Drea ...
Bikes are vehicles, and belong on the road. Where should a cyclist ride, on the sidewalk?
Obviously. I have never said that bikes should not be on the road. I do question cyclists (especially the ones I see) that choose to ride on the busiest roads, where there is no shoulder, countless intersections (including entrances/exits to businesses, stoplights, etc), and high traffic.
A driver MAY be slowed down no more than 10s because of a cyclist. People who get pissed about having to touch their brakes need to get over it.
Again, I question why cyclists ride on high traffic roads that do not have space for [1] the cyclist to move over (ride the white line, so to speak), or [2] for the car to safely pass without coming close to the cyclist or having the straddle a lane line, or both.
Why should I get in my car, sit in traffic for 40 minutes burning gas, when I could be outside enjoying?
I understand that in some locals that free and open country roads aren't 2 miles away (as they are for me). I lived in KC (Shawnee-Mission) for 6 years (before I started my training), and I could not imagine trying to ride on Johnson Drive, Shawnee-Mission Pkwy, Lamar Ave, or any other 4-6 lane high traffic road.
You mentioned the key word "enjoying". That is where my perspective is coming from. When I ride I have 3 goal, [1] log time, [2] log miles, [3] try to keep a good pace. I, personally, do not see how one could do this (let alone get the "enjoyment" and the free feeling that cycling provides, by dodging cars, manipulating intersections, etc. If one cannot get to a country road or sledom-used highway, I wonder why they just don't ride lower-traffic roads? My feeling is that there is more involved than just "riding" ... it's almost as if the cyclist is trying to make a statement to busy traffic. Moreover, they seem to expect traffic to not only accept, but agree with, that statement.
Sidenote: Even though I totally have an attitude of entitlement regarding bikes on roads, I ALWAYS defer to cars. They are bigger, and I'm not stupid.
I share this sentiment, and only go one step further by stating my preference to seek out and ride roads where there is less opportunities to "defer to traffic".
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As for driving to the outskirts: Today was one of those days where getting a ride in meant going straight from home inorder to get 40k in. I usually drive out to a small town and take dack roads from there but it was not in the cards today...
I completely understand. I am also not advocating an abondonment of bikes from the roads, just suggesting for maximal enjoyment with minimal conflict ... bikers choosing lower-traffic roads.
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Back to the finger .... each cyclist represents the group. Flying the bird reflects on the whole group. If I were to flip someone off, I would expect them (especially given the size of the average tiathlete) to be waiting for me at the next available intersection to have the standard-issue "You gotta problem buddy?" argument. AFAIK, not many people fly the bird to someone that bumps into them in a bar, nudges them on an elevator, or is rude to them on the sidewalk. I perceive that to be due to face-to-face nature of those situations. I caution those that execise their right to free expression, that being on a bike is not a free pass to do someting you otherwise would not do. In my experience, the right to free speech is often trumped by Newton's 3rd Law, for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction ... which in this case, the reaction is more often than not "greater in severity".
Just as all members of a team are reps for the group, each cyclist is a "walking billboard (one of my fav terms) for the group of cyclist. It is unlikely that one's actions do not reflect on others' perceptions of the whole.
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-- Every morning brings opportunity;
Each evening offers judgement. --