BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Time off the bike or more time mountain biking or riding the trails helps me when I get into moods like that.

all of me says don't let the d-bags win. first i'm sad, then i'm disgusted, and now i'm mostly just angry. the more of us there are out there, the better things will get.

i'm starting to understand what critical mass is about, and that fact worries me a bit.

With all the tension in the air I'm definitely staying off the roads for a while. It might be the exact opposite of what the bike community needs in a time like this but I'm not going to become a martyr.

like HV said, the more of us there are, the better. some drivers really are murderous assholes, but some have just had their brains taken over by car culture and don't understand how to interact with cyclists on the road but actually do have some desire to avoid killing other humans. i think more and more people will come to expect us to be there and will learn how to share.

i've had my fair share of encounters like that recently, but i've also had a handful of surprisingly nice ones that give me hope: people going out of their way to wave me through an intersection, to avoid dooring me, to let me take the lane, etc.

don't get me wrong, i've been on high alert lately with all this stuff happening, and i always expect douchebaggery and am just pleasantly surprised when i get something else. but i am not going to stop riding. i'm just trying to be extra cautious (e.g. running daytime blinkies) and extra nice (waving and giving other positive reinforcement to drivers who decide not to kill me when they could have, being generous about waving drivers through four-way stops and stuff, etc.).

maybe it's too optimistic, but i expect for all the drivers who might be more aggressive with the "tension in the air" right now, there are just as many people out there who are shocked and saddened by the recent news who might think twice about the way they drive around cyclists next time since all this awful news has reminded them that they are wielding lethal force.

To be fair, I suspect most of the tension is ours. I don't believe area motorists are specifically targeting bikes any more than usual, nor that the vast majority of them know or care that there have been a string of recent incidents.

That said, if there's another hit-and-run anytime in the near future, I may well change my tune.

[Edited to add:] @pearmask said it better.

I've found that even taking 3-4 days off helps improve my attitude when I'm getting down. See my most recent post on Wheelset of Fortune for how great it feels to come back after a break.

I find that I get more pissed off at the world when I am not able to ride than when I am, in spite of the assholery.

Also I've been riding as though people are trying to kill me for 35 (+-?) years, and I'm still riding. For what that's worth.

@edmonds59, I hear you. I experience the same thing. I'm much happier when I'm riding regularly. When I was learning to drive, my Dad taught me to assume that all of the other drivers were "a-holes in a hurry" and that they will do what you think they won't.

After tonight's ride home, I'll be off the bike until Sunday morning. Hopefully Pedal Pittsburgh will leave me feeling revitalized.

Why take Arlington? Descending between those tracks is deadly. Head down McArdle. Much safer. I've used Sycamore in a hurry but it's just asking for something to go south. I currently use 18th but kinda feel the same way about that street.

I took a day off after the death the other day. It was good for me and the next day I rode over 20 miles before riding to work because I just felt like it. Sometimes a break can be good and you may not even take more than a day. Just take a day for yourself and see how you feel. They are "winning" anything. Think of yourself.

On a different note, I feel that driving this summer is the worst I have ever seen and the police need to step in and enforce SPEED LIMITS!!! This area needs an attitude adjustment and it needs it NOW!

Chris, I've been taking Arlington for five years, and I've never had an issue descending between those tracks. I've always commuted on either a cross bike with 32cc tires, or my current love, which is my Giant 29er with big fat tires. I actually feel safer between those tracks than I do outside of them. Plus the climb on Warrington is a lot less sweaty for me than Southern or Boggs, and we don't have showers at work.

I used to live at Arlington/Elanor, and during the pre-dawn hours, Arlington is a nicer and quieter alternative to East Carson

I regularly advocate for alternative routes that people not from the neighborhood might not be aware of (Schenley Drive instead of Panther Hollow Road for instance), but the detour from Arlington through some back streets and then to McArdle doesn't seem convenient, although admittedly it does keep you away from fast-moving downhill traffic.

In five years of riding down Arlington, I've only been tailed/cursed maybe three times including today. I've come down McArdle, and sometimes I'll go up McArdle on my way home. I think because it is long and straight, drivers think it's a freeway. Two summers ago, I was coming down McArdle at 38 mph, and had a driver pass me at about 60 by crossing the double yellow.

I'll stick with Arlington, thanks.

I need a giant sign to pin to my back that says "If you need to break the speed limit to pass me, you don't really need to pass me."

I'm a big fan of taking Sycamore down. The tight turns keep car/truck speed WAY below the speed of my bike. Which translates nicely to nobody behind me getting aggravated with my existence.

Boggs and PJ Mcardle are treated like highways. Boggs is 25mph and it isn't uncommon to see someone traveling 50.

I've removed as many roads from my commute as possible. The few that remain are mostly those where I can maintain a speed close to or greater than the speed of traffic. Still, I encounter a LOT of intentionally dangerous drivers. I get very disturbed when someone inches their car within 4 inches of my PEDAL at a red light, or comes up on my right in a left turn lane to INTENTIONALLY hook in front of me.

