BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Fantastic article. Thanks to the author.

It's always good to see Scott representing us well in the press. It's great to be supporting an organization that clearly is having an impact on biking in Pittsburgh.

That is a really good article thanks Scott and Stephen!

also

"Sharrows will increase the number of cyclists on the road, but painted bike lanes -- or better yet, physically separated bike lanes -- will draw even more people to use bikes to get to work and to go shopping."

As someone who regularly uses Negley Run, a two lane in each direction road, to get to and from the oval. I get buzzed a lot especially going up the hill by cars that have to be going 50ish miles an hour. I've thought that this would be an optimal place to put in a physically seperated bike lane so cyclists can more easily use the oval. Also I have never seen a traffic jam on Negley run so I think eliminating one lane of car travel would not change traffic wait times for cars.

good article and the usual shabby comments

great article, lol'ed at this in the comments:

Lynette Lederman:

It's also hard when cyclists don't obey traffic laws like stopping for stop signs and red lights.

Katie Lederman:

mom...its hard to stop when a crazy red head is yelling at you from a white ford explorer!

Thanks Tabby...now you made me read the damn comments just to find that one!

Now stepping away from the comments, since I promised myself I would stay out of the fray.

That comment was awesome. Reminds of the time when some driver yelled at me to move over. When I caught up to him at a red light, I explained that I was just trying to avoid getting doored. As he drove away, the kid in the back seat gave me a thumbs up out the window.

As for the rest of the comments, I think this article has a much better tone. There's the usual annoying "bikes never follow the rules" stuff, but for the most part it feels like a spirited discussion of the best way to regulate our traffic ways. Not nearly as much nastiness as other pieces. Baby steps.

trying sooo hard to not comment. there's a comment up now that says the burden is on bikers to not be hit. i wonder if the burden is on women to not be raped, or if it's colin's fault he was stabbed, since knife beats fist every time. grrr.

also: yeah that mother/daughter thing was great. it's nice to see cantankerous drivers reminded that people they love ride bikes.

I don't think they should allow cars on the road until drivers learn to follow speed limits.

Great comments though from Erok. I always wondered about filtering. I do it most days on Ellsworth between Neville and Aiken coming home when traffic is at a standstill. If I go slow and don't force it people don't seem to mind.

But I do wish people would not just ride up on the sidewalk when this happens.

Slightly off topic, but what do you do when you are filtering and someone intentionally turns into the curb ahead of you? That's the only time I'll jump onto the sidewalk, then back down again while staring at the driver.

That is very annoying when people do that just to try and block you. Usually the fact that I will pass them when we start up and I will get to where I am going faster than they probably will. I do try to look back and smile at them after I am ahead and they are stuck back in traffic. What do others do?

@zjc2a - I don't look back and smile. It's snarky, and probably pisses them off more. I just try to ignore them completely and go about my business.

I second what quizbot says.

I don't think any of us like motorists taunting us or being snarky, so why should cyclists behave that way towards motorists? It certainly doesn't accomplish anything. Besides, they probably don't even look at the situation as "I'm stuck in traffic and that cyclist isn't, he is so lucky!". I think mutual respect goes a long way - I try to ride with the same respect towards motor vehicles that I hope they'll show towards me. I also try very hard not to let road rage get to me whether on my bike or in my car because the petty stuff is just not worth it.

So do you stop behind them when they push to the curb to block you?

After 10 years of riding on the road, I've never had someone push to the curb to block me while on my bike. Then again, I'm not a big fan of filtering and I don't do it much after I narrowly missed being doored several years ago. I agree with the PA Bike Manual quote provided by Erok and I think there are situations where filtering has its place, but I don't always think it is a safe idea. I see a lot of cyclists using it carelessly and putting themselves in danger, or in a few cases, cutting off motorists in the process. I am not a fan of that.

But to answer your question, yes, I think I would stop and wait, since I'm not a fan of the sidewalk either, except in extreme circumstances.

Regardless, I still feel the stare-down or other forms of retaliatory aggression don't accomplish anything and just aren't worth it.

I guess we differ, and that's OK. I hop the sidewalk when it happens, and right back to the street when I've passed the obstructing driver. Towards trying to lessen aggression, I will stop the "stare-down" and simply ignore the driver.

I see it few times a week. Usually it's inconvenenient to hop on the sidewalk, so I just mutter under my breath about the drivers eating, sexual, and toilet habits.

"Pond scum" is one of the few things that I mutter that is appropriate for a community board such as this.

If I get the sense that it is some kind of intentional dick move to block me, I gracefully swoop behind them, pass on the left, then swoop back to my original line and proceed, as I would for any other road blockage, pothole, or horse turd. I figure nothing inhibits future dickheadedness better than rendering it completely useless in the first place. If it seems unintentional and benign, I just wait and chill and enjoy the fresh air and scenery.

I do the same, Edmonds, but use the sidewalk instead of passing on the left. I may try that next time.

Mick, same here on frequency, a few times a week. I had one the other day on video, and I took the camera off the mount, pointed it to the curb showing the guy's tire, and then pointed it into the car. Put it back on my handlebars, went around him, and continued on my way. It will be on the "greatest (s)hits" video I'm putting together for YouTube.

wish i had video of what happened to me yesterday. i was traveling inbound on liberty through bloomfield, and i couldn't make it all the way through the intersection, so i stopped and waved a car through that had been waiting to turn left. the person in the car behind me, went around me on the left, while i was stopped! and i was in the middle of the lane. i couldn't believe the adam's applishness of that one.