Bike Riders and you, How are they treated in your city? Options

[leif]

Just out of Curiosity, how does your city treat Cyclists?

People in Winnipeg are awful...there is a commonly held beleif in this city that people in cars own the roads, and the people on bikes shouldn't be there. They think that people on bikes should go on the sidewalk. This is against the law in Winnipeg, and Police will atcually ticket you if they see you doing it.

My own personla experiences have been bad lately. I ride my bike on the road to the University every day, and nearly everyday something stupid happens. 2 days ago a woman came up from behind me, and made a RHT rigjt infront of me. I had to make the turn aswell or I would have hit the side of her car. I called her a fucking cunt...Luckily she was in a convertable and had her daughter with her...Today someone came up beside me and started yealling at me how I should be on the sidewalk.

A few months ago I got into a fight with a guy in a pickup truck who atcually hit me with his mirrior...he too told me bikes shouldnt be on the road...I called him a fucking moron and told him to check his copy of the highway traffic act.

do these experiences parallel what goes on in your own city? or do you atcually have a town council which respects bicycles?

[Guest_XdrewsiferX_*]

So in Seattle bikers are plentiful. Bikers have as many rights on the road as cars do. I was a big time biker for many years and I have my share of storys as you do but in seattle people are really good to bikers. My dad was ticketed for speeding on his bike a few years back just as if he were in a car. But it is dangerus as well in seattle for bikers all to often. 4 or 5 years ago I was biking across the street when a car T boned me. I was on my bmx bike at the time, I flew into the windsheil and broke it I got a few bad bruses nothing really more but my bike was fucked up. The peggs on the right side got stuck under the frame when the car hit and bent the frame bad. When I got off the guys car and pulled my bike out he flipped out and fled. A few people who saw it got his plates and we contacted the cops bla bla bla.

But my dad has seen the worst of it. He was freequent in bike packs of 20 - 80 bikers all going on 20 mile rides. Well a few months ago he was on one of these rides going down a long hill with a pack of about 60 bickelests when a lady in a suv backed out of her driveway about 15ft infront of the pack , at this point they were doing about 30mph. all in all about 15 bikers hit her car about 10 droped htere bikes right by here car but my dad dodged her car behind but she bumped him with the rear of the car. He flew off the road went down a set of stairs (this is on his CF road bike) and hit a telephone pull. When he hit the pull he has no idea what happen next. when he woke up he had about 10 people hoverin over him he ended up almost ripping off his ear, Ripped his roators cuff, brused his spine, and totaled his $6500 bike. Also at that time the ladys husbend was Screaming at the pack of bikers for not watching the road when it was his wifes fault in all ways posable. but the best part about this is about half of hte bikers that bike with my dad are doctors or lawyers... The woman now has a huge suite against her

[Phix]

So in Seattle bikers are plentiful. Bikers have as many rights on the road as cars do. I was a big time biker for many years and I have my share of storys as you do but in seattle people are really good to bikers. My dad was ticketed for speeding on his bike a few years back just as if he were in a car. But it is dangerus as well in seattle for bikers all to often. 4 or 5 years ago I was biking across the street when a car T boned me. I was on my bmx bike at the time, I flew into the windsheil and broke it I got a few bad bruses nothing really more but my bike was fucked up. The peggs on the right side got stuck under the frame when the car hit and bent the frame bad. When I got off the guys car and pulled my bike out he flipped out and fled. A few people who saw it got his plates and we contacted the cops bla bla bla.

But my dad has seen the worst of it. He was freequent in bike packs of 20 - 80 bikers all going on 20 mile rides. Well a few months ago he was on one of these rides going down a long hill with a pack of about 60 bickelests when a lady in a suv backed out of her driveway about 15ft infront of the pack , at this point they were doing about 30mph. all in all about 15 bikers hit her car about 10 droped htere bikes right by here car but my dad dodged her car behind but she bumped him with the rear of the car. He flew off the road went down a set of stairs (this is on his CF road bike) and hit a telephone pull. When he hit the pull he has no idea what happen next. when he woke up he had about 10 people hoverin over him he ended up almost ripping off his ear, Ripped his roators cuff, brused his spine, and totaled his $6500 bike. Also at that time the ladys husbend was Screaming at the pack of bikers for not watching the road when it was his wifes fault in all ways posable. but the best part about this is about half of hte bikers that bike with my dad are doctors or lawyers... The woman now has a huge suite against her

Too bad I can't really believe you. :/

you know... with your zero credibiblity and all....

[Phix]

Fuck you very much phix want photos jack ass.

Riiiight.... oh, btw, have any other cars ran into you? You know? An SLR which suddenly morphs into an SLK? With a woman talking on the cell?

Did you smash her hood up but then walk away crying etc. etc. saying to her to just get lost instead of wanting to sue her and being all pissed off at yourself?

What's that? You just DREAMT all that up?

