CB HI

The last few months, there has been a large jump in the number of threads that claim cyclist cause all their own problems (mostly in A&S but in other sub-forums as well). The first claim in these threads and by their supporters is along the lines “I am a cyclist as well”. The OP then goes along the lines of the bad image that ‘some’ cyclist cause creating problems for everyone else by doing thing like taking the lane. This is followed by claims of the cyclist being rude, arrogant, disrespectful and even unlawful for the supposed claim of ‘impeding traffic’.

In the past such claims against cyclist have been made by people that have clearly never cycled. Fireman Rob comes to mind. (Fireman Rob = a bubba Georgia guy who loaded his motorcycle in a truck with his buddies to drive down to Florida to recreational motorcycle ride and is only a volunteer medic to boost his ego).

These days, when I have dug into the Original Poster and their supporters, I find that most are complaining about cycle commuters or experience road riders in narrow lanes taking the lane while the complainer is driving a truck or SUV. Most times it is during rush hour. Further digging reveals these ‘cyclist’ are weekend MUP riders that think we cycling commuters should not ride on any of their highways or at least should be in the gutter with the glass and out of the way of their SUV/truck.

When we read a news article of a cyclist who get hit with no fault of their own, there is always one of these guys jumping in the comments saying ‘I am a cyclist too, but these guys give us all a bad name, I would never ride on that road, I would never impede traffic, all cyclist should gutter huge and stay out of the way’.

If these guys want to consider cycling as only a hobby, only recreational ride on MUPs, that is OK by me. I have never put them down for their choice of cycling (I have pointed out in threads that they know nothing of cycle commuting). I have never claimed they give ALL cyclist a bad image/name.

So why do these guys feel so compelled to put us cycle commuters and experienced road riders down and blame us for all their woes? Who is REALLY giving cyclist a bad image with their misinformation, demands and claims?

MijnWraak

I'm not a cyclist. I'm a person on a bicycle riding to work. We need to stop grouping people into specific groups, it makes it too easy to target them.

silmarillion

I hear ya CB.

All boils down to pure selfishness. Same asinine cyclist hang up as the guy who thinks it cute to stomp the accelerator pedal and smoke out cyclists who are out minding their own business trying to make it safely to work, or get in their training mileage. Their truck/car is more expensive than my bike...therefore they are more "entitled" (if you will...) to the roads than cyclists are.

It's easy to hate on people when they delay others from reaching the red light or stop sign by .02 seconds.

*Some* people are falsely led my the misconception that cyclists do not pay road taxes. This is also fed by the other misconception that bicycles have no rights on the roads so they should be on the MUP or sidewalk.

I admit there are a *few* cyclists out there who either don't know how to ride properly, or they want to be scofflaws. Those folks can give us all a bad name. Those of us who actually do commute or ride on a routine basis know that this is not smart. If we were to ride foolishly every time we rode, then the law of averages will catch up to us.

I do in fact, pay taxes. I just decide to use a different vehicle than driving my car. If anything, they should be thanking us for allowing them to be able to purchase our share of gas so they can continue to drive their big trucks and SUV's to work to the tune of $100 to $200 a week.

Axiom

cy·clist/ˈsīk(ə)list/
Noun:
A person who rides a bicycle.

Yes you are.

CB HI

I don't mind classifying different cycling. I cycle commute each work day using both busy highways and the Pearl Harbor Bike Path, I recreational road ride on some weekends and other weekends will recreational mountain bike. Some days I utility cycle hauling a Bob trailer. I use a recumbent bicycle just for fun and to ride to soccer games that I can lean the bicycle against a tree and use it as a lawn chair. I keep a touring bicycle at my sons house in California for mainland touring. I keep my beater single speed/FG at work for town riding when I need to lock the bicycle in the higher theft areas of town.

For me, all forms of cycling are good.

Bad is putting other cyclist down and blaming them for the bad behavior of motorist rather than supporting cyclist by trying to educate both cyclist and motorist in safe cycling and driving.

SlimRider

I think that if we were truly aware of the enormous amount of pure hatred and utter disdain many motorists have for all of us as cyclists, we would find greater reasons to become united and advocate for one another, instead of negatively crticizing one another.

This actually, reminds me of other minority types, as well....

- Slim

PS.

Psychologically speaking, they appear to find greater security in aligning themselves with the majority, regardless as to how irrational the stance or position of the majority.

