Dealing with cars / traffic

[jha07]

I've had my ebike for a several months now, and have been commuting to work with it whenever the weather is ok. At first, I found riding a lot more fun compared to driving mainly because I didn't have to deal with traffic and all the crazy drivers on the roads. I mainly stay on small streets on ebike, only going on larger roads when I have to.
Most of the drivers I encounter and very courteous and give me plenty of space. But lately, I've been encountering more and more drivers that don't give a damn and almost run me off the road when trying to pass me. I think the main reason is drivers are use to bikes going slow, and therefore are easy to pass. When they come up to an ebike, they have to drive faster than they normally would to make a pass. There are also less opportunites to pass since ebikes are faster. I think this makes a few drivers out there a bit impatirnt which leads the ebiker getting run off the road.
I'm just wondering if others have had the same problems and how you deal with it.

 

[pwbset]

I've ridden through town twice now and twice almost caused a wreck. No more. Now I just take alleyways etc. if I need to go through town. My thought was that... hey... I'm on a bike... I should think like a biker! Kinda weird when you have a "motor" and can go fast and therefore think like a car. It's been smooth sailing since I started "thinking like a bike".

On the way to work it's not a problem... nothing but me and the bears in the woods. :lol:

 

[Jonathan]

My solutions:

Bike Lane as much as possible.

At every intersection & on/off ramp is to look, look, LOOK! -> -> -> FLOOR IT! I hit my current limit the most at these intersection but safety factor considerably increased.

There was one incident that I did get last week. An old man in a huge ass SUV passed met @ 30+ mph then took a hard right into the gas station.
He missed me by inches. I then slowly crawed to the car and confronted the guy. He said he never saw me (with cell phone in hand)

In the end it's OUR SAFETY, so don't rely on the car driver. Defensive driving is key.

 

[jondoh]

I agree it's safer to think like you're on a bike. If I feel safer on the sidewalk, I get on the sidewalk.

I've gotten so upset that I've gotten myself a horn. I have a video below. It's pretty loud

 

[pwbset]

I've gotten so upset that I've gotten myself a horn.

LOL! Nothing but pure awesome there! :lol:

 

[JeffD]

I am thankful that my commute situation, like pwbset's route, avoids traffic.

You can make out the trial on the left and it crosses over the water several times along the way.

 

[Lessss]

My pet peeve is when a car comes to a stop in gridlock and pulls to the right to block bicycle flow. I just keep going, slow down, and squeeze past my finger on the horn occasionally and I deliberately scraping my steel frame against the sidewalk making an aweful racket. It make the car think I'm scraping the hell outta his side
If a car is trying to pass, ease up ont he throttle and let em!

 

[Link]

Oy, lucky people. 'Specially Jeff. That's a nice route you got there.

There's no way for me to avoid traffic in my route. Nothing but main streets the whole way.

Though I think I've found a new route that I have to go the wrong way a little to reach, but I can just ride along the train tracks for all but the last street (which is the most major street along the way, unfortunately). Full-suspension FTW. 8)

 

[dogman dan]

Thank god I have good bike lane for all but a mile of my 12 miles to work. The very most dangerous part is the crosswalks when you have the green light to cross. When on streets or crosswalk, left turners are focused in front, not the side where you are. A slap on the hood or side with the flat of your hand really gets their attention since they think they hit you! Don't roaod rage em then, just smile and wave, like remember me, you just passed me jackass.

 

[briansrapier]

I used to run a bike shop down in FL. In the shop, dealing with traffic is one of the most common topics of discussion while waiting on a repair. Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer other than 'use your head'.

I used to ride the bike path on my 12 mile commute to work when I used to live in FL. The path ran along a busy stretch of road with traffic signals every few hundred yards. Since the bike path was not impeded by the signals, a cyclist could continue riding past a red light. This really ticks off drivers when they race from light to light only to have a bike traveling 12-15 mph beat them to their destination. I had one guy that used to roar from light to light, honking and yelling at me for no apparent reason. He would try to beat me to the turn in for the local college, just to try and cut me off. I learned to just back off on my speed and let him get ahead when I could.

