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Ok, I didn’t know where to post this so I put it here. I was wondering if anybody that rides in urban settings have a problem with cars trying to run them over, not accidentally but purposefully. I had that happen today on my way to class. The weather was nice so I decided to ride to class instead of driving. I was cutting across an empty mall parking lot when a car came up behind me within a couple of feet and would not get off my tail. I had to jump a curb to get them off of me and even then they hopped it before turning away. Has anything like that ever happened to you? I could understand if it was a one lane street or us being crowded but this was in an open parking lot, without any barriers and no one was around us. What should I have done?
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I have seen and heard of this before in different areas. It is unfortunate that people get brave and agressive when inside a two ton vehicle. You did the right thing by going where they can’t. One advantage we possibly have is that since we ride bicycles we are in better shape than the dip wads in the car. I said dip wads because most of these types travel in small groups because being cowards they need each others support. Get away if you can and if not always go after the biggest one first. Get away if possible and get near other people if possible and they will go away. If not one of those 1911 things work well. I hate dipwads!!! 😈 Later,
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Yeah a 1911 would be nice but I was on my way to class and can’t carry on campus. Everywhere else I don’t have any problem with. I think this was a one time occurrence so I’m not too worried about it unless it becomes a regular thing. I’ll just have to start carrying a camera or something to catch their license number and report them. You’ve heard of this before? How often does this occur?
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I’ve had a few things happen and it is downright frustraiting not being able to get a license number.One time I was riding down 80th ave which can be a busy street,I was riding into oncoming traffic on the sidewalk,all of sudden my right quad felt like it got hit with a baseball bat and I collasped nto the ground and couldn’t walk for a little while.As I was getting my senses back I found a huge potato in three peices laying on the ground.I was furious and couldn’t do anthing about,outright attack and nothing I could do about it even if I called the cops so I limped back home on my bike.Had a few other incidents with drivers that just don’t or can’t drive like normal people drive,got to get that license plate if you can…….
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The recent evolution of Urban biking is an another aspect of the cycling culture I have been following for a while, with great interest. You think MTB has taken off in popularity in recent years? The Urban ridding has grown way more (although MTB will always be more fun!). I have been amassing a collection of ideas, theories and information on Urban ridding that I find quite interesting, this just really isn’t the correct forum for all that.
Instances such as the ones you guys are talking about here, although seemingly common are mostly the result of a few @$$ holes out there. And by simply getting away from them ASAP is about the best solution, get a # if you can but save yourself first. The confrontations between riders and the ‘inattentive drivers’ as Chillipepper referred too is way more common. Believe it or not it is getting better out there, the share the road program, the basic bike infrastructure within urban areas and (here is the important one) riders following the rules are all slowly coming together to create a safer riding environment out there. As riders just about the only part of this that we do have control over is How we Ride. And yes, there are rules of the road for us too (yea I know…). But know the rules for your area, try to abide by them and the drivers out there will notice. Most drivers don’t ride so driving around bikes makes them hella nervous. Although it wont happen over night, eventually they will get used to seeing bikes out there on the road and as long as they have an idea that you are going to ride where you are supposed to they wont freak out so bad.
If you do a lot of urban riding around a certain area, get involved. Trust me, just like MTB there are many groups out there working hard to make things better in this arena too.
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Well most of what I’ve been hearing and seeing is just inattentive drivers. That I can kinda understand, they are more concerned with the big truck than the little bicycle. And we can be a little hard to spot sometimes. But in my area we have a lot of cyclists, mostly roadies but still a lot. I’ve asked some of the riders around and gave a description of the car and some of them have had similar experiences. I’ll just have to start carrying a brick or tire spikes or something in my pack. The area I was riding in has 2 colleges, 3 schools, several apartment buildings, and is the main hub of the city. Bikes are very common and can see many everyday in the area, most people come to expect that there will be bikes there and there are plenty of sidewalks to ride on. I was on my way to hop on one when the chase began. I’ll not be bullied by idiots who think they are bigger than me. I didn’t put up with it in high school, I don’t put up with it anywhere else, I’ll be damned if they think they can push me around!
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I do have one thing to say about this incident. I finally learned how to do a decent bunny hop! Not the way I wanted to learn but still a way I guess.
