"Bike Lanes, Intended for Safety, Become Traffic Battlegrounds"

[Benny Profane]

Personally I never go near these things. I consider them a trap.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/nyregion/04bikes.html

[Aenigma]

Weird, we have the opposite problem around here. I routinely see roadies blocking traffic with a totally empty bike lane three feet to their right.

[rideit]

in case you didn't know, roadies ARE traffic, and bike lanes are just a good way to get doored.

[summit]

Bikes are KINDA traffic. They are non-motor vehicles. They are a hybrid between pedestrians and motorized traffic as far as privelages.

When they obey all the TRAFFIC rules of the road like signalling braking and turns, stopping at stoplights and stopsigns, not riding on the sidewalk, not riding through crosswalks, not weaving inbetween cars, riding line abrest in a lane at 25mph below the posted limit, and when they gain the ability to maneuver like traffic (accelerate, brake, maintain speed, and turn), then they will be truly be considered TRAFFIC as you put it. As long as they want to take pedestrian privileges and shirk the rules of automobiles, they shouldn't also expect to be affording all the same privileges as motor vehicles.

[rideit]

Did you know that the first macadam that was put down on any road in the USA was for bicyclists, and was a project of the league of American Wheelmen?

By the logic of horses being allowed in wilderness due to historical usage, and Mt. Bikes banned, maybe motorcars should be banned from roads!




(I am kidding, but that is true...if there is no posted minimum speed limit, or other local law, bikes can go in the middle of the road at whatever speed they choose, legally. Not saying it's smart. )

[trainnvain]

On Second Avenue, Lynn Roman, a 42-year-old construction company employee, sat behind the wheel of a gray Toyota Land Cruiser just north of St. Mark’s Place.

Ms. Roman said she planned to be there only briefly while a passenger ran an errand but added that she rarely paid attention to bike lanes.

“I have other things on my mind,” she said. “This is the city. Bike lanes belong in parks.”

[rideit]

Ms. Roman said she planned to be there only briefly while a passenger ran an errand but added that she rarely paid attention to bike lanes.

One more reason, among many, that every cyclist should have one of these:


Instant Karma Delivery!

[Spats]

Bikes are KINDA traffic. They are non-motor vehicles. They are a hybrid between pedestrians and motorized traffic as far as privelages.

When they obey all the TRAFFIC rules of the road like signalling braking and turns, stopping at stoplights and stopsigns, not riding on the sidewalk, not riding through crosswalks, not weaving inbetween cars, riding line abrest in a lane at 25mph below the posted limit, and when they gain the ability to maneuver like traffic (accelerate, brake, maintain speed, and turn), then they will be truly be considered TRAFFIC as you put it.

This is a bullshit self-serving argument and you know it.

When is the last time that you drove somewhere and actually obeyed the posted speed limit? Really? You didn't go 1 MPH over the limit at any point during your entire trip? Oh, you don't think that matters? You think it's OK for cars to violate the speed limit everywhere they go?

Then you cannot be considered TRAFFIC. You are a noisy, polluting, dangerous nuisance and should be banned from MY ROADS.

Seriously: when drivers actually obey speed limits everywhere they go, they can complain about cyclists rolling stop signs when no one's coming. None of you actually do this, so y'all can shut up now. Thanks.

[rideit]

That's exactly my rationale for poaching 'hiking' trails.

[summit]

So... when I stop driving faster, then I can complain about road bikes making me drive slower? Do I have that right?

(I don't think horses should be allowed in wilderness areas. But, since they are, I think bikes, paragliders, anything nonmotorized, should be allowed. That said, I never poach wilderness.)

[XtrPickels]

aenigma- whats interesting is that the city has no interest in keeping the bike lanes clean. Especially heading out 3rd, south of campus. There is constantly branches (not sticks) and gravel all over the lane. Also, Bozeman bike lanes extend maybe a 1-2 miles at a time. Its not like they really do anything.

[rideit]

So, If one were to 'accidentally' scrape the paint on that Toyota LandCruiser, sitting like a jackass in a bike lane, who would be deemed 'responsible' or at fault?

I say the bitch in the no parking zone.

[Aenigma]

Yeah, I've noticed that more often than not they're the dirtiest part of the road. However, riding around campus and seeing people ride 2-3 abreast in a no parking zone with 5-10 cars behind them (and a bike lane 2' away) kind of gets to me. There's lots of problems coming from both sides that could probably be resolved if people cooperated and thought a little more.

BTW I ride whenever possible and would love to see more non-motorized routes implemented wherever possible and practical. We're moving toward it in Bozeman, but right now they're at the point where it's kind of useless unless you happen to live and work on the same bike route.

[Egon]

when they gain the ability to maneuver like traffic (accelerate, brake, maintain speed, and turn), then they will be truly be considered TRAFFIC as you put it.

I don't follow...

