| Diet Forums : Fitness (Library) | Report Violation · Tag It! |
| Join in the fun; The Calorie-Count Cycling Club... |  leinad |
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| #421 |  nilla529 |
Jun 13 2007 16:03 |
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Hi all, I went on a 30 miler with the local club last night and I am pretty proud of myself - 17.2 mph average and that included two wicked climbs. I did not however keep up with the men past the first hard climb, had a great time with the gals though. I side with Carrie on taking the higher road. I think it is generally better to be courteous rather than further prejudice a person against cyclists, not that I haven't really wanted to let loose on a few motorists. I figure if somebody does something truly life threatening I can always call law enforcement and file a complaint. I am pretty lucky, I live in a small community with quite a few cyclists. The three towns grouped together here have all realized the profits to be made by hosting a well-organized, well-marketed triathlon so three times a summer thousands of cyclists converge on my community of about 18,000. The result has been lots of locals joining in the fun and increased visability for cyclists. |
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| #422 | autismjtm |
Jun 13 2007 17:21 |
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I agree with being courteous, but after being called a fat tub of lard, I guess I lost my cool. I will definitely try and ignore it in the future. It could turn ugly and I am at a major disadvantage being on a bike. I wish there were more actual bicycle paths; that way the problem could be avoided all together.
Jane |
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| #423 | carrihound |
Jun 13 2007 17:29 |
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oh, don't sweat it Jane, you're in good company. we've all been there & we've all lost our cool at times. sometimes it just gets under your skin. i gave a 'double bird' salute to a truck that nearly clipped me the other day. it happens. chalk it up to experience & don't let it bug ya!
my comments weren't chastizing you - i was just generally commenting on responses to angry drivers. a rider here actually got punched and spit on when a driver stopped to confront him. we cyclists are definitely at a serious disadvantage & incredibly vulnerable. i just wish drivers didn't feel the need to highlight & take advangage of our vulnerability in such dangerous ways. i truly don't understand what it is they have against cyclists that it incites such hatred. i suppose it's road rage - which is pretty irrational in general. |
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| #424 | nilla529 |
Jun 13 2007 17:46 |
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Jane I hope you didn't take offense to my comment about taking the higher road either. Like Carri said, I am just stating a general opinion regarding general circumstances. When I was in college I was hesitant to run outside because of what people would think of me. Some friends I used to hang out with would make the rudest comments about runners like, "Yeah she needs to be out here running" or "Look at the rolls on her." Insensitive comments like that made me feel like I was fat. I have just gotten myself back to the weight I was at and I feel wonderful and confident and I wish I could have been that way 10 years ago. I now run with confidence and I don't care what anybody says and I even wear lycra shorts when I ride my bike. I may not be the "best looking" person wearing them but I don't let that detract from my fun. Good for you that you are out there and riding your bike, enjoy it and know that the person yelling insensitive comments is just trying to make themselves appear bigger by belittling you. At least you are making healthy choices that make you happy. P.S. This little motivational speech is probably as much for me as it is for you. |
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| #425 | carrihound |
Jun 13 2007 18:02 |
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i look at it this way : at least the ones who are mean enough to yell things have seen me! while folks often give in to the temptation to be rude on the road, few of them are out & out murderers - meaning that if they see you, they may make rude comments or drive aggressively, but they probably don't actually want to kill you, so you're (in a twisted way) safer around them than you are around the inattentive nice guy who runs you down because he never even spotted you. |
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| #426 |  nightc1 |
Jun 13 2007 18:12 |
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I don't know if I agree with carrihound on that one. I mean, those that complain the loudest are usually those most enraged to actually do something about it. Road rage can turn people pretty crazy. I've seen enough cases of road rage gone bad to know it happens. I doubt there are too many that would miss seeing me on the road when I'm wearing my bright orange road workers vest with reflexlite strips in it. I mean, seriously. Most people are going to see me, that much I atleast can control in what I wear and where I ride on the road. |
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| #427 | carrihound |
Jun 13 2007 18:34 |
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fair enough. that is just my opinion. i don't think most folks will do anything serious about it. some will, but i don't think that characterizes the vast majority of drivers, so i go with the averages. that said, i do my best not to further aggravate the already-aggravated drivers, knowing that even if they don't purposely run me down, they might make a move to rattle me, which might make me crash in front of the next car.