Finding a way to let the comments roll off your back is an art. It's hard, but can work in most cases. I still can't get over drivers like the two I mentioned above. How do you look another human being in the eye, smile, then threaten them with your vehicle?

I'm still riding but I'm very angry. I agree that drivers are no worse this week than last week, but my ability to tolerate their disrespect has pretty much run out.

I'm a Sycamore man. I usually found it pretty decent for descending when I was commuting from Mt. Washington to downtown.

I need an Asp...

when i drive down arlington on occasion I either get tailgated or passed! Driving! lulwut

I decided to channel my anger on the way up Sycamore. Set a new personal best, and felt much better the whole way home.

I don't want to take any days off the bike not even one minute less riding. There are those of use who must ride everyday we have no other options and we need the support of the bike community. Don't abandon us.

The more of use that are on the road the better. These death were unnecessary tragedies lets not let their deaths go unnoticed by the world no more than ever we need to get on our bikes and ride. I will not pull the car out and join the drivers and add another car in place of a bike.

I will honor the fallen by setting an example of safe riding and show their families how the whole cycling community will hit the streets in their honor. I love cycling I love the cycling community and I want us all to be safe but if any of you stop riding then we fail.

Nil carborundum illegitimi.

+1 mr. marvelous

I think now more than ever we need to get out there and show the motorists in this city that we're here to stay, no matter what.

Don't let them die for nothing. They died doing what we all love, don't let anyone take one second of it away from us.

That's easy to say, harder to do. My wife and kids don't want me to be a martyr.

@reddan- ipso facto!

My wife and daughter also don't want me to be a martyr. And to prevent anymore martyrs from happening is for us to stay on the road with our fellow cyclist and not leave them hanging out to dry. I must ride to get the places I need to go, less cyclist means more danger for the ones like me who must ride. We can park our bikes and join the cars I guess there is safety in their numbers. But I'm hoping to have safety in the number of cyclist. It's not hard to do, the next two days I plan on riding the whole day. Both Thursday and Friday I will be riding around from 9am to 4pm not to protest or anything but to remind everyone including myself why we ride.

Just to add in my $00.02. My accident has pretty much been a breaking point for me. I havent ridden since even though I have a second bike. Before it drivers were just taking more and more risks, including the one who hit me. I have 311'ed, called the mayor, governor, health and exercise office, DOT, and my local council people's offices. At the end of the day, nothing has changed. I have been commuting for 3 years now (spring to winter each year) and can say that this is the worst driving I have seen. The most aggressive. And still I got hit by an aggressive driver, then to make it that much worse within days of my accident another cyclist was killed maybe 7 blocks away. On the same street! Both accidents were within 5 blocks of my home. I love cycling but if I can't get a mile from my front door without skidding my tires and praying to god that this driver won't run a stop sign and hit me over a text message or running late to a meeting than I don't need to be riding. Not for now. I am gonna get back out, but now is not the time. Not yet. To echo what was said earlier: we need more advocacy, but I will NOT allow myself to be a martyr for this cause. Cycling can wait. I am only 15. Just my $00.02.

+1 mr. marv. No one is asking anyone to be a martyr for any cause but the fact is it is no more or less dangerous to ride a bike today than it was 2 weeks ago. And overall, it is still a relatively safe thing to do.

When Bud Yablonsky came to Pittsburgh and quietly rode a bike around an unfamiliar city despite what had just happened to his son, that gave me all the motivation I needed to keep riding. Seeing James Price's friends and family ride in the memorial ride and hearing them talk about his love of cycling and the positive effect it had on his life also provided a bit of inspiration despite the terrible and senseless tragedy of his death.

Be brave, my siblings.

So if I get killed while riding, at least I would be doing the thing I loved the most when I died. The two people who died this past week were probably having a great time during their last moments.

Oh I know that tension is more one-sided than anything else. I'm just taking a break from commuting to prevent me/my big mouth for doing and saying something that might cause more trouble. Yesterday I rode from the East End Food Co-op to the East End Cafe which is almost directly across the street from where James Price was hit and while crossing the crosswalk, a driver who was too busy watching the car in front of him almost hit me. He wasn't paying any attention to the light, just the other drivers. It took a lot not to send my bike through his front window...

I have always expected that the last thing I hear before I die will be a car horn. That's assuming the guy honks before he plows into me.

So I rode in this morning, beautiful and uneventful. A little muggier than I might like. A little death-defying.

I didn't ride in for Mr. Price or Mr. Green, though I thought of them. I rode thinking of every wretched asshole in a metal box who would prefer that I would not be on the road. If what they see on the road in their windshield is a big fat middle finger riding a bike, whoohooo! I'm as happy as pie.

As for my wife and kids, I could be taken from them pretty much any time by any number of things, not the least of which would be vegetating on the couch. What I don't want is for them to see me as someone who is only half-alive while I am alive. I want my kids to be brave and strong and unafraid even after I am gone, whenever that may be. And obviously I want the world to be better.

