Missed connection

[VA2DC]

@GovernorSilver 144630 wrote:

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.

I’ve waited at a light a couple of times with a cycle vulture circling around too. I would think this would violate the “P” part of being a PAL. Motorists going through the intersection would have no idea whether the cyclist was coming, going, or about to hop in the travel lane.

[ursus]

I was riding westward on the W&OD very early this morning and approaching Gallows Road. There was a man curled up and sleeping on the trail in my lane. I guess since it wasn’t 5 AM yet, I was at fault for being there.

[creadinger]

On Saturday morning (~7am) I rode from Del Ray up the MVT, and the CCT to the reservoir area at the DC line.

The trail was packed with people who were definitely not there last weekend. Mostly joggers/pedestrians. The weather wasn’t that nice, so they weren’t exactly fair weather people, but it must be fall fundraising run training season and people were out with the Team iN Training groups etc. On the CCT there were several groups of 5-20 people. On the MVT they were more spread out, but suffice to say passing was really difficult at times, especially on that narrow trail. I guess it’s possible there was some actual event going on(?), but no one was wearing any bib numbers or anything.

Sooo… on weekend mornings, if you actually have to get somewhere, and you want to go faster than a mosey, it would be best to avoid the trails until the excitement of fall weather wears off a bit. Just wait until the first 60F, low humidity and all the fair weather people get off their treadmills and out on the trails. It’s going to be a mess!

And it wouldn’t be a missed connection without this bit…
A huge retrospective finger to the jogger who yelled at me while making my way through the throng. I passed 2 joggers, then pulled up behind a third to let 2 other joggers go the other way before I continued on again. The second one to pass, snarked at me – “I’m pretty sure this is only 2 lanes!” or some shit like that. Dude… first of all, if I was a cyclist that brazenly passed up the middle you wouldn’t have been able to yell at me because I would have been long gone by now. Second, why the hell did I slow down and pull up behind the other jogger to let you go if I was doing what you accuse me of doing? Just because I didn’t pull in DIRECTLY behind him you think I was being a dick? Haha… You have a lot of anger if you felt the need to lash out at me, doing it mostly right. Unfortunately there are plenty of cyclists who don’t give a crap and will pass up the middle. What will you do for them? And lastly, where were you when the idiot jogger pulled a crazy ivan on me between the two airport bridges? That jerk-off forced me out into the grass to avoid a collision, but at least there was a bailout option.

[dasgeh]

@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.

Just one perspective: I never ride with music, but one time, I was waiting on a call, and wanted to make sure I heard the ringer. So I popped in earbuds. I tried just one, but it kept pulling the second out. So I put them both in. I could hear everything perfectly clear (and was able to hear the ringer, and pull over and take the call).

Don’t get me wrong, I HATE it when someone can’t hear what’s around them. But I’ve come around to two earbuds not being the worst possible accessory on a cyclist. Though I’ll admit, in my experience, a runner with earbuds is a sign they won’t be aware of anything.

[dasgeh]

@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.

Happens to me about 3 times a week. People see the streamers and think I’m slow…

[chris_s]

@dasgeh 144688 wrote:

Just one perspective: I never ride with music, but one time, I was waiting on a call, and wanted to make sure I heard the ringer. So I popped in earbuds. I tried just one, but it kept pulling the second out. So I put them both in. I could hear everything perfectly clear (and was able to hear the ringer, and pull over and take the call).

Don’t get me wrong, I HATE it when someone can’t hear what’s around them. But I’ve come around to two earbuds not being the worst possible accessory on a cyclist. Though I’ll admit, in my experience, a runner with earbuds is a sign they won’t be aware of anything.

An interesting data point on this: Cyclists with iPods hear the same as motorists listening to nothing

I’m not sure “as aware of your surroundings as a typical driver” is the bar we should be aiming for, but I found it illuminating.

[Judd]

@chris_s 144694 wrote:

An interesting data point on this: Cyclists with iPods hear the same as motorists listening to nothing

I’m not sure “as aware of your surroundings as a typical driver” is the bar we should be aiming for, but I found it illuminating.

