WHY can't roadies understand it's single-file?

Discussion in 'The Roadie Hangout' started by maximililian, Mar 21, 2014.

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  1. crispy

    crispy Wannabe

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    What if the road is not wide enough for a bike and car to travel on side by side? Are bikes not allowed on that stretch of road? Or cars? Are there different times of day when one or the other is allowed? How does that situation play out?

    What if there is debris from a prior traffic collision in the area that was pushed onto the side of the road forcing the cyclist to slow the flow of traffic to navigate around the wreckage?

    What if there is a broken down car on the side of the road. Then, the motorist would be obstructing the cyclist who would have to obstruct another motorist.
     
  2. strobe

    strobe resident noob

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    If the road isn't wide enough for a car and bike, then i'm probably not driving on that road. I can't recall a road that has less than 5 feet clearance from the side of my car while still staying in my lane. How skinny are even mtb tires? I would think that in 5ft, the rider could find 4 inches of clear road to roll over. I do. And my bike handling sucks.
     
  3. asian fury

    asian fury You give love a bad name

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    Of course you do. I totally believe you too. - Sincerely, not one person that is reading this.

    You don't count because you're a liar.
     
  4. strobe

    strobe resident noob

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    I'm well past the age that i need to lie about a single thing, but, at least i finally found a bigger pessimist than myself. Tip for the future, don't make a proposal unless your willing to honor it. Backing out by randomly stating "liar" just makes your word worthless.

    Btw, research how long it takes to create a habit. It really takes very little time obeying laws before its nearly subconscious.
     
  5. genusmtbkr5

    genusmtbkr5 STR Moderator

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    You 2 want to argue, take to PM's. Remember to be respectful and no name calling. Anymore will be deleted and you will lose your posting privileges.
     
  6. nmeofun

    nmeofun Member

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    Just for clarification:

    [h=2]im·pede[/h] [im-peed] Show IPA
    verb (used with object), im·ped·ed, im·ped·ing. to retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances; obstruct; hinder.


    And for what it's worth, I really don't give a crap. I go around, shake my fist if I'm in a bad mood, or not. They may shake their fist back. As someone else stated, I gave up road riding years ago w/ the advent of the smart-phone.
     
  7. dirtmistress

    dirtmistress AKA Roadiemistress

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    The few times I've ridden up PCH in Malibu with a club I'm in, we've taken the entire right lane! It's so awesome to not worry about being doored or hitting a small rock slide or broken glass. I think we got honked at maybe two times. Everyone passed left with ease. I think all two lane (or is it 4 lane?) highways should have a 'sharrow' lane.
    Also, keep in mind that a cyclists field of vision is huge compared to a motorists. That's why some blast through stop signs. In some states it's legal. Yield to a stop sign and stop then proceed when safe at a stop light. Regardless, there will always be morons as cyclists and as drivers. I've been cycling 20 years and a professional driver for 30. I know that cyclists can be unpredictable and I often fume at some of the stupidity I see. That being said, there are more car drivers, therefore more assholes on the road than cyclists. Take a deep breath when you get stuck behind them and pass only when safe! Not on a hill and not on a blind curve. Don't yell faggots out of your window because most of the time we can't hear you because of wind in our ears and most of the guys could probably put up a pretty good fight anyway.
    It's just not worth the time to get so upset.
     
  8. Bullseye

    Bullseye New Member

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    When I come up on a pack of cyclists in the road, my first thought is cool, fellow cyclists! Second thought is "I wonder if I know anyone in this group?". I slow down, wait for a very safe opportunity to pass and then do so. Last thing I would want is to hurt a fellow cyclist. If I know anyone, I'll roll down the window and say "Hi" as I pass. If there's no good/safe place to pass, I might give a couple of friendly toots of the horn to let them know I need to get by, then give them a little time to sort themselves out as they move further to the right.
    If that time is a problem for you, then maybe you should have given yourself a little more time. I just don't get the leap to anger thing when you encounter people doing things other than yourself on the roadway. Honestly, lighten-up and smile people!
     
  9. MohammedInABearSuit

    MohammedInABearSuit Sticks and Stones...

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    Life is short, go around.
    If not possible, slow down, wait a bit and then go around.
     
  10. jae2460

    jae2460 Active Member

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    There are times when a cyclist should take the lane but the OP's original point, I think, was that there are many times when groups of riders choose to affect the flow of traffic unecessarily by not staying as far to the right as practical just because they're being selfish and inconsiderate.

    If you're considerate of others, you'll behave considerately. If you care more about yourself, you won't.

    Like the riders on Santiago Cyn road riding two abreast talking to each other, one of them criss-crossing the bike lane line in and out of the traffic lane during rush hour traffic with 2 to 3 feet of bike lane/shoulder to their right--smart, considerate, necessary? No, nope and no.

