And that didn't appear to work out so well for this guy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seung-Hui_Cho
Nobody's forcing you to exercise your rights, or even to take any role in your own survival. Drivers operate a weapon that weighs thousands of pounds and only has to be reloaded once every couple of hundred miles. If you choose to leave your fate to every single person you encounter, you are free to do so. Like they say:
One can never be too far from a second amendment debate...
The bicycle/auto interaction issue is always a tough one. Lots of valid, yet conflicting points are usually raised. One that I haven't seen raised here is the notion that road conditions, including traffic, can be such that cycling certain roads at certain times may not be such a good idea. I do realize that some people have no choice, and everyone is going to have a different threshold for what constitutes 'reasonable conditions'. I know there are some roads which I would never ride at certain times, even though I'm entitled to do so. Sometimes exercising your rights is not worth the risk, but this is a completely personal decision - not everyone has the risk tolerance of a NYC courier.
biomanz - I think you already know what you need to do in your situation. Keeping the interests of ALL the road users in mind is the right thing to do. How to translate those concerns into the appropriate actions is situation-dependent, and therefore I don't think it's possible to give a blanket answer to your overall question. For me, whether I'm on a bike, driving a car, or driving a large farm tractor (high school job) on a public road, I don't like to be retarding the flow of traffic.
Of course, safety always comes first. Under some conditions, you need to be willing to endure a few waved birds or horn blasts in order to get where you're going safely.
-Pete
The bicycle/auto interaction issue is always a tough one. Lots of valid, yet conflicting points are usually raised. One that I haven't seen raised here is the notion that road conditions, including traffic, can be such that cycling certain roads at certain times may not be such a good idea. I do realize that some people have no choice, and everyone is going to have a different threshold for what constitutes 'reasonable conditions'. I know there are some roads which I would never ride at certain times, even though I'm entitled to do so. Sometimes exercising your rights is not worth the risk, but this is a completely personal decision - not everyone has the risk tolerance of a NYC courier.
biomanz - I think you already know what you need to do in your situation. Keeping the interests of ALL the road users in mind is the right thing to do. How to translate those concerns into the appropriate actions is situation-dependent, and therefore I don't think it's possible to give a blanket answer to your overall question. For me, whether I'm on a bike, driving a car, or driving a large farm tractor (high school job) on a public road, I don't like to be retarding the flow of traffic.
Of course, safety always comes first. Under some conditions, you need to be willing to endure a few waved birds or horn blasts in order to get where you're going safely.
-Pete
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