I've been linked to this thread and asked for input at least three times now, so I guess it's time to check in. For those that aren't aware, I'm a very active cyclst: I held a district title in 2002, I'm beginning my 5th racing season, I've worked in two bike shops, and spend a significant amount of my time riding. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to brag, just convey that I have a significant amount of experience in this arena. Although I ride mountain bikes, I spend the majority of my time on my road bike, at least half of which is on open public roads. Further, I really can't remember that last time that *I* was the subject of a driver's anger. The first thing that *everybody* needs to remember, cyclists and drivers, is that the responsibility of an effective road-sharing relationship falls on both sides of the coin: nobody is expempt.
As a formerly active member of this club, a cyclist, and a driver, I'm pretty disappointed with some of the things I've read in this thread. It's time for everybody to start acting like grown ups.
Before I tackle that topic, though, I'll take my own group under critique: some cyclists treat the road as if they own it. It's not right, it angers drivers, it's adversarial, and it establishes a precedence that the entire sport has to bear. There is a local ride where I am that makes it a habit of breaking more traffic laws than it obeys (and given that a lot of traffic laws are speed-related, that's hard to do)... wearing your team apparel is more than likely to get you ejected from your team. I've never participated and I probably won't. I'll be the first to admit that it's not fair to anybody on the road, and it's dangerous for anybody, drivers included, around. Cyclists need to ride respectively.
To make a direct comment on the topic, I, personally, don't usually run lights. I do a lot riding in relatively dense areas (especially compared to the OP's area) and it's risky for rider and driver alike. There is the occasion that I'll do it, but not when I'm leading a group and it is certainly the exception rather than the rule. As cyclists, we should recognize that drivers are inattentive, unpredictible, and sometimes not visible until the last second. Taking the chance, to me, to conserve momentum just isn't worth it. You risk a ticket, too, if you care about that sort of thing.
In the spirit of continuing to address my own camp before moving on, respectful riding is about more than just waiting at reds. We should ride as unobtrusively as is safely possible on public, especially busy, roads. This means riding just far to the right enough to be recognized as being in the road (drivers: the flip side of this is that you should give us a little room... we don't need a whole lane, just don't scare the shit out of us. You may lose a mirror if you buzz it, but it's going to hurt when I hit the ground), following intersection traffic protocol (yes, I'll pretty frequently slow, but not stop at stop signs... not without getting an affirmative signal from drivers, and not without checking for safety), keeping our tempers in check, and recognizing when we're unfairly blocking traffic. If you're causing congestion, move over a bit or get your group under control as quickly as you safely can.
I hope that addresses most of the concerns expressed. When people find out I ride, this even happened in a meeting at my office once, they often tell me about all of their negative experiences with riders. I'm never really sure what they hope to accomplish: I ride with respect to other users of the road, and I can't go out and change the actions of all the other riders out there. Nobody says to them that all [insert car model here] are assholes, and I don't really see the situation differently.
I've been treating cyclists as a grouping, and that's actually something I take exception to. We may say, as cyclists, that one group causes tons of problems (like, for example, a lot of city riders and/or messengers), not us. The reality is that drivers can't, and don't want to, distinguish between us. Ultimately, I wish drivers would treat each interaction with a cyclist separately. Our club's motorcyclists can comment that they/we are typically treated with whatever preconceptions other people have, whether we fit them or not. Not all motorcyclists ride like assholes, and it's very frustrating when drivers road rage against you because of an experience with somebody else. Likewise, I would encourage all drivers to treat their interactions with bicyclists as individual instances.
It's unrealistic to expect that cycling won't impede traffic flow a little. We appreciate it when you slow a bit for passing and give us a little room. There's a line between a cyclist being arrogant/ignorant to traffic and a small delay. Cyclists should take that into consideration, and some posters have noted that there are those out there that don't. On their behalf, I'm sorry. Since I can't change them, though, the responsibility of safe road use, fair or not, falls to you. And this is where I have a big problem.
It's popular to talk about vigilante justice from behind the wheel of your car. Everybody that's expressed favor of this hunt should be ashamed. Like it or not, cyclists are people. It is not acceptable to buzz somebody as close as possible (what if he swerves to avoid a small road hazard you missed, or gets frightened and tense on the bars, causing unpredictibility, when he hears your tires behind him?), pretend to run somebody down, or otherwise use your car as a weapon. Act like an adult and keep your temper in check.
I've read at least five stories this year, that received national media attention, of cyclists being run down.
Five.
Almost half of the cyclists in those incidents died. Dead. Fucking dead. Get it? That's not funny in any manner of speaking. Doctor Thompson, whom RJ mentioned previously, ran down two cyclists and attempted to run more down on previous occsaions (ultimately, he was convicted on two). The cyclists he ran down were travelling the speed limit, as verified in court by GPS. One nearly lost his nose as a result of passing through the back windshield (it took more than 90 stiches to reattach), and the other suffered a grade three shoulder separation. This is what Thompson told the 911 operator (admitted as evidence in court):
Dr. Christopher Thomspon Wrote:I wanted to teach them a lesson.
Two guys travelling the speed limit, not doing anything wrong.
In Norfolk recently a National Guardsman ran down a cyclist who was riding on the shoulder and proceeded 1.5 miles before turning around. The cyclist died on the scene. Tyler Farrar, a top-shelf professional American rider, nearly lost his father recently when he was struck head on. He was an orthopedic surgeon and is now paralyzed. A couple professional riders I read about, unfortunately most details escape me, were struck from behind while training (just the two of them) and the driver fled the scene. Need I go on?
I've been riding road since before I could drive and, for the first time in my life, I'm scared to go out and train. I don't break traffic laws left and right, but it's apparent that I'm subject to long died in the wool prejudices, anyway.
Using your vehicle as a weapon is a dangerous, irresponsible thing to do. You're more than likely TO kill somebody than not if you hit them. And if you don't, and there's traffic behind you, the rider could fall into it and be run over. Who are you to decide to risk taking somebody else's life because you're angry and inconvenienced? [Evan, I know you're itching to respond to that, but remember that I did my best to address road courtesy above.] If you're seriously doing things like that, it's time to grow up. If you're having a real problem with the way some cyclists are acting, call the police. Justice is not yours to dispense.
Recapping, this is a two sided coin. There are cyclists out there that have respectable-use problems and don't control their tempers. They instigate problems and really do a number on public perception of our hobby, on the whole. It's inappropriate and I wouldn't have the slightest problem if the police started dealing with them more harshly. That said, drivers should start treating their encounters with cyclists as individual instances. Not all of any partuclar group of cyclists act the same way (and saying that they do kind of singles you out as ignorant), and it's unfair to punish one man for another's infraction. Finally, no matter what, nobody should be dealing with these matters themselves. I heard once about a cyclist forcing a driver out of his car. He beat the crap out of the driver and was arreted. Yeah, go ahead, laugh. He was arrested because it was wrong. He should never have acted in such a manner. Likewise, Dr. Thompson will be serving five years for his crimes, will likely lose his license to practice medicine, and is reportedly nearly bankrupt.
When it comes to Ryan Jenkins, the story ends with me putting him in the wall.
2009 Speed Triple | 2006 DR-Z400SM | 1999 CBR600F4 | 1998 Jeep Cherokee
-Ginger
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