My hatred for bicyclists...

[CopyCat]

I'll start by telling you that everytime I leave my house in the summer months I'm confronted with a 5 mile ride on a two lane road with a 55 mph speed limit to get to the main highway... This is a somewhat curvy road and is also a bike route and there are often groups of 10 or more bikes riding 3 abreast... And they seem as if they could care less if there are a half dozen cars behind them or not... I have never even once seen them pull off to let traffic by...
So just let me say, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you !!! I hate you with all the loathing, contempt and disgust that the deepest and most vile pits of your imaginary Hell can deliver... Everyone of you should be run-over by every single vehichle that has had the excrutiating misfortune of being stuck behind your spandex covered butt... You should then be struck down by all the vehichles in the oncomming lanes that have had to dodge vehichles that were trying to get around you... And then let one of those vehichles be an M1A1 Abrams tank that will grind you ass under under it's treads... Nay, let it be a fleet of tanks... And after your none-to-soon demise, you should be judged a jackass and a general pain in the ass, and suffered to ride for eternity with the handle bars shoved up your butt... And if ever one of you selfish, sanctimonious, self-absorbed ingrates should get a bumber kiss that sends you and your little spoked toy flying off in to a field or into a tree (prefferably a tree), I only hope you live long enough to see and hear me pointing at you and delivering my [South Park] Nelson "Haa-Haa" laugh you sorry buncha pricks...
There I feel better now...

[Bruce]

You REALLY hate them don't you? LOL. I understand exactly where you are coming from as from time to time I have to deal with them. The worse part is when they decide to bob and weave in front of me. Absolutely crazy.

[snookumsnort]

That's just being really inconsiderate on their part. I've never learned to ride a bike so that makes me be on your good side, right?!?

[Ricky]

You'd have thought there would be laws against that kind of thing. You can't stop cars passing here-it's part of the same laws that consider driving at 5mph a danger.

[fidget]

Dude, do you live out by my parents house? 'Cause that's what it's like out there. All summer long. If it's not caravans of bikes, it's some bloody tourist going 25 under.

[CopyCat]

Originally Posted by Bruce

You REALLY hate them don't you? LOL. I understand exactly where you are coming from as from time to time I have to deal with them. The worse part is when they decide to bob and weave in front of me. Absolutely crazy.

Yes Bruce I really do hate them with all the fiery intensity
of a thousand suns all going super nova at the same time...

snookumsnort: That's just being really inconsiderate on their part. I've never learned to ride a bike so that makes me be on your good side, right?!?

Yes you are right snookumsnort, they all seem to be inconsiderate... All the ones I have spoken with seem to have a "I am a athlete and therefore are better than you" snooty attitude...

Ricky: You'd have thought there would be laws against that kind of thing. You can't stop cars passing here-it's part of the same laws that consider driving at 5mph a danger.

There are only laws protecting them here where I live Ricky...

fidget: Dude, do you live out by my parents house? 'Cause that's what it's like out there. All summer long. If it's not caravans of bikes, it's some bloody tourist going 25 under.

They have these fricking bike routes all over the US...
I see you too feel my pain...

[Iceman]

I'm a cyclist but I know exactly where you are coming from. Courtesy on the road is a two way street. I developed a system for riding as a group on the road that I have seen no one else use. Even larger tours divide up into groups of three to six riders that keep a separation from other groups so other vehicles have an easier time getting past. Lead rider is responsible to the group for calling hazards ahead including all on coming traffic. Trailing rider is to call approaching traffic from the rear. Whenever there is traffic from behind the group is expected to fold into a line. None of this three abreast crap. We will also signal traffic an all clear when we crest a hill so they don't have to wait to pass if the way is clear. If it is safe to do so we will clear off the pavement when there is traffic from both directions. We love paved shoulders. I also expect riders to obey traffic signs and signals.

The "I'm and athlete" attitude is really irritating because the majority of them are wannabe athletes. When I go on a long distance tour carrying fifty pounds or more of gear you wouldn't believe how many riders will draft me for awhile and then pass triumphantly like they just won the Tour de France. Pretty hard up for an ego trip.

[CopyCat]

Originally Posted by Iceman

I'm a cyclist but I know exactly where you are coming from. Courtesy on the road is a two way street. I developed a system for riding as a group on the road that I have seen no one else use. Even larger tours divide up into groups of three to six riders that keep a separation from other groups so other vehicles have an easier time getting past. Lead rider is responsible to the group for calling hazards ahead including all on coming traffic. Trailing rider is to call approaching traffic from the rear. Whenever there is traffic from behind the group is expected to fold into a line. None of this three abreast crap. We will also signal traffic an all clear when we crest a hill so they don't have to wait to pass if the way is clear. If it is safe to do so we will clear off the pavement when there is traffic from both directions. We love paved shoulders. I also expect riders to obey traffic signs and signals.

The "I'm and athlete" attitude is really irritating because the majority of them are wannabe athletes. When I go on a long distance tour carrying fifty pounds or more of gear you wouldn't believe how many riders will draft me for awhile and then pass triumphantly like they just won the Tour de France. Pretty hard up for an ego trip.

Ok, I wasn't even going to mention the fact that I too have an
old campy equipped Paramount and a few spandex outfits myself...
But you sound like one of the good guys, you sound like you ride
about like I do... Or did, I really don't ride anymore because of
my new location and the fact that I'm a little gun shy... I took a
pretty good spill and broke a couple of bones a few years back...
But I did log over a hundred miles a week one summer... And having
to associate with those unjustifiably arrogant SOB cyclist at bike
shops and on the road is a big part of why I hate them...

[Kimberly]

Originally Posted by CopyCat

Ok, I wasn't even going to mention the fact that I too have an

old campy equipped Paramount and a few spandex outfits myself...
But you sound like one of the good guys, you sound like you ride
about like I do... Or did, I really don't ride anymore because of
my new location and the fact that I'm a little gun shy... I took a
pretty good spill and broke a couple of bones a few years back...
But I did log over a hundred miles a week one summer... And having
to associate with those unjustifiably arrogant SOB cyclist at bike
shops and on the road is a big part of why I hate them...

You should giv me ur old bike if u dont ride it anymore. hint hint

[Iceman]

Funny if you did over a hundred miles per week you were probably out cycling all those bone heads working in the bike shop. Most of them never log a thousand miles per year. I don't ride like I used to because of a bulged disk that acts up on longer rides. I used to ride a lot but was never part of the culture if you can call it that. I almost never wear spandex and I'm not terribly fast. I'm not fast because of my build. Look at pro cyclists they are all little wiry guys. I'm six five and two hundred and ten pounds. I catch a lot of wind. Other cyclists look down their noses at me because I don't have the look. They go into shock when they find out my old touring bike has 20,000 miles on it. I have been considering writing an article on road etiquette for cyclists but most cycling magazines are so focused on racing I'm afraid I may have some trouble finding a publisher. Only cycling magazine I really thought spoke to me went belly up almost 25 years ago.