Comments on: Share the Road

By: chortles

chortles — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 03:19:03 +0000

Great article!

I’m an avid road cyclist as well. So firstly, =huge= kudos to DH for finishing the Death Ride. That is one gnarly route with ~130 miles, 15,000 feet of climbing (insane!).

In addition to the above key points, I’d add: “if you’ve parked or stopped your car on the street, ALWAYS look behind you before opening your door.” I live in fear of being doored, which can happen frequently in urban areas. Personally, that’s another reason I ride closer to the car lines rather than in the bike lane. I have to ride with half an eye on the cars on the left, and half an eye on whether there are any bobbing heads in the line of parked cars on my right that might fling a door open

And yes, I’ve had problems with motorcycles riding in the bike lanes. Gah.

By: Scooter

Scooter — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:21:31 +0000

Sublime311, I asked my husband your question, and here's his response:
"Generally cyclists hug that part of the lane to avoid glass and debris that collects closer to the edge of the road. It gets nasty out there!"

Kat, it's interesting you bring up motorcycles, because lately he's been having some problems with them, too. Purposefully driving too close to him as they pass or yelling at him. You'd think that out of everyone on the road, motorcyclists would be more sympathetic!

By: emmjay

emmjay — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:54:42 +0000

I think #4 is an especially important point - it seems like drivers often forget about the cyclists they just passed, and end up cutting them off when making a right turn. Also, if you are a cyclist, please be aware that you don’t automatically have the right of way and that you are supposed to follow the rules of the road (e.g. stopping at stop signs). I think most avid cyclists know that but many do not and when I see them blowing through stop signs or cutting across traffic, it makes me nervous that an accident is in their future!

By: Snowzilla

Snowzilla — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:54:28 +0000

Great article, Scooter. I admit, I hate riding my bike on the roads for these very reasons. We’re very fortunate to have a lot of bike trails in our end of the city, and I find myself sticking to them as much as possible.

Huge kudos to your husband for his dedication to the sport!

By: kat

kat — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:04:48 +0000

Thanks for that - I just got a shiny new road bike, so this is on my mind.

I ride in rural areas, where I think people are scared of me. I’ve found that if I ride on the shoulder, people buzz me, and it sucks. So now I just own my lane and ride in a pretend bike lane I create in the driving lane. It makes people see me more as a moving vehicle and less like someone to just pass by.

FWIW, it’s the same for motorcyclists too. It used to drive me crazy that DH hugged the centerline, but it gives him much more room and awareness from cars.

By: sublime311

sublime311 — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:52:50 +0000

Tucson is generally considered a bike friendly town, so most of our streets have a bike lane. It’s the old scenic routes that scare the bejezzus out of me! There’s less than 1/2 a foot for the bike rider to ride on, so they usually end up in the regular lane! SOOO, scary!

Can I ask a silly question? I’ve noticed that a lot of bike riders hug the driving lane line instead of driving in the middle of their 3-4ft bike lane. Is there a reason for that? It makes me so nervous.

Also, I have to admit, I have a dog who heckles bike riders. If I remember, I’ll roll up the windows when I see a bike rider, but if I forget, she’ll wait until we get right up on the bike and bark like a mad dog! I feel so bad!

Sorry for the random comments and thank you for the reminder to share the road!

By: numberlady

numberlady — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:40:35 +0000

Good tips. I worry every time my DH goes out for a bike ride too.