todays tales from saddle...

So... today I decided to ride about 20 miles. The outgoing trip was calm
and nice even though there was heavy traffic in spots. Drivers were
pretty good and I was behind the same car for 3 traffic signals in a row
in one section. However that changed once I reached the far end of the
loop and headed back. I started to get brush passed etc. Then, after
taking a side street I reach the next main road.

Traffic is backed up as I figure it would be. Stop and go. Driver tries
to grid lock the intersection on me so I do as I would while driving and
nosed in with perfect timing before he could excute the grid lock move. I
keep up with the stop the go... after a few cycles the dickhead tries to
pass me on a go cycle. Of course he has no where to go and ends up next
to me behind the mini van I had been behind the entire time.

I resume my place in front of him. After a few more cycles, now I have to
match the minivan's driver exactly to keep arsehole from trying that
again it's getting tiring because it's not the right mix of accelerating
and coasting for me... Anyway one lane becomes two. I take the right,
dickhead takes the left staying behind the minivan. I get to pass several
cars because for some reason there are only 3 people waiting uphead in
the right lane. Light turns green.... a block after the light dickhead
comes roaring up on me in his SUV, dives out of the left lane at me horn
blazing, flipping me off.

This guy ended up at the traffic signal behind the same vehicle he would
have been behind if I was never there... he was not delayed in the least
by me, nor was anyone else. I didn't start to lose ground to motor
vehicles until more than a 1/2 block past the light. I followed the
rules of the road and didn't gutter pass, I waited at the light, I kept
up with traffic, there was no obstruction to passing me once I could no
longer keep up, yet this guy was still ****ed off.

These are the kinds of drivers I face every day wether biking or driving.
Me first, **** you, types who can't see past the bumper immediately in
front of them.

On the plus side, my sustained speed is starting to come back. I
maintained 30mph in two different sections where neither traffic, wind,
or grade was fighting me.

Scott en Aztlán wrote:

> On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:40:59 -0500,
> (Brent P) wrote:

>>Anyway one lane becomes two. I take the right,
>>dickhead takes the left staying behind the minivan. I get to pass several
>>cars because for some reason there are only 3 people waiting uphead in
>>the right lane. Light turns green.... a block after the light dickhead
>>comes roaring up on me in his SUV, dives out of the left lane at me horn
>>blazing, flipping me off.

> These MFFYs get really ****ed when you outmaneuver them.
>
> Have you considered a helmetcam for your bike helmet?

Correction: It's called a "styrofoam hat."

IIRC, Brent doesn't wear one when riding.

In article >, Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:40:59 -0500,
> (Brent P) wrote:
>
>>Anyway one lane becomes two. I take the right,
>>dickhead takes the left staying behind the minivan. I get to pass several
>>cars because for some reason there are only 3 people waiting uphead in
>>the right lane. Light turns green.... a block after the light dickhead
>>comes roaring up on me in his SUV, dives out of the left lane at me horn
>>blazing, flipping me off.
>
> These MFFYs get really ****ed when you outmaneuver them.
>
> Have you considered a helmetcam for your bike helmet?

I don't wear a styrofoam hat. They are simply of little to no benefit in
street riding IMO.

In article >, Arif Khokar wrote:
> Scott en Aztlán wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:40:59 -0500,
>> (Brent P) wrote:
>
>>>Anyway one lane becomes two. I take the right,
>>>dickhead takes the left staying behind the minivan. I get to pass several
>>>cars because for some reason there are only 3 people waiting uphead in
>>>the right lane. Light turns green.... a block after the light dickhead
>>>comes roaring up on me in his SUV, dives out of the left lane at me horn
>>>blazing, flipping me off.
>
>> These MFFYs get really ****ed when you outmaneuver them.
>>
>> Have you considered a helmetcam for your bike helmet?
>
> Correction: It's called a "styrofoam hat."
>
> IIRC, Brent doesn't wear one when riding.

If I were into BMX or mountain biking, or racing then I would wear one
for those events. There is benefit for them there. On the road, they just
aren't going to be of any use against an SUV.

Brent P wrote:
> In article >, Arif Khokar wrote:
> > Scott en Aztlán wrote:
> >
> >> On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 17:40:59 -0500,
> >> (Brent P) wrote:
> >
> >>>Anyway one lane becomes two. I take the right,
> >>>dickhead takes the left staying behind the minivan. I get to pass several
> >>>cars because for some reason there are only 3 people waiting uphead in
> >>>the right lane. Light turns green.... a block after the light dickhead
> >>>comes roaring up on me in his SUV, dives out of the left lane at me horn
> >>>blazing, flipping me off.
> >
> >> These MFFYs get really ****ed when you outmaneuver them.
> >>
> >> Have you considered a helmetcam for your bike helmet?
> >
> > Correction: It's called a "styrofoam hat."
> >
> > IIRC, Brent doesn't wear one when riding.
>
> If I were into BMX or mountain biking, or racing then I would wear one
> for those events. There is benefit for them there. On the road, they just
> aren't going to be of any use against an SUV.

Yeah, a helmet might be hard to fit over your tinfoil hat...
-----

- gpsman

gpsman wrote:
>Yeah, a helmet might be hard to fit over your tinfoil hat...

Now, be nice.
Brent is right on this one. Back when I was riding bicycles once in a
while out in the countryside, car drivers were very aggressive towards
me. It's as though they thought that bikes didn't belong on the roads
with cars.
Car drivers don't realize that bikes need more room than the bike's
width. And they certainly don't realize that a motorcycle needs a full
lane width.

Now, if the motorcycle drivers would just dim their lights, so they
don't melt my rear view mirror, I'd be very appreciative.