clueless roadies at cooks corners today

dean dont forget the infamous rebel flag on the tail gate and a bumper sticker that says "my kid beat up your honor student"... haha

 

I hear what you're saying, Mike, and it's sensible. But let's put MTBer's opinions of roadies off to the side for a moment. How about the way motorists view roadies? You're trying to get from point 'A' to point 'B' on a paved road, and -WTF- here's a huge mass of cyclists taking up the entire lane (even when there's a designated bike lane). Whether that's legal or not, a LOT of motorists get pissed when they're inconvenienced in such manner. The general public's view of roadies seems to be that they're a group who basically disregard traffic laws and are simply in the way. That doesn't bode well for the average cyclist using the roadways.

As fun as i know road bikes can be, riding pavement in SoCal is just too risky for me. Even when I have to do a short road stint at the beginning or end of a MTB ride, i'm as far to the right side of the pavement as i can get... sometimes even in the dirt shoulder.

:lol::lol::lol:
Now that's funny!

 

Sorry about the slight inconvenience it may have caused but the riders do have a right to take a lane. By law we don't have to stay in the bike lane and if you've rode even a short distance on the road you'll see soon enough that's where all the trash ends up and road tires can't even handle glass, so we will not ride there. All over the world bikes are accepted except here in the states. Why? Because of lack of education and enforcement of existing laws. So I think that motorists need to be informed also. Most roadies don't want to be in a bad light nor do we want to block traffic but if you're friends you want to make sure everyone is going to be safe even the ones in front of you. So we ride wide sometimes, it helps to slow traffic and if we take a few seconds of their busy day I'm sorry. We need to make drivers more tolerant of bicyclists.

 

You may want to read up on that, you don't have the right to take the lane. And "by law" you have to stay in the bike lane, except where there is provision. It's a dangerous statement to make, and can get people hurt.

Agreed, bikes/cyclists need to have more rights on the road. In the mean time the political battle goes on. All I can say is, ride safely.

For the record - I've been hit on a road bike, on the "bike lane". I just want to make you aware the comment above is not a one sided comment from a MTBr or Roadie hater

 

You know every morning other drivers get in my way on my way to work. They drive too slow on the freeway, 10-15 mph. They don't allow 1 car length for every ten miles per hour. They cross the double yellow line to get into the carpool lane, with no passengers. They don't use their turn signals when they turn or change lanes. They talk on their phones. They put on makeup. They nod off at the wheel. They read newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, directions. Their cars don't have front license plates. Their tint is too dark. They pollute. They honk and gesture out of anger. They run into other cars. They kill about 40,000 Americans each year (granted about 1.75% are cyclists).
But can you believe what a menace these cyclists on the road are? The sport should be banned.

 

"But can you believe what a menace these cyclists on the road are? The sport should be banned."

No one here has ever said that. However, your post does reinforce how dangerous it is to ride a bike on the road, and why this particular group of riders needs to pay more attention to their surroundings.

 

From the years of trolling I've done on the internet, what I've learned is that drivers hate cyclists, cyclists hate drivers and motorcyclists, motorcyclists hate drivers and cyclists, joggers hate mtn bikers, and mtn bikers hate everybody except other mtn bikers. I'm all those things so I guess now I know why I have high blood pressure. :lol:

 

I wonder if this is why motorists throw things at roadies? I'm certainly not justifying it but c'mon, if the group is too big to stay in the bike lane where there is one, why not split into smaller groups? You may not be legally required to but common courtesy never hurts.

 

The section of the road he is talking about doesn't actually have a bike lane. It goes from a bike lane to non, back to a bike lane then non, but it only lasts a few hundred feet each time. The white line is either at the end of the pavement or their is about an a half foot of pavement before the dirt. The bike lane doesn't start again until after Cook's Corner by the upper parking lot.


*Edit* Also as with everything in life, there are going to be idiots. Like MTB's that bomb down trails with blind corners, throw their trash on the trail, etc.

