The Places in the World Where you Felt the Most Respected by Drivers
07-16-20, 05:22 PM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
The Places in the World Where you Felt the Most Respected by Drivers
Please share with others where you have felt the safest riding your bike in the World. Where drivers were the most respectful waiting for cyclists to climb before passing them, where drivers were slowing before passing, where drivers on the other side avoided passing at the same time cyclists were in the other side, where you didn’t get honked, etc...
The most respectful places I have ridden were in order:
1)Spain (Girona)
2)France (Alps&Pyrenees)
3)Martinique (Anse d’Arlet)
4) Italy (Dolomites)
5) West Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway)
6) Virginia (New Castle)
7) Vermont (Jay Peak)
8) Arizona (Tucson)
9) Florida (Tampa & Miami)
10) Quebec (Greater Montreal)
The most respectful places I have ridden were in order:
1)Spain (Girona)
2)France (Alps&Pyrenees)
3)Martinique (Anse d’Arlet)
4) Italy (Dolomites)
5) West Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway)
6) Virginia (New Castle)
7) Vermont (Jay Peak)
8) Arizona (Tucson)
9) Florida (Tampa & Miami)
10) Quebec (Greater Montreal)
07-16-20, 05:34 PM
#3
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,635
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4733 Post(s)
Liked 1,532 Times
in
1,003 Posts
How come Jakarta isn't on the list?
07-16-20, 06:14 PM
#5
Pizzaiolo Americano
Europe as a whole but even more so where I lived in Northern Italy. The drivers are used to seeing cyclists and don't act like you are impeding on them by using the same road. The drivers in Wisconsin so far are pretty decent too.
Likes For Pizzaiolo Americano:
07-16-20, 07:33 PM
#6
Quidam Bike Super Hero
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Stone Mountain, GA (Metro Atlanta, East)
Posts: 1,135
Bikes: 1995 Trek 800 Sport, aka, "CamelTrek"
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 331 Post(s)
Liked 415 Times
in
282 Posts
An abandoned stretch of road, behind the Stone Mountain park golf course, where motorists are not allowed.... In metro Atlanta... "go fish!"
07-16-20, 08:11 PM
#7
Occam's Rotor
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 7,248
Mentioned: 61 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2366 Post(s)
Liked 2,331 Times
in
1,164 Posts
Berkeley.
07-16-20, 09:00 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 5,925
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1819 Post(s)
Liked 1,693 Times
in
974 Posts
I am going to give a vote to Moore county in North Carolina. I have gone there for spring training numerous times and have found the drivers there to be very polite. Pretty much anywhere I have ridden in France has been very good, and Montreal drivers have really improved over the last few years
07-16-20, 10:46 PM
#10
Kamen Rider
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: KL, MY
Posts: 1,071
Bikes: Fuji Transonic Elite, Marechal Soul Ultimate, Dahon Dash Altena
Mentioned: 11 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 351 Post(s)
Liked 277 Times
in
164 Posts
France - while waiting to cross the road in Rambouillet, some drivers even stopped to let me cross first.
Likes For atwl77:
07-17-20, 02:23 AM
#11
Senior Member
Canary Islands are good, a lot of pro go there to train and Lanzarote especially very popular place for cyclists and triathletes. Only time I got hassled by a driver was a tourist in a rental car. No surprise there...
Likes For JonnyV:
07-17-20, 03:57 PM
#14
Should Be More Popular
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 43,052
Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix
Mentioned: 560 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22598 Post(s)
Liked 8,925 Times
in
4,158 Posts
Likes For datlas:
07-18-20, 07:58 PM
#15
Full Member
Thread Starter
Likes For dr_max:
07-19-20, 02:22 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Posts: 877
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 528 Post(s)
Liked 230 Times
in
161 Posts
Please share with others where you have felt the safest riding your bike in the World. Where drivers were the most respectful waiting for cyclists to climb before passing them, where drivers were slowing before passing, where drivers on the other side avoided passing at the same time cyclists were in the other side, where you didn’t get honked, etc...
The most respectful places I have ridden were in order:
1)Spain (Girona)
2)France (Alps&Pyrenees)
3)Martinique (Anse d’Arlet)
4) Italy (Dolomites)
5) West Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway)
6) Virginia (New Castle)
7) Vermont (Jay Peak)
8) Arizona (Tucson)
9) Florida (Tampa & Miami)
10) Quebec (Greater Montreal)
The most respectful places I have ridden were in order:
1)Spain (Girona)
2)France (Alps&Pyrenees)
3)Martinique (Anse d’Arlet)
4) Italy (Dolomites)
5) West Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway)
6) Virginia (New Castle)
7) Vermont (Jay Peak)
8) Arizona (Tucson)
9) Florida (Tampa & Miami)
10) Quebec (Greater Montreal)
Switzerland is great, too, but not as universal. There are definitely a lot of idiots, too, who love to take their motorcycle and tuned/expensive car for joyrides who see cyclists as a hindrance to speed. It would be a lot better if they limited speed to 60km/h (from 80) on the passes.
