Quote:
Originally Posted by kkimball
Here are my (opinionated) answers to common cycling questions I've seen recently on this forum.
If you have more questions, post them here, and I'll answer them as best I can.
Q: Why don't cyclists stick to the MMPs?
A: The MMPs are great for a casual ride, but the frequent stops and corners make for a slow ride. Many cyclists prefer the open roads because they can go faster and get a better workout.
Q: Why do people ride bikes when it's so dangerous?
A: Every activity has some amount of risk. Cyclists know and have accepted the risk. My opinion is that The Villages is safer than other areas because motorists are more accustomed to seeing cyclists on the road.
Q: Why do cyclists ride down the middle of the lane?
A: Because they don't want to be passed in *their* lane. Motorists should move to the lane on the left before passing a cyclist in the right lane and only pass when it's safe. Please be patient and always give cyclists at least 3-feet of clearance when passing.
Q: Why don't cyclists follow the rules of the road?
A: They absolutely should, but like motorists, cyclists sometimes don't pay attention as much as they should or outright skirt the rules.
Q: Why don't cyclists have more lights so seeing them is easier?
A: They should. Brighter tail lights and headlights are a good idea. When riding earlier or later in the day, wearing bright colored LED lights is also a good idea.
Q: What happened to ABC cyclist that got hit on XYZ road?
A: Most accidents are not widely reported.
Q: Why are cyclists so arrogant?
A: Cyclists are people, and some of them are arrogant. Most are not, in my experience.
These are my opinions and observations. I'm happy to hear yours.
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Excellent opening post. It would be good to see more such. Engaging in dialogue is better than spewing anger.
Lots of roads and streets in Minnesota have dedicated bicycle lanes where only bicycle traffic is allowed. I haven't been to many places yet in Florida but I've not seen them here. While they don't solve all problems those lanes do help. The problem is that not all streets have them and there are bicyclists up there who insist on riding their bicycles on streets with no bike lanes--during rush hour traffic. Rush hour in downtown Minneapolis, as in most large cities I imagine, can become nightmarish, and there is a lot of resentment from motorists when bicyclists are navigating those streets two abreast and going much slower than the vehicular traffic. It doesn't make a lot of sense: driving in rush hour there is hurry-up-and-wait most of the time, but there have been numerous incidents when that resentment boils over into out-and-out rage, with bicycles bumped off streets by cars, quite a few injuries of bicyclists, and some deaths.
When it is bicycle vs. car, bicycle loses every time.