Fucking drivers!!!

[Danno]

flashbacks to my NYC childhood, where you always had to look into the cars to see if someone was in one, waiting to door you.

[gravitylover]

I had to drop the car off at the shop this morning for some new rubber so I figured I'd throw a bike in and ride home rather than sitting there for 5 or 6 hours. The only road that goes from there to here is pretty twisty and hilly, this one section is a couple of 15mph turns with a 17% up grade at one point so I hit it hard and fast and rolled into it around 30 but slowed down to about 10 at the steep part. A genius in a CRV decided that was a perfect spot to pass me and go over the line totally onto the wrong side of the road. The outcome was predictable. The car coming the other way went to miss, ran up the bank and rolled into the front of the CRV that was accelerating around me. Big mess, big big mess. I wonder what they told the cops when they got there. I wasn't sticking around to find out.

[Dantheman]

Holy crap!

[Doremite]

Oh man. Did you really just continue to pedal along?

[m2711c]

You just know that the mag that almost ran you over is going to be posting bout you in the “fucking bikers” thread....

[Vt-Freeheel]

I don't think anyone would admit to driving a CRV.

Never surprised by douchebags that are way over the double to avoid someone in their lane, some of these clowns are 15'+ from the bike or walker.
Huge peeve is the "I was here first" theory a lot of drivers believe in. This is where oncoming driver reaches biker, walker or empty paper bag along their lane and swerves 5-8' over the center line and I have to abruptly hit the brakes to avoid getting hit.

[bagtagley]

Somewhere in this thread, folks were complaining about being passed too closely. Can't have it both ways.

[californiagrown]

Somewhere in this thread, folks were complaining about being passed too closely. Can't have it both ways.

Always remember that someone will think you're a douchebag, no matter what you do, so just do what youd like the have done to yourself and move on with your life haha. I personally get a little spooked at the sound of rumble strips behind me when on a bike, so when driving i just make sure im in the far left side of the lane and i slow down a bit to pass bikers... in other words i share our side of the road haha. If we are on a 2 lane and i can see forever ill straddle the double yellow but start doing that a ways before reaching the biker so they dont hear the rumble strips 50' behind them.

On a fucking bicyclist note, i saw a middle aged gentleman in business formal clothes last night biking home from work on a souped up e-bike. guy was smashing up a long hill at 25mph barely trying. At an intersection he rides up onto the sidewalk to, i assume, use the push button to cross the street. Problem was he was still going 25mph and almost all ebikes ive ever seen are under-braked. guy overshoots the push button, swerves out of the way of 2 pedestrians and goes off the back of the sidewalk into the bushes haha.

[Dantheman]

flashbacks to my NYC childhood, where you always had to look into the cars to see if someone was in one, waiting to door you.

Is this supposed to mean they were waiting to door you intentionally? Yikes.

On a fucking bicyclist note, i saw a middle aged gentleman in business formal clothes last night biking home from work on a souped up e-bike. guy was smashing up a long hill at 25mph barely trying. At an intersection he rides up onto the sidewalk to, i assume, use the push button to cross the street. Problem was he was still going 25mph and almost all ebikes ive ever seen are under-braked. guy overshoots the push button, swerves out of the way of 2 pedestrians and goes off the back of the sidewalk into the bushes haha.

That's hilarious.

[plugboots]

A lot of ebike riders seem new to the whole concept of bikes in general. Or maybe they underestimate the whole “e” part.

[Dantheman]

A lot of ebike riders seem new to the whole concept of bikes in general.

Makes sense, there are way more "cycle-curious but lazy" people out there than experienced riders.

[Danno]

Is this supposed to mean they were waiting to door you intentionally? Yikes.

Hard to know, right? I mean, unless you make eye contact with them through the side mirror and then they open the door, you can't be certain. Regardless, if you see someone in a parked car up ahead, you just know you have to be prepared for that eventuality and try to avoid it.

[Dantheman]

Regardless, if you see someone in a parked car up ahead, you just know you have to be prepared for that eventuality and try to avoid it.

For sure. The way you phrased that I thought that maybe intentionally dooring people was a thing in NYC at the time. Like a variation of the knockout game. So many cars now have ultra dark tint on the rear window that I often have no idea if there's someone in there. I just give all parked cars at least 3-4' of space whenever possible.

[plugboots]

I just came back to post that I think fuckface is a very good profanity.

[gravitylover]

Oh man. Did you really just continue to pedal along?

Yes. Sticking around for the aftermath could easily end up getting you badly hurt when the guy that made the wrong move comes at you. I don't trust anyone around here not to freak out and do you know what kind of weapon or what have you they've got in the car? A friend of mine got shot in the leg last spring when the dude in the pickup that made a dumb move passed him then stopped and got out armed and pissed. Nope that won't be me.

I did go back about an hour later and it turned out that the car didn't roll all the way over. It ended up being a hard sideswipe with both cars ending up badly damaged but nobody got hurt. There's a head on in this section about once a month because people feel entitled to do dumb shit. Unfortunately there isn't another road to get you through this zone and it's also the only way to avoid going through the center of town and sitting in way too much traffic so it sees way more traffic than it was designed for 230 years ago.

[Dantheman]

Gwen Inglis, the current 45-49 road national champion, was hit and killed on her bike Sunday by a driver who was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
https://www.velonews.com/culture/rem...lis-1974-2021/

[VTskibum]

^^Ugh that's horrible to read that kind of story, especially in a bike lane and driver under influence.