Likes For ZHVelo:
07-19-20, 03:39 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NW Ohio
Posts: 1,455
Bikes: Salsa Beargrease XX1, Trek Eqnuinox 9.9 SSL, Trek Madone 6.9 ,Trek District Carbon, Trek Boone7, Trek Fuel EX9.0,Trek Fuel 9.5, Trek Rumblefish Pro, Trek Remedy 9.9, Trek Equinox7, Trek District Belt
Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 578 Post(s)
Liked 82 Times
in
45 Posts
The Emerald Isle in the Indian Ocean..
__________________
Trek Fuel EX9.0 Trek Fuel EX9.5 Trek Equinox 9.9SSL TTX Trek Madone 6.9 Pro Red Project One, Trek Boone 7, Trek Rumblefish Pro, Trek Remedy 9.9, Trek Carbon District
Trek Fuel EX9.0 Trek Fuel EX9.5 Trek Equinox 9.9SSL TTX Trek Madone 6.9 Pro Red Project One, Trek Boone 7, Trek Rumblefish Pro, Trek Remedy 9.9, Trek Carbon District
07-20-20, 09:05 AM
#20
Senior Member
I disagree with your statement about Wisconsin. Even on lonely country roads or middle of nowhere rustic roads, I get people tailgating, intentionally pulling close passes, motorcycles revving their engines on purpose to blow out my eardrums, and large diesel vehicles coal-rolling left and right.
07-20-20, 09:27 AM
#21
Pizzaiolo Americano
I disagree with your statement about Wisconsin. Even on lonely country roads or middle of nowhere rustic roads, I get people tailgating, intentionally pulling close passes, motorcycles revving their engines on purpose to blow out my eardrums, and large diesel vehicles coal-rolling left and right.
07-20-20, 10:35 AM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lebanon (Liberty Hill), CT
Posts: 8,473
Bikes: CAAD 12, MASI Gran Criterium S, Colnago World Cup CX & Guru steel
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1743 Post(s)
Liked 1,281 Times
in
740 Posts
I've ridden in a few places but not a lot. The place that jumps out is Puerto Rico. Not only were people incredibly patient but a wedding party actually rode up next to us and the Bride and Groom invited us to their reception.
07-20-20, 11:16 AM
#23
Newbie racer
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 3,406
Bikes: Propel, red is faster
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1575 Post(s)
Liked 1,569 Times
in
974 Posts
Denmark and Alsace Lorraine France. Hands down the most pleasurable experience on a bicycle.
Also, in the US people give "rednecks" a hard time.........I've had more trouble in town with the "fake junior executive BMW driver" that's on their way to church on Sundays.
Also, in the US people give "rednecks" a hard time.........I've had more trouble in town with the "fake junior executive BMW driver" that's on their way to church on Sundays.
Likes For burnthesheep:
07-20-20, 11:44 AM
#24
Senior Member
Best: western Massachusetts and Vermont. Worst: Washington DC area, the Land of Me.
Edit: top five most annoying US driver types for cyclists:
5. A group of teenaged boys in a 1996 Toyota Tercel.
4. Beat up, rusted out landscaping pickup with a trailer full of blowers, rakes and lawnmowers with seven guys all sitting on the front bench.
3. Yoga-pants wearing mom in oversized aviator sunglasses in an SUV holding an iPhone up to talk to it on speakerphone because they can't figure out the Bluetooth in their car.
2. Motorcyclists, especially superbike guys in leathers. Harley guys are generally OK.
1. (by a country mile): pristine pickups with Z51/TRD/whatever offroad packages driven by fat guys with goatees on suburban streets. Extra points for Browning, Line-X, Salt Life or blue-line American Flag stickers.
Edit: top five most annoying US driver types for cyclists:
5. A group of teenaged boys in a 1996 Toyota Tercel.
4. Beat up, rusted out landscaping pickup with a trailer full of blowers, rakes and lawnmowers with seven guys all sitting on the front bench.
3. Yoga-pants wearing mom in oversized aviator sunglasses in an SUV holding an iPhone up to talk to it on speakerphone because they can't figure out the Bluetooth in their car.
2. Motorcyclists, especially superbike guys in leathers. Harley guys are generally OK.
1. (by a country mile): pristine pickups with Z51/TRD/whatever offroad packages driven by fat guys with goatees on suburban streets. Extra points for Browning, Line-X, Salt Life or blue-line American Flag stickers.
Last edited by Hiro11; 07-20-20 at 12:03 PM.
Likes For Hiro11: