jaredr Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 i really applaud their devotion to physical fitness and an active lifestyle even if i can't quite relate to the whole leg-shaving goofy spandex-wearing 80's ennui-filled breaking-away lifestyle... however, when these boneheads decide to get out for the day and ride in a pack 3-abreast on a windy two-lane blacktop, they're pretty much begging for some guy on a cellphone to dole out some darwinian-evolutionary justice here. I'm running out to the supermarket to pick up some brown sugar for the sweet potato casserole and come around a corner to find a line of cars all backed up behind a dozen or so of these 10-speed fruitcakes who have decided to take up the entire lane rather than ride single file. even riding two across would be a modest courtesy to those drivers who don't want to spend 20 minutes puttering along at 10 miles an hour looking at some fat guy's rear end (user safety tip - if you're working to slim down, good for you brother but spandex may not be your friend no matter what the self-help magazines tell you). When you finally get a break in opposing traffic and scoot by in the opposing lane, you get the whole death-eye stare from the granola team like you were riding in a chariot powered by murdering baby seals. no question that i must have a whole collection of really annoying personal habits, but at least i have the courtesy to subject my family to that crap instead of imposing it on random strangers out for last minute holiday shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmanktm Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Had a group of bike riders like that give my wife the finger in a situation like that about 20 years ago - she still gets pissed every time she sees a bike rider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trgt Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 ...find a line of cars all backed up behind a dozen or so of these 10-speed fruitcakes who have decided to take up the entire lane rather than ride single file. even riding two across would be a modest courtesy to those drivers who don't want to spend 20 minutes puttering along at 10 miles an hour looking at some fat guy's rear end (user safety tip - ...you finally get a break in opposing traffic and scoot by in the opposing lane, you get the whole death-eye stare from the granola team like you were riding in a chariot powered by murdering baby seals. "Real" cyclists on modern 20 and 22-speed machines would be annoyed by that group as well. I've gotten that same look passing those folks on my bike. When they load up in their cars they are probably hugging the left lane at 1 mi/hour under the speed limit, on the way to the range where all of them will group into one lane and share the same firearm that none of them have ever shot before, nor know how to shoot, and they will shoot my target instead of their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmoney Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 One of the best hate posts ever. I agree wholeheartedly. With all the money we spend turning nice hunting habitat into bike trails, you would think they could get the hell off the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJDOUBLETAP Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I couldn't have thought of a more accurate way to describe them. Great post jaredr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nub Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I couldn't have thought of a more accurate way to describe them. Great post jaredr. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toothandnail Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 +10 Also like how they THINK they don't have to obey the same rules of the road as cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modoc Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 +1 and they wonder why I prefer to ride solo any more. Another grump is those that like to wear Dark clothing and ride, Visibility is critical people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhgunguy Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 +1000000. They usually don't have a chance to flip me off-I beat them to the punch. Prior to that I express my displeasure of their health lifestyle by flashing my brights and honking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 It's because of these guys that I've been working with Marvin the Martian to adapt a Uranium PU-36 Illudium radioactive space modulator to my truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedog Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Been known to flip them the bird myself. An annoying lot by and large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neomet Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 I used to be a competitive cyclist before I grew tired of buffoons in 2 ton pickups trying to play mirror tag with me as I balanced on the last 10 mm of roadway. Still, I have to say I never got the 2 plus abreast stuff in traffic. Yeah, cyclists vs cars is an only slightly watered down version of Bloods vs. Crypts and you have the pack mentality illusion of more power when you ride in a group, but not only are you just plain rude and stupid to do it, you are violating the law. That and you are still on the wrong end of Newtonian physics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EkuJustice Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 We have them here that don't think such things as stop signs red lights etc apply to them so they just keep a peddling across traffic then get mad when they get hit. What's even worse when it's done wearing dark clothing at night which was very common when I was in college both walking and on bikes. If your walking or on a bike at night in dark clothing use common sence and use the logic your mom probibally told you at about 5 yo and look both ways before crossing the street or maybe take a physics class to learn that car vs bike or walker the car wins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KellyTTE Posted November 29, 2013 Share Posted November 29, 2013 (edited) They're all over in CO. The worst part is when you have a job site in a mountain town somewhere and there's 20 of them doing a crappy Tour De France impression on a narrow 2 lane road at 4mph. I have pit bumpers on my CV and some days I'm sorely tempted to mow them down. Galaxy Note II + Tapatalk 2 Edited November 29, 2013 by