    Santiago Cyn road is so wide that the bike lane in places has more than enough room for two riders, or more, to ride next to each other relatively safely. BUT THERE ARE PLACES WHERE IT IS NOT wide enough to continue riding 2 or more abreast... In those spots, riders should use common sense and switch to single file to be safe and considerate. They shouldn't take the lane unecessarily just because they want to finish their conversation. They should be focused on their ride, their safety and the safety and consideration for others.

    You don't need to take a lane because you want to continue a conversation or ride in a peloton. You need to take a lane when there isn't adequate space to ride single file to the right of the lane.

    I take the lane when I descend Live Oak Canyon Road after descending the Luge because I can easily go the speed limit (I'm fat, ride a 29er and my bike weighs 32 pounds...) and because I don't want some idiot driver trying to thread the needle between me and oncoming traffic as I know who they'll choose to swerve into if it comes to that on the blind corners...

    Heading up Santiago Cyn from Cooks, the shoulder is wide enough for 2 or even 3 to ride abreast for a while, but then it narrows and the guys I ride with always drop into single file. It's a little harder to talk, but not much.

    And single file on Modjeska Grade is the way to ride, which isn't a big deal as most of us can't hold a conversation on that thing anyway... I even ride in the dirt up the grade when I hear a car coming up from behind unless there are sandbags or something in the dirt (I'm too lazy for that...).

    Sections of PCH are any road where cars are parked on the right in the bike lane, etc. There are lots of times when it makes sense.

    There are times when a cyclist should not ride to the right, but not whenever they choose to because they feel like it because they're on a group ride or riding with a friend and want uninterrupted conversation or they want to ride in a peloton that's more than single file. That is inconsiderate, unecessary and, sometimes, unsafe.

    Safety and consideration should be the reason for our actions on the road as drivers and cyclists.
     
  11. eruizela

    eruizela mountain bike addict

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    fkn drama on str
     
  12. skyungjae

    skyungjae Member

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    Thank goodness for riding on sidewalks. :lol:

    I'm lost on this drama as well. Arguments on personal interpretations on law and etiquette often lead no where.

    Let's just all try to be more considerate, safe riders and drivers. :beer:
     
  13. Heyitsdave

    Heyitsdave Member

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    You know what is kinda ironic about this? I encounter more rude and inconsiderate people riding on the trail than on the road. Ha ha.
    Where is the thread where roadies are bitching about mountain bikers and their bad habits?
     
  14. skyungjae

    skyungjae Member

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    Whoa... you just crossed the line there buddy. Expect another three pages on this thread about me arguing about you being wrong in every way. [-(

    I haven't ventured out to many other trails, but the internet tells me that trail etiquette isn't really set in stone and may differ per locale. I'm guessing those rude mountain bikers with bad habits may not even be aware of their doing something potentially looked down upon by local users.

    I'd like to think most of us on two wheels aren't deliberately being jerks.
     
  15. Wrecker

    Wrecker Member

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    You know who I find to be the most rude of them all? People! Damn people. Signed, the cat.
     
  16. Bullseye

    Bullseye New Member

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    So who is really the one being inconsiderate?
    The individual needing an entire lane so they can drive down the road, solo, in their virtually empty SUV?... or, the group of 20 cyclists who are moving efficiently down the road, using no gas and creating no pollution?

    It's Saturday morning at 10am, a driver decides to take Campagnolo Canyon Road instead of the parallel Escalade Freeway... what should they expect?
     
  17. joekilabot

    joekilabot Member

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    Share The Road should go both ways!
     
  18. badgas

    badgas I like dirt

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    They aren't rude, they are humiliated because a guy on a SS rigid with a basket on it just smoked by them on their new Carbon 27.5 :wave:
     
  19. redwoods

    redwoods Active Member

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    Oh boy, where to begin...
    1st - How is simply driving somewhere inconsiderate? And of whom, exactly?
    2nd - How are the cyclists on the road morally superior to anyone driving somewhere? Oh, their carbon frames and titanium do-dads are made from 100% post-consumer material I guess. (Even then it's a silly argument.)
    3rd - Drivers taking certain roads on certain days at certain times should expect to get held up by cyclists?

    Look, I have nothing against roadies at all. I'd probably be one (part-time) if I could afford 5 bikes (I can afford 1, but slots 2-4 are reserved). I believe I understand what the law says in CA regarding cyclists and the right-of-way, and I have no problem with it. And just like everyone else, I hate seeing/hearing news about injuries, deaths, or altercations (unless they have British accents). I'm just not a fan of ridiculous arguments.
     
  20. Bullseye

    Bullseye New Member

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    It wasn't really an argument, just rhetorical questions. Please don't take me too seriously, it was definitely a little tongue-in-cheek. I only meant to suggest that there are multiple perspectives to every view point.
     
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