Here’s an article from a Bicycle Injury Lawyer…
Motorist Attitudes toward bikers in Wisconsin
Later!
Brian
We sat on State St eating lunch on Friday before IM and watched in horror at how the local Madisonite’s rode their fixies and cruisers through traffic… It was insane to say the least.
**Bicyclists in training for this event since April have been blowing through stop signs in front of moving vehicles. **
Motorists do this all the time. Not a justification for cyclist being inconsiderate, but it’s curious that I never hear motorist complain of other motorists blowing through stop signs.
I don’t know where you live, but here in NJ (Land of the Rude) I rarely see cars do that, but I frequently see cyclists do it.
here in madison, stop signs are yields, and yields seem to be stops. the current joke is that roundabouts need stop signs so drivers quit stopping before entering.
when you stop in a car here at say a bust right turn with a stop sign(next to a signalized throough arterial, you severly risk being rear ended. i witness 10-15mph roll throughs all the time(cars and trucks, not bikes)
Louisville, and I always see motorists do it. One day on a morning run, I decided to count the number of cars that ran stop signs/red lights. I counted no fewer than 10 in the first mile (granted I’m slow. You probably would have only seen 6). I bet if you made a point to notice, you’d be very surprised
Louisville, and I always see motorists do it. One day on a morning run, I decided to count the number of cars that ran stop signs/red lights. I counted no fewer than 10 in the first mile (granted I’m slow. You probably would have only seen 6). I bet if you made a point to notice, you’d be very surprised
I make a point to observe driver behavior, both when I am driving and when I am riding: it helps keep me alive and crash-free (no mean feat at age 53!). I see cars that don’t make the yellow before it turns red, but I very rarely see cars just blow through red lights or stop signs.
(one exception: ten years ago a girl ran a stop sign and t-boned the rider in front of me; had I been on his wheel, I’d have hit the car broadside)
I make a point to observe driver behavior,
I’m with you there!** The only reason I haven’t been hit is due to my extreme hypervigilance. **I was riding few weeks ago and came to busy four way stop (which I stop at). It was my turn to go and a lady blew through the intersection. Had I not expected this and made a hard turn left, I would have ended up in her driver’s side window. I expect every driver to do the wrong thing
here in madison, stop signs are yields, and yields seem to be stops. the current joke is that roundabouts need stop signs so drivers quit stopping before entering.
when you stop in a car here at say a bust right turn with a stop sign(next to a signalized through arterial, you severly risk being rear ended. i witness 10-15mph roll throughs all the time(cars and trucks, not bikes)
Sounds like Long Island. Traffic on SSP last night was moving about 70 mph (55 is the limit) and I got tailgated and honked at for driving 35 in a 30 and then passed on the right at a stop light (so the driver could run the light). Yet it was raining later and people were stopping at the round-about at Tanger. I was setting there thinking the sign said “Yield” not “Give Up.”
On a “never had that happen before” note, I was flying down the road (well over 30 mph) Tuesday on my bike coming up on an SUV that was slowing to turn right. She actually stopped and waited, thinking I was going to blow by her on the right. (I wasn’t, but she caught me off guard when she stopped instead of turned and caused me to really stop hard, really hard, like front wheel stand hard)
We sat on State St eating lunch on Friday before IM and watched in horror at how the local Madisonite’s rode their fixies and cruisers through traffic… It was insane to say the least.
I saw it too, it was mainly hipster idiots
I had a guy in his SUV fly past us in the left lane laying on his horn about a week before IM on hwy G. After he passed, I just raised my hand and gave a friendly wave. He slammed on his brakes, threw his SUV in reverse, got out and proceeded to yell at the four of us for not obeying the traffic laws. FYI, we were riding two and two, on the edge of the rode, as there were no cars on the road other than this friendly citizen. I know what the law says, and he apparently did not. I understand the anger at those who are breaking the law and being a nuisance, but when riders are being respectful and obeying the law, to scream your head off at me? Two of our foursome were from South Carolina and said that the sentiment is the same where they are from. Later in that same ride, I was riding with Romain Guillaume two abreast in Verona (both of us in the bike lane) when a car buzzed us with middle fingers hanging out of all the windows… Romains response? “Same as France…”
Assholes are everywhere, be on the lookout.
We sat on State St eating lunch on Friday before IM and watched in horror at how the local Madisonite’s rode their fixies and cruisers through traffic… It was insane to say the least.
I saw it too, it was mainly hipster idiots
Correction, “hipster idiots on bicycles”.
when i lived in Austin, TX, a red light meant 3 more vehicles, well usually just 2, but sometimes 3
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I make a point to observe driver behavior,
I’m with you there!** The only reason I haven’t been hit is due to my extreme hypervigilance. **I was riding few weeks ago and came to busy four way stop (which I stop at). It was my turn to go and a lady blew through the intersection. Had I not expected this and made a hard turn left, I would have ended up in her driver’s side window. I expect every driver to do the wrong thing
I agree completely, when I’m out on the road my attitude is that NO car is paying attention to me. Most drivers hardly pay attention to each other, why would they be looking for a bike? Living in Boston, we have our share of rude drivers, but it sounds like it is the same everywhere:)
It does frustrate me when drivers say things like ‘those cyclists ignore traffic rules all the time’ when 1. Almost all drivers break traffic rules all the time (rolling stop signs, running red lights etc.) and 2. Its clear most drivers don’t understand a cyclists rights/responsibilities on the road.
if there are no cars around I don’t see what the big deal is with blowing through a stop sign on a bike.
Unbelievable.
if there are no cars around I don’t see what the big deal is with blowing through a stop sign on a bike.
Unbelievable.
I still stop at signs w/o cars around because of society, especially in the city. I just can’t understand why anyone would care if you’re in desolated area with no cars around.
perhaps people can go some other roads in Dane county.
There are beautiful roads out there - which are great for cycling and much much more challenging then the course itself.
Agree completely! I did Imoo in 2010 and went to Madison twice to ride the course but after doing some riding in the Blue Mound area this past summer I doubt I’ll ever ride the Imoo course again unless it’s for the actual race.
Why ride on congested, dangerous and rough roads when you can find other routes that have better pavement, less traffic and more hills?
if there are no cars around I don’t see what the big deal is with blowing through a stop sign on a bike.
Unbelievable.
I still stop at signs w/o cars around because of society, especially in the city. I just can’t understand why anyone would care if you’re in desolated area with no cars around.
Are you always aware of who is watching you when you are cycling? How about setting a good example and being a good ambassador for other cyclists?
**…**and they yelled back that I was riding the course wrong…heh.
That is funny stuff, there. It kind of makes me feel sorry for all the folks who think cycling is merely a means to an end (their Ironman) and not a wonderfully great activity in its own right.
Chad
I worked in Madison this summer (April -September 9th). A colleague of mine had car troubles, so I drove him to his house. As we are pulling into the driveway a person from a club mentioned in this forum was pulling his shorts up after dropping #2 in the front yard behind a tree. My colleague gave the guy a bag and shovel and said, “Bag it up and take it with you.”
Madison gets all kinds in town during the summer from Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and other places to “train on the course”. I think people who race forget that they are guests in someone’s “home”.
Proud to say I have done five Ironman races and have not done ONE training trip to ride on “the course.”
I think people who race forget that they are guests in someone’s “home”.
true. In the run up to IMLouisville, I’ve seen groups of out of towners going down the road in packs three, four across the road. When I remind them to be more considerate of the locals by taking up less rode (as I live here and have to ride these roads once you’re gone), I get a look like I’m speaking a foreign language.