KellyTTE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoomy Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Our county spends a lot of my money building 8 foot wide bike paths along major roads to connect to a large network of forest preseve bike paths. Three quarters of the cyclists refuse to use the paths and ride deep enough into traffic lanes to make passing difficult and dangerous. Then they pass up the forest preserve paths and stay on the streets. My wife used to ride her hores on the forest preserve paths but most do not allow it now since cycle riders complained about it (horseback riders have to purchase a tag to use the paths cyclists pay nothing and hardly any cyclists use the forest preserve paths.). If they are running formal races fine, but give people going about there jobs during the week a break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatman Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 It's because of these guys that I've been working with Marvin the Martian to adapt a Uranium PU-36 Illudium radioactive space modulator to my truck. Marvin the Martian: Oh goody! My illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator. [Kaboom] Marvin the Martian: Well, back to the old drawing board. Sent from my SGH-I757M using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) After reading this thread, I found it interesting how so many lumped cyclists together in all the things "they" do or don't do. Much like the anti-gun folks do to us everytime some evil act is committed with a firearm. I think its important to remember that people are people, good and bad, whether "they" are riding a bike, shooting a gun, or driving a car. I guess I hate it when folks with a common interest are lumped together and hated for what a few do. Edited December 5, 2013 by mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 'tis rude. it is that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotLoad Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) After reading this thread, I found it interesting how so many lumped cyclists together in all the things "they" do or don't do. Much like the anti-gun folks do to us everytime some evil act is committed with a firearm. I think its important to remember that people are people, good and bad, whether "they" are riding a bike, shooting a gun, or driving a car. I guess I hate it when folks with a common interest are lumped together and hated for what a few do.MWC hit the subject spot on. We all need to have a little humility and compassion towards people. Slow down a little and try not to always be in such a hurry in ife and on judgement of others.J Edited December 5, 2013 by HotLoad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) i really applaud their devotion to physical fitness and an active lifestyle even if i can't quite relate to the whole leg-shaving goofy spandex-wearing 80's ennui-filled breaking-away lifestyle... however, when these boneheads decide to get out for the day and ride in a pack 3-abreast on a windy two-lane blacktop, they're pretty much begging for some guy on a cellphone to dole out some darwinian-evolutionary justice here. We have a co ordinated mass stupidity called critical mass each month where idiots on bikes intentionally block streets and intersections to make some kind of point. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Mass_%28cycling%29 The local morons running the city have started a mass transition where they re stripe all of our four lane roads into two lane roads with a giant bike path.... doubling vehicle congestion on the streets. I can't even get out of my street anymore. But when you have Jerry Brown for a governor, cars are evil and bikes are wonderful. Edited December 6, 2013 by bountyhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 (edited) find a line of cars all backed up behind a dozen or so of these 10-speed fruitcakes who have decided to take up the entire lane rather than ride single file.Yeah.... I was coming home on San Tomas Expressway in rush hour traffic (bumper to bumper) with a few bikes cruising along in the bike lane to the right. Then I see a hard core street biker come up on the "normal speed" bikes in the bike lane and swerve straight into the traffic lane in front of traffic to pass the "slow ones". The closest car locked up the brakes and swerved to miss him (hitting the car next to him) as Joe bike rider cruised on down the road. Bikes: nature's way of helping reduce the shortage of donor organs. Edited December 6, 2013 by bountyhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHAVEGAS Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 As a biker you are on the horns of an enema. If you hug the line then idiots in cars, pick up trucks, semi's, etc will pass you danger close without even slowing down. I think there are a lot more safe and courteous drivers than idiots, but even at say a 20 to 1 ratio, things can get pretty dicey when, for example, the snot nosed kid on a cell phone thinks he has room to squeeze between your bike and the oncoming semi. If you move more into the lane to block the idiot attack, you increase your odds of survival but it is irritating to folks in cars with better things to do than creep along. Personally I think there is much to be said for mountain bikes, or at least planning road bike rides on very lightly used roads and off peak hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neckbone Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 I hate the greasy smear marks they leave on my hood and grille. Spandex threads are hard to get out of the swing mirror joints, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modoc Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 As a biker you are on the horns of an enema. If you hug the line then idiots in cars, pick up trucks, semi's, etc will pass you danger close without even slowing down. I think there are a lot more safe and courteous drivers than idiots, but even at say a 20 to 1 ratio, things can get pretty dicey when, for example, the snot nosed kid on a cell phone thinks he has room to squeeze between your bike and the oncoming semi. If you move more into the lane to block the idiot attack, you increase your odds of survival but it is irritating to folks in cars with better things to do than creep along. Personally I think there is much to be said for mountain bikes, or at least planning road bike rides on very lightly used roads and off peak hours. +1000! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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