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Hey I’ve got an update! I rode to class again, took the same path, and met up with the same car. I got chased again and again I hopped a curb to get away. Now here’s the best part they tried to turn and miss the curb and still ended up hitting it. This time I got to see the front wheel fold up under the car! 😼 😼 😆 😆 That made my day right there!
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Dude,that’s awsome.So was there car disabled to the point they couldn’t drive away??God I just can’t imagine chasing sombody on a bike with my car,must be some real heros drivving that car… 💡
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The car had to be towed away. Now they have to pay for the tow truck, repairs, and a possible lawsuit from the mall that would also include me. If it all pans out I might be able to get me another bike!
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"steve32300" wrote
I was riding into oncoming traffic on the sidewalk
YOU were breaking the law! 😼
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I should probably brush up on my bicycling street riding laws madd, 😄
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We’re allowed to ride on any trail or sidewalk that is not specifically marked otherwise, but we are supposed to go with the flow of traffic.
I know it probably hurt like crazy, but I admit I laughed a little when I read it was a potato. 😼
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That was a pretty good article there. I have to say that I really like some of the random references he used. That’s great.
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Yeah I know everyone will laugh at that potato,heck I laugh at it,but that’s the reality of it.Just imagine a car going about 40 mph and then throw that potato point blank into your leg while your spinning away,I was probably on a up pedal stroke and made it worse.
I have got eggs in the back and other things so I guess I just don’t care what I should be doing,I’ll get it anyway so I guess I figure it’s my choice wether its the front or back,hahahahahahaa.Thanks for the link madd,it was pretty good. -
ChiliPepper, You are correct, one Punk, illtempered, people bumping, cussing and ect bad acting rider can give everyone seeing his actions thinks all bicycleists are the same. It’s like one jogger kicking a car then all joggers are car kicking millitants. Too bad the good old fashion A** Whipping is against the law now. Everyone was polite in the old west because everyone carried at least one firearm. It worked for them. 😄 Later,
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Used to be that riding into taffic was the excepted way of riding deffensively so that the rider could see the on coming traffic instead of getting run down without seeing it coming so you at least had a chance to get out of the way.Anyone know the laws of riding on the sidewalks here in Colorado???
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Yes, and I typed it above…
I’ll wait while you scroll up and read… 😆
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So riding on the sidewalk against oncoming traffic is legal.I know 58th between wadsworth and independance is not legal to ride and has signs posted saying so,so I’m thinking unless it’s marked it’s ok to ride,just don’t know the specifics on riding against oncoming..
maddslacker wrote:We’re allowed to ride on any trail or sidewalk that is not specifically marked otherwise, but we are supposed to go with the flow of traffic.
Is "Supposed to" the same as being illegal???
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Actually, staying on the right applies only to when riding in the street:
http://colobikelaw.com/law.phpOn the sidewalk, you can bike salmon all you want.
A person riding or walking a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances -
Yeah,that road I was on does’nt have enough room to ride in the street plus the sidewalks are narrow and squeezed against the street.I was riding at night when I got hit by the potato,hahahaha,and was keeping my head down to block the headlights with my visor when the potato sniper got me,hahahhaa.Thnx Madd
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Speak for yourself….there are bike lanes and bike paths all over the place here…
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[quote="maddslackerYOU were breaking the law! 😼
http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2009/05 … t-lox.html[/quote]
I noticed that too but hey, it was a good story!
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So, what other encounters have y’all had like this?
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I’ve had none.
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If you ride at the speed limit, it wouldn’t happen! 😆
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Alright,I got another story so I’ll put it up to help keep the ball rollin here.So I’m riding home from work on my old Marin and if you colorodao guys know sheridan blvd in front of the hidden lake condos just about 67th going down the hill north bound.Its not a huge hill but the sidwalk is like a road course S turns and just fun to see how fast you can go through it after getting some easy speed comin down the hill.So I crest the hill and start crankin to get my speed up,the first part is dirt and then transitions into concrete sidewalk where you have to make a little turn onto the sidewalk so its a little challenging at speed,just as I’m transitioning onto the sidewalk and at speed this car turns right in front of me.There is a driveway into some town homes just before the S turn sidewalk,I grab both brakes and start skidding,the car stops right in my path so I steer as far left as I can while skidding and sliding up against the curb of the sidewalk and lean left as hard as I can because it was close.Anyway,I miss the car and was leaning left so hard I had to turn into the parkin lot to finish slowin down,the lady didn’t show much emotion when I rode back by her but I was pretty releived I didn’t crash into her car and go flying over the bars and her car.
