Pratt

Bad cycling ideas include, but are not limited to, listening to ear buds and steering with one hand while holding a go cup of coffee in the other, riding on the crowded sidewalk instead of on the road, crossing the travel lanes in any haphazard way, riding two abreast, chatting away while the traffic piles up behind.

Joe Bikerider

I see lots of people holding a phone up to their ear with one hand while they ride. I used to yell “hangup and ride”. But I don’t bother anymore. Too many electric bikes zooming along the local MUP to worry about that. Isn’t it amazing how all the people who have bought ebikes using the usual excuses about getting old or the wife needs help or whatever are now zooming along at 30 mpg? Makes me sick and scared and angry.

SoSmellyAir

You meant 30 mph? I hear you. I have no issues with cyclists on e-bikes but too many are piloted by ninnies who lack even the most rudimentary bike handling ability, and thus are too chicken to use bike lanes on roads, but zoom along MUPs and sidewalks without regard for other cyclists or pedestrians.

livedarklions

This is ridiculous. I've ridden quite a bit on very many campuses around the US, including recently quite a bit at UMass Amherst where my son is going. I've literally never seen any of most of the things you describe, and when I do see cyclists riding on "sidewalks" it's because it's a path where there are no parallel roads. I have not seen any situations where the riders aren't watching out for the pedestrians on the crowded path.

Riding two abreast is both reasonable and legal in a lot of situations, btw.

Are you spending a bunch of time at Bedlam State University? This has "kids today" rant written all over it.

Paul Barnard

I am not impressed. They called things that were "potential" distractions as distractions. If they are going to call those things a "prevalent safety concern" they should go on to identify how, or to delineate consequences of the distractions? Does accident data suggest that distracted riding is a "prevalent safety concern?" Unless you can connect the possible distractions to accidents/consequences, then it's not much of a safety concern to me.

I have found that I have two primary distractions, and they are somewhat connected. I suffer chronic daily headaches. It's not a matter of "if" I will have a headache on any given day, it's a matter of how bad it will be. I don't ride nearly as well when I have a headache. Fatigue is another distracting factor for me. My situational awareness takes a hit when I am physically exhausted.

rydabent

I have had the same thing happen to me by racer boyz head down staring at their front wheel. I had to swerve off the bike path.

livedarklions

Clearly, bikes should be ridden without those distracting front wheels.

Chuckles1

I've never seen anyone looking at a cell phone while cycling on a public road. If I did, I'd nominate them for a Darwin award. I see pedestrians looking at phones all the time, and just wonder what's so important that they can't enjoy a walk without it.

flangehead

Thank you for removing the distraction that was previously in this thread. The Bike League has removed "Enforcement" from its "E's" but we demonstrated that, at times, it is needed.

I-Like-To-Bike

What is the Bike League and what did it "enforce"? Something about distraction?

905

I counted 76 uses of the word “distracted”, which was itself kind of distracting.

As for assuming earbuds would be distracting without offering a shred of evidence, can’t say I’m impressed. My own evidence, over 20 years riding while listening to music in both city and country without incident, is of course merely anecdotal, but I reckon anyone who’s truly distracted isn’t going to last very long on the road, and will be racking up an impressive number of close calls along the way.