MadMechanic

Not to bash any road bikers, but I do and dont get it. I know many people love the speed and the mileage etc.. But to me it's just not practical in a lot of situations for simple recreation/fitness. I understand the competitions etc.. but the other day I was driving through 55mph rush hour traffic on a 4 lane highway when I looked up and 2 road bikers were in the lane. which caused a big cluster F* in traffic and people erratically swerving everywhere. Why would you want to ride in such conditions???? Its almost like some of enjoy being in the way of motorists.

For me its not about their right to be there... its more about how impractical it is to ride in those congested conditions.
1. - You are going slower than the huge hunks of cell phone distracted steel around you.
2. - you are wearing a small helmet and no leather riding on on a carbon fiber rail. Nowhere near the same gear as a motorcyclist.
3. - These guys were not wearing neon clothing like a lot of smarter road biker ppl do.
4. - They were riding in a highly populated higher-speed area and not some calmer back road or country road.
5. - there was a nice open good sidewalk right beside them.
6. - Why would you want to ride in an environment physically exerting yourself... where the quality of the air consists of gasoline and diesel exhaust....This cant be good for your lungs in a long term perspective.

I just think road biking is impractical. Maybe more practical in a huge city where its harder to drive around, but for recreation in those conditions....why!?

MMACH 5

Sorry to hear you hate cyclists' right to use roadways for transportation.

When this gets moved to A&S, be sure to whine some more about how you had to slow your car down for these inconsiderate cyclists.

pablosnazzy

this thread smacks of trolling, but i will assume you are serious and i shall play along.....

i dont know the situation, but i see no reason why a cyclist would ever or should ever ride in a way to block traffic. if they are on the edge of the lane, then they arn't blocking, if they are in the middle of the lane, they are, in my opinion, wrong.

i shall address your concerns in the order you listed.

1. so what if they are going slower? does that mean they shouldn't be riding a bicycle?
2. so what if they have a small helmet ? i dont' see your point. safety? just because you perceive their actions as unsafe doesn't make it so.
3. neon clothing doesn't make you smart, or safe. invalid arguemnt.
4. again...so?
5. sidewalks are for pedestirans, not bicycles.
6. perhaps because they find it fun. again, just because you dont think it's fun doesn't make it so.

i think mountain biking is stupid. i dont' understand why you would ride a bicycle off rocks, wearning only a little helmet. it doesn't seem practical, why would you do it? you aren't getting anywhere, you aren't doing it for any reason that is obvious, i just don't get it.

road biking is fun, maybe not to you, but to those who do it.

and why are you posting this in the mountain biking forum?

corvuscorvax

This.

Perhaps the people the OP saw on the congested road had no other way to connect to their destination? If you're going to do a 60+ mile road ride, it's pretty inevitable in modern America that at least a brief part of that will be on congested high-speed roads.

I ride on the roads to:

- Go the grocery store
- Take my 2-year old daughter to school
- Go to work
- Go to the doctor
- Train when the trails are muddy

etc., etc. It's not always possible to do these things without hitting busy roads.

To the OP: show a little tolerance for people around you. Being in a car does not give you precedence.

MadMechanic

Wow Chill out and re-read plz

Again its not about MY tolerance, as I said before Its not about their right either. I have no problem with them in MY way because I know how to drive.

Its not about my driving or how safe I am...it is all about all of the other idiots on the road who were not paying attention. There are too many dumbass drivers out there in my opinion. All I was saying was it does not seem practical to me given the circumstances. Trees and rocks are predictable, Dumba$$ motorists are not! Driving through this traffic is dangerous enough in most areas here so I just dont see why you would risk it and in such bad position on the road. Again RE-read what I said. I know its not that dangerous or bad everywhere. geez

MadMechanic

"2. so what if they have a small helmet ? i dont' see your point. safety? just because you perceive their actions as unsafe doesn't make it so.
3. neon clothing doesn't make you smart, or safe. invalid arguemnt."

Um yes it does. why are warning signs bright colors? Why do cops and highway workers wear them? Motorcycles and mopeds have headlights taillights and signals that stay on 24/7. This is for a reason. Props to all road bikers watching out for their safety and others by using these devices.

Leebo

Ok, um impractical, like one person driving a 8,000 lb vehicle spewing noxious fumes? Here in MA , sharing the road is the law. Riding on sidewalks is illegal and ill advised. You're breathing the same air sitting in the cage. For some, bikes are their only/ main means on transportation.

corvuscorvax

RB1-luvr

there are days of training when the traffic was so miserable to me, and the road conditions were so bad, that I questioned the logic of road riding. But then nothing fun I've ever done has been logical.

scyclops

Some people like to scale sheer rock faces on mountain tops - not a safe or practical endeavor - but AFAIK not illegal/immoral/unethical either.

