After being out of the sport for some time (~11yrs), I recently got back into cycling. Over the course of 2015 I realized there is a big problem with our sport, one that is bringing on some flack that I think is well deserved at this point.
The problem is a lot of us are acting like raging assholes.
I dont know why or how its gotten so bad, but it seems like every other cyclist I meet gives me a dirty look when I give them a wave and a smile. Didnt we all start cycling because it was fun? Sure, some of us rely on it for transportation and need to get places in a hurry (I ride to work whenever I can). That doesnt mean you cant enjoy being on a bike when its 72*, sunny, and a few clouds are decorating the deep blue skyline. If a fellow biker crosses our paths, we should show some comradery to each other.
As if having a bad attitude isnt enough, I see us riding on the sidewalk downtown at 15+ MPH, running red lights, cutting off cars, and simply ignoring every law ever put in place for cycling. We put people in danger as we speed along busy jogging paths/sidewalks/multi-use trails, angrily yelling at someone to move; that is, if we are even bothering to warn them that we are passing. Some of us seem to have developed a kind of pseudo status, believing that a bike is superior and everything else must yield to us. Let me remind you that when on the road we follow the same laws cars do. When we are not on the road we HAVE to be aware of pedestrians, and we should be willing to yield to them so everyone can stay safe. The ONLY exception to this is if we are on a trail designated for bikes.
Yes, drivers may get annoyed with us. They may feel it isnt fair they had to give up space on the road for a bike lane. They may get annoyed when they have to slow down and wait to pass because we're riding on the shoulder. Yes, people on foot are at times oblivious to us. They wear headphones so they cant hear us warning them. They clog up the trails and make us lose all the speed we worked so hard to build for that killer 15% hill, so we have to get off and walk our bikes to the top. Their kids are spazzes that test our reflexes and emergency breaking skills when they dart out in front of us.
That doesnt give us the right to treat every person we meet the way we are sometimes treated. Most people feel embarrassed when they cause us trouble by accident; handle the aftermath with discretion, politely educate when possible. Jerks are jerks, so unless they actively trying to harm you its best to just ignore them. You need your energy for that next hill.
Story time:
The tipping point that motivated me to write this is due to something I experienced while riding my mountain bike today:
I was riding a very rocky and narrow trail near downtown. It was 69* out after a week of bitter cold (for Austin), so the trails were very busy. I gave my usual passing on your X side! warning to a younger couple that had their backs to me, they stepped aside with no bother to anyone, and I gave a quick thanks! as I rode past. About 200ft after that, a cyclist in his 50s came riding down the trail towards me. The rocks had cleared so it was easy to give him some room. As he rode past I gave a quick howdy, but I just got a quick glance from him as he pedaled past me to pick up some speed. I figured he was a bit in the zone since this trail can get a little technical, so didnt think much of it at the time.
Then about 30 seconds later, I hear the voice of an older man scream out HEEEEEEEEEEY!!!. I slammed on my breaks and turned my head to see what had happened. The trees blocked my view, but I had assumed the man that had just passed me was yelling at the younger couple to get out of his way. I stood for a moment to listen but didnt hear anything that made me feel I should go back and check. I decided to just continue with my ride.
About an hour later, I was heading back the way I came. I was taking a foot path that follows a river near downtown and needed to cross a long narrow wooden bridge that stretched over the river. There were a father and his son (about six) in front of me that were also needing to cross the bridge. I slowed to a near crawl as I waited for traffic to clear enough for me to pass the father and son. They saw me behind them, but the kid was unsure of what to do and jumped to the other side of the bridge.
Right in front of a bike that was coming the other way on the bridge.
I was out of arms reach of the kid and could do nothing. The father grabbed for his son while the other cyclist hit his breaks hard. The father wasnt able to pull his son out of the way fast enough, and the kid was hit in the head by the cyclists handle bar. Thankfully the kid wasnt hurt bad, he mostly got hit by the guys hand and was just knocked back towards his dad. The cyclist reached down to ask the kid if he was ok and telling the dad the kid mostly hit his arm. I looked up from the kid to the cyclist's face and realized it was the same guy I heard yelling at the young couple earlier. The rider looked up from the kid and looked at me for a moment. I asked if he was ok, he just stared at me
I turned back to the father and asked if he was sure the kid was ok, the father said yes. The other cyclist rode off without saying a single word to me. I apologized to the father for spooking his kid and causing the mess, but in the back of my head, I wondering why the hell that other rider felt the need to be going so fast on a busy pedestrian bridge.
Edit 1/9/2016: Surprise dose of karma given to rider! See post #168 for the story.