Earlier this month had a similar situation to gravitylovers, empty backroad climb w/ very good visibility both directions at lunchtime on a weekday. No traffic on this road, but car is oncoming. Didn't hear anyone behind so didn't take the lane, turned out a guy squeezed between me an the oncoming car at probably 50mph (in a 25) gave me ~8" of room right as the oncoming car was passing downhill. Didn't hear him until he was probably a bike length or two behind. Came out w/o a scratch and everyone went on their way, but I was furious and really shaken from the worst case of either negligence or purposeful intent. I still really hope that Lexus driver doesn't kill someone, b/c it's only a matter of time based on my experience.

I bought a Varia radar that afternoon, I don't ride road as much as I used to, but so far really appreciating the increased awareness of upcoming traffic well before you can even hear it. Was recommended by friends who were hit in the past.

[Peruvian]

I’m glad you came out unscathed, VTsb. Knowing what’s behind you is critical.

Tech is cool, but the varia looks like a $200 solution that a $20 mirror would resolve. I won’t ever ride without a bar end mirror again.

[climberevan]

The Inglis tragedy is my worst nightmare. The only hope we have is that traffic laws will actually start being enforced so that drivers will know that they must pay attention and watch for others.

I'm also puzzled by the Varia. How does it make you safer? Do you ride into the shoulder every time it beeps? If not, it seems to me that knowing a car is coming doesn't change the likelihood that you'll get hit. Varia owners seem to love them, but no one has ever actually explained how they increase safety.

What we need is a laser that vaporizes any car that comes within the 3-foot buffer mandated by law.

[toast2266]

What we really need is dash cams on bikes and police departments willing to take action when footage from the camera warrants it.

[VTskibum]

I'm also puzzled by the Varia. How does it make you safer? Do you ride into the shoulder every time it beeps? If not, it seems to me that knowing a car is coming doesn't change the likelihood that you'll get hit. Varia owners seem to love them, but no one has ever actually explained how they increase safety.

Quite the opposite, I'm 100% taking the lane in the situation I described. Granted not going to help if guy is texting and driving (which I would have gotten hit regardless), but driver would not going to be able to pass w/ an oncoming car. Beeps and then shows how far and how many cars back.

I was a bit skeptical, not for everyone, but so far I'm a fan. Had a discount and got it on sale, so I'm ok with my ~$100 investment personally. Not out to sell anyone on it, DC Rainmaker and GP Lama both did pretty decent videos on it, generally ride only low traffic roads anyhow, but this gives me some piece of mind. Of all the $$$ I drop on cycling, if it helps I'm ok with it.

Toast - Totally agree. Best way to murder someone in the US are hit them with your car

[Dantheman]

Toast - Totally agree. Best way to murder someone in the US are hit them with your car

Just need to be sober, not texting, and stay at the scene and be really sorry about it. The onus will be on prosecutors rather than police departments, but even with camera footage I'm skeptical it will make much difference where DUI/texting/H&R isn't involved. Even if it does, it will take a lot of dead people and prosecuted drivers before public behavior even begins to change. If you want to lose all hope, read the comments to this article from earlier this year when a bill passed out of committee here that would have legalized Idaho Stops: https://www.ksl.com/article/50096096...-endanger-them

[toast2266]

Just need to be sober, not texting, and stay at the scene and be really sorry about it. The onus will be on prosecutors rather than police departments, but even with camera footage I'm skeptical it will make much difference where DUI/texting/H&R isn't involved. Even if it does, it will take a lot of dead people and prosecuted drivers before public behavior even begins to change. If you want to lose all hope, read the comments to this article from earlier this year when a bill passed out of committee here that would have legalized Idaho Stops: https://www.ksl.com/article/50096096...-endanger-them

But you're just talking about criminal penalties. Good evidence opens the door for strong civil suits. Most drivers have insurance. If bikers had video evidence of drivers' infractions and started firing off civil suits, it's a safe bet that 1) the insurance companies will settle and pay out, 2) insurance companies will start cracking down on unsafe driving and raise rates on people who get even minor tickets for buzzing cyclists, and 3) the insurance industry will get behind bike infrastructure plans, because that industry would much rather have taxes paying for bike paths than have their profits be reduced by lawsuits against their insured (similar to how insurance companies incentivize car safety features).

[Dantheman]

Civil suits are definitely a different story, but:

If bikers had video evidence of drivers' infractions and started firing off civil suits, it's a safe bet that 1) the insurance companies will settle and pay out

This part still requires a lot of dead or seriously injured people before any changes *might* happen.

2) insurance companies will start cracking down on unsafe driving and raise rates on people who get even minor tickets for buzzing cyclists

This part requires large numbers of cyclists to submit video of themselves getting buzzed to PDs, and then requires those PDs to retroactively issue tickets to the drivers based only on the video. I don't see that happening in large numbers, especially the second part.

3) the insurance industry will get behind bike infrastructure plans, because that industry would much rather have taxes paying for bike paths than have their profits be reduced by lawsuits against their insured (similar to how insurance companies incentivize car safety features).

This part feels extremely speculative as best, and even in the best-case scenario it's contingent on 1 & 2. Maybe I'm just overly cynical, but I feel like the average cop cares even less about cyclists than the average driver does.

[RootSkier]

But you're just talking about criminal penalties. Good evidence opens the door for strong civil suits. Most drivers have insurance. If bikers had video evidence of drivers' infractions and started firing off civil suits, it's a safe bet that 1) the insurance companies will settle and pay out, 2) insurance companies will start cracking down on unsafe driving and raise rates on people who get even minor tickets for buzzing cyclists, and 3) the insurance industry will get behind bike infrastructure plans, because that industry would much rather have taxes paying for bike paths than have their profits be reduced by lawsuits against their insured (similar to how insurance companies incentivize car safety features).

You think insurance companies are going to pay for near misses? Or are you just talking about actual injury-inducing accidents?