Crazy people swearing at and driving RIGHT beside cyclists

[Canid117]

No because I stay in bike lanes.

Well those are just wonderful, when you're actually on streets that have them. I'd say less than 5% of the roads in my city have bike lanes. So the other 95% of the time I'm riding my bike someplace, I have to either ride in the road and hope no cars hit me or ride on the sidewalk and hope no cops see me.

Then you need more hippies bitching in your city hall about the environment. It's done wonders for us... kind of...

 

[Tiger Sora]

It goes both ways both parties need to respect each other. Bikers need to hot hog the roads and use bike lanes where possible. But drivers need to realize that they have a legal right and your driving a 1 ton death machine, so you need to not be a douch.

 

[StellarViking]

I don't bike OR drive. I walk just about everywhere I need to go. I think I've probably run into more asshole bicyclists (all takin' up the sidewalk and running me to the gutter) than motorists (Starting their turn while I'm still in the crosswalk, or whipping around the corner assuming I'm not there), but I've seen more motorists be assholes to cyclists around here than the other way around, though there is this one dude that can actually keep up with traffic at around 35mph, which is pretty cool.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Luckily, I live on the Front Range of Colorado where every fucking street has its own separate bike lane. All bike lanes are nearly as big as a regular lane, and they on the right side of the road.

Unfortunately, even though these people have AN ENTIRE FUCKING LANE OF THEIR OWN, they still decide that the middle of the road is the best goddamned place for them to ride.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bikes on the road, but I don't want my fucking tax dollars wasted to build infrastructure that these cyclists never use. Either use my tax dollars to fund something more valuable, or make it mandatory that cyclists use the separate bike lanes that were provided for them.

OP: I feel sort of bad for your situation. I would feel genuinely bad if I weren't so biased against cyclists in the first place. In any case, I don't think you deserved the treatment you got, but I would've probably been swearing and road raging inside my car if I were in her situation.

 

[Ultrajoe]

Cyclists. Let me tell you about cyclists. They hog the middle of the road, like they're an actual vehicle or something. And, legally, they are. So whatever. I'm never in a hurry. I can wait if they wan't to be discourteous. But when they come to a stop sign, suddenly they're not vehicles, they're pedestrians. They just run right through, without even slowing down or looking both ways. And would it really be too much for them to hug the side of the road? They have a legal right to be in the center, but everyone knows that's just a technicality. You'd think they'd be a little more careful, considering that they have no protection and are surrounded by metal cages flying past at 35 mph. But no. They make a point out of getting in your way, daring you to try and pass them without crossing over into the other lane. And they never, ever use the bike lanes. They always stayed a yard out from the curb, and now they always stay a yard away from the bike lanes. Its like the pretentious douchebags just couldn't stand that someone would suggest that they, you know, excercise some restraint for the safety and convenience of all involved.

So no, OP, I don't drive too close to you. You ride too close to me.

I keep some old keys hanging on my handlebars to leave presents for drivers who get too close, too. Fear me, oh poor and vulnerable driver, they who are cradled in steel and plastic from the world! The invincible demon cyclist hath come!

All joking aside, I want drivers to see me. There's a reason I ride in the middle of the road, and it's because if I don't get hit. I've been hit by a car before, it isn't pretty. Riding 'humbly', or trying to act like anything less than a full car, is a good way to get some idiot on their cell phone to run you down in under a second. So yes, as much as I know i'm costing people a few minutes on their journey, I ride to be seen and to take up space. Unless I establish an area of road in which I feel safe, I'm not safe. One absent-minded motorist, one person on their phone, talking to a passenger, eating, smoking, reading a billboard, and I cease to be. I can't assume every driver is paying attention, I can't ride while trusting the cars around me, I can't do these things because if I do I know one day I will be dead because of it.

I know, I really do know I'm in your face, but please don't think I'm doing it to be malicious; I'm doing it so I get home alive.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

It sounds like you might have been justified for being on the road there, but where I live, and I am not going to hold back:

I. Fucking. Hate. Cyclists. Who. Use. The. Streets.

They always ride right NEXT to the sidewalks, WIDE sidewalks at that. Other times they ride in the middle of one lane roads, forcing drivers to either drive 5-10 mph, or risk going in the opposite lane to pass them.

Luckily, I live on the Front Range of Colorado where every fucking street has its own separate bike lane. All bike lanes are nearly as big as a regular lane, and they on the right side of the road.

Unfortunately, even though these people have AN ENTIRE FUCKING LANE OF THEIR OWN, they still decide that the middle of the road is the best goddamned place for them to ride.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bikes on the road, but I don't want my fucking tax dollars wasted to build infrastructure that these cyclists never use. Either use my tax dollars to fund something more valuable, or make it mandatory that cyclists use the separate bike lanes that were provided for them.

WHERE IN THE FRONT RANGE ARE YOU AND WHY DOESN'T MY AREA HAVE BIKE LANES TOOOOOOOOO!!??

