what would you do?

[CSi guy]

Riding at the Cherry Creek State Park yesterday observed many cyclist enjoying the day and being curtious. Early in the ride I saw one of the downhill wonders on his carbon felt with the garmin kit smoking down the sidewalk screaming at a cyclist who had moved wide to avoid a family with a stoller yelling on your left, and then was really put out even though he was 100% in the wrong. The funniest thing was the same guy, riding with his spouse, could not stand to have anyone pass him, so when I went by cruising in the road past him he waited about 20 seconds and then proceeded to attack to catch me, then sat on my wheel. I slowed down and told him with his ego there was no way I knew he would let me pass and further more his stupid antics on the sidewalk could hurt someone. His reply was "I didn't see any sidewalk sign". My only thougtht is if you want to race get a cat 4 license and quit racing on the sidewalk where it is dangerous. the rest of the ride was marvelous and I actually had someone say my colnago master was cool. great day except for mr. ego. Way too many clowns riding in that park.

[csm]

dunno why but I see these types on Felts all the time. and Orbeas also. wonder what it is about those brands.....?

[Dekonick]

frame pump would have come in handy...

[wasfast]

...except you may break the pump on his thick,hard head.

[Kevan]

Yesterday, I'm riding along a reservoir near me, heading home, and this guy rolls up behind me and tries squeezing in on me on the right, using a totally unreliable shoulder to do it. Cracks and holes are scattered along the length of the roadway and this guy is aiming to mountain bike with his cf Trek road bike to catch up. I sense trouble (like him pulling along side me and before getting a "Hey!" out, a giant hole in the pavement eating him, and he taking me with him.) and needed no more motivation to apply my quasi-afterburns and get out of Dodge.

I think the guy got himself a new toy and needs some education.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . not to have run into many types like that on the bike paths around here. Much more common are the runner and skaters, earbuds jammed into their brains, veering all over the path. There's also the couples or groups who are so engrossed in conversation they can't hear you right behind them telling them "Passing left!' and the people with dogs on those 30 foot retractable leashes. I just cruise easy on the bike trail. If I want to hammer I get out of town and hit the country roads.

BBD

[Peter P.]

Riding at the Cherry Creek State Park...Way too many clowns riding in that park.

You don't have the authority to enforce his behavior, so what makes you think he was going to listen to your well reasoned argument?

When he latched onto your wheel, a brake job was duly called for.

[CSi guy]

I think I was motivated by "for evil to flourish, good men do nothing". I assumed he went home and watched all 7 TDf videos with Lance winning and felt empowered.

[csm]

I rode on the local path on the river last week and was amazed at the number of folks who think nothing of standing in the middle of everything and talking. it would seem to me that common sense and courtesy would dictate stepping onto the grass or taking a seat on one of the many benches around.
I wondered if these were the same folks who will stop their cars on streets to talk to one another?
courtesy and respect.....dying arts.

[bzbvh5]

I think every cyclist should have to walk for 1 hour a year in the park he cycles in. White Rock Lake is my park. I thought for fun I would talk my dog there for a walk. It gave me a whole new perspective on my cycling behavior and how the walkers the cyclists. I ride differently now.

[Keith A]

courtesy and respect.....dying arts.Too true! Not on a bike path, but driving home yesterday from visiting my mom who's 2.5 hours away...I was coming onto a major highway from an on-ramp and the traffic was heavy and there was a line of cars in the far right lane. I accelerated to the highway speed and this guy wouldn't let me in :crap: There are cars behind me coming from the on-ramp so I can't slow down much and there cars behind him and in front of him...all he had to do was back off a little and let me in. But no, he tries to force me onto the shoulder since I was running out the lane. I held it steady and figured he didn't want to crash his shinny car and got in. Then he tailgated me for several miles...what a jerk!!!

So it doesn't matter which mode of transportation they use, there just some people out there that don't want to play nicely.

[maddog17]

frame pump would have come in handy...