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A couple of years ago I was riding from class, nothing special, just a basic routine. When a car pulled out in front of me. It was a beemer I clipped the front end and went over the hood scratching and putting a very large impression on the hood. Took out both headlights, and a windshield wiper and when it was all done I came out without a scratch but my saddle was destroyed. The driver was nice enough to take me to a bike shop and buy me a nice one to replace it. I had a bruise for a week but my rides were a lot better after that.
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Had an incident years back. I was out doing a regular road ride. I came up to an intersection that was wide before the light. As I came up the line of cars on the left there were two guys in the front seat and one was looking back. As I came alongside the car a guy laying in the back seat kicked open the rear door. I hit the door and the ground in an instant and it taco’d my front wheel. The 3 in the car were laughing out loud until I got off the ground. I took a large rock and smashed the windshield and the laughing stopped. I suppose they figured out I was not your average passive cyclist(MTB rider dressed like a roadie). They also figured out the police might check for green cards so they sped away as the light changed. An automotive witness let me put my bike in the back of his truck and gave me a ride home. He said he really liked the rock usage. I understand people have rights. All I want is the right to harm those that harm me. 😄 Later,
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"fat_billy" wrote
Had an incident years back. I was out doing a regular road ride. I came up to an intersection that was wide before the light. As I came up the line of cars on the left there were two guys in the front seat and one was looking back. As I came alongside the car a guy laying in the back seat kicked open the rear door. I hit the door and the ground in an instant and it taco’d my front wheel. The 3 in the car were laughing out loud until I got off the ground. I took a large rock and smashed the windshield and the laughing stopped. I suppose they figured out I was not your average passive cyclist(MTB rider dressed like a roadie). They also figured out the police might check for green cards so they sped away as the light changed. An automotive witness let me put my bike in the back of his truck and gave me a ride home. He said he really liked the rock usage. I understand people have rights. All I want is the right to harm those that harm me. 😄 Later,
Was this on on Bells Ferry or Hwy 92? 😆
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dozzerboy, No it was Roswell Rd @ Windsor Pky in what’s now Sandy Springs just outside Atl city limit. Bells Ferry and Hwy 92 are two of the most dangerous roads around. 😄 Later,
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I got Atlanta and Dangerous out of all that…
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Good thing about fat people, we’re able to deploy air bags when hit which is like getting in their face. Also the Car Fax shows when air bags are deployed which hurts resale. See? Fat people are cool! Repeat after me : Fat people are cool! Pay no attention to the man behind the curtin! 😄 Later,
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One thing I’ve learned is that rocks or branches can come in very handy. Good use of a rock btw. 😆
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So, I’ve been looking and I can’t seem to find the bike laws for Texas. Where can I find them?
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Try this: http://www.transport.tamu.edu/bicycles/statelaw.aspx . It has ’em all. I live to Serve! Another pitcher? Just saying. 😄 Later,
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I live to Serve! Another pitcher? Just saying. Later,
Dang,I haven’t drank in almost 15 years fat billy,took me awhile to catch your meaning on this one,hahahahahahahah 😉
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Hey I just got a new one. I was just pulled over for speeding! Apparently I was traveling 27 mph in a 20mph zone. 😆 Is it wrong that I took that as a compliment?
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How did they measure your speed? No licence tag, I may know a loop hole. 😄 Later,
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All right. I have to share my all-time favorite motorist/biker story with you guys.
Now keep in mind, I’m old — like 65, so this story goes back a few years (like more than 30) to my days of riding in central Kansas.
A couple of friends and I were about 35 or 40 miles out on our little training ride in the middle of some of the best corn fields we have ever seen. Nearest house was probably 20 to 30 miles away. For those of you who haven’t seen north central Kansas, suffice it to say its big and truly empty.
A "young gentleman" in a new GTO came by (they were popular then — GTOs that is). He wanted to run us off the road and we exchanged finger gestures. He pulled about a hundred yards or so up the road and threw the car sideways to block us and got out to talk. While he and I were exchanging views, one of my friends rode up to his car, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and rode a few hundred yards further and heaved the keys into the cornfield amongst the 10 foot high corn stalks.
