Selfish bicyclists
I'm guessing they are not regular riders or they would know better.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:00 AM
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14 Comments:
Yep. One of my biggest complaints about the bikes have as much right to the road as cars argument, is that they don't follow the rules of the road.
Tom
Usually one or two bikers are considerate of other traffic. It is large numbers that cause problem since then there is a pack mentality at work which unfortunately means it becomes easier for individuals within the pack to bend and break the rules at the expense of everyone on the road including decent rule abiding riders within the pack. A few individuals within the pack can make the whole pack behave in erratic and dangerous ways. This is prevalent in many parts of society, ie. Police force, Politics, Schools kids, neghborhoods..... Attention to simple etiquette, training and education becomes more necessary in growing society to address such backward human behaviour.
Lane control is the practice of a cyclist controlling a lane (also known as "using the full lane", "taking control of the lane", "taking the lane" or "claiming the lane") when traveling near the center of a marked travel lane. Cyclists have the right to ‘control the lane’ for safety
Bicycle educators recommend riding near the middle of the road in many situations, but the practice frustrates some drivers.
Controlling the lane normally precludes passing within the same lane by drivers of motor vehicles, while being positioned near a lane edge usually encourages such passing—even when it is hazardous to cyclists.
According to the Highway Code cyclists should never ride more than two abreast, and on narrow or busy roads, or when travelling around bends cyclists should be in single file.
They were probably not riding like that, at 10MPH, all the way to KB. No way. More like 15mph at a 30 MPH zone, Sunday morning. early, gimme a break.. late for that Pentagon urgent meeting?
After 11 years on and off these cycling groups every week, I should know:
1/ On a Sunday Morning, early morning, cmon, let's relax. (weekdays the big group goes out very early, and they do 25MPH, full lights, at least)
2/ Yes, what your picture shows is wrong, at that spot. The peloton / group should be in such narrow space at most "2 abreast" 2 bikes, as close to the right as safely possible. Actually encouraging cars in the back to please pass when the road ahead clears. That's what good pack leaders do. Actually, even on an early Sunday freaking rides, when we go South or East (KB) we encourage "Single Line", we yell that to fellow cyclists as soon as we hit narrow streets. (57th, Old Cutler..)
3/ Anon at 3:19 is correct.. sometimes the SAFE decision for cyclists is to take over the road, for a few blocks, think of it as Speed control, or the Peanut we have at 27th. Chill out.. it's only for a couple blocks!! Esp. on a Sunday Morning, early Sunday..
But yes, some cyclists do not know how to be courteous to cars; yet, many more car drivers have NEVER been on a Speed Bike. That's the problem. Cars make WAYYYY more mistakes thatn bikes do on the road. Trust me. They do no understand what we are risking, usually above 18MPH, with nothing to protect us in case of a collision.
Eventually, as more people get on bikes everyday, we will learn how to coexist and be courteous to everyone. Sunday morning? Early morning, 10MPH? a few blocks? Take a PILL.
CI
And if you notice on your own picture, they were riding 2 abreast, properly to the right, except on 1 particular Bayshore Dr. intersection, with no view up-front. Early Sunday.. they might have been amateurs at that speed, but they do have perfect survival instincts. CI
I agree with you... I am a huge bicycling fan. A great way to get outside, get a work out and be with friends. But, if the "movement" really wants to win people over, they need to obey the traffic laws and be respectful of car drivers. Share the road, means share the road...
Are these the same folks that constantly blow through stop signs/red lights?
Unlike a car, getting a bike started from a standstill requires a lot of energy from the rider. Once it's going, the bike's own momentum carries it forward, so it requires much less energy.Two states in the US already allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yields, and red lights as stop signs, and these rules are no more dangerous — and perhaps even a little safer — than the status quo. Four more states are considering it. This is called the "Idaho stop" or Rolling Stop".
If a cyclist approaches a stop sign, he or she needs to slow down and look for traffic. If there's already a pedestrian, car, or another bike there, then the other vehicle has the right of way. If there's no traffic, however, the cyclist can slowly proceed. Basically, for bikers, a stop sign is a yield sign.
If a cyclist approaches a red light, meanwhile, he or she needs to stop fully. Again, if there's any oncoming traffic or a pedestrian, it has the right of way. If there's not, the cyclist can proceed cautiously through the intersection. Put simply, red light is a stop sign. This doesn't mean that a cyclist is allowed to blast through an intersection at full speed — which is dangerous for pedestrians, the cyclist, and pretty much everyone involved. This isn't allowed in Idaho, and it's a terrible idea everywhere. Twelve states have similar "Dead Red" laws, which lets cyclists (and motorcyclists) ride through a red light if there's no traffic, if the cyclists have stopped for set periods of time, and if the light isn't changing because its sensor doesn't register bikes.
Those that bothered to attend the several City of Miami Public Meetings on South Bayshore Drive Improvement Project are aware of what's in the works. The City of Miami is planning on making improvements to South Bayshore Drive between Aviation Avenue and Mercy Way (Coconut Grove). This will include a safe and smooth dedicated bike lane that will be wide enough for two riders and help keep a separation between cars and bikes. So if you really wish to see less cyclists slowing down traffic on Bayshore, you better invest more time attending transit meetings and motivating Mr. Russell to put that street improvement project into action. By the way, you will have fun and meet plenty of nice people while riding a bike and never while driving a car.
There is a lot of education to be done for cars and cyclists to safely co-exist.
I don't think it does any good to make a post with the title Selfish Cyclists.
You could equally make a negative post about uneducated drivers - not very productive though.
Why not make a post about the safe rules of the road so that both bikes and cars know what is appropriate?
Having by a car while riding a bike, alone, obeying all the rules. I take some offense to this post.
The cyclists who argue "motorists don't follow the rules either" aren't going to win many supporters. I support cycling, but lawlessness like this hurts the cause. I can't tell you how many times I've driven down Davis Road behind a cyclist, giving plenty of space and waiting for a safe time to pass giving the required 3 feet, only to have the same cyclists blow by me not waiting at a stop sign only to repeat the process again. Equal rights, equal responsibility IMO.
It looks to me like 3 or 4 wide in some of the pictures - which is unsafe to everyone. Moreover, riding in groups this big is also unsafe for everyone. They should when riding over 10 deep, be required some sort of permitting or escort, like any other protest.
Bayshore Drive has no bike lane at this time. So cyclists have no other choice then to ride on the street. The photos indicate they are legally riding two abreast, not speeding, not running lights or stop signs. Drivers keep to a slower and safer velocity when cyclists (or for that matter peacocks) are sharing the road.
There is zero reason for them to ride side-by-side. I get pissed at my wife when she tries to ride on my side. It is very obnoxious. but many bikers like to come off as obnoxious.
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