[dukenukem]

by bike you mean motorbikes or bicycles ... the first are a bunch of douchebags and the others are just annoying me by being on the road.

[Guest_XdrewsiferX_*]

Dads bike after the crash.

[clarkma5]

bicyclists are obnoxiously aggressive to make up for the fact that they don't get treated courteously around here. It's a self-feeding cycle that makes me annoyed at bicyclists 90% of the time, though I'll still give them the right of way and such when appropriate...more so than most other road users out there.

[leif]

PHIX AND DREW DONT FLAME WAR EACHOTHER HERE! PM EACHOTHER IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT!

one of the biggest problems in winnipeg is that we have this millitant cucling group called "critical mass" who have gotten alot of negative press lately for mass rides where they block entire freeways. So you have to deal with that as a cyclist now...

[Guest_XdrewsiferX_*]

Phix started it... but sorry ill change my post to give you back your thread.

[Cyclone]

And the last time I rode my bike on the street I got hit by a van who was pulling out. We have the law here about riding on sidewalks also but I'd much rather get a ticket than worry about dumb fucks running over me.

On the subject, I give cyclists as much room as I possible can. If they're in the right lane on the side of the road, i usually switch lanes so they and I dont have to worry about hitting each other.

[leif]

This is my street bike...its an old Canadian tyre special frame with some new components...it works well...but wouldnt win the tour de france

[Flaw]

Woah, perfect timing for the thread. College towns are easy on bikers, so to answer your question leif, I don't see a huge problem here.

Aside from that, I...JUST fell while riding my bike earlier today.

I hadn't realize this morning that my front tire had deflated so much....I rode fairly easy to class so it wasn't a problem, but on the way back I pushed it too much, and took a huge spill jumping off a sidewalk to cross the street. The right side of the rim on the front wheel hit the ground and scraped out to the left, with me following quickly in its tracks. I guess I gave some people a good laugh. A couple approached to help, but I was ok right after it and got up, fixed my chain and kept riding home.

This is the bike, K2 Sidewinder FS, and over the next couple of semesters I'd like to change to a road bike:

[infinity]

Cary, NC :heart:s bikers. Our police literally escort larger groups of bicyclists when they ride around town.

[leif]

FS you ride a full suspension bike on the road?

Fuck...my full on trail bike isnt even dual suspension...i hate the way so much of your power is wasted by the flex in the bike...I know you can get a lock-out mechanism...but still...

[Flaw]

FS you ride a full suspension bike on the road?

Fuck...my full on trail bike isnt even dual suspension...i hate the way so much of your power is wasted by the flex in the bike...I know you can get a lock-out mechanism...but still...

Yea, it's pretty horrid. That's why I want to get a road bike. I just got a pretty good price on this and it was the only decent bike at the s.a. at the time of purchase. I'll keep this one for some trails, but for going to class, a decent road bike would be primo.

[goota]

honestly I hate bikers, they have no courtesy for any cars and think they can just cut across a road whenever the fuck they want as long as they think they can barely make it, they dont obey the laws of the roads (stop signs, yielding, etc) and have no respect for anyone, either in cars or pedestrians.

[Marien]

Well, living in the Netherlands is like living in cyclist heaven compared to your stories. But that's because in the Netherlands everyone rides his bike. There are more bikes then people in the country. Kids learn to ride a bike as soon as they can walk basicly, so everyone owns a bike. I have 5 at the moment, I think.

There are bikelanes everywere. In the cities most of them are just parts of the main road painted red. Or they are seperate from the main road running allongside it. At crossings bikelanes have their own trafficlight also.
Because of the fact that there are so many cyclist here, everyone is aware of them. So normally you don't have to be extra carefull, only at some points (right hand turns for instance) you have to watch out. Some drivers don't bother to look over their shoulder or use their mirror.

[midnightdorifto]

honestly I hate bikers, they have no courtesy for any cars and think they can just cut across a road whenever the fuck they want as long as they think they can barely make it, they dont obey the laws of the roads (stop signs, yielding, etc) and have no respect for anyone, either in cars or pedestrians.

+1, especially about the pedestrians. I'm going to start carrying an umbrella or a 9-iron to stick in the spokes of the next Lance Armstrong who wants to see how close he can get his bike to me before I have to jump out of his merry way at the last second. They never give right of way on the road, and seem to enjoy blocking traffic on two-lane roads for as long as possible.

[herkalees]

My old bike: http://flickr.com/photos/marcamos/65997437/

My new bike: http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=06Hardrock

Yeah, its a downgrade.

[dukenukem]

+1, especially about the pedestrians. I'm going to start carrying an umbrella or a 9-iron to stick in the spokes of the next Lance Armstrong who wants to see how close he can get his bike to me before I have to jump out of his merry way at the last second. They never give right of way on the road, and seem to enjoy blocking traffic on two-lane roads for as long as possible.

Run over a few of these hippies ..