Some drivers are just time bombs waiting to go off. I try not to do anything to provoke them. I've been yelled at, honked at, cursed at; I've had lit cigarettes, bottles, cans tossed out windows at me (once had a full beer can hit me square in the chest) ; I've even had the experience of someone trying to spray paint me. One of my buddies had a gun pulled on him. In my younger days, I'd try to run them down and return some of the abuse. Now I just try to just get a plate number and call it in when I get to a safe stopping point.

The biggest thing to remember is this: people have a tendency towards being stereo-typical. If you react poorly or attempt to return the abuse, that only goes to worsen that person's opinion of cyclists in general. Next time, they may take it to the next level on some other unsuspecting cyclist.

 

[pwbset]

I can just ride along the train tracks for all but the last street

Hey Link! I have a rail line like .2 mi from my house that I ride along sometimes on the maintenance path. If you have a station nearby go talk to the manager and develop a relationship with them. Tell them what you're doing etc. and tell them to tell any yard workers about you. Otherwise, at some point at least, one of the yard workers or security people in their trucks will stop you, yell at you, threaten to take your bike, etc. etc. etc. Technically it's trespassing to ride along the rails, but if the locals know about you they will look the other way... at least they've been doing that for local bikers here.

It's really fun when a big honking train roars by at 50mph! Good luck! It's a lot safer than riding on the streets!

 

[paultrafalgar]

Definately no good being aggressive - Your Vulnerable against 2 tons of steel! Better to emphasise your vulnerability and hope for better treatment. Maybe carry a sign saying "BEWARE BLIND DRIVER" :lol:

 

[Ypedal]

Train track service roads rule !!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4749862029616241264


..
Then there is the traffic circle :
( direct path to my work ) *( Check the 4:10 mark .. and at 10:50 i tell a car to slow down... politely :wink: )
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4876913107973790697

==

The trip to work on my latest Norco chaos incarnation is not as bad.. 30 mph brings me just about traffic speed and people slow down and stare instead of try to run me down..

Mabe the full face helmet has something to do with it too lol..

 

[Jonathan]

What can you do with a bad car driver's license plate?

 

[TylerDurden]

What can you do with a bad car driver's license plate?

Ram it up their tailpipe.

 

[dogman dan]

You guys are right on track about not provoking the driver. In case I was misunderstood, This slapping the car is done when they are about to hit you. It just turns their head your way, to save your life. Do not do it as a retaliation for something that happened a little earlier, or anything like that. The slap has kept the rear wheel off me many many times. Use it when they are turning right across your path and you are in the blind spot, or the they arent looking spot. Then smile and wave nice at the jackass. I have also had the full beer can hit me at 50 mph, but that was in the hippie is a good target days. I did drink the remaining beer. Back then I carried chucks in case they stopped.

 

[Ypedal]

Throwing a full beer at someone out here is more of a "Hey man.., THANKS !! " kinda thing. :lol:

I never.. NEVER.. sit in a blind spot.. i stay behind said car and use it as a shield..

 

[icecube57]

Cough.. carry a small board with nails to serve as a mini spike strip. Problem solverd. Make a shirt thats say spike strip will be deployed if felt threaten by your vehicle

 

[dogman dan]

When the guy passes you and then immediately turns right into the parking lot, you are not sitting in the blind spot, he just put you there. Doesn't this happen to you about 4 times a day? It does in my town, thank god for the bike trail. At the crosswalk, you are right in front of their windshield when they turn right into you as you use the walk now signaling crosswalk. They still think you should wait or something. I really enjoy the drive in my one ton pickup, when I'm hauling a lot of stuff. Nobody fools with me then! One thing for sure, getting back on the bike made be a better car driver again instantly.

 

[Ypedal]

Hmm.. i obviously live in a friendlier part of the world or somethin.. cuzz.. no.. someone blasting by me and cutting right in front only happens about once a week.. max.. and i assure you .. anyone who has.. remembers me !