~~~~~~~~
So if you ride a bike, even if its just as a fair weather weekend rider, please go read up on the rules of riding. Above all else, remember to set a good example for other riders.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Cyclist.
The problem is a lot of us are acting like raging assholes.
I dont know why or how its gotten so bad, but it seems like every other cyclist I meet gives me a dirty look when I give them a wave and a smile. Didnt we all start cycling because it was fun? Sure, some of us rely on it for transportation and need to get places in a hurry (I ride to work whenever I can). That doesnt mean you cant enjoy being on a bike when its 72*, sunny, and a few clouds are decorating the deep blue skyline. If a fellow biker crosses our paths, we should show some comradery to each other.
As if having a bad attitude isnt enough, I see us riding on the sidewalk downtown at 15+ MPH, running red lights, cutting off cars, and simply ignoring every law ever put in place for cycling. We put people in danger as we speed along busy jogging paths/sidewalks/multi-use trails, angrily yelling at someone to move; that is, if we are even bothering to warn them that we are passing. Some of us seem to have developed a kind of pseudo status, believing that a bike is superior and everything else must yield to us. Let me remind you that when on the road we follow the same laws cars do. When we are not on the road we HAVE to be aware of pedestrians, and we should be willing to yield to them so everyone can stay safe. The ONLY exception to this is if we are on a trail designated for bikes.
Yes, drivers may get annoyed with us. They may feel it isnt fair they had to give up space on the road for a bike lane. They may get annoyed when they have to slow down and wait to pass because we're riding on the shoulder. Yes, people on foot are at times oblivious to us. They wear headphones so they cant hear us warning them. They clog up the trails and make us lose all the speed we worked so hard to build for that killer 15% hill, so we have to get off and walk our bikes to the top. Their kids are spazzes that test our reflexes and emergency breaking skills when they dart out in front of us.
That doesnt give us the right to treat every person we meet the way we are sometimes treated. Most people feel embarrassed when they cause us trouble by accident; handle the aftermath with discretion, politely educate when possible. Jerks are jerks, so unless they actively trying to harm you its best to just ignore them. You need your energy for that next hill.
Story time:
The tipping point that motivated me to write this is due to something I experienced while riding my mountain bike today:
I was riding a very rocky and narrow trail near downtown. It was 69* out after a week of bitter cold (for Austin), so the trails were very busy. I gave my usual passing on your X side! warning to a younger couple that had their backs to me, they stepped aside with no bother to anyone, and I gave a quick thanks! as I rode past. About 200ft after that, a cyclist in his 50s came riding down the trail towards me. The rocks had cleared so it was easy to give him some room. As he rode past I gave a quick howdy, but I just got a quick glance from him as he pedaled past me to pick up some speed. I figured he was a bit in the zone since this trail can get a little technical, so didnt think much of it at the time.
Then about 30 seconds later, I hear the voice of an older man scream out HEEEEEEEEEEY!!!. I slammed on my breaks and turned my head to see what had happened. The trees blocked my view, but I had assumed the man that had just passed me was yelling at the younger couple to get out of his way. I stood for a moment to listen but didnt hear anything that made me feel I should go back and check. I decided to just continue with my ride.
About an hour later, I was heading back the way I came. I was taking a foot path that follows a river near downtown and needed to cross a long narrow wooden bridge that stretched over the river. There were a father and his son (about six) in front of me that were also needing to cross the bridge. I slowed to a near crawl as I waited for traffic to clear enough for me to pass the father and son. They saw me behind them, but the kid was unsure of what to do and jumped to the other side of the bridge.
Right in front of a bike that was coming the other way on the bridge.
I was out of arms reach of the kid and could do nothing. The father grabbed for his son while the other cyclist hit his breaks hard. The father wasnt able to pull his son out of the way fast enough, and the kid was hit in the head by the cyclists handle bar. Thankfully the kid wasnt hurt bad, he mostly got hit by the guys hand and was just knocked back towards his dad. The cyclist reached down to ask the kid if he was ok and telling the dad the kid mostly hit his arm. I looked up from the kid to the cyclist's face and realized it was the same guy I heard yelling at the young couple earlier. The rider looked up from the kid and looked at me for a moment. I asked if he was ok, he just stared at me
I turned back to the father and asked if he was sure the kid was ok, the father said yes. The other cyclist rode off without saying a single word to me. I apologized to the father for spooking his kid and causing the mess, but in the back of my head, I wondering why the hell that other rider felt the need to be going so fast on a busy pedestrian bridge.
Edit 1/9/2016: Surprise dose of karma given to rider! See post #168 for the story.
~~~~~~~~
So if you ride a bike, even if its just as a fair weather weekend rider, please go read up on the rules of riding. Above all else, remember to set a good example for other riders.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Cyclist.
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