Why the hate for Cyclists?

[AndreusMaximus]

If you can even try to empathize with cyclists for a second. a car has energy limited only by its fuel tank, to stop a cyclist is to demand a major energy expenditure to just get going again. Many states recognizing this have changed laws so stop signs mean yield to bicyclists.

I have baffled for years trying to get to the root of where anti bike hatred comes from, it is so intense that it cannot just be the little crap mentioned in this thread that incites it.

I've known several avid cyclists who were great guys. I've also encountered many courteous, safe cyclists on the road. So I hadn't really understood the hate either.

However, it's stuff like this that makes me start to understand the frustration. For some cyclists (and those tend to be the ones who make themselves noticed the most) it really feels like there's just no winning with them; they'll always find a way to slow down traffic, make things more dangerous for themselves, and then complain about how dangerous it is for them.

Perfect example right here. You would think that coming to a full stop, which is much safer than just blowing through and assuming cars will stop for you, would be a plus. But no, that's not good enough for them, because it requires a "major energy expenditure." So, expending energy is now a minus, while engaged in an activity that is supposedly for exercise?

 

[Ingomike]

So, expending energy is now a minus, while engaged in an activity that is supposedly for exercise?

Again, a comment limited by one’s experiences. Maybe folks should commute to work on their bike for a year and get back to me. It goes with the “ride in the park”, (ironically the people in the park hate on cyclists too because they go too fast) “ride on the trails” (mommies and daddies pushing their strollers hate them). There are many reasons beyond exercise for riding a bike.

 

[AndreusMaximus]

Again, a comment limited by one’s experiences. Maybe folks should commute to work on their bike for a year and get back to me. It goes with the “ride in the park”, (ironically the people in the park hate on cyclists too because they go too fast) “ride on the trails” (mommies and daddies pushing their strollers hate them). There are many reasons beyond exercise for riding a bike.

Quite the opposite. My comments are spurred by what I am seeing presented in this debate online, not by anything I've experienced myself.

I rode a bicycle back and forth to school for many months, and would often bike from 38th St. to the North side of Indy during that time, as well. My brother does off-road cycling as a hobby, and one of my friends is an avid biker who regularly bikes multiple hundreds of miles. I've always stopped at any intersection involving motor vehicles, regardless of whether or not it was required, and today is the first time I've met anyone who seems to think that presents a problem for cyclists.

 

[radar8756]

Not sure what DOT rules are for Bicycles - but Riding Single File should be one of them
I have come upon (45mph) groups of cyclists riding 2 or 3 abreast Chatting at 15 mph on 2 lane roads barely wide enough for 2 Cars
Choosing between a head-on with a semi and Running over a few Bicycles - is a No Win for the Bicycles ...

 

[Cameramonkey]

Not sure what DOT rules are for Bicycles - but Riding Single File should be one of them
I have come upon (45mph) groups of cyclists riding 2 or 3 abreast Chatting at 15 mph on 2 lane roads barely wide enough for 2 Cars
Choosing between a head-on with a semi and Running over a few Bicycles - is a No Win for the Bicycles ...

This.

I think its the hard core "I am entitled to use the road too. Deal with it." crew that also fails to cooperate with motorists. E.g. they want to take whatever part of the road, and as much of it as they want (including riding abreast) even though they cant maintain the speed limits.

They are no better than motorists that drive slow in the left lane, dont maintain the speed limit, etc.

 

[Gabriel]

This.

I think its the hard core "I am entitled to use the road too. Deal with it." crew that also fails to cooperate with motorists. E.g. they want to take whatever part of the road, and as much of it as they want (including riding abreast) even though they cant maintain the speed limits.

They are no better than motorists that drive slow in the left lane, dont maintain the speed limit, etc.

This is why I hate cyclists.

 

[wtburnette]

My problem is infrastructure related, with not enough room for bikes, then the fact that bikes can't go as fast as cars, so treating them similarly on roads already too congested for traffic is problematic at best. Add to that the cyclists who don't give a about drivers, but expect to be treated the way they want to be treated. Recipe for problems and bad feelings on all sides IMO.

 

[Ingomike]

When I want to ride I take my bike to the park and ride where I don't have to worry about being run over. If you're in a small town with country roads, that's one thing, but wanting to ride in most areas around Indy is a bad idea IMO. Do what you want to do, but there's a reason people hate on cyclists.

Most people only think about what they know. I know people that ride 10,000 plus miles per year, they do not even own a car. I know folks that have routes they ride often that are 100-150 miles a day, hard to ride that in a park or get to work.

Actually gun folks and many cyclists have a lot in common, their bicycles are quite similar to guns that folks tinker with, swap parts, or tune up to run better.