We rode on. He elected to remain with his car rather than to run after us — he didn’t appear to have been much into running anyway. To this day, I have no idea how he got home, or how he explained to anyone how his GTO got sideways on a country road with no keys. I truly suspect that somewhere north of Manhattan KS there is still a set of GTO keys in a field. Maybe even a GTO.
Keep in mind, this was in the days WAY before the invention of the cell-phone. If you needed help, you had to walk to find it.
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Love it jwh – that sounds like something straight outta the movies.
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"fat_billy" wrote
How did they measure your speed? No licence tag, I may know a loop hole. 😄 Later,
They got me with a radar gun and they had a back up as well. I was trying to see how fast I could go using one of those radar machines as a test. I didn’t know the cop was behind me but sure enough made himself known. It was kinda funny. I’m still laughing at it. Luckily he didn’t give me a ticket, but still I got pulled over for speeding on a mountain bike!!
And jwh, your story is epic! Love it. Best I’ve done was when me and a group of friends were being hassled while bar hopping. Some sawed off runt decided that he’s a bit big for his britches, and started hounding a couple of girls that were with us. The girls managed to get him out of his truck while I creeped around the other side, while he was distracted I popped the hood and pulled off the spark plug wires. He got a little hot about that but he wasn’t fast enough to catch us without his truck. lol
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Glad you didn’t get a ticket. For radar you’d need to be wearing a tin foil body stocking. LOL I was on a motorcycle and was pulled over for speeding(I was). He had clocked me with his patrol car using the calibrated speedo. A police friend told be how to beat it. I asked for the recertification certificate after the last time the car was serviced by the police garage. Opps, Case dismissed. Yours is a funny story and a classic. Most police are cool but there are some Richard Knoggins among the group. 😄 Later,
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Suddenly this is like that Law class I took last semester 😮 😮
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"fat_billy" wrote
For radar you’d need to be wearing a tin foil body stocking.
So how do they use radar to measure baseball pitching speeds?
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I was speaking of the speedo being used to measure speed. If you put new tires on the car the speedo has to be corrected due to the difference in the diameter of the tires. On the newer cars it can be done on the ECM of the partol cars computor to recertify speedo accuracy. Police officer was the one that tipped me to the process. Worked for me. Most of the police radar registers on the Metal of the vehicle. A Corvette, Viper, Motorcycles have to be closer than a pick up truck due to the amount of metal. The engine block or radiator will reflect first in a plastic bodied vehicle. A baseball is measured sorta like a bullet is in a cronograph. It is radar but of the type that measures speed through a certin distance. A lazer can clock you no matter of what material. On most police radar units a bicycle will not registure. get a carbon fiber frame for more stealth. Bottom line is if the cop says you were speeding in court the judge will tell you the fine. Been there done that. Tough crowd, whew. 😄 Later,
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But I register on the streetside radar sign thingy he mentioned. I’m not wearing a tinfoil jersey. I don’t have any metal plates in my head, etc…
On a related note, how do fishfinders locate non-metal fish?
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To end this discussion 😆
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar_gun
Radar speed guns, like other types of radar, consist of a radio transmitter and receiver. They send out a radio signal, then receive the same signal back as it bounces off the target object. However, due to a phenomenon called the Doppler effect, if the object is moving, the frequency of the radio waves is different when they come back, and from that difference the radar speed gun can calculate the object’s speed.They can pick up anything solid, metal or otherwise. Now back to talking about riding 😄
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We build speed directors here at work,I will ask the head dude about all this stuff just to confirm wether or not us riders need to be aware of getting speeding tickets…I know I’m interested in how a bicycle can be speed detected… 😕
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I’m bigger (a lot bigger) than a baseball, so I’m pretty sure the radar gun can pick me up.
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Fish finders are sonar not radar. Flat surfaces reflect radar, thats why the F 22 has no flat surfaces to reflect radar. A sweaty jersey will only reflect when it is real close. I agree with the back to bike talk. Funny how we get off track. 😄 Later,
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Hey I just got a new one. I was just pulled over for speeding! Apparently I was traveling 27 mph in a 20mph zone. Is it wrong that I took that as a compliment?
As long as somone on a bike got a ticket from radar,were still on the subject of ridinf bikes,although it didn’t happen on a mtn bike trail so technically were off subject,hahaha.But just stop and wonder for a minute if in the future we start to get radar at the trails to keep mtn bikers in line.
