hiker88

Hey all,

I know we've all had some negative experiences with cars and trucks before but I wanted to share a positive from last nights ride home.

There's this real narrow road I'm ride sometimes depending which route I take home. I used to know a guy that worked for the transportation department and they have an official names for roads like this but I can't remember it. Basically, roads of this type here in Maine are old carriage trails and basically all that was done to make it a road was pave it - no widening, straightening etc - this one is pretty sketchy.

Anywhoooo, this road has a real deep descent, it's one of those hills you can bomb down in your top gear, but as soon as you hit the bottom you are pretty much going from one side of the cassette to the other and going to the small chainring.

Well, last night just as I get to the bottom, I see a truck starting to come around the corner ahead towards me. Because I was going so slow, I could also hear a car coming up pretty fast behind me. Without really, thinking about it, I kind of patted my left hand down towards the road to kind of say "be careful slow down" - you know the gesture.

Well, to my surprise I heard them come off the gas and wait for the truck ahead of us to go by. Then the car not only went in the other lane to go around me up the hill, but the passenger gave me a little wave as they went by up the hill.

There were no car racks on the car so I suppose it could have been another biker. I don't know - just wanted to share I guess.

Here's hoping you have a good ride too! Anyone else have good experieces lately?

joe_5700

Generally semi trucks are very courteous to me when riding on shouldered highways. They will move over to the next lane even when they do not need to. When I rode a 75 mile stretch of hwy 77 here the most obnoxious drivers were the Harley bikers followed by SUV drivers even with bikes and racks on the back. You would think that motorcycle riders would get it. On 2 lane roads in the country just about everyone is nice and allows plenty of room when passing. Now in my own neighborhood....different story. I almost got taken out by an Audi SUV when I had the right of way in a round about. I yelled hey as loud as I could and got a bug eyed reaction from the driver. She stopped very quickly and let me go ahead. It also never fails that even when I am going 25+ mph in a residential, drivers feel they have to pass a bike rider no matter what. Sorry to add my complaints, just had to vent a little. It just seems to happen in my own neighborhood. When I do my nightly ride into a nearby neinghborhood I am constantly waving at drivers who acknowledge me on the road and do not cut me off.

96WX3

Round about, good luck with those. People act like they are a trigonometry equations around here. On a positive note, I gave the 50+ yr old cyclist lots of room last week. Seeing as how it was just barely getting light out in the am and it was foggy. And he felt the need to ride with no lights or reflectors of any kind. I figured he needed extra room as he must be nuts!

Eclectus

Yesterday I was riding with my Dinotte taillight, and two people in cars slowed down and said, "I saw you from way behind, that's a really good light." I wasn't soliciting opinions, they just opened their windows and spontaneously commented. They're made in NH, not far from you. nobody has ever right-hooked me, either they pass and take my lane and give me good distance to avoid them, or they wait behind. Try a set and see what you think. The 400R is an A++ product.

umd

I was climbing the other day and a car passed by me slowly, for some reason I felt like he was going to be angry (no reason why he should be), but instead he leaned over and shouted something positive. I shouted back, "thanks, have a nice day", and he said "you too" and drove off. Made my day.

umd

Not generally, no.

Velo Gator

It's probably just the opposite.

The bike lanes in my neighborhood jump all over the road. I always thankfully wave at the drivers who don't run me over where the lanes switch.

Seattle Forrest

Of course not. People have "us and them" built quite literally into our genes. For probably at least hundreds of thousands of years, we've used clothing and language as easy ways to distinguish them from us. Dressing as a member of the reviled cyclist tribe is not going to endear you to the drivers. On the other hand, a tee-shirt and cargo shorts make you easier to relate to as a fellow.

Terex

I've had many, many positive experiences with cars/trucks here in NJ. Very few have been intentional jerks. Ohio - really, really nice or really, really jerks. I'm always waving acknowledgements of "Thanks" to motor vehicles here in NJ.

