I can see why cyclists get hurt

[Mr. Beanz]

Often I get into discussions with other cyclists, in person and on forums about cycling mishaps and accidents. My thoughts are that there are way to many people on bikes that have no clue what riding safe really is.  In other words, paying attention to one's surroundings. I've ridden the trail for years and the road for years. I've seem quite a few morons on the trail who have no clue. And yes everybody will say the trail is for beginners blah blah blah. Yeah, that's why we have pros riding out trails like Amber Neben. Actually see her out there quite often.

So, there are some morons on the trail and many of them I have seen are in full kits. Yeah, rounding blind corners on the wrong side of the trail.  It's really not about beach cruisers and little kids around here. I've been threatened more by fools in full kits who think they're the only ones on the trail.

But recently, I have seen a whole lot of stupidity on the road. Maybe because it hasn't been so hot or too cold so the fair weather riders come out. 

I thought about creating this thread after Thursday and Saturday's ride.  Saturday, I'm starting my ride on a slight downhill segment about 6 miles long. I'm soft pedaling doing about 20 in the bike lane.  I'm catching up to some guy I see about 50 yards ahead. Yeah, I see it all as I pay attention to what is going on while riding, especially on the road. So this guy is going at a slower rate, riding a hybrid from what I can see of his form and position on the bike. He hits a read light intersection and I'm rolling up. The light should be turning green soon from the time I can see the light was red. The guy gets impatient and swerves into the crosswalk at the right so he can cheat the light, but slowly.  As I am about 20 yards away, the light turns green. I had backed off the pedals when the light was red to time the light like any smart cyclist avoiding a stop having to track stand or unclip, whatever. 

So the light turns green as I approach and the guy is half way across the intersection already. Big intersection, maybe 30 yards in length. Remember, this is a road with 50-60 MPH traffic. So I am just about across the intersection and maybe 10 yards behind him. I'm still doing about 20 and he's doing 5-10. I cross the intersection when he blindly swerves into my path when I am about 5 yards back. I remained in the bike lane the entire time while he went back and forth, in and out. So he cuts right in front of me but like the good handling cyclist I am, I figured I'd better slow seeing there are too many idiots on bikes that maybe should be jogging on the sidewalk instead of displaying their lousy handling skills and etiquette riding around other cyclists and 60 MPH traffic. So I slow as he blindly cuts into my path. I wait till it clears and I am sure it is clear back. I go around and say calmly and politely, " you should learn to fucking pay attention!".

Then, no kidding, about 1 mile down the road, I crest this steep little hill. As I start to descend the other side, I notice 2 guys stopped in the bike lane. One guy has his bike laying down blocking the inside shoulder of the bike lane where many riders use on this fast downhill vs mixing it up with fast traffic, even faster than 60 here. The other guy, has his bike parked perpendicularly across the actual bike lane straddling it. Really! Down hill bike lane on a steep downhill descent? I roll up at a pretty good rate but go around and in the traffic lane as I have no choice. Thankfully the 60 mph traffic was pretty well behind me that I could use the lane. As I roll by, I politely said, "well we're really fucking smart!".  Good think I possess good handling skills and have some common sense. Otherwise, I could have ran into that stupid cyclist blocking the bike lane. Yeah, it happens to stupid cyclists who don't pay attention. I remember reading stories about cyclists hitting other cyclists in the bike lane and shoulders of the road. How stupid can you be? I refuse to be one of those morons.

But right after I passed the two morons, I asked myself, "how many threads have I read on various cycling forums about drivers blocking bike lanes?". Believe it or not, I'd bet hitting another cyclist blocking the bike lane while descending at 30 MPH, would surely mess up a rider whether it is a bike or car that was blocking the bike lane.  MY max speed that day was 31.1 and it would have been on the that section.

I think of these things because there are so many arrogant cyclists across the internet who really criticize bike trails and think because they ride the road and not trails, that the trail riders are not as skilled. I have to BULLSHIT!!! There are plenty of moron thoughtless unskilled riders on the road as well.

I have to remember back to my Thursday night ride as well.  I pull off a main road and fast descent to a little circle type street that hosts a nice little park where I can refill my bottles.  A section where I descend about 24 MPH while trying not to go too fast at night. I don't pedal this section at night not wanting to go too fast for my own good but still fast enough to get hurt. 

So I pull off on the little street and after my stop, I am ready to renter the main road, ready to make a right turn and continue the descent. So I approach the intersection looking left timing the cars ready to step on it. As there is an opening, I am looking left then I look back to my right. Thankfully I am a skilled safe cyclist who pays attention and follows the flow of traffic.  I get ready to step on it from a 2 or 3 MPH speed when I look to my right down the bike lane when 2 guys on mountain bikes roll by at about 4 mph, on the wrong side of the road, side by side, in my bike lane, no lights, and no warning at all. Good thing I pay attention because if not, I could have easily went head on with the two unnoticeable morons on mountain bikes.  I had stopped and they rolled about 2 feet in front of me and after the passed, one guy said, "going left!". Wow, thanks for the warning when it means nothing. Could have been ugly had I been one of those stupid cyclists who do not pay attention to what is ahead of me or in my path.

Then, no sheot, 5 minutes later, I hit the westbound section where one can carry a descent speed. 17-20 MPH, more if one tried.  BTW, it is dark now, riding in the dark of night now, no light at all other than a few streetlights and my headlights. I'm rolling pretty good and can see far enough ahead for my own good. But in the distance, I see something strange. You know, you can't see it but you know there is something there.  Not a clear view but if you thought about it real hard, you might think there was a bear in the bike lane ready to pounce on you! I can just tell something isn't right beyond the view of my lights. So I slow a bit and roll up cautiously. 