And for those who may be a little shaken by all this and want to take a break, nothing wrong with that. Be safe and do what your heart tells you. I think Marko's reasoning may be the best, if you're pissed off and angry, maybe a break is fine. But I do my best work when I am f'ing angry. You will back out there. In the meanwhile I will be out riding. Think of me (and many others) as the big whale who keeps the ice open for the little whales. I do not intend to let this mother#$%^&* freeze up.

I too rode in this morning, and rode home last night, the first two-way trip I've had since my crash on 7/13. I too was thinking about the two cyclists, but I was also thinking about the close calls involving W Roger, the guy who got hit in Swissvale yesterday, and my own case three weeks ago.

I rode, but I stuck to roads I knew to be fairly calm.

My wife is a bit concerned about my riding, too. She doesn't care for me to be a martyr, either. Even if that happens, I have left enough written record -- in blog posts, in P-G comments, and on this message board -- to make it plain and clear that I am promoting the voice of reason and the cause of progressive thought concerning non-automotive travel.

i definitely understand anger as a reason for not wanting to ride. if you need a mental health day or two, take them, by all means.

yesterday, i was angriest just as i was leaving work. i probably had my fists clenched on the way from my office to my bike. i did not want to ride home, because i felt like i would have snapped at the slightest provocation (and i'm one of those people who just doesn't snap, so when it happens...). but then, the first encounter i had with an automobile, i was going slowly up a narrow hill, and the woman in the minivan behind me slowed down, and waited to pass me until the road widened a bit. then she pulled into a library parking lot, where a mother and children were walking past. she stopped, and even after they were well out of the way, went through very slowly, presumably understanding how unpredictable children can be.

it was a nice reminder that they're really not out to get us. and the rest of the ride home was much more pleasant.

I also rode home last night...angry as hell, and ready to snap at the first provocation. I hit the bottom of Sycamore, and took out my aggression. As I started, a friend and his wife were in a car, coming down Arlington, and yelled words of encouragement. Halfway up, a car slowed, and said "Go get 'em dude, my car doesn't even like this hill." So my anger subsided, and the rest of the trip home was uneventful.

I'm now off the bike until Sunday morning, when I'll join hopefully hundreds or thousands of others touring this great city. By then, I'll be in a more appreciative mood, I'm sure.

The test for me will be the next time someone rides my ass, or buzzes me, or yells something stupid from their car. Until then...

I think those that have to deal with Penn/Braddock and the Regent Square area have to deal with more right now due to the Squirrel HIll Tunnel mess. There are a lot of people rushing around all the side streets and rushing around not knowing the areas. Also some of those people are not city dwellers or people that understand the city and bicycles being there, so you are going to really have to ride a bike in that region very cautiously.

I also feel this is the worst year I can remember for aggressive driving in Pittsburgh. It is up to the police to start a massive ticketing campaign against the speeders. It is very dangerous for people walking, cycling and to be honest driving. I don't understand why the powers in Pittsburgh can't see the problem of people driving many times double the speed limit??? Do they just sit in an office or hang out at home without a clue?

I've actually been riding more lately. After a full day of riding all the hell over making deliveries, I come home to get my fiancee ready to ride with me. We just got him a bike and I have to convince him that riding is still fun and safe, even though he gets to hear me bitch and rant about dangerous drivers every day. This summer I convinced my sister to start riding as a great way to lose weight and stay active, so I have two people that I feel responsible for encouraging. That's what keeps me biking when I could just catch a ride in somebody's car. I need to prove to my fiancee that I'm not endangering my life every day, and I need to show my sister that biking is worthwhile and fun if you're assertive and cautious.

Last night my dude and I rode to the northside to see a show, and he wanted to take the trail back because the road makes him nervous. I have terrible night vision and usually won't ride the trail at night, so I convinced him that weekday late-nights are the most fun time to ride. Not a lot of traffic, great weather, etc. For most of the ride home he believed me, until a driver sped around us on our left while we were approaching a stop sign, ran through the sign to make a right turn in front of us. Hey, only one dangerous ass-hat encounter in one evening isn't bad! Fun and safe!

We need more cyclists on the road. We do NOT need more angry people on the road, no matter the mode of transportation. I think the latter outweighs the former, but my opinion is biased against angry people (anger sucks, especially when I have it).

Some people react well to being angry. A lot of people don't.

@ajbooth: Can't say that I blame you. Don't ride angry. But don't give it up, either.

on the bright side, a handful of business owners along my delivery route today told me to be careful (in a friendly, supportive way) and talked to me about the penn avenue tragedies. it seems like people who may not be aware of the cycling community are having their eyes opened, thanks to the local news. their reporting may not be the best, but it is starting a conversation.

don't stop biking!

Maybe we should set a day, September 1st maybe, where everyone called 911 every time they see a speeder.

If nothing is done to limit bad driving in the next month, have TWO day where everyone calls 911 every time they see a speeder, next month, not change? THREE days. etc.

There are plenty of problems with it, but it is a nice idea.

+1 edmonds

No bike break is at hand. It's the cars that are the problem.

Keep reporting these physical attacks (it's what they are).

If you're up for positive action, ask Kordite.