General heads-up about cars and bikes sharing the road...

There's one situation where bikes are next to impossible for a driver to see, and that's at night, stopped at a light in front of another car. Saw this again this week crossing a street on foot. I looked down the street & saw cars waiting for the light. Then something hit me...there was something funny about what I saw. Yep...THREE headlights...there was a bike in front of the car.

I was on foot and stopped, so I had time to digest the view and take another look. Dunno if a driver could have without active awareness that this can happen. Bikes are everywhere...look twice!

THIS situation, IMHO -- YMMV, is why I think "Loud pipes save lives." is a good thing. Wouldn't have happened if that was a big Harley!

Big Harleys have little taillights.

I'm a strong advocate of quiet exhausts but loud lights. Even then, you'll get the substance abuser who continues to stare right at you as he's running the stop sign and you're rapidly approaching.

I have seen a big loud Harley get ass ended at a stop light.

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Originally Posted by N8YX

Big Harleys have little taillights.

I'm a strong advocate of quiet exhausts but loud lights. Even then, you'll get the substance abuser who continues to stare right at you as he's running the stop sign and you're rapidly approaching.

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Damned lousy potheads !!!

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Originally Posted by n2ize

Damned lousy potheads !!!

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Had a guy pull out in front of me a few weeks back while on the way in to work.

My Concours-14 has a pair of focused headlights, pair of running lights and a pair of accessory LED driving lights mounted on the fork legs. When all that stuff is on, it's like looking into the sun - you aren't going to miss it.

Nevertheless, Mr. Asshole started creeping the stop sign as I approached, kept creeping as I laid on the horns (also obnoxious) and was still going when I put the brakes into full anti-lock. Well, almost - I never felt the system turn on! That bike's brakes and tires make for darn quick, controllable deceleration.

I managed to get stopped about two feet from the guy's driver-side door; he was halfway into the lane by now and had been staring at me the whole time this was going on. Of course, he immediately lit 'em up and beat feet when his fogged-up noggin finally processed what was occurring.

He's going to play that game a few too many times and his luck will eventually run out: A short distance from where this happened is a sheriff training facility, and a lot of their mounted officers commute to and from the complex on this road. The next time said motorist plays that game with a motorcycle, its rider may very well have the authority to have the car torn apart looking for drugs. Especially if the driver is noticeably out of it.

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Originally Posted by N8YX

Had a guy pull out in front of me a few weeks back while on the way in to work.

My Concours-14 has a pair of focused headlights, pair of running lights and a pair of accessory LED driving lights mounted on the fork legs. When all that stuff is on, it's like looking into the sun - you aren't going to miss it.

Nevertheless, Mr. Asshole started creeping the stop sign as I approached, kept creeping as I laid on the horns (also obnoxious) and was still going when I put the brakes into full anti-lock. Well, almost - I never felt the system turn on! That bike's brakes and tires make for darn quick, controllable deceleration.

I managed to get stopped about two feet from the guy's driver-side door; he was halfway into the lane by now and had been staring at me the whole time this was going on. Of course, he immediately lit 'em up and beat feet when his fogged-up noggin finally processed what was occurring.

He's going to play that game a few too many times and his luck will eventually run out: A short distance from where this happened is a sheriff training facility, and a lot of their mounted officers commute to and from the complex on this road. The next time said motorist plays that game with a motorcycle, its rider may very well have the authority to have the car torn apart looking for drugs. Especially if the driver is noticeably out of it.

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It could be that they are potheads but most of the time I think they are just obnoxious assholes who don't give a crap. I used to fdo a lot of bicycle riding around here and I remember how arrogant and nasty some of these drivers were. I had an old guy and his elderly wife nearly kill me once then he gave me a dirty look and the finger. I had the right of the way and they didn't care. Their attitude was, you are on a bike and you have no right to be there and I don;t have to yield to you. The attitude of a lot of these people is, "my car is bigger, heavier and stronger than your bike and I'll run you off the road". I don;t think they are on pot or drugs. They are just plain ol' nasty arrogant people. Of course , if you can get the law to search them for drugs then all the better. Serves them right for being pricks.

The menace around here are bicycles. Riders think traffic laws don't apply to them and in summer they are legion. Bike cops are worse, they set such a fine example when they should be handing out wolf tickets.

Last week I had two minivans pull lefties in front of me. Both women had the balls to flip me off. The second one was really close. She stopped mid-turn and I locked the brakes. I came to a stop about 2 feet from her right front fender. Personally, I think most drivers just don't give a shit. We've had a lot of car-bike accidents the last two years and most of them are hit-and-run. I think it should be legal to pull these people out of their vehicles and beat them with your helmet.

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Originally Posted by N2KKM

Last week I had two minivans pull lefties in front of me. Both women had the balls to flip me off. The second one was really close. She stopped mid-turn and I locked the brakes. I came to a stop about 2 feet from her right front fender. Personally, I think most drivers just don't give a shit. We've had a lot of car-bike accidents the last two years and most of them are hit-and-run. I think it should be legal to pull these people out of their vehicles and beat them with your helmet.

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Teh Bunneh carries a ball-peen hammer with him while riding Sapphiro...

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Originally Posted by n2ize

It could be that they are potheads but most of the time I think they are just obnoxious assholes who don't give a crap.

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Potheads typically don't pull this kind of garbage - at least, none I've ever been around. The individual in question was either seriously drunk or on synthetics.

I've witnessed "the look" enough to know when someone is majorly incapacitated. And not from the leaf.

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Originally Posted by kb2vxa

The menace around here are bicycles. Riders think traffic laws don't apply to them and in summer they are legion. Bike cops are worse, they set such a fine example when they should be handing out wolf tickets.