 

[dogman dan]

"'I sit behind the car and use it as a shield." I hope the truck behind the car you are using as a shield is paying attention. Squish! don't ya hate it when that happens? Seriously though, I love to use cars that I know are going straight to protect me from the left turners across the intersection. But on modern streets, getting out in the 45mph lane with traffic is suicide except at the light, and then I look back till at least 2 cars have actually stopped behind me. Even the 3rd car can send the first one right onto you if he fails to see the traffic stopped. There is no real solution besides being wary as a deer in a pen full of pumas. Downtown I like to link parking lots a lot. At least there if they tag ya, you only fly about 30 feet instead of 150. As an old farm town we also have a lot of old irrigation ditch roads. All locked gates now, but bikes can go over or around the gates. Anything beats the two lane 45mph speed limit street. I think it's not a matter of friendly as ignorant here, at 40 miles from mexico, a lot of em learned to drive there. It shows. Only worse drivers I've seen was in Santa Fe in the 70's. Then the place was being invaded by New Yorkers that just learned to drive. Just like Woody Allen in the scene from Annie Hall. Too funny watching them try to park.

 

[Link]

I can just ride along the train tracks for all but the last street

Hey Link! I have a rail line like .2 mi from my house that I ride along sometimes on the maintenance path. If you have a station nearby go talk to the manager and develop a relationship with them. Tell them what you're doing etc. and tell them to tell any yard workers about you. Otherwise, at some point at least, one of the yard workers or security people in their trucks will stop you, yell at you, threaten to take your bike, etc. etc. etc. Technically it's trespassing to ride along the rails, but if the locals know about you they will look the other way... at least they've been doing that for local bikers here.

It's really fun when a big honking train roars by at 50mph! Good luck! It's a lot safer than riding on the streets!

I think they'll leave me alone. A fairly long (>1mi), straight stretch of track is right by a school. It's so used that a path has been walked/ridden into it. There's almost always someone walking along it. I don't actually have to go through the station, but I've never seen anyone there, go figure. :?

It's still fairly bumpy, so definitely not a way to go with a full twist throttle, though.

 

[Lock]

My town is 1/8th parkland (river valleys) that chriscross the place w/excellent trails. Safest riding there is. (No bears. Maybe only coyote)

Next best thing, the city also has over 5k kms of scooter pathways, euphemistically referred to as "side walks" for some reason... Here is a rush-hour pic. Of course, these pavements are less busy at night.

 

[TylerDurden]

In NYC at least, if a taxi driver sees that you have seen them, they will expect you to avoid them. The reverse is true too... if you see that they see you, but they don't know that you have seen them, they will take measures to avoid you.

:?

 

[knoxie]

Hi

Yes I think all cyclists seem to get it of car drivers these days, they are hot frustrated, paying loads for fuel and going nowhere in their cars and they dont like the fact that even the slowest of bikes motorised or not can go past them, I dont have too much trouble but strange I did tonight? was descending a hill near my house doing about 30mph or so, it is a main road so the limit is 60mph, the car behind me was taking it slow and not overtaking, no reason not to overtake? I was well inside the lane?

Anyway she slowly passed but the car behind her pulled along side with the window down, this kid was shouting at me ( I didnt hear what as I had earbuds in, he then whacked me on the arm to try and knock me off the bike, it just wobbled a bit and they drove off.

I did nothing to provoke the attack it was the car in front of them that was holding them up not me, anyways its pretty rare I guess so it doesnt bother me I just think what an utter dick the kid was, oh and I made a mental snap of the number plate and the car, ill get my own back dont worry about that.

It got me thinking though that it would be cool to have a small continuously looping little video camera on the bike, nothing too expensive but enough to always be on when your bike was on so you could record incidents like this? I have seen those Oregon action cams but the quality looks pretty bad, anyone seen any reasonable solutions, I guess a cheap little video cam would be enough, Ideally it wants to be waterproof, shoot 30 frames a second and have good image stab so you can leave it bar mounted all the time.

Maybe the start of a new thread would be the key, whilst searching around I found this video, its pretty shocking poor guy was on his bike when this guy pulls up behind him and doesnt like the fact the cyclist has stopped on yellow, he gets out of his car and proceeds to punch the guys tooth out! turns out he was an off duty cop as well! its disgusting! luckily these kids were shooting an assignment with a cam and got the whole thing!

Comments?

Here is the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H0Pb_qjj6k

Cheers and safe cycling everybody

Knoxie