Didn’t get a big dissertation on radar from the head dude at work because he was on his way home but it sounds like everything has gone lazer and it don’t matter if its metel,fish or maddslacker,your can be cought in a radar speed trap….hahahahah
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I asked a radar techinition that I know about it. He said that radar is radar and while the frequencies may be different they are all basicly the same. He told me of large flocks of birds throwing off his radar. So, me being within a couple of car lengths from a radar makes me believe that unless you’re wearing radar absorbant material, you’re going to show on radar.
But how about we get back to topic. Does anyone else have any interesting urban riding stories? -
I rode to work this morning, it was urban. I found it interesting. 😆
I burned 668 calories in 28 minutes and my average heart rate was 176
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Hardy har har 😏
Come on you can do better than that. -
I’ve told this story before but I find it fits this thread so here goes again.
Riding to work I can either take the roads or the bike path gets me almost all the way.So I had been using the bike path pretty consistantly for awhile and I guess some kids seen me riding through their part of the neighborhood and decided to try and sabotage my bicycle commute.So I’m blazin down the bike path at about 6:30 in the morning,still kinda dark out and the bike path follows a man made creek,its all concrete and the path and the concrete creek is all the same structue and has these raised portions where the street drains run into the creek that cause raised portions in the bike path kinda like jumps and you can’t see what’s on the other side till you crest them,and those kids(or whoever)took a 15 foot peice of chain link fence and laid caddy whompus across the bike path so I would crash as I rode over the raised drain portion of the bike path.I usually go pretty fast through these raised portions so I can catch some air,so at the last second I see this chain link fence in my way and abort the jump and have to do an emergency bunny hopp all while I’m haulling ass in the dark of the early morning,fortunately for me I’m a good bunny hopper from my BMX days and clear it so I don’t go down hard on the concrete…..
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Eww, glad you’re alright. I’ve not run into anyone sabotaging a bike path, luckily no one does that around here, that’d be too much work.
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Anyone know of a good hard pack Tire? I don’t want to run down my dirt tires while riding to class. I’ve been looking at the Maxxis Holy Roller’s, I just didn’t know if there were any others out there I should consider.
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"Dorado" wrote
Anyone know of a good hard pack Tire? I don’t want to run down my dirt tires while riding to class. I’ve been looking at the Maxxis Holy Roller’s, I just didn’t know if there were any others out there I should consider.
Kenda Small Block 8’s or Specialized Renegade
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This is a great thread.
Other than the occasional accidental car door flying open, I haven’t really had too many bad experiences while riding in urban settings until last week.
I live in Alexandria, VA, which happens to be one of the most bike-friendly cities in America and I was riding on King Street(aka the main street) where bikers can easily keep pace with the motorists.
I came up on a woman that seemed to be learning how to drive her new toy; a Lamborghini Gallardo. I would consider myself an auto enthusiast, so I thought it was pretty cool riding alongside this beast. Unfortunately for me, she did not share the same sentiment. A quick jolt of the steering wheel persuaded me that following closely behind the car was the better choice.I guess she didn’t trust me next to her ~$200,000 auto
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Yeah funny thing about people with expensive cars, they don’t like people close to them 😆 . I’m more of a classic car guy myself but I do the same thing I’ll pull up next to a nice car just to admire it, and usually get chased off.
Btw Mr. Rodgers, it must be a lovely day in the neighborhood. I got you to make your first post after 8 months. I feel so pleased with myself. 😎 -
wish this sort of thing were less common,… some people seem remarkably empowered in their own minds when operating a vehicle that outweighs a bicycle by thousands of pounds. i have opportunities to remind people that roads can be shared fairly often and they rarely get to be so aggressive, but any time you’re dealing with humans, there are going to be exceptions.
strangest example of this happened to me some years back when riding the coast in SoCal.