MNBikeguy

You describe "group think", sadly not limited to cycling issues; it's how most decisions are made in boardrooms.
That said, there is very little to take seriously in A & S..

prathmann

Partly agree, but I think a large part of it is the perception that they are causing some delay unnecessarily. When I was bike commuting (I've since retired) I noticed that I encountered a higher level of hostility from drivers whenever my route changed (new job location, construction detour, etc.) and that after a number of days on the new route I no longer got the angry shouts or horn beeps. Presumably I was still delaying (or not delaying) other traffic by the same amount, but instead of being perceived as that 'idiot playing in traffic on his bike' I think the realization set in that if they saw me on the road each day at about the same time and place that I was likely doing the same thing they were - getting to and from work.

Seattle Forrest

A&S is where angry clowns go to beat their chests. I saw this guy in A&S:



^ You can tell he's from A&S because he's so unhappy.

gmt13

Too much generalizing. I reckon I put an equal number of miles on my bike as my truck, but regardless of what vehicle I am using, I call it like I see it. Does this mean if I complain about a wacky cyclist that I see while driving, it is different than complaining about the same wacky cyclist if I am on my bike when I see him or her? Of course I do have a different frame of reference than most motorists and so I understand why cyclists do certain things (like taking the lane). On the other hand, there are some things that some cyclists do that I will never understand.

It's interesting that I complain about behaviors of motorists more often when I am driving than when I am cycling.

-G

-G

enigmaT120

From my favorite news source, The Onion.

Seattle Forrest

Why is cyclist in quotes in the thread title? A cyclist is a person on a bike. If English is a second language, you can verify this in a dictionary.

Santaria

I believe he used cyclist in quotes to emphasis the word. Bold or some other variable might have had the same, desired effect.

CB, it's a difficult, and dangerous leap of assumption on all parts that leads to this type of identity fraud and misunderstanding. I spoke to a co-worker today who informed me that he saw me "walking the other day toward the building," co-worker Mo said. I affirmed that, yep, it probably was me. He called me a bum; jesting was the apparent intent. Ultimately, I asked him if he really thought I was giving the impression of being impoverished by simply walking to-and-from work and the university. They are geometrically "triangulated" perfectly from my condo - 2 miles give or take between all of them. His simple answer was that yes, in fact, I needed to "man up" and drive my car any distance greater than about 2-3 blocks. Bike or otherwise, if I wasn't in a car - I wasn't able to understand the adult world. Internally, I wanted to do some magic trick where I pulled his head out of his own ass with a satisfying "pop" sound from the obvious suction, but I did ask - and was answered.

On point of the post, this guy isn't abnormal or in any way out of the ordinary for the day-to-day individuals I meet in the RGV. If he thinks walking 2 miles is "too far," then he'd probably be insulted at the idea of almost any real commuting distance by bike, train, camel, bus or any other public transportation that didn't show his virility through his car. Generation after generation has taught boys that cars are the symbol of success, women like men who are successful - ergo - successful men who have women (and breed) do not ride bikes. With that logic, anybody on a bike is inferior and should GTFO of the way of "real men."

MNBikeguy

I happen to know this is a regular contributor in A&S. He's got a laptop, just like the e-trade kid.

CB HI

He was riding HIS MUP and got passed by a cyclist in full kit.

silmarillion

I wonder if he's really pissed that his dad buys and wins races on a new carbon bike every other year, and here he is riding this piece of krap another year in the same, lame, event...

I'm with ya little brother.

DrJerry

USA needs cycle paths similar to Holland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGI-tSBItiw This is a comparison between Dutch and German paths. In Europe the red pavement is reserved for bicycles.

gecho

He waved, but the roadie didn't wave back.

Igo

I know I must be wrong but I never read anywhere where cyclist have a reputation; except for here.

MNBikeguy

On a related note:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/29...-on-icy-trail/

Igo

OK. That guy did ruin it for everybody. I'll hold his fingers in the spokes; you turn the crank.

Radials983

Stupidity pays dividends in this country.

Digital_Cowboy

Like you I've found those posts to be somewhat interesting. I think that they lack the skill, experience and/or confidence to ride on the roads with traffic.

That makes a lot of sense.

I agree, and they usually think that as long as we ride slow enough i.e. walking speed we can avoid those obstacles.

See above. And it's almost as if they're apologetic for being a cyclist.

See above about them lacking confidence, experience and skill to cycle commute and/or ride on road. So they think that anyone who does is "crazy" or is being "rude and inconsiderate" and they think that because they "can't" ride a certain way that "on one" should ride that way.

chipcom 

I blame the tea parties...and Obama.

tarwheel 

Around here, people mostly complain about recreational cyclists on large group rides. Two reasons for that: (1) hardly any one bike commutes; (2) group rides often consist of 20-40 cyclists who block the entire lane for about 1/4 mile, ignore traffic signals, etc. I get honked and yelled at all the time on group rides but rarely ever when I'm commuting.