regarding being visible, the vest is a great help in catching the eye of inattentive drivers. my concern is that sometimes inattentive drivers can fail to see even the most reflective, brightly clad cyclist, so i fear those drivers far more than i fear the angry ones. |
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| #428 | autismjtm |
Jun 13 2007 19:05 |
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I did not take offense at all to any comments. Actually it put it in perspective for me. Bottom line is that we should not sink as low as some of these drivers. I have only been on my bike for a couple of weeks and by far most drivers are courteous and will steer clear of me. It is however the few bad ones who can cause trouble by intentionally try and run you off the road (or the beer bottle slingers). The tub of lard comment really hurt my feelings because I have lost over 14 pounds during the past 2 weeks - purely by riding that bike. Oh well, shake it off and on with my life. The bright vest sounds like a good idea. Now if only I could get over being so spooked riding at night. I guess I watched too many scary movies in my younger days, lol. Does anyone know if those dog sprays work? I saw them at my bike shop and I was wondering if it would even be worth it. By the time you get the spray out the dog could have already caused you to crash
Jane |
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| #429 | gmule |
Jun 13 2007 19:57 |
| I have no problem ignoring the yelling or rude comments. But when one of those people throw something at me or try to run me off the road I am going to respond if I get the chance. I also try to avoid certain roads at certain times to avoid those people. | ||
| #430 | nightc1 |
Jun 13 2007 21:14 |
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I mostly just ride the paved bike trail. Pretty much everyone I see I say "hey" or "howdy" or give a positive thumbs up, smile, slight wave or nod. Even those that don't do anything positive in return the first time... usually by time I see them again they respond. My goal is not to be that jerk speed demond on the trail that buzzes by and scares you. I think it makes the experience more positive for everyone. I also ring my bell way way in advance of passing anyone from behind and I move to the the left before ringing the bell so I'm as predictable a rider as possible. I never have to say or yell "passing on your left" or "on your left" to people. I have a fear that around here if I said "on your left" people would move to their left and bam! I tend to wave or nod to people I see when I'm driving and they are out walking around as well as people in cars I know as well. Then again, I'm living in the south. People tend to be a bit more on the friendly side around here. While riding my bike I have encountered plenty of cars on the local roads around my neighborhood. Those people go far far into the other lane to pass unless it's a downhill since i tend to push it past the speed limit. But I've stayed off of any high traffic roads (other than crossing them at a light). I suppose at some point some hs/college kid or just stupid jerk is going to come my way while out riding around. I'm not one to try and make more of it than it has to be. If my life is threatened I'll be sure to get a license plate # and call the police first chance I get and then file a complaint. Of course hey I could crack and follow the guy home and then do something stupid. But hopefully I'll resist the temptation. |
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| #431 | pandajenn19 |
Jun 14 2007 01:39 |
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Since 95% of my miles have been commuting, I think this is a convo I can get in on. :) I agree with carri about the people who yell. They are the *only* ones I assume have seen me. I've had a few close calls already. Including cars that run red lights when I've got the green, cars that refuse to move over an inch and pass by so close I worry my elbow will be hit, cars that speed up so they can cut me off and make a right turn in front of me, cars that think my turn at the four way stop isn't a real turn so they go regardless of whether it's my turn and whether I'm already out in the intersection or not, cars that assume I'm going slower than I am so they turn left in front of me and I have to hit the brakes to not run into them, cars that turn right out of their driveways or alleys on residential streets and never look left at all because it's a low-traffic road and they assume nothing is coming...
I know I'm a relative newb still, but I firmly believe commuting is a completely different beast from other kinds of cycling. I should add that, while I no longer do so, I spent 5 years adjusting auto claims (among myriad other duties). So I have a good idea of the kinds of stupid things drivers are more likely to do. And a lot of reasons why you can never, ever trust people in cars, no matter whether you are in a car, on a bike, or on foot. |
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| #432 | autismjtm |
Jun 14 2007 04:17 |
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Well tonight I made amends. An oncoming car hit me with his brights (this is the second time this has happened to me) totally blinding me. I just gave him my biggest toothpaste commercial smile and waved to him. I did my ride home tonight in less than 1/2 hour. For all of you pros out there that may not be too good (5.5 miles) but there are nothing but hills on this road and I am still way out of shape.
Now here's a question for you guys. On my way to work I am going down this huge hill. I gain quite a bit of speed and I absolutely love to feel the wind in my face. However, I am terrified of having a tire blow-out at those speeds. Has this ever happened to any of you, and how do you handle it (aside from crashing, lol). Jane |
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| #433 | trhawley |
Jun 14 2007 04:25 |
| Tires rarely blow out. They do go f***. (I'm too superstitious to even type the F-word.) However, I did have blow-out two weeks ago but anyway if a tire blows you stop carefully and quickly. If the rear blows it not that big of a deal. If the front blows, handling can be tricky but again just stop as quickly as possible, fix the tire, and go on. You can't worry too much about all the things that could possibly go wrong or you would never leave the house. | ||
| #434 | gmule |
Jun 14 2007 04:47 |
| I know that I am going to regret this but I haven't had any tire problems for the last 1,200 miles. I check my tire pressure before every ride and carry enough tire fixing stuff to keep the tire gods happy. | ||
| #435 | autismjtm |
Jun 14 2007 14:06 |
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That is comforting to know. I guess I should just let go of the worry and enjoy the ride.