apparently i had passed some young goober that was stopped in traffic, and he took offense to the fact. (as seems to be typical, this happened when Goober had several companions in the car.) he eventually caught up to me some distance down the road, and made a great show of matching speed and feigning swerving into me as we rode along, though he didn’t seem to be capable of actually making contact (probably because he was afraid to put unexplainable scratches on Mommys car). having grown up riding the roads in a coastal tourist town full of poor drivers i wasn’t particularly put out by this, which seemed to upset him greatly as he continued to try to scare me this way. i eventually made the same motion of feigning swerving my bicycle into his car which he unconsciously recoiled from, (threatened by a bicycle?!) much to the the howling amusement of his passengers. he sped off in a poor display of horsepower exhibition.this would have been funny enough for me, but miles later as i’m climbing out of a coastal valley, i spy Goober standing on the side of the road holding a palm tree branch that he’d apparently found laying about. (for those who might mot be familiar with them, know that palm branches are frequently edged with nasty barbed hooks along the edges, and are not something you want to make contact with.) at climbing speed i knew i wasn’t going to get away from him, and noticed that as i subconsciously moved further out into the traffic lane he was stepping away from the shoulder to keep within batting range. after getting about as far out into traffic as i wanted to be, i decided that if Goober was going to try to hurt me, i was going to make sure i wasn’t the only one who got hurt, and at the last moment swerved directly toward him. once again he was startled and jumped out of the way (typical bully/coward), and his companions doubled over howling in laughter.
OK, this was funny for me twice now, but Goober didn’t think we were done. as i pulled into the next town, i could hear Goober roaring up behind me. i hadn’t said anything yet or made any gestures, but was tiring of this. i filtered up through traffic to turn left into the parking lot of a very public convenience store, and set the bike aside to face Goober and made it apparent that i was waiting for him. he screeched into the parking lot and came to a halt when he realized (finally?!) that i wasn’t running, but rather waiting for him, and paused there trying to figure out what to do. as if on cue, about this time my body-builder buddy Bruce who i’d been riding with (but doesn’t climb as well as i and hadn’t witnessed any of the preceding) rode in to where i was standing, and asked "Hey, what’s going on?". Goober and friends took a look at Bruce, looked back at me, and decided it might be time to be somewhere else.
cheers!
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What kind of bike would Chuck Norris ride? Just asking. 😄 Later,
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no need to wonder; some agencies have been using radar against mountain bikes on the trails in parks for many years already because some riders have been idiots about bombing singletracks that are shared by other trail users. (if they’d been following the First Rule of Motion and not moving so fast they couldn’t stop within the distance they could see, this never would have been an issue.)
cheers!
"steve32300" wroteBut just stop and wonder for a minute if in the future we start to get radar at the trails to keep mtn bikers in line.
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in at least some states, no measurement is required; the officer is allowed to testify to an "estimate" of a vehicles speed. nice, eh?
as always, it depends on the laws [i:2rmrv4k1]where you are[/i:2rmrv4k1], and you need to know them if you want a chance of beating them.
cheers!
"fat_billy" wroteHow did they measure your speed? No licence tag, I may know a loop hole. 😄 Later,
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keep in mind that the code quoted below may apply exclusively to Colorado, varies from state to states, and may even vary from city to city within a state.
operating a bicycle on a sidewalk is regulated by different entities, as in some states it’s left completely up to the municipalities, and in others it’s regulated by the state. in most places, riding on the sidewalk is no more legal than operating any other vehicle on the sidewalk, though there may be exceptions for children and/or seniors, and even sometimes specifically permitted for limited areas by signage. generally speaking, though, you’re safer riding in traffic as a part of traffic than riding on a sidewalk.
likewise, riding on the left is permissible in at least some states in at least some situations; for example, riding on the left side of a one-way street may be perfectly acceptable.
bottom line; don’t ASSuME laws quoted from somewhere else are applicable. it’s necessary to know the laws as they apply where [i:13tqzksz]you[/i:13tqzksz] are.
cheers!
"maddslacker" wroteActually, staying on the right applies only to when riding in the street:
http://colobikelaw.com/law.phpOn the sidewalk, you can bike salmon all you want.
A person riding or walking a bicycle or electrical assisted bicycle upon and along a sidewalk or pathway or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances -
So, something I just thought of. Is there any one site where you can look up the bike laws for the different states? I’m going to be doing some traveling this summer and I’d like to ride a little while I’m out and about.
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I think you have to search each state individually.
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That stinks, if I had the ability to I’d like to set up a site with the different states laws. I think that’d be very handy to have.
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i’d think that trying to stay on top of all the laws of 50 different states as they keep changing and how they relate to bicycling would be a significant task!
not many (if any) people need to know the laws in more than a few states; i can’t imagine who would pay for all the effort it would take to maintain a resource that would cover all of them.
cheers!