+1!!!! :banana: :beer:

[benb]

Cyclists should probably just avoid "parks"... leave them to "people on bikes".

Mountain biking is not for "parks", it's for "forests".

I guess after seeing it a couple weeks ago I might make an exception for Central Park in NYC and anything similar that tries to have a "road" inside the park... but you still have to be a little nuts to ride there... it looked pretty insanely dangerous.

[csm]

I guess after seeing it a couple weeks ago I might make an exception for Central Park in NYC and anything similar that tries to have a "road" inside the park... but you still have to be a little nuts to ride there... it looked pretty insanely dangerous.

you should have seen it yesterday during the 5 boros ride....
it wasn't actually that bad.

[William]

You didn't hear this from me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-a0-p3ghus





William ;)

[CSi guy]

some interesting observations... I just am depressed that respect for others seems to have been throw out the window in the last 5-10 years. I also run in this park and always stay way right to run and get off the trail when I feel it is needed. Oh well just another day of living the dream.

[Fivethumbs]

The world is full of jerks...and some of them go out and buy bikes. I subscribe to the 2% rule...only about 2% of the population are a-holes. It just seems like more because you remember them...

[rwsaunders]

The world is full of jerks...and some of them go out and buy bikes. I subscribe to the 2% rule...only about 2% of the population are a-holes. It just seems like more because you remember them...

Well said.

[paulandmonster]

one night while driving i was about to merge from one road to another. there was construction ahead so traffic was moving slowly. i let 2 cars pass on my left before starting to merge in. this was not fast enough for the guy behind me . he started honking and creeping up my ass so i pulled forward and right a bit to let the idiot pass. he guns it and goes left of me then slams on his brakes because no one is moving. at that point i look leftand he is even with me then it was like watching a movie a car then runs into him going up and over his left rear and rolls over in mid air landing upside down on gaurd rail followed by multiple crash noises. i then drove forward 300 yards to where police were parked at begining of construction and told them what had happened. they thanked me and sped off. at the end of costruction trafic i heard over radio that the road was closed due to five car accident. moral of story let the jerks pass.
one more thing i ride the trail to philly alot and im allways amazed at people who stop and talk in middle of road. i used to be courteous but now i just yell alot or buzz by them hard and close. they might think im a jerk but hopefully they will think before doing it again. as far as the 2 percent rule i agree but i think its more like 25 percent

[Tom]

I'm riding home up the path. Approaching, running on his path right was a guy with earbuds on. Apparently hearing the wood thrushes back in the canopy was not good enough so he was cranking something he heard on American Idol or whatever. Approaching behind him was a guy on a road bike at reasonable speed. I was holding about 20 myself. I realized that approaching rider and I were going to intersect at the runner. I point up the path and the runner, oblivious to sound, makes no reaction. Rider continues toward me apace. Finally I realize approaching rider is either going to run into runner at speed or come out and hit me at speed. So me, the guy with the clear line up the path, comes to a near stop and waits. Sure enough, rider blows by the runner (well, relatively speaking, he wasn't that fast but I'm sure he was taxing his abilities).

Here's the best part. He's got his nice clear Oakleys on... with an enormous mirror hanging off them.

Mr. Safety Concerns himself. It made me understand it more. He has a complex caused by the enormous number of times he's been overtaken and passed by others.

[flickwet]

I ride about 3500 miles a year on our local tow path, been doing it about 6 years now, a few things I've learned. Bike riders and pedestrians alike hate "cyclists", because our purpose is different, our speeds are higher and they presume an arrogance on our part, All of which may be true. I apply myself as something of an ambassador for "us", I don't use a bell, I just yell a nice "ding ding" followed by a thank you, I always slow down, yeah its frustrating but "moving Chicanes" can force one to accelerate, like random intervals its good for you. I feel the frustrations regarding the ignorant, I'm trying real hard myself to stifle my comments as I go by. What pisses us all off is that there are plenty of places for people to walk and talk and have their dog but there is NOWHERE someone can ride a bike without interference from people or cars. So I internalize, pretend to be nice, and hammer away, I did it yesterday and I'll do it today!

