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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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I'm in Kunming, Yunan, southern China (city of 6 million) and I've been commuting across town by bicycle every day for a couple of months. The auto drivers here, and the bus drivers, are completely crazy. They pull onto a major through street from an alley or drive way and don't slow down or even look. At least they are very good at pretending they don't look. Maybe a game of bluff. In any case I've been told that people pulling into your lane, or making a right hand turn onto your street (when you have a green) have the legal right of way. I've had maybe half a dozen near 'death accidents' so far. ha But still I go fast and demand my rights.... not a good strategy for long life I know.
Anyway, I'd guess that more than two thirds of the commuters here are on cycles (the rest in cars or buses). Not bicycles but electric Vespa type cycles. Gas powered motorcycles aren't allowed. Full on cycle traffic jams everyday during rush hour. It slows you down but its kind of fun just to see so many cycles. Grandmas, young teens, old wizened Tai Chi masters and retired communist party chiefs (well maybe the retired chiefs are in Bentleys??). Everyone is on a cycle.
The major streets have divided cycle lanes running down both sides of the street. If it wasn't for the unexpected and unannounced cross traffic it would actually be pretty safe. And the battery cycles are completely quiet. Makes urban living somewhat tolerable.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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240 posts? Well then
Tobia,
Dec 9, 2014 - 11:29am PT
I've only read the first and last post of this thread; but get the general jist.
I'm a runner that had to convert to biking. I don't feel near as safe riding as I did running, for a couple of reasons most people are aware of; but I will mention anyway.
Running against traffic you see impending doom if it is coming and you can avoid it by either stepping or jumping off the road. This isn't possible on a bicycle.
Unless you are komacozzie and willing to be coma toast stay off the roads where thick traffic threatens and that cars speed on!
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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I will wade into the cesspool of off climbing topics.
I have been a near daily bike rider in SF for 26 years...I have never been hit by a car. Lucky? No. I just follow my own rules.
Red lights don't stop cars.
Never get in the way of a car.
Never let a car come up behind (or almost behind) you.
Be prepared mentally to steer your bike without braking into a curb, sidewalk or over parked cars at any moment.
The laws of physics are not subject to legislation; are unaffected by intention and can be used to protect yourself.
There are many ways to die on a bicycle. This includes getting shot in the head by a pissed-off pedestrian.
Here a little vid for the people who believe the SF Bike Coalition, paint on the roadway, helmets, rules, mirrors etc protect you the bicyclist.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dfe_1405725184
We can rant about how things should be, but Chris's post from a year ago (above) is one of the few that recognizes that our safety as urban cyclists depends on what we do. I particularly like his comment about the laws of physics. To me, it's quite simple. If I screw up and run into a car, I can get killed and the car might get its paint scraped. If a car's driver screws up and runs into me, I might get killed and the car might get its paint scraped. In no case will the driver face any real risk of injury.
Conclusion: watch for drivers screwing up, and don't screw up yourself. It's simple defensive riding, folks. Why let your perception of your rights steer you into the grave?
John
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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^^^ +1 to that!
It really gets to me when I see these bike tour groups out here on the reservation "asserting their right" to the lane by riding 2 and even 3 abreast on a 2 lane highway with a 65mph limit. This is suicidal, especially out here where bicycling isn't considered cool. These people are not setting a good example for their clients.
A couple summers ago I trained for and completed a century ride. Now, I'm selling my road bike and only mountain bike, after a couple of close calls showed me that I was totally putting my life into someone else's hands while riding on the 2 - 3 foot strip of pavement between the white line and the guard rail
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Photo has nothing to do with rant.... but fun anyway.
1890s
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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I'll get my dander up about bicycles when people in cars consistently obey posted speed limits, drive at speeds that are safe for conditions, signal their turns and lane changes, properly maintain their vehicles, obey traffic signals, don't drive impaired by cell phones, food, makeup, intoxicants, or sleep deprivation, or screaming vermin, and consistently notice pedestrians, people on bicycles, people on motorcycles, and other drivers.
Until then, drivers (I am one, too) can shut the f*#k up about bicycles.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jun 18, 2015 - 09:25pm PT
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I saw a bizarre one today.
No danger to me, but a car driver damn near died. Punishment for being a nice guy, but really stupid.
My daily bike commute runs for several miles through and beside the Port of Seattle, where ten thousand truck drivers are going in and out all day. The truckers are great. It's a major bike route, and the cyclists and truckers have been sharing the roads for a long time. There are get-togethers, and Port-sponsored bike/truck classes, and for me, riding with big rigs hauling ass on either side is no problem.
Cars, on the other hand...
So today, on my way in to work, I stopped at a place where the bike path crosses a road into one of the terminals. Stopped because a car was approaching. But the driver, seeing a bicyclist waiting to cross, decided to be a nice guy, and stop...
...completely forgetting the semi steaming along behind him.
I thought the dude was going to die. But major brake screeching from the truck woke him up and he hit the gas. Still, if the truck hadn't swerved as it came up behind him, he'd have lost his car, and been looking at a few weeks in hospital.
So, yeah, it's nice to see a car driver stop so that a bicyclist can cross the road. But not in a spot where the motor traffic has the right of way, and there's a f*#king semi truck right behind.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Jun 19, 2015 - 04:18pm PT
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I used to do a lot of biking. What fries me (in Orange County)are the huge bike clubbers (30-100 riders) that think morning rush hour is the prime time to go four abreast across the road rather than keeping in the designated bike lane. I know cyclists have equal rights to the roadways, but I'm talking about roads posted at 50 mph; the bikers may be doing 20 mph at best. Drivers are trying to get to work and the cyclists act like they own the road.
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jstan
climber
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Jan 26, 2017 - 10:12pm PT
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Believe it or not. I have a bike story.
As I was biking along a car full of UCSB coeds went by with girls hanging half out of the windows, banging on the sides of the car and woo-whoing at me. When I got back to my office I told my office mate what had just happened and said this had caused me to wonder if I had completely missed my true calling in life.
He said, "I have to tell you this, John, but first you need to sit down. Those girls had only to look at you to know you are totally harmless."
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Jan 27, 2017 - 04:00am PT
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^^^ That guy could get work as a stunt man . . .
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hellroaring
Trad climber
San Francisco
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Bump...in honor of moose's recent run in...
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