Seriously cyclists, when there is either a bike lane or wide sidewalk/path right next to you, get off the fucking street.

The question is did you go out of your way to let the lines of very angry motorists pass you as they were queing up? No rational human being would get that overtly belligerent unless they spent well over 2 minutes behind you.

And just in case anyone says I'm being overly negative, I have been in this exact situation far too many times to count. It takes all of my willpower to not slam on the gas pedal in these situations.

 

[Kakashi on crack]

I realize you live in Canada, but Canadian right-of-way laws are very similar to American ones.

An average Mountain Bike gets between 13-18 MPH (sometimes faster with professional riders)


An average road bike gets between 18-30+ MPH (rarely above 30 though unless its a professional bicyclist who's trying to go fast)


The average car goes faster than both of these with a very slight push on the gas pedal.


The speed limit in most neighborhoods is typically 25, on non-major roads 30, on main roads between 30-55, and on the highway it can get up to the 80s (though legally I think it cuts off at 75 usually)

With this in mind, and with me assuming you are not a professional bicyclist, unless you're in a pedestrian area, or a bike lane, then you'll likely be going slower than the average car to ridiculous extents. Right-of-way laws state that unless an immediate disturbance such as potholes or debris are present, you should stay in the right lane as a bicyclist.

You have the rights to drive in other lanes, but if you do so, then don't complain if you somehow get hit, or some driver is an asshole due to the speed of your vehicle.


EDIT: Colorado, we have bike lanes all over the place here, so my opinion may be biased.

 

[Snake Plissken]

It sounds like you might have been justified for being on the road there, but where I live, and I am not going to hold back:

I. Fucking. Hate. Cyclists. Who. Use. The. Streets.

They always ride right NEXT to the sidewalks, WIDE sidewalks at that. Other times they ride in the middle of one lane roads, forcing drivers to either drive 5-10 mph, or risk going in the opposite lane to pass them.

Luckily, I live on the Front Range of Colorado where every fucking street has its own separate bike lane. All bike lanes are nearly as big as a regular lane, and they on the right side of the road.

Unfortunately, even though these people have AN ENTIRE FUCKING LANE OF THEIR OWN, they still decide that the middle of the road is the best goddamned place for them to ride.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bikes on the road, but I don't want my fucking tax dollars wasted to build infrastructure that these cyclists never use. Either use my tax dollars to fund something more valuable, or make it mandatory that cyclists use the separate bike lanes that were provided for them.

WHERE IN THE FRONT RANGE ARE YOU AND WHY DOESN'T MY AREA HAVE BIKE LANES TOOOOOOOOO!!??

Seriously cyclists, when there is either a bike lane or wide sidewalk/path right next to you, get off the fucking street.

I live in Windsor, commute to UNC in Greeley everyday, spend a fair amount of time in Fort Collins and Loveland, and went to High School in Frederick. Used to spend lots of time in Longmont.

All of these place have bike lanes on most major roads. Believe me, it's better here than most other states.

 

[Keith Reedy]

I was biking on the road, and certainly wasn't going out of my way to make anyone angry.

But angry you did make them.

The question is did you go out of your way to let the lines of very angry motorists pass you as they were queing up? No rational human being would get that overtly belligerent unless they spent well over 2 minutes behind you.

U assume most people are remotely rational, They're not, most aren't even close.

 

[Crazedtraceur]

Luckily, I live on the Front Range of Colorado where every fucking street has its own separate bike lane. All bike lanes are nearly as big as a regular lane, and they on the right side of the road.

Unfortunately, even though these people have AN ENTIRE FUCKING LANE OF THEIR OWN, they still decide that the middle of the road is the best goddamned place for them to ride.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind bikes on the road, but I don't want my fucking tax dollars wasted to build infrastructure that these cyclists never use. Either use my tax dollars to fund something more valuable, or make it mandatory that cyclists use the separate bike lanes that were provided for them.

OP: I feel sort of bad for your situation. I would feel genuinely bad if I weren't so biased against cyclists in the first place. In any case, I don't think you deserved the treatment you got, but I would've probably been swearing and road raging inside my car if I were in her situation.

THIS! I live in the greater Denver area and there are bike lanes EVERYWHERE that no one uses!

Edit: Wow a lot of people from Colorado in this thread. I live in Aurora where there aren't as many cyclists (compared to the front range), but god there are still a couple everyday.

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

I realize you live in Canada, but Canadian right-of-way laws are very similar to American ones.

An average Mountain Bike gets between 13-18 MPH (sometimes faster with professional riders)


An average road bike gets between 18-30+ MPH (rarely above 30 though unless its a professional bicyclist who's trying to go fast)


The average car goes faster than both of these with a very slight push on the gas pedal.


