Bike people are the worst

Since traffic laws were invented. Before 1890 in New York, in fact.

The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen - Wikipedia

 

gotta imagine those cyclists got about the same amount of respect as smart car drivers do today.

 

The penny farthing was out of style by then, replaced by a chain-drive bike.

 

that has a nice ring to it, penny farthing. those victorians knew how to turn a phrase.

 

Biked some roads. In my corner of the world, pick and choose really carefully. Laws do you no good when you're dead because motorists think they own the road (in defense of some motorists, some on bikes can get overly territorial, not helping matters).

Discovered this issue even in Colorado, where motorists - as a whole - are much more easygoing than the South.

 

I think a middle ground needs reached...

People bike in my hood all the time. 25 MPH streets and no problem. Kids on bikes. Everyone’s cool.

35 MPH road. Still cool with it. Gotta pass them when I can.

Now, if you cannot get close to 20 MPH of your speed limit and you are just cruising along like you own the world, you’re an asshole. Bikes should not be ridden on roads with 45 or higher speed limits unless there is a designated bike lane. Sorry. If I drive my car 20 MPH below the speed limit, I get a ticket. Same goes for bikes.

If you ride in a pack you are supposed to ride single file. If you don’t, your an asshole. Someday I will pass s pack like that, get in front of them and drive 15 MPH. See, it sucks.

And if you are a biker who likes to blow through 4-way stop signs while everyone else takes their turn, you’re an asshole.

In short, bikes should have all the same expectations and rights as car drivers, on the appropriate roads.

 

I'm guessing those who say ride on sidewalks or walk your bike through intersections have no concept of the difference between someone who rides a bike and a cyclist.
If you are someone who rides a Walmart bike in the park, there is a big difference between that and someone hammering at 25-30 mph training.

 

If cities want cyclists to stay in bike paths (assuming there are bike paths), they have a responsibility to make sure they are clear of debris.

 

That is why within a 45 minute driving distance of everywhere in America there needs to be a designated biking road, probably a 30-mile stretch, with the appropriate shoulders and lanes for bikes.

 

That's a fine idea, but driving somewhere to ride when you ride 25 miles four days a week before work and 50 on Saturday isn't really practical.