"Dorado" wroteThat stinks, if I had the ability to I’d like to set up a site with the different states laws. I think that’d be very handy to have.
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"Dorado" wrote
Btw Mr. Rodgers, it must be a lovely day in the neighborhood. I got you to make your first post after 8 months. I feel so pleased with myself. 😎
Yes, it is a great thread to take my singletracks flower. Now, speaking of lovely days, since we will be having more of those on the East coast, maybe Ill have more to post about on here soon.
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"MrRodgers82" wrote
[quote="Dorado":1jmxtu8w]Btw Mr. Rodgers, it must be a lovely day in the neighborhood. I got you to make your first post after 8 months. I feel so pleased with myself. 😎
Yes, it is a great thread to take my singletracks flower. Now, speaking of lovely days, since we will be having more of those on the East coast, maybe Ill have more to post about on here soon.[/quote:1jmxtu8w]
I guess I need a cigarette after that, huh? 😆 Hope you have fun riding the coast. I’m stuck here in a desert. We had a dust storm a couple of days ago and my sinuses are still not letting me ride. Hopefully I’ll be able to get out this weekend.
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"zouch" wrote
i’d think that trying to stay on top of all the laws of 50 different states as they keep changing and how they relate to bicycling would be a significant task!
not many (if any) people need to know the laws in more than a few states; i can’t imagine who would pay for all the effort it would take to maintain a resource that would cover all of them.
cheers!
[quote="Dorado":12x6ps42]That stinks, if I had the ability to I’d like to set up a site with the different states laws. I think that’d be very handy to have.
[/quote:12x6ps42]
I agree, not many people are interested in more than the state they live in, or maybe like Dorado said- somewhere they are traveling to. However if you find such a site Id be very happy if you sent me a link! as it is now its pretty much a state by state deal.
Ive learned certain counties also have differing bike laws within the states, just to add to the confussion I guess. I got pulled over on the Burke Gillman trail north of Seattle by a bike cop. After a couple minutes of him catching his breath and me asking him repeatedly if he was going to be alright he informed me it was a $50 fine for not wearing a helmet in King County. – I know, I know, breaking my own rules and I promise not to do it again- He let me go as I was able to plead ignorance by producing an out of state lisence and we started talking about salmon fishing in Alaska.
Bottom line is, if you only ride around where you live, learn the laws there and if you also ride elswhere its a good idea to try and research there as well, but sometimes finding that info takes a little work.
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I’ve been working on collecting some of the State laws. Mostly around Texas and the surrounding states. I’ll be trying to get as many as I can and share them if anyone wants them.
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Maybe that is something we could add to singletracks as user submitted content similar to local bike shops?
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That’s not a bad idea either. Divide it by regions then states, followed by local laws if needed. I could see that as being very helpful. And if we can’t post the entire law then we could post a link to it at the least.
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A quick Google search turns up this: The League of American Bicyclists website, with a state-by-state guide to bicycle laws. Complete with links to official gov’t websites with the laws.
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"dgaddis" wrote
A quick Google search turns up this: The League of American Bicyclists website, with a state-by-state guide to bicycle laws. Complete with links to official gov’t websites with the laws.
very cool, thanks! Ill add it to my arsenal here.
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i hesitated to mention that, since it’s mostly just a collection to states links to where to search for their laws, rather than a listing of laws.
cheers!
"dgaddis" wroteA quick Google search turns up this: The League of American Bicyclists website, with a state-by-state guide to bicycle laws. Complete with links to official gov’t websites with the laws.
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I was about to say the same thing Zouch. What I’ve been doing is collecting the laws themselves verses just links to them. I found that very same thing when I started.
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The links are better, as they change fairly often.
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"maddslacker" wrote
The links are better, as they change fairly often.
+1; laws change. Linking to the gov’t site ensures folks get correct, up to date, info.
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Yeah I guess you’re right on that. But something that’s a little clearer would be helpful. I’ve been having a hard time trying to decyper the laws. I’ve even showed one of my law professors and he had to take a second look at a couple of them. It’s kinda a shame that we don’t have a uniform bicycle law like we do with cars. That’d make things a lot simpler.
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Article that relates to this topic..
http://outsideonline.com/adventure/trav … 54507.html
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