I saw on the news the other day some guy from Cleveland is going to try for making it across the US in 17 days on a bicycle - geez, can't even imagine doing that. Jane |
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| #436 | jc343 |
Jun 14 2007 14:15 |
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Interesting morning -- 40% chance of rain showers. So as I pulled away from the house in a light drizzle, I was thinking, "This is stupid. I wonder how wet I'll be when I get to work." Fortunately, the drizzle stopped and I stayed real cool as I air-dryed my shirt. I should have, but didn't, have a headlight this morning. It didn't seem to matter. The two drivers who gave me problems came from behind. The first one squeezed between me (in a left turn lane) and the van on my right; shot around the van and continued on his way at a high rate of speed. I did not get his license. The second was a van driver that didn't want to bother changing lanes to go around me. I was able to pull into a parking lot entrance and give him some room to go around me. I didn't get his license. I did get his company name and phone number but I am not going to bother to call. On the other hand, at least 3 drivers waited at intersections for me. I agree with Panda, if you are out on the road it pays to be defensive and alert. Jane, the problem with the downhills on my commute is the stop signs at the bottom. It isn't safe to go roaring through. I read recently that the best strategy is to periodically apply your brakes rather than "riding" them. If you keep your brakes on all the way down you can get a dangerous heat build up. |
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| #437 | carrihound |
Jun 14 2007 16:53 |
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Jane, i agree with everyone's comments concerning flats on the downhills. just be aware that it could happen & be mentally prepared for it. know that it will impact your handling, especially if it's the front tire you'll have a serious wobble on your hands, but you should be able to stay upright until you can come to a stop. just hold on to the bars and focus on strongly steering the bike straight. of course stop & pull over as soon as you possibly can. know that even if the tire is flat/blown, the metal rim is round, strong enough to hold you & the bike & it and should stay true enough to keep rolling.
definitely concur with the value of being totally defensive and alert out there. too many close calls to let down your guard. commuting kind of is a different style of riding in and of itself. as much as it seems like it's all just riding a bike, commuting presents an unique set of challenges. |
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| #438 | autismjtm |
Jun 14 2007 17:28 |
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I am very lucky that this huge hill on my way to work levels off at the bottom with no stop signs or anything like that. So I can just let lose and not touch the pedals until I am pretty much over the next hill. I like the periodically applying the brakes instead of riding them. Not only the heat but I am sure that would wear down the tire when you do it a lot.
I actually watched someone try and make a quick stop on his bike and flipped the whole thing over. As comical as it was, it can be dangerous. Remember the old days when all you had was the pedal brake. Lose your chain and you would be screwed. Carrihound, thanks for reminding me that the rim is not going to bend that easily. I feel a lot better about the hill. I love going down that thing at high speed. I am watching the weather outside and it looks like thunder storms. Ugh, that means a car ride tonight. Or maybe I should stay home and pout to you guys all night, lol just kidding of course. Well I better turn my attention to my son who thinks that just because he is on summer vacation, the whole world stops around him. Jane |
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| #439 | nightc1 |
Jun 14 2007 17:34 |
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Riding the streets for fun all over isn't too much different than commuting. Maybe you face more traffic commuting but you still face all kinds of situations when just riding around as well. My destination doesn't seem to affect things that much wether I'm riding a few miles to the bike trail... or I'm just riding the streets for the fun of it with no real destination in mind (other than home when I'm finished.. or whatever pops in my head during the ride). I ride defensively, but i don't pretend like I'm some invisible person no one will see or respect. I try my best to wear the most ugly bright stuff possible so I'm very visible. Construction Orange is a lot more bright than neon green. The green fades in with trees and grass to easily during sunny days. I ride, similar to how i drive, I use eye contact, stay out of peoples blind spots, be courteous, and try not to be so rushed that I can't move over enough for someone who is in a big hurry to get past me. I take the lane as well when needed but otherwise stay to the right enough to still be seen by oncoming vehicles from side streets without being a nuisance to those behind me. I want to be on guard for whatever might happen, but not expect every time that someone will do the wrong thing. It's good IMO to have a plan what to do in certain situations, to leave myself room for evasive action, but not to ride around paranoid that every driver who isn't cussing and beeping their horn doesn't see me at all. I probably wouldn't get out on the road at all if that was the case. This is a pretty nice area to live but I don't go out riding after dark much at all. I'm more of a fair weather rider. Jane, You need not worry about a blowout. Sure it can happen but just keep an eye on your air pressure every day. The only way I see a tire blowing is either it's way over inflated, it's worn to it's last bit of life, it's defective, or it became a flat and then tore up as you rode on. I wouldn't worry much about a flat either. Just check your tires out while out riding and see if they are pushing out extra where the tires meet the road. Check that air pressure every day you ride. Downhill riding is great fun. If there's no stop signs or cross streets to fear and you can see no one is out in the driveways and you have good visibility ahead I say just enjoy it but be aware of whats going on around you and have a plan of action. |
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| #440 | carrihound |
Jun 14 2007 18:02 |
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well said nightc1!
one thought on driving courtesy : my husband has an interesting approach when driving. when looking to pull out onto an adjoining road and assessing oncoming traffic, if there's someone marginally close approaching, instead of internally asking the question, "Can I make it before that car?" he asks the question, "Is there room to pull out after that car?" i've taken this approach for the last 5+ years and it always seems that if i'm considering pulling out in front of someone, there's actually a better opening behind the car. |
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