Confessions of a cyclist

[parris]

Great post. Like others many of the points brought up served to remind me of various things that I tend to do. Helping turtles, stopping to offer help other cyclists, waving at all other cyclists and actually feeling guilty if I'm zoned and don't see them till they've passed. And a big one for me is that ESPECIALLY on the narrow roads I ride is to give a thumbs up and wave vehicles coming up behind me to pass. The way I figure it is that if the driver is having a s****y day and I do this he/she will at least see that not everyone's a jacka$$. I've pretty much gotten to the point where I'm NOT going to be an a**hole unless it's the last possible option because that negative energy just sucks.

Oh just remembered another one is that there's a MUP that I use a fair amount to get to open areas and there's always little kids wobbling on their bikes etc. I always give them a big thumbs up when passing the other way. I also give them and people that may not be as aware a W I D E berth. For me that stretch of my ride is just to get settled in and moving.


Again great post thanks for putting it up

[RFC]

All said is good.

[jemoryl]

All my bikes are regular road bikes and I have not much desire to ride on dirt or gravel. Recently I decided to explore some new roads in the Ithaca, NY area and chose to take a road that took me where I wanted to go (Michigan Hollow Rd., if anyone is from that area). After fighting a nasty headwind for most of the first 40 miles, I was finally enjoying a tail wind when the pavement disappeared. OK, nicely packed dirt, I can deal with this on my 25mm tires. After a couple miles, the road has been all graded up, but there is a narrow margin on the left that is barely rideable. Finally, I come to the guy working the road grader and he assures me there is only another mile or so where they are working.

That turned out to be true, but after that point the road continued on, generously covered with golf ball sized gravel, for another three miles. Very slow going, and through a forest with no houses. Luckily, only one car passed me the entire time, as it created a huge dust cloud. Honestly, not my idea of fun.

[shoota]

Originally Posted by jemoryl

All my bikes are regular road bikes and I have not much desire to ride on dirt or gravel. Recently I decided to explore some new roads in the Ithaca, NY area and chose to take a road that took me where I wanted to go (Michigan Hollow Rd., if anyone is from that area). After fighting a nasty headwind for most of the first 40 miles, I was finally enjoying a tail wind when the pavement disappeared. OK, nicely packed dirt, I can deal with this on my 25mm tires. After a couple miles, the road has been all graded up, but there is a narrow margin on the left that is barely rideable. Finally, I come to the guy working the road grader and he assures me there is only another mile or so where they are working.

That turned out to be true, but after that point the road continued on, generously covered with golf ball sized gravel, for another three miles. Very slow going, and through a forest with no houses. Luckily, only one car passed me the entire time, as it created a huge dust cloud. Honestly, not my idea of fun.

Yeah I bet that did suck on a road bike. Now go try it on a proper gravel bike.

[jemoryl]

Originally Posted by shoota

Yeah I bet that did suck on a road bike. Now go try it on a proper gravel bike.

TBH, I would not have enjoyed the last few miles on a gravel bike either.

[OldCrank]

Bless me Velominati for I have sinned.

My socks and bar tape are all wrong. My road helmet might actually be an MTB helmet with the visor yanked off.

I bought a set of dental picks to dig glass shards out of my Michelins before they reach the tube.

I can ride pretty poorly on several types of bike.

[cmg]

cycling clears my head, some of the best solutions have come during a ride. if it don't rain i'll be doing the Monday night ride. looking forward to it.

[pobrien]

if it don't rain i'll be doing the Monday night ride

I reckon it is because I have lived and worked in northern parts of BC and Alberta that I think a rainy day is perfectly good for cycling. Few bugs out for one. We had horse flies in northern Alberta, Holy Heck they are vicious. They definitely keep you riding flat out trying to get away!

I would stop when there was snow or ice on the shoulder of the highway. I was usually thankful to stop as it was pretty darn cold by then.

The riding in Vancouver and area is excellent. I ride my Homer Hilson with fenders on rainy days. That is my one concession to rainy days!

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by pobrien

Hi, great post! You should see my electrical outlets, all lined up to TDC!

I started to wave at semi-trailer trucks and larger when they passed me when I cycled on the shoulder of Highway 63 in northern Alberta.

They would come darn close to mowing me down many times (who knows). I thought I would mock them a bit with a wave and then realized the waves were working in that more and more large rigs were cutting into the left lane to not buzz me on the shoulder. The highway is divided with two lanes each way.

I figured some of them appreciated being acknowledged with a courtesy wave and over the course of the first two years I noticed a real improvement in how trucks and some personal vehicles would swing into the left lane while passing.

I still wave at any car or vehicle that makes an effort to give me some clearance as they go by. Most are very nice in Vancouver, at least where I bike on the west side of the city.

I also stop for all of our creatures that wander onto the roads, whether deer or squirrels (crazy animals) or geese (it is Vancouver!).

I stopped waving to cyclists in the city as many are very elitist (or whatever). I give the briefest of nods (like a monk).

I've noticed that more hand signals = safer passing around me.

Yeah, there's still that 1% who are psychotic, but the rest? Mo bettah when they can tell you know they're there and aren't RHUA

M

[m4rk540]

I no longer wave to Freds. Not because I'm Anti-Fred as I'm convinced that guys who have been riding for 50 years or gals who don't fetishize bike culture are the best. I don't wave to them because they don't wave back. I think they got tired of all the so-called Serious Racers and Hipsters riding their formerly secret roads. Freds are grumpy in these parts.

[Bflath]

I love my new Roubaix despite the fact that I think it’s ugly.

[colker]

I never wash my bikes.

[Seramount]

Originally Posted by colker

I never wash my bikes.

neither do I...but they're still very clean.

[berserk87]

I wear my sunglasses under my helmet straps. I've done it for years and it just feels right.

[smontanaro]

My confessions:

• I always wave to thank drivers when they let me have my right of way.
  
• I try to always be mindful not to take someone else's right of way.
  
• I get really ticked off at cyclists who ride like jerks and make drivers think all cyclists are like that.