Well holy sheot, really?! 2 mountain bikers. I have no problem with mountain bikers but really?! One guy has his bike laying in the bike lane, the other with his bike laying on the shoulder fixing a flat. WTF lays his bike across the bike lane on a darks section of road. No lights, no reflectors, no warning to another cyclist that he is about to hit a bike laying in the bike lane! Good thing I pay attention and focus on my surroundings. Can you imagine being the rider who hits another rider or bike in a bike lane? Even more stupid, can you imagine being the idiot who lays his bike in the bike lane with 60 MPH traffic and getting  your bike run over by a car?
 

I have to say, these kinds of idiots are just asking to hurt someone or get hurt. I hear it all about riding the trails but honestly, there are just as many stupid cyclists on the road as there is on the trail. But I'm guessing, more dangerous on the road with the options out here.  I have to say I see plenty of morons on the trail but more dangerous morons out here on the road.

There goes all that BS about trail riders are unskilled.  Unskilled is all over the place!

[Razors Edge ★]

Pretty much a war between self-absorption and self-awareness.  The selfish folks out there seem to lead lives where only they matter, so staying alert yourself is very important.  And, as I regularly see, the logical, smart, and/or safe action is often NOT the one chosen by folks wrapped up in their own "me first worlds".

[Mr. Beanz]

6 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

Pretty much a war between self-absorption and self-awareness.  The selfish folks out there seem to lead lives where only they matter, so staying alert yourself is very important.  And, as I regularly see, the logical, smart, and/or safe action is often NOT the one chosen by folks wrapped up in their own "me first worlds".

You know, I was out riding last night. Just getting dark. I was on a long flat to almost descent rolling terrain. Just started, warming up mode. Some dude pulls onto the road about 40 yards ahead. I'm just cruising warming up and see that I am gaining. No plan to pass anyone, just riding seeing I was aiming for an easy relaxing the legs ride. 

He approached a signal, red light and so I thought I'd catch up and just say hello. I could see his red light blinking so cool to see another night rider. But before I could reach the red light intersection, he swerved right into the crosswalk,  timed it then squeezed between crossing traffic.  Then I remembered why I stopped riding with the group.  I had one guy tell me that some day, when I want to get more aggressive, I might beat him on the group ride.  Umm OK! 

Put us on a 3 mile gentle uphill, 2% and I could catch him from 50 yards back. But once I caught up, he'd run red lights, stop signs so that he could say he beat me on the ride. Usually by 2 minutes, if that.

Out of 25 riders, I would be #4 to finish but that was stopping at lights and stop signs. I remembered that last night thinking to myself, I wouldn't be able to catch that guy even if I tried as he's blowing all the red lights and finding ways to save time.

Me? I'd prefer to avoid ending up in a wheelchair or dead just to save a tenth off my average speed. 

Seen this me first world way too many times.

[Mr. Beanz]

My worst threat on the road is another cyclist. 

Saturday doing a solo 60, I hop on Pacific Coast Hwy for about 15 miles. Traffic is fast but rolling by the pier, I'm doing a decent speed of about 20. Parked cars on the side, traffic coming from behind but all drivers give me enough space to feel safe. Can be a little nervy in this section for most cyclists but I feel fairly comfortable keeping my space from the hundreds of parked cars on the side and far enough from passing traffic. Trying to keep a speed so that after one pack of cars passes, I can fit in the gap for a while not having to deal with passing traffic. Made it through no problem, no issues.

Later down the road where there are no parked cars, wide open, two huge lanes for traffic, I am in the center of the bike lane. There are thick patches of sand to the right so I take the center of the BIKE LANE. Still another 2 or 3 feet to my left. I'm way out in no man's land, not a car for at least a1/4 mile back. 2 huge lanes to my left for anyone, car or bike wanting to pass. I'm just holding about 18 when some idiot flies by me, buzzing me squeezing into that little 2-3 ft section next to me. About the width of a rider so that shows that he is very close to me, had to be nearly HB to HB. 

He flies by and cranks it up., I'm thinking another idiot proving his macho'ness by having to pass the rider ahead. I heard his rear hub buzzing in my ear as he passed, that's how close he was!

I look back wondering why he was so close. Was there a pack of 100 MPH cars on his tail, was he avoiding a motorcycle gang trying to kill him? WTH!?

I look back, not one vehicle within 1/4 mile, not one bicycle, nobody, nobody around. Then I watch him stand and grind up a little hill like he's going for a hilltop finish in the TDF. He pulls away but not much so I'm wondering why the idiot buzzed me.

Sure enough, I get to the top of the little hill about 30 seconds after he does only to see him pull over on the side of the road. As I rolled by, he smiled but I just looked at him shook my head at him to let him know he was a moron. He's lucky I didn't give him the finger!

 

[Razors Edge ★]

18 hours ago, Mr Beanz said:

Then I watch him stand and grind up a little hill like he's going for a hilltop finish in the TDF. He pulls away but not much so I'm wondering why the idiot buzzed me.

Sure enough, I get to the top of the little hill about 30 seconds after he does only to see him pull over on the side of the road. As I rolled by, he smiled but I just looked at him shook my head at him to let him know he was a moron. He's lucky I didn't give him the finger!

Sorry, Beanz! I was going for that KoM, and had to build a little speed heading into the climb!  Got it, though!