Missed connection

[notinthe18]

@huskerdont 144558 wrote:

Yeah you’re really going to be annoyed when you ride past me. I’ll never wear a helmet in the summer unless I’m mountain biking or racing. But I do call my passes, yield the right-of-way, look ahead before passing, and hardly ever shoal someone unless we’re really close friends.

Lots of people think you have to ride just like they do, but it’s not a bad idea to separate behavior that endangers others from behavior that is just different.

Yep, agreed. And to clarify, I don’t object to folks not wearing helmets — to each his own. The issue in yesterday’s case was a lot more of the running red lights, dodging in and out of the track, etc. I get so used to the predictable rhythm of cycling on paths and my usual routes that a different cycling “crowd”‘s behavior was eye-opening.

[bobco85]

@notinthe18 144551 wrote:

-Dude on a tricked out mountain bike who couldn’t be bothered to dismount (didn’t even look like clipless pedals) and thus kept circling everyone at every intersection

@creadinger 144556 wrote:

This sounds like a dude from the Bicycle Space shop rides. The guy just can’t, or doesn’t know how to stop. He rides like a hockey player, constantly circling until the green light. It’s really annoying.

Very interesting behavior; I’ve seen people pumping as they track-stand at reds, but never someone circling around me like a shark. I’d probably say to them, “What are you doing? I’m getting dizzy just watching you!”

[notinthe18]

@scorchedearth 144563 wrote:

If the lack of headgear is bothersome, then you probably wouldn’t want to ride with me.

Hopefully my follow-ups clarify that you and I are cool so long as you don’t put both buds in so we can’t chat.

[Vicegrip]

Rut Rho. I sometimes circle while stopped at lights just to keep some air moving. Not out of lane or around others just drawing circles, figure eights and working on a bicycle version of a stoppie.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@notinthe18 144562 wrote:

I’m firmly in the camp that riding with two earbuds in, in a city, is very dangerous. A handful of states (including, I believe, Maryland) have laws against having two buds in (Maryland is maybe as long as you’re not on a bike path?). Others can certainly disagree.

Helmets, whatever.

Ride On magazine did a fairly unscientific study that showed that cyclists riding with earbuds in (with music playing) hear as much as drivers with no music at all, so I think an argument could be made that it’s actually not dangerous. I am not, however, the one to make that argument, at least not without adding a lot of caveats. Legal issues aside, my belief is that not being in an enclosed steel sarcophagus is what gives me the extra awareness to justify my Idaho Stopping, so having earbuds in would cancel that out. However, if someone feels safe riding with earbuds, that’s their prerogative, I guess…I view it as something that increases their risk of being harmed, but not of them harming others.

[notinthe18]

@Vicegrip 144574 wrote:

Rut Rho. I sometimes circle while stopped at lights just to keep some air moving. Not out of lane or around others just drawing circles, figure eights and working on a bicycle version of a stoppie.

Going forward I’ll just tell myself circlers are living the movie “Speed” and their bikes will explode if they stop. 😎

[Tania]

Me: taking it easy on Trollheim and up the ramp to the TR Bridge.

You: passing me way too fast (without calling) for conditions (wet wood/wet leaves) and then crawling across the bridge where I couldn’t pass you.

Thanks pal.

[bentbike33]

@Tania 144612 wrote:

Me: taking it easy on Trollheim and up the ramp to the TR Bridge.

You: passing me way too fast (without calling) for conditions (wet wood/wet leaves) and then crawling across the bridge where I couldn’t pass you.

Thanks pal.

Sounds like a noob, or maybe someone with an intense fear of heights. I remember my first ride across the TR bridge was a white-knuckle experience with the narrow trail and low guardrails very high above the river (was still riding upright then).

[Tania]

@bentbike33 144623 wrote:

Sounds like a noob, or maybe someone with an intense fear of heights. I remember my first ride across the TR bridge was a white-knuckle experience with the narrow trail and low guardrails very high above the river (was still riding upright then).

I’m usually pretty good about giving people benefit of the doubt. And I’ll grudgingly accept that you may be/are likely right but in the back of my head still suspect he was a Cat 6er.

And I dropped him hard once we got off the bridge. Don’t be fooled by the lack of kit, casual pace, commuter shoes and backpack. 😎

[Subby]

@notinthe18 144551 wrote:

-Lady bopping along on a bikeshare with no helmet and two earbuds in
-Several cyclists popping in and out of the cycle track to run red lights or cut lights with arrows (I’m not averse to a good Idaho stop or slowly squeezing through a deserted intersection, but Pennsylvania at 6:15 PM???? Those are not easy or deserted intersections! And by the way, we all got stuck at the same lights in the end!)
-Repeated shoaling (from a dude also on a bikeshare with no helmet)
-Dude on a tricked out mountain bike who couldn’t be bothered to dismount (didn’t even look like clipless pedals) and thus kept circling everyone at every intersection

#goals

[bentbike33]

@Tania 144624 wrote:

in the back of my head still suspect he was a Cat 6er.

And so he was gassed by the time he got up to the bridge?

@Tania 144624 wrote:

Don’t be fooled by the lack of kit, casual pace, commuter shoes and backpack. 😎

Indeed, you popped right up the hill at Brandymore Castle this morning. That cross-fit stuff must be paying off.

[GovernorSilver]

One time I was waiting at a red light on the road with a “don’t wanna unclip” circling cyclist . He was so intent on his circling that he didn’t notice the light change – it was a bit tricky thing passing him without colliding with him.

[scorchedearth]

@notinthe18 144568 wrote:

Hopefully my follow-ups clarify that you and I are cool so long as you don’t put both buds in so we can’t chat.

It’s all good. I don’t wear headphones either.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@Tania 144624 wrote:

in the back of my head still suspect he was a Cat 6er.

You say that like it’s a bad thing…maybe you mean he wasn’t a very good Cat 6er….

[huskerdont]

To driver and passenger of the Chrysler PT Cruiser that stopped next to the bike lane on G and opened the passenger door into the bike lane right as I approached, well, what I said at the time still applies.

[Author]

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