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Yeah, a 23 lb bicycle, with a 150 lb rider, traveling at 20mph max is a menace. Much more so than a 3000 lb hunk of steel at 50 mph :doh:

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Originally Posted by KC2UGV

Yeah, a 23 lb bicycle, with a 150 lb rider, traveling at 20mph max is a menace. Much more so than a 3000 lb hunk of steel at 50 mph :doh:

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It isn't the kinematics in the bicycle world which are dangerous...it's the fashion:

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I find that cars think that traffic laws don't apply to bicyclists. :-P I ride my bike multiple times a week and I live within the laws & regulations, sometimes at my peril.

In my locale, bicycles are subject to the same rules of the road as cars. Often I have seen riders ignore these rules by running red lights, stop signs as well as weaving through traffic and pedestrians both in crosswalks and sidewalks.
Seen one scooter rider last October run a red light in traffic as if if wasn't even there. A week later in the news was a story about a scooter rider running a stop sign and getting killed by traffic which did not have a stop in their direction of travel. I wondered if it was the same guy I saw earlier.

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Originally Posted by KG4CGC

In my locale, bicycles are subject to the same rules of the road as cars.

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Same here, same most places, AFAIK.. I ride my bicycle like I would drive a car in terms of following traffic laws. I don't make any exceptions, I don't cross against lights.. or otherwise.

Not to completely hijack this thread, but Denver is supposedly the most bicycle friendly city in America.. and Colorado in general is big on bicycles. Denver even has a great bike sharing program called Bcycle (bcycle.com).. I'm an annual member. :yes:

I don't think we get that channel out in the 'burbs. :lol:

We (who this we is IDK exactly) sponsor bike races through the town and city to bring in international tourism as the name "Tour DuPont" is plastered in many places. Bike lanes are being installed but the guys in their riding speedos and oblong helmets are under the impression that the marked bike lanes are an option. I don't know but I think that 36" wide bike lanes are pretty accommodating.
Now now, I'm an equal opportunity "down on whoever" kind of guy. Traffic rules are in effect until the routes are roped off.

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Originally Posted by KG4CGC

We (who this we is IDK exactly) sponsor bike races through the town and city to bring in international tourism as the name "Tour DuPont" is plastered in many places. Bike lanes are being installed but the guys in their riding speedos and oblong helmets are under the impression that the marked bike lanes are an option. I don't know but I think that 36" wide bike lanes are pretty accommodating.
Now now, I'm an equal opportunity "down on whoever" kind of guy. Traffic rules are in effect until the routes are roped off.

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Bicycles are allowed in vehicular lanes, marked bike lane or not (At least here in NYS they are).

We don't have a lot of bike lanes nearby, but I do have the towpath trail and a couple connecting trails on which to ride. On a day like today, it's the idiot hikers and dog-walkers who let their aggressive mutts run free that you have to watch for.

Come sundown, that show rolls up for the evening and out we come. I put a goodly amount into bicycle lighting for the ability to venture OFF the beaten path - or to ride it when everyone has gone home.

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Originally Posted by KC2UGV

Bicycles are allowed in vehicular lanes, marked bike lane or not (At least here in NYS they are).

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That's fine but I guess I didn't make my point. They're all over the place and disregard ROTR. If you're doing 5 or 8 mph in the middle of the main lane in traffic on a 2 lane road, get the fuck over FCS!

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Originally Posted by KG4CGC

That's fine but I guess I didn't make my point. They're all over the place and disregard ROTR. If you're doing 5 or 8 mph in the middle of the main lane in traffic on a 2 lane road, get the fuck over FCS!

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Why? Do you expect every vehicle to get out of a lane you want to be on? I'm not familiar with any state laws that require cyclist to right AFRAP (As far right as possible).

What if they are requiring to turn? Shouldn't they be in the far left lane?

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Originally Posted by KC2UGV

Why? Do you expect every vehicle to get out of a lane you want to be on? I'm not familiar with any state laws that require cyclist to right AFRAP (As far right as possible).

What if they are requiring to turn? Shouldn't they be in the far left lane?

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Where did I say they are in the lane I want to be in? Where did I say they were making a left turn? That's not part of the equation.
Let me be crystal clear for your edification. It will make your life richer. Pedaling along at 5 or 8 mph on a two lane road in the middle of the main lane, not the bike lane, not to make a left turn is inconsiderate and unacceptable.
You ride a bike? Good for you. I rode one for years. I never blocked traffic or acted like I owned the whole road. I even installed turn signals and both daytime and nighttime lights. It's a two way street. If you ride a bike you have a responsibility to yourself and others on the road. Hand signals are acceptable as well and everyone is required to know them.

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Tough bike!!!

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Originally Posted by WA4TM

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Tough bike!!!

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Bent the rim. :dunno:

Speaking of bicycles. They have dedicated lanes here, no one uses them. I understand the appeal of using one being in the city but why must someone ride their bike in the middle of the road when the speed limit is 80KPH? Better yet, on the highway. It seems silly to me to ride your bike in the lane on a highway where the speed limit is often 140KPH..Someone pops up over a hill and does not know you are there...smack. All the while there are not only perfectly good bike lanes but there is a shoulder as well.

Another irritant, crossing from the sidewalk between cars. (This applies more to pedestrians.) Crossing the road from a blind spot in heavy traffic is a good way to an early grave. There are these wonderful things called crosswalks. What is even better is that when you walk across them people stop for you. But no, we must come out from between two cars in a blind spot casing car A to stop suddenly and creating a bumper car game in the middle of the street.

/rant