To each his own.

MadMechanic

Exactly! People are exploding over me saying "I dont get it" where if someone said "I hate mountainbiking, its dumb and stupid." I would care less!

crackerdog

The real question is who would put up with driving in those conditions? All those cars taking up all that space, destroying the environment so people can suffer through another day of drudgery at work.

MadMechanic

Oh I agree! and if I were in a place where the majority of traffic was bike traffic and/or there was a bike only lane then sure I would ride the road. Or even if the road was a quieter less congested road.

scyclops

I won't even begin to try and unpack that statement, but you're the one who started this thread with a critical rant about other people's choices, and you're getting reasonable reactions to that.

Lesson learned: don't make editorial posts on internet forums unless you're prepared to get less than agreeable responses.

Dilberto

I felt the exact same way too. Then, one day I test-rode a 15-pound, 2009 Cannondale Synapse - and was blown-away at how fast it got up to speed and stayed there, with minimal effort, how comfortable it was and how telepathic the response was...it felt like an extension of my senses. Don't blast Road Biking until you get on the saddle of a high-end road bike. You'll be a changed man, forever....

MMACH 5

IF, IF, IF

So, you "don't quite get it?" It's pretty simple, really: These guys are riding their bikes; you're sitting in a car, shaking your head at them.
I choose to ride my bike, every chance I get, rather than hope that someday there will be a bike only lane that leads everywhere I want to go.

Stealthammer

No, you obviously don't get it, but don't let it get you down, you probably never will. I have been riding bicycles on-road and off-road for the well over 40 years and I still have people I've known all my life ask me why I don't just get a car. Some people are able to "get it" and others never will. No harm, no foul.

We often see threads on the BF that start out "SS/FG, I just don't get it..." or "Why ride a recumbant?", and the simple and straight answer is.... "If you have to ask why, it won't do you or I any good for me to take the time to explain it to you."

You sound to me like you are indeed a "recreational" mountain bike rider. Great. Enjoy yourself and ride safe. If you want to ride around in the city, stay on the MUPs. They were built for people who don't want to contend with cars and crowded roads. But realize that everyone is not like you, and some of us don't ride purely for "recreation", or even ride "recreationally" at all.

I personally seldom ride for "recreation" because to me bicycling is a sport. "Recreation" is bowling or golf to me. When I am bombing down a set of singletrack switchbacks or I'm hopping my way up a 20' set of stairs at the local college, or I'm shouldering a car out of my path as I blast through downtown traffic, or I'm commuting to work on my fixed gear road bike, there is no recreation to it at all, its pure sport.

The only thing we probably have in common is that we both ride bicycles, but you do it your way, and I do it mine.

Ride Safe!.

jsigone

the question should be why NOT ride on the road. Its a good way to break up all the time spent on dirt trails.

MadMechanic

Again, Im not talking about the pavement in general. I am talking about certain roads that are just plain dumb to ride on. Remember that scene from the Lion King, where simba is running around in a stampede? That kind of thing

MadMechanic

Dont worry....there are already people working on that: https://youtu.be/V3nMnr8ZirI

Daspydyr 

I tend to side with Madmech in some respects. I just finished 2 months of road riding to prepare for a Tour de Cure event. The event was a blast. But the riding "FOR ME" became tedious. But that is just about taste. Riding trails is much more dangerous and fun.

There were a couple of times in the past 2 months that I did some group rides. The group made some huge leaps through traffic that were legal, but nutts. Before the ride the leader went over the local laws on bike rights. The moves they made were LEGAL, but IMO put the group in danger. We would cross two lanes of traffic to get to a turning lane at 18 mph in a zone where cars were travelling 45-50.

But Madmech, you need to remember, you saw 2 bikes in a bad traffic situation. Some roadies may agree with your point about traffic, but that is how they like to roll. Some people play slots and roulette-I think they are nutts. Everyone should play Blackjack and Craps. That is where the action really is.

Daspydyr 

In the Spirit of the week, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

So Maddy was all this just so you could post that clip?

MMACH 5

Stealthammer's right. You don't get it and you never will. Have fun racking up those miles on your car.

Daspydyr 

Have you tried decaf?

MadMechanic

Nah, I just remembered that from the show and thought it was funny