Translation: a motorist not listening to the radio will not hear me calling a pass either.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jason]

YOU: A couple, on road/race bikes, slicked out in spandex, taking up BOTH SIDES OF THE TRAIL. TWICE– as we were going around the Arlington loop in opposite directions

ME: Also on a road/race bike, also in spandex, well because… I like it…

Guys, when you are taking up both lanes of the trail so you can chit chat about your latest merger, acquisition, or about how your spouses don’t know you are cheating on them after your EPIC Arlington loops: STAY TO YOUR SIDE OF THE TRAIL. Also, DEFINATELY don’t give me a dirty look for giving you a dirty look for taking up the trail. I am sure your latest EPIC merger DIDNT include the trail itself, in its entirety.

Thanks.

[bobco85]

@Judd 144696 wrote:

Translation: a motorist not listening to the radio will not hear me calling a pass either.

I’ve never called my pass when passing a motorist. Does that make me a scofflaw?

[consularrider]

@bobco85 144714 wrote:

I’ve never called my pass when passing a motorist. Does that make me a scofflaw?

Just being on a bike makes you a scofflaw in many motorists’ eyes (even if you did call your pass before you went by them in stalled traffic).

[notinthe18]

@Judd 144696 wrote:

Translation: a motorist not listening to the radio will not hear me calling a pass either.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What about a driver with windows closed who ALSO has earbuds in?!! 😎

[DrP]

@dasgeh 144688 wrote:

Just one perspective: I never ride with music, but one time, I was waiting on a call, and wanted to make sure I heard the ringer. So I popped in earbuds. I tried just one, but it kept pulling the second out. So I put them both in. I could hear everything perfectly clear (and was able to hear the ringer, and pull over and take the call).

Don’t get me wrong, I HATE it when someone can’t hear what’s around them. But I’ve come around to two earbuds not being the worst possible accessory on a cyclist. Though I’ll admit, in my experience, a runner with earbuds is a sign they won’t be aware of anything.

So, you were not listening to anything through the earbuds until the phone rang? If that is the case, then the ear buds likely provided some reduction in sound level, which isn’t bad and allows you to hear just fine. If one is listening to music or something that takes even more concentration (like a conversation), which most runners are doing and more and more cyclists, then they are not able to hear as well because the sound (music) is so close and drowning out other sources. Some may recall years ago when Walkman first came out that folks were banned from using them in cars in many places because it distracted the drivers from every other sound and often all other cars. So none of this is new.

The bigger issue is whether they are concentrating on the sound in their ears or their surroundings. Many runners I know admit that with headphones in they are not really paying attention to anything other than the music and not tripping/head-on collision with something.

A person in a car without a radio is also not hearing a lot outside the car due to the motor and the sound-proofing many of the cars have today (how many do you see not really paying attention to the ambulance or firetruck coming down the road and start honking at those waiting for it to pass?).

As Judd implies, the drivers aren’t paying much attention to us all anyway. The same thing is the case with pedestrians on the trails, other cyclists, etc. Many people are in their own little world while outside and do not realize that they need to pay attention to their surroundings. And all of us have probably done this for at least a few minutes, but adding earbuds and music just makes it worse.

No real solution to this since banning earbuds won’t happen and people will always enter their own little world while on trails, at least part of the time (and often one goes out to “lose oneself”).

Sigh. Just keep an eye out for them all.

[Judd]

@notinthe18 144747 wrote:

What about a driver with windows closed who ALSO has earbuds in?!! 😎

Translation: every Uber driver.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dasgeh]

@DrP 144754 wrote:

So, you were not listening to anything through the earbuds until the phone rang?

Right. My point is just that not everyone with double-earbuds can’t hear.

@DrP 144754 wrote:

No real solution to this since banning earbuds won’t happen and people will always enter their own little world while on trails, at least part of the time (and often one goes out to “lose oneself”).

The real solution is full mode separation — we get good, safe, protected bike lanes for when we want to go fast, leaving the trails for slower cyclists, kids on bikes, runners who want to zone out (though, seriously, Crazy Ivans are never cool).

[KWL]

Really? I could only stupidly shout “Hey, Hey, HEY!” as he narrowly avoided crashing head on into me. [my later comments concerning his similarity to a male anatomical part have been redacted]

[Author]

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