The speed limit in most neighborhoods is typically 25, on non-major roads 30, on main roads between 30-55, and on the highway it can get up to the 80s (though legally I think it cuts off at 75 usually)

With this in mind, and with me assuming you are not a professional bicyclist, unless you're in a pedestrian area, or a bike lane, then you'll likely be going slower than the average car to ridiculous extents. Right-of-way laws state that unless an immediate disturbance such as potholes or debris are present, you should stay in the right lane as a bicyclist.

You have the rights to drive in other lanes, but if you do so, then don't complain if you somehow get hit, or some driver is an asshole due to the speed of your vehicle.

Yes, YES! I like you already. And uh, incidentally, I didn't read that last paragraph of the OP's before...

Most people manage to obey the law. As a cyclist, I legally am a vehicle, no different from a car, van, truck, or SUV. I stop at every light and stop sign, and I use the road like any other vehicle. Cars need to give me a full lane, on the other side of the yellow line, when they pass me. I'm not going to pander to people in cars and slow my travel down just so they don't have to lose a few seconds of travel time, especially since they have such an enormous sense of entitlement and treat me in such a fashion.

No, dude, you are COMPLETELY different from a car, truck, van, and SUV. Is your bike capable of going faster than 30 mph at best? Are you well protected in an accident? Is your bike insured? You are not slowing cars down by "a few seconds", you are slowing them down by a ridiculous amount just because you won't move a few feet to the right. I understand that some places apparently have laws against cyclists on sidewalks, completely unheard of around here, but whatever. I understand that sometimes you need to be on the road. Alright. But you rarely, if ever need to be smack in the middle of it, and if you are then you shouldn't be surprised when motorists get pissed.

Imagine you're in a narrow dried-up riverbed or something, walls pressing in on either side of you, too high and too steep to climb. (And riding your bike, of course) You round a corner only to find yourself blocked by a turtle traveling in the same direction. There's no practical way for you to get around it, stuck as you are. Would you be happy in this situation? (And forget just picking your bike up and stepping over it. Motorists can't do that)

EDIT: Am I seriously in the one damn area of the Colorado Front Range that doesn't have bike paths? I see them in some places, but my rather large cyclist-heavy neighborhood is completely void of them.

 

[loc978]

Personally, I have no problem yielding momentarily to a cyclist on a city street if they need to go around a parked car or something... but if you're on a highway in the middle of nowhere, get off the damn road and find a different route. Forcing people to brake hard when they're traveling at 60mph around curves is stupid and dangerous.

That said, and assuming you were on a city street somewhere with a speed limit under 50mph(80kph), those people are simply being entitled dicks... like most people these days.
...and if the speed limit was 25mph or slower, well... go faster. I can keep up with traffic in a 25 zone on flat ground with my bike, and it's a hybrid mountainbike, not even one of those fragile touring/commuter bike things.

Also, I really think the stupidest turn of law we ever had for cycling was when we determined "it's a vehicle, same as a car". A bicycle can go anywhere a pedestrian can go, there are even paths made for both bikes and pedestrians in many cities. Bicyclists are just pedestrians on wheels.
Honestly the only place I've ever been that treats bicycling sensibly is Germany. They have bike lanes on their sidewalks.

 

[loc978]

This might sound like a dumb question - but why the hell don't cyclists use the sidewalks?

technically illegal, and you can be ticketed for it.
...generally only enforced in crowded downtown areas where bikes can travel faster than cars on the road anyway, though.

 

[Snake Plissken]

HAH! I love the fact that a shitload of Coloradoans show up on this exact page to rage about cyclists. Seriously, if you don't live here, you wouldn't understand. It's a fucking plague.

 

[Borania]

So much hate on cyclists. Oh well guess that makes me happy to be dutch. We've been riding on bycicles so long that there are rules in place to protect bikers. And when teaching you how to drive there is a lot of emphasis on bycicles(because they are everywhere)

But I'm kinda wondering how you were riding on the road. and what kind of road it was? because here we can ride anywhere extremely safely unless its a real highway or something. and no one is going to ride there. And every other lane has either a seperate bike lane. or is wide enough that you have an implicit bike lane (as in no actual lane, but people realize thats where you are going to be biking) and if you know how to ride its quite easy to stay close to the edge.

 

[MrStab]

i'm a cyclist and i would advise you to travel on the freeway and use the shoulder as it is specifically for parked cars and bikes the only time i get abused is when fuckwits don't know the road rules themselves and when you mentioned that you don't travel in bike lanes and go on the road instead because cars in the bike lane might hit you when they open their doors, wat do you think is going to do you more damage that or being run over by a truck?

 

[ColeusRattus]

While I really can't comment on the case at hand, as I wasn't there to witness it, there is a simple rule to go by, which applies to everyday life and not only cycling on roads:

If one person complains about something you do, it might be thir problem. If several people do, it might be you.

So as you said multiple drivers were complaing about you, I do think that you were at a fault here.

Having said that, I do feel for you, as I used to be an excessive cyclist back in my youth, and many drivers seem to deliberately irritate cyclists.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

To be fair, a lot of cyclists are douchebags.