 

You are correct. California Vehicle Section 21208 states that whenever a bicycle lane has been established on a roadway, any person operating a bicycle upon the roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic shall ride within the bicycle lane. The exception to this rule is when:

(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle, vehicle, or pedestrian within the lane or about to enter the lane if such overtaking and passing cannot be done safely within the lane.

(2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

(3) When reasonably necessary to leave the bicycle lane to avoid debris or other hazardous conditions.

 

Interpret the law as you will:

I personally do not think passing 4 wide is legal or safe, but again just my opinion.

I'm not the one who's going to end up on someone's grill.

 

MnMDan, you explained the situation well.

The level of frustration that many American drivers experience in this kind of situation is just an example of one of the characteristics of Americans that people in the rest of the world despise.

Admittedly, and unfortunately, I also experience this kind of frustration behind other road users from time to time, so I guess that puts me into the same category as being a typical a-hole American. #-o

 

Like I said. Have you ever rode in the bike lane? It's commonly full of trash and is unsafe.


Doing group rides is a lot of fun. Would you like it if they told you, you can't ride this trail because there is already a mountain biker on it? Or you can't join your friends for a group ride? It's really the same thing. Do you think hikers or equestrians like larger groups of mtb'ers? We need to accept the fact others get to use the same space as we do and we all have a right to it. Think about the angry driver. How much of a delay is it really? Less then a minute on any ride I've ever done and on some organized group rides it's in the thousands. Go ahead and get angry, does it really help? Accept the fact we are as much intitled to the road as you and it will be a lot easier to accept. Might not make you any happier but at least it won't ruin your day.

 

Agreed. 2 wheels should be the standard.

 

You have to experience the peloton to fully understand how it works. The higher the speed, the more likely the group will stretch out taking up less room across the width of the road, as the pace slows riders are going to bunch together and widen out across the road. But speed isn't the only factor to consider - potholes, debris, cracks, slower riders moving back into the field, faster ones moving up to do some work will all cause riders to move outward from the center. You always hear people say that roadies should ride single file, or two abreast at the most, but that's not the nature of the activity. Any group ride I have ever done over the past 20+ years of racing have attempted to simulate a race - it's training, not a leisurely ride in the park. I am not really attacking anyone here, but there are some many small nuances, the peloton is such a dynamic thing, responding to various conditions within and without that the only way to fully understand it is by experiencing it.

Damn it, who leaked the plan.

 

Seriously, bike lanes are almost always the least safe areas when I ride. Pavement is wrecked, road trash get shoved into bike lane, sewer/runoff grates, generally a BAD place to be.

 

Didn't you get the memo? Ever since the Christopher Thomas conviction we were granted Carte Blanche to do what we want, get used to it!

Next is Primae Noctis, The right to sleep with your womans on your weeding night all while wearing spandex and eating goo-packs. AHHAHAHAhAahh.

 

This thread has a lot of people pissing back and forth. I've been riding both road and mountain bikes for 20+ years and have seen a lot of crazy stuff. As traffic grows and bike riders increase it is becoming more of a problem, bikes need to be aware of cars and cars need to be aware of bikes. Its just an issue of common courtesy. Some people driving cars think they own the road and then some people riding bikes think that the road belongs to them?
Try watching a critical mass ride, at least your group of roadies in the canyon probably had helmets on. As with all groups of people you have the good and the bad. Some roadies know how to ride safely and some don't. You should come out on a big STR group ride. You'll see the same thing. Some people know how to ride safely and are considerate of others and some are not. If the group has a regoup it takes up the entire trail, what are you going to do?
My suggestion would be that if you don't like the group rides take another route, as a single rider you can take a less traveled route and avoid the big groups.

 

First, who has a weeding night, isn't it easier to do during the day? Second, after weeding all night, do you have the energy to sleep with a woman? Third, when you're stinky from weeding all night, does she really want to sleep with you?

Just couldn't resist--at least double check your sarcasm, please

 

I'm still wondering about his "womans." Is that supposed to be singular or plural?