[trainnvain]

None of you actually do this, so y'all can shut up now. Thanks.

I do. ........

[fatman]

Maybe spliting lanes and running lights is just an advantage of taking your chances on the road. Membership has it's privileges.

[Wandrin*]

My take is that we, as a nation, are quite the mass of self-interested assholes. Where ever we are we think we are the apex of the universe. Get behind the wheel of a car and, by god, no son of a bitch better slow me down. Get behind the bar of a bicycle and those fuckers in the rolling coffins better let me and my two buddies ride side by side because we have important shit to talk about on our bike ride. Get on top of skis and yell your lungs out because some bastard is holding you up in the skin track or, 'gasp', has the audacity to fall in your powder.

We all need to just chill a little.

Or just all fuck off.

[dirtybryan]

Seriously: when drivers actually obey speed limits everywhere they go, they can complain about cyclists rolling stop signs when no one's coming. None of you actually do this, so y'all can shut up now. Thanks.

Right...... because I forgot that going 5mph over is as bad or worse then running stops at intersections.

[trainnvain]

My take is that we, as a nation, are quite the mass of self-interested assholes. Where ever we are we think we are the apex of the universe. Get behind the wheel of a car and, by god, no son of a bitch better slow me down. Get behind the bar of a bicycle and those fuckers in the rolling coffins better let me and my two buddies ride side by side because we have important shit to talk about on our bike ride. Get on top of skis and yell your lungs out because some bastard is holding you up in the skin track or, 'gasp', has the audacity to fall in your powder.

We all need to just chill a little.

Or just all fuck off.

I think you just nailed it right there.
Good words.

[Benny Profane]

I think some of you from remote University towns and western semi ski towns should come to New York City and try a nice leisurely midweek day of cycling around the borough of Manhattan before you spew more. just sayin'

I don't think you'll find too many people riding 2 or 3 abreast bullshitting. As a matter of fact, if you do, dinner and drinks on Benny, your choice.

[boredboiseboy]

My take is that we, as a nation, are quite the mass of self-interested assholes. Where ever we are we think we are the apex of the universe. Get behind the wheel of a car and, by god, no son of a bitch better slow me down. Get behind the bar of a bicycle and those fuckers in the rolling coffins better let me and my two buddies ride side by side because we have important shit to talk about on our bike ride. Get on top of skis and yell your lungs out because some bastard is holding you up in the skin track or, 'gasp', has the audacity to fall in your powder.

We all need to just chill a little.

Or just all fuck off.

I think claiming the lane to keep from getting hit, doored or hitting people on foot is a little diffrent than those examples. Call me crazy, but I like to not get hurt.

[Wandrin*]

I think claiming the lane to keep from getting hit, doored or hitting people on foot is a little diffrent than those examples. Call me crazy, but I like to not get hurt.

There are certainly times when claming a lane is appropriate. Unfortunately, as both a cyclist and driver I see people doing stupid stuff all the time that puts both the car and cyclist involved in more risk than they should. If there is a safety issue, fine, be safe. But make sure your actions (both when driving and riding) don't put you or someone else at more risk by trying to 'be safe'.

[SkiOrDie]

Carry a tire iron or piece of re-bar and be ready to use it.

Simple.

[axebiker]

My take is that we, as a nation, are quite the mass of self-interested assholes. Where ever we are we think we are the apex of the universe. Get behind the wheel of a car and, by god, no son of a bitch better slow me down. Get behind the bar of a bicycle and those fuckers in the rolling coffins better let me and my two buddies ride side by side because we have important shit to talk about on our bike ride. Get on top of skis and yell your lungs out because some bastard is holding you up in the skin track or, 'gasp', has the audacity to fall in your powder.

We all need to just chill a little.

Or just all fuck off.

There are certainly times when claming a lane is appropriate. Unfortunately, as both a cyclist and driver I see people doing stupid stuff all the time that puts both the car and cyclist involved in more risk than they should. If there is a safety issue, fine, be safe. But make sure your actions (both when driving and riding) don't put you or someone else at more risk by trying to 'be safe'.

Agreed on both counts.

Drivers can be...drivers. Nothing earth shaking there. But cyclists (especially the self-righteous militant "Critical Mass" types - thanks for NOTHING... ) can be their own worst enemy as well. I'd like to think I strike a healthy balance between the two. As a driver, I try to give cyclists as much room as I can, but I also appreciate them FOLLOWING THE F'IN RULES OF THE ROAD, and as a cyclist, I repsect the car (it's bigger than me after all), and try to follow the rules as well as I can, and just basically try to be as predictable to motorists as I can. I probably do a better job stopping at lights/signs than most cars I see on the routes I ride.

[Andy_B]

Carry a tire iron or piece of re-bar and be ready to use it.

Simple.

Screw that. Just get a ball-peen hammer and have it swinging from your bag.