BIKERS BEWARE - for those of us who like to bike!

[Sookie]

Biking is my thing. I like to exercise by either biking or walking and try to do one or the other every day. My problem with biking is drivers. I always follow the rules of the road that someone driving a car follows. However, it seems that every time I am out I come up against a driver who has no clue.

For example, the other day I was riding my bike downhill on the right hand side of the road, going fairly fast but well below the speed limit of a car, when a car went past me and made a quick right hand turn in front of me into a convenience store. My brakes were squealing and I was barely able to avoid flying into the side of her car. I was so shaken but I did stop and explained to her that she almost killed me and she should have waited for me to proceed before turning into the lot.

Anyone have any stories to share? Or tips for safe biking?

[sweetpea]

oh sookie! my DH is a cyclist and has many, many horrible stories he could share :eek: I dont' do much biking but my warning to DH every time he leaves for a ride is to be AWARE of drivers--sounds simple but cyclists must be SO much more focused on what cars are doing, what you think they might do, etc. anticipating a drivers next move will save your life! and always wear your helmet :)

[SusanMac]

I bike a lot, too, and this stuff happens all the time. Because of that, I do the majority of my riding outside of town. But even then it's an issue. In all honesty, I think cyclists who don't follow rules are a huge part of the issue. They confuse drivers & cause a lot of angst. But drivers are equally responsible. I think for the most part, they don't know the rules, but to make things worse they just don't think things through (if I do x, then y will happen)

The things I work on most are to ride predictably (holding my line, etc), always using hand signals (not the ones you learned in high school driving, but right hand for a right turn/left hand for a left turn), and standing up out of my saddle in intersections to make sure I'm more visible. When in groups, I refuse to ride two-across if it's a high traffic road.

[DocAgocs]

I agree that there are two types of people on bikes. One group knows the rules, abides by them and expects the others to do the same. The other group weaves wround, goes the wrong way, runs lights, etc. I used to ride 100 miles a week when I was in chiropractic school. The Quad Cities has a strong biking community and the majority of people on bikes were pretty with it when it came to the rules. People respected you and the people out on the beautiful country roads with pretty rolling hills were used to seeing people on bikes. In 4 years I had one car buzz me and yell and throw something out. We also had a GREAT bike path system where you could go over 20 miles without ever having to stop or cross traffic, I believe. Then I moved to where I live now and I'm honestly afraid to even get on a bike in this community. No paths, people drive like they're insane here, anyway, all the people on bikes are rule-breakers, and it's scary.

Carry a cell phone, paper and pen. If you get harassed call the cops with descriptions and license plate info.

[Gecko]

My husband had a near miss just like DocAgocs. He was just finishing a ride when a person coming in the opposite direction decided to turn into her drive way right infront of him. Luckily he was able to avoid her car but did hit part of her fron fence before coming off the bike. He wasn't injured but it cost us $$$ to buy a new wheel.

He has also been riding and had someone throw something at him. He also told me about a friend of his who was spat at :eek: . My DH does a lot of events that invlove biking and he is a stickler for the rules. He has also mentioned that a few bikers who ignore the rules of the road give everyone else a bad name.

[jtoepfert100]

You think that's bad, try walking in Memphis (no, not the over played song). I am reminded of my mortality daily. :rolleyes: :mad: Evidently, pedestrians never, ever have the right of way.

Sorry for the hijack. . .

[SDMomChef]

I also love to bike, and try to ride my bike to work as much as possible. I try to take as many side roads and avoid busy streets just for that reason - many drivers just don't pay attention. Fortunately, I've had no close calls, but I guess I have just come to accept that I have to more diligent than drivers.

P.S. - Sookie - we must have many similar interests - books/biking/cooking :)

[Valerie226]

We used to ride a fair amount but no more. we followed all the rules but drivers just started acting like we weren't there or it was too much trouble to move a few feet over to give a bit of space. Side mirrors especially on RV's are a huge risk. Our last close encounter was a driver in a truck who passed my husband so closely I was sure he would hit him. we were single file on the shoulder, the driver had 2 full lanes but apparently was annoyed at bikes on "his" road. Unfortunately for him his truck had a huge logo on the side. I found the company in the phone book & talked to the owner and asked if he had a driver who would have been in a specific area at a particular time. He did, and I believe the man lost his job for that. some small consolation but you are so vulnerable & we decided it wasn't worth the risk of death on serious injury.
Unleashed dogs are always a big threat. people who park and fling their doors open. We've switched to mountain biking.