Shimagnolo

I've taken my motorcycle up Pikes Peak several times.
I always get jealous when I watch the videos of the motorcycle runs in the PPIHC. They get to use the whole width of the road, and don't need to deal with oncoming traffic, nor pokey drivers doing 12mph around the hairpins.
I keep saying they need to sprinkle the course with tourists in rental cars, to make the competition more challenging.

bruce19

Exactly. Many years ago I was an MSF Instructor here in CT.

Clyde1820

^ That's the key.

As others have suggested, generally on any route where others are likely to be, it's highly irresponsible and reckless (even wanton) of a person to disregard all protocols, guidelines, rules, laws, in order to go just a bit faster, etc. On a closed course, of some have suggested, it's an entirely different game. But on a route where others have every right to be as well ... such recklessness is "on" him.


One of the reasons I typically ride and drive with such defensiveness. Since it's hard to know when a situation's going to find us, when we're out there. Never know what the other guy's capable of doing, or likely to do. Myself: I always imagine he's likely to drive/ride like a reckless person and not consider I might be there too. (A stance which has saved my bacon on numerous occasions, over the years, on roadways and elsewhere.)

Lemond1985

You have to be able to fix not only your own mistakes, but the other guy's mistakes (and carelessness) as well.

What peeves me is when someone crosses a double yellow, while they're going UP the grade. Makes no sense at all, especially when I come around a blind corner flying downhill. Fortunately, downhill traffic has the right of way. Not that 5% of these yay-hoos would even know that's the law on mountain roads.

terrymorse 

I don't think so.

• Uphill/downhill right-of-way only applies on steep roads where it's too narrow for two vehicles to pass.

• The vehicle facing downhill must back up to make room for the vehicle facing uphill.

"When 2 vehicles meet on a steep road where neither vehicle can pass, the vehicle facing downhill must yield the right-of-way by backing up until the vehicle going uphill can pass. The vehicle facing downhill has the greater amount of control when backing up the hill." — California Driver Handbook

Last ride 76 

I don't descend on a bike like I used to. I'm no longer competing or training for competition, and my body takes a long (insert dramatic expletive here) time to recover from injuries these days. This allows me to stay on my side of the line, mostly. If I really am able to see clearly and far enough ahead, I do occasionally ride a "racing line", and push hard on the pedals.

I have also run with scissors, but not in crowds...
Cheers, Eric

Slightspeed

This is a pretty crazy descending video. These guys post these all the time. This is Tuna Cyn, down to PCH Malibu. Not too many double yellows, but near the end they pass a Mini Cooper and a couple of other guys on bikes. I'm an old ex racer, and I get sweaty palms watching this stuff. We ride these roads fairly often, but not like this. Be careful out there.

scott967

You can do it on a switchback to the outside to avoid the steeper grade. Not saying it's right, but it does make sense.

scott s.
.

smashndash

I think vol 1 was even more hair raising than vol 2. The guy in Vol 1 was seriously leaning like a motorcyclist.

Miele Man

Good thing the car at 3:14 wasn't where the bicyclist went at 3:07.

Cheers

Digger Goreman

In both lanes, in and out of shadow with dark clothing.... What could possibly go wrong?!

Lemond1985

Yeah, but this is Malibu. If they hit a car, it'll be someone like Jack Nicholson or Peter Fonda coming home from a party. And if alcohol or drugs are involved, the cyclists might all get nice new bikes and a pocketful of hush money.

I think if I were a cop, and saw those clowns speeding like that, it would definitely get my attention, and some citations would be written. YouTube really ought to take videos like this down, when innocent people's lives are put at risk, just to get views on the internet. There are some videos of people on bikes speeding through Mexico City (which I will not link to) where lives are definitely put at risk. This kind of stuff needs to stop, IMO.

Shimagnolo

You don't want to mess with Jack!
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-...e-of-road-rage

Lemond1985

There's not a jury in the world that would convict the man, if he used his acting skills in court to tell his side of the story to the jury. He'd have had them in tears:

Wilmingtech

This isn't ridiculously dangerous. Most of the ride is around 30mph with some faster sections. They seem to be very much in control and are not "towing the line" on all the corners. The places where they do take their half out of the middle it looks like they have pretty good sight lines through or leading up to the curves.

There were some sketchy parts toward the bottom but they still fully brake and give verbal alerts to riders they descend upon and were very much in control when they passed the cooper that seemed to be cautiously slow after passing the other cyclist.

I've got regular descents @ 40+mph and have no problems with taking the lane if I am around the speed limit and there are no cars coming up behind me.

Senseless to take the other lane on hairpins or your half out of the middle if there is even a remote chance in hell (as that's where you'll probably end up) that there could be an oncoming vehicle.

-Sean

Princess_Allez

It's because he's an ex-pro motorcyclist

Lemond1985

Probably an ex-living, ex-pro motorcyclist by now.

Princess_Allez

That's always a possibility. He's very talented on a motorcycle. You can see it translates into his cycling. I would never descend at that rate even if I could, but that's what seperates us.