Riding outside of Princeton on a two lane county road, I hear a "toot, toot" back behind me, and immediately I know it's a semi, letting me know that he was going to be passing me. He did it far enough back that it didn't startle me and gave me enough time to brace for any wind blast. Very cool.

Most drivers in suburban/rural NJ are courteous. But soccer moms on cell phones - very dangerous.

Sprocket Man

A while back, I was riding on Lagoon Drive, a flat road within the service district of our airport. Much of the traffic are large semi trucks. I had a nice tailwind and was probably going about 20mph or so when I heard a truck roll up alongside me to my left. Then the truck slowed down and started keeping pace with me. I thought, "Uh oh, these guys are going to start hassling me".

One of the guys called out, "Eh brah! Looking good!" I looked up at the guy in the passenger seat and he was smiling and making the "shaka" sign at me. I smiled back and then started to pick up my pace. The truck sped up to keep pace and the passenger yelled, "GO GO GO!" I cranked it up as fast as I could and I could hear the two guys yelling "WOOHOO!" When I could no longer keep the pace, I stopped pedaling and waved to the guys. They honked their super-loud air horn three times and the passenger gave me another "shaka" as they continued past.

That was really fun and completely unexpected.

Sylv

No. That usually just encourages the hillbillies in their Ford Rangers to honk and yell louder.

spry

Because they never met you in BF

spry

They are not a well built truck but how did you determine this is the transportation of choice for hillbillies?

umd

Fail. This is a nice thread about positive experiences and you have to go and act like an ass about it.

spry

Ohio...?
I wouldn't take a chance cycling @Berlin "Joisey" when visiting my relatives.
What's your favorite bike route,the AC expressway?

spry

Not at all.
You've made a few friends here.

umd

Yes, I have actually made quite a few friends here.

BillyD

He was only kidding. Where's your sense of humor?

Flatballer

I think I disagree. I've noticed that I get more respect from cars when I act like I belong on the road. If you're confident and look like you know what you're doing, you get more respect than if you're timid and don't look like you belong. The clothing seems to help with this, but I've never ridden around very long in shorts and a t-shirt.

ModeratedUser01102018

haha old farm roads are the best! Especially the ones with stone walls lining the sides.

When two cars cant even fit in some parts, I'm sure a truck with another car AND you must've been quite interesting.

Terex

OK. Your response is, for the most part, unintelligible. Look at https://www.njbikemap.com/ The entire northwest quarter of the state is a great place to ride. But for you, the AC expressway sounds fine.

kabex

Where I live they do.

"Cyclists"(as in a cycling enthusiast) here are EXTREMELY rare (I haven't seen a single one while on the bike, 3 months+ now) but people riding bicycles is very common(lower class workers).

"Bicycle riders" wear no equipment and have no respect for any traffic laws, they never stop at red lights or signal. They just do whatever they want and generally piss everybody off. They ride on the sidewalk endangering pedestrians, also they try their best to always be riding the opposite way if on a street and cars generally have no respect for them.

"Cyclists" are usually fully-equipped and use lots of hand signals and always stop at red lights. They are always on the road itself not the side-walk and they never go the opposite way on a road. Cars switch lanes to pass cyclists.

You could argue it's because cyclists in the third-world are better educated and come from a higher social background than your typical bicycle rider, but all in all it's a matter of being respectful.

umd

As you well know, humor doesn't translate on teh internets. When I say something like that you guys are all over me. Just returning the favor

umd

I do a fair amount of riding like that and I don't notice much difference in how others treat me. Like you said, "if you are confident and look like you know what you are doing...", that's the key. On the other hand, drivers that don't like roadies because of groups taking the road, running signs, etc. may be more likely to get upset at some "lance wannabe in full kit". Personally, I think it all balances out, which is why I added generally.

spry

We do not have to limit ourselves to a "northwest quarter"in Ohio.
Places are safe to cycle are all over the state,but if you feel safe in your little quarter of Jersey....................