I have mostly quit road riding since the proliferation of texting and because of unhinged bicycle haters on the road. Haters every bit as unhinged as that person calling the cops because they saw your gun when you bent over to get something of the shelf at a store…

 

[MuttX7]

The Bloomington hate comes from so many of them ignoring traffic laws.

 

[actaeon277]

Indiana Bicycle Laws | Bike Law

We are a network of independent bicycle accident lawyers across the United States and Canada.

www.bikelaw.com

Where to Ride​

• Bicyclists are required to ride in the right hand lane or as close as practicable to the right-hand edge of the roadway, when traveling slower than the speed of traffic.
• Bicyclists may (but are not required to) utilize any usable bicycle lane.
• Bicycles are not prohibited from being ridden on the sidewalks but bicyclists should check their local ordinances for variations.

OW TO RIDE​

• Bicyclists shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of the roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
• Bicyclists are required to slow down and come to a complete stop at stop signs and traffic devices signaling red. However, after a bicyclist comes to a complete stop at a steady red traffic signal, and waits for two (2) minutes or 120 seconds, the bicyclist, exercising due care, may treat the red traffic signal as a stop sign and may proceed once safe. (Dead Red)
• Bicyclists must signal when turning or coming to a stop.

 

[Ingomike]

Not sure what DOT rules are for Bicycles - but Riding Single File should be one of them
I have come upon (45mph) groups of cyclists riding 2 or 3 abreast Chatting at 15 mph on 2 lane roads barely wide enough for 2 Cars
Choosing between a head-on with a semi and Running over a few Bicycles - is a No Win for the Bicycles ...

Riding 2 abreast is legal in Indiana and many other states.

If three or more cars are behind the cyclists are to give way as soon a practicable. This means as soon the cyclists find a safe point to let you by. They have no obligation to get out of your way.

Are you insinuating you are passing when it is not safe to do so and will hit cyclists if you need to? That would be criminal.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

The source issue seems to be the overlap of two incompatible modes of transportation. I can respect some of qualms that cyclists have as most of the time there isn't an easy option for them, ie: Cars have the road where as pedestrians have the sidewalk. This is where dedicated bike lanes or bigger shoulders would come into play I guess, but would more likely be present in the city rather than the country.

 

[Ingomike]

I think it’s the hard core "I am entitled to use the road too. Deal with it."

Isn’t that the sentiment of most of the vehicle drivers in this thread?

 

[HoughMade]

Again, a comment limited by one’s experiences. Maybe folks should commute to work on their bike for a year and get back to me...

Um.....no.

 

[Ingomike]

The Bloomington hate comes from so many of them ignoring traffic laws.

It is a circular problem. Vehicle traffic treats cyclists so bad they couldn’t care less about being courteous back…

 

[wtburnette]

Again, the infrastructure (ie: IN roadways) are not setup to accommodate bikes being used for transportation, or even really for recreation. When I lived in MN, I could have ridden my bike to work and could have done so without inconveniencing any drivers. Here that's impossible. To drive downtown to work, I'd have to take Banta to Bluff into downtown and then on city streets. None of that could be done without taking my life into my own hands (unnecessarily IMO) and without inconveniencing drivers. We had a cyclist when I used to drive downtown who did take that route and I watched him cause major slowdowns on an already congested road, just so he could get his exercise. I call that being inconsiderate of other people.

If IN could fix their infrastructure it would be one thing, but I don't see that happening.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Isn’t that the sentiment of most of the vehicle drivers in this thread?

Yes. My wife and I were just talking about how rude drivers have become lately. In 10 mins the other night we nearly hit 3 people who were driving like they were cops with their lights on; I'm going where Im gonna go, its your job to stay out of my way.

In 2 of the 3 cases, we were in a parking lot where the person turned across in front of us as if we were not even there. If we had been out on the road and hit them, they would have been at fault.

 

[JTKelly]

Again, a comment limited by one’s experiences. Maybe folks should commute to work on their bike for a year and get back to me. It goes with the “ride in the park”, (ironically the people in the park hate on cyclists too because they go too fast) “ride on the trails” (mommies and daddies pushing their strollers hate them). There are many reasons beyond exercise for riding a bike.

Seems to be a theme starting to form.

 

[marvin02]

I just hate the cyclists who endanger themselves and others by completely ignoring both the law and common sense.

Example: I am waiting to turn right at a red light where is legal to turn right on red. Just as traffic clears and I begin to turn a cyclist passes me on the left turns right in front of me and slams their fist in the hood of my vehicle.

Example: driving on a two lane road. Intersection ahead, the road I am on has no stop sign but the cross road does. Group of cyclists blows through the stop sign requiring me to slam on my brakes.

Cyclist who follow the law are no issue, just like with others who legally use the road it's the idiots who are an issue.

 

[Dholcomb]

I rarely but occasionally do deal with cyclists that don’t get over far enough, etc.

I deal with a moron in a car almost every time I cycle.