[damcyclist]

My home-bound commute includes 6 miles of 'greenway'. I've invented a great game - I try to see how many people I can get to respond when I give them a "hello, nice day" or "how are you doing", etc.

Being nice seems to really freaks people out, me trying to reach into their bubble & all. The regulars I see are used to it & will reply, the stunned look on the faces of the new ones is great. Less than half respond. No, I am not normally a nice person - just ask my kids.

Cyclist should stay off of trails - leave them to people riding bikes or walking. Expect ANYthing - trails are dangerous.

[rugbysecondrow]

My home-bound commute includes 6 miles of 'greenway'. I've invented a great game - I try to see how many people I can get to respond when I give them a "hello, nice day" or "how are you doing", etc.

Being nice seems to really freaks people out, me trying to reach into their bubble & all. The regulars I see are used to it & will reply, the stunned look on the faces of the new ones is great. Less than half respond. No, I am not normally a nice person - just ask my kids.

Cyclist should stay off of trails - leave them to people riding bikes or walking. Expect ANYthing - trails are dangerous.

Awesome. I almost always wave and or say hello to folks I pass and rarely get a response. Even when I am walking the dog past people I will sometimes get no response, which is hard for me. Where I grew up, it was an insult to not acknowledge a hello from somebody, a purposeful afront that meant something. My wife asked me why I always say hello when people don't say hello back and I told her that I will continue to be polite, if they want to be an A$$hole, then that is on them.

Also, did my first Tri of the season on Sunday and was suprised by the rudeness of some of the riders and by the number of people who would not annouce that they were passing (I am not terribly fast). They were all on time trial/tri bikes, so not certain if they are not used to riding with others or understand riding etiquette or not, but it is a pet peeve of mine. Actually, cyclists who ride like dicks are a pet peeve of mine in general.

Maybe that is why I consider myself a bike rider as well and not a cyclist.

[csm]

for some reason, when I read someone saying "I'm a cyclist" or referencing it.... I hear Jon Lovitz saying "I am an act-tour."

[flickwet]

for some reason, when I read someone saying "I'm a cyclist" or referencing it.... I hear Jon Lovitz saying "I am an act-tour."
Flames are hot

[csm]

yeah i know

[damcyclist]

for some reason, when I read someone saying "I'm a cyclist" or referencing it.... I hear Jon Lovitz saying "I am an act-tour."

Exactly! if you're an "act-tour" stay off the path. If you just want to ride the path- then enjoy it for what IT is.

IT includes the people, the dogs, the pace & the people who are(GASP) stopping to talk.

But hey - what do I know, I just like to ride :)

[MilanoTom]

Exactly! if you're an "act-tour" stay off the path. If you just want to ride the path- then enjoy it for what IT is.

IT includes the people, the dogs, the pace & the people who are(GASP) stopping to talk.

But hey - what do I know, I just like to ride :)

I can pretty much deal with the people, dogs and pace, but I don't get the small groups of people who stand there and pretty much block both lanes of a bike path while they shoot the breeze, oblivious to the fact that there are other people all around them. You can sarcastically gasp all you want, but those people are ignorant a-holes, not only to riders, but also to the pedestrians and dog-walkers.

Regards,
Tom

PS - add to the "genius" list the folks who leave their bikes on the path while they walk off to admire the scenery.

[rugbysecondrow]

Cheers!

I can pretty much deal with the people, dogs and pace, but I don't get the small groups of people who stand there and pretty much block both lanes of a bike path while they shoot the breeze, oblivious to the fact that there are other people all around them. You can sarcastically gasp all you want, but those people are ignorant a-holes, not only to riders, but also to the pedestrians and dog-walkers.

Regards,
Tom

PS - add to the "genius" list the folks who leave their bikes on the path while they walk off to admire the scenery.