"Bicycles have their proper place, and that place is under small boys delivering evening papers. Insofar as children are too short to see over the dashboards of cars and too small to keep motorcycles upright at intersections, bicycles are suitable vehicles for them. But what are we to make of an adult in a suit and tie pedaling his way to work? Are we to assume he still delivers newspapers for a living? If not, do we want a doctor, lawyer, or business executive who plays with toys? St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, 13:11, said, "When I became a man, I put away childish things." He did not say, "When I became a man, I put away childish things and got more elaborate and expensive childish things from France and Japan."
"Considering the image projected, bicycling commuters might as well propel themselves to the office with one knee in a red Radio Flyer wagon."
Just getting back from Holland where cycling is THE way of life. THEY have the right of way in every situation and they are EVERYWHERE!! One guy almost ran my sister down and was mad that she didn’t (couldn’t) move. If you want to see bike insanity look no further it’s right in Holland.
A dearly departed former friend and work colleague summed up Holland in a way I can never forget. "How much respect can you have for a population who built their entire nation below sea level". And another who partnered with him had multiple gems form doing a 2 year lived there project with this same guy. "It's the only place I've ever been where the wind blows straight down, and moss grows all the way around the trees". And another, when the plant manager offered to take them out to dinner after they finished the project : " When we were working day and night, sometimes until 11 at night , and all of your staff went home every day after normal working hours, you were too cheap to so much as bring us a bottle of mineral water. So, I 'll not dine with you now.". And last, "I finally found out what "going Dutch " means. It means I pay for me, and I pay for you". All this from a good old country boy from the mountains of western VA.
Thanks so much! I have had the same thoughts. Saturday, a gorgeous August day, coming back from salvage lumber company--which we have tried for a month to reach (not a spur-of-moment choice of time-use) to get wood, to replace a 100-year old porch railing (see, not playing with toys), we drove through Fairmount Park (Phila). Traffic was stopped several times for the many bikers. I remarked to husband that these bikers and hikers must be people who live in apartments/condos/'minimum-maintenance' houses--who do not have to, or choose to, spend their discretionary time caring for historic structures, growing their families' food--choices, choices, choices. Pleasure to be found in each way of life. But what will the bikers be able to say of their lives at the end? Choose this day 'what' you will serve. As for me and my house (besides choosing to serve the Lord) we will serve His creation. Thanks also for providing me this opportunity to develop a hitherto undeveloped thought.
As a cyclist myself, I am rather significantly appalled that you would assume that cyclists are merely serving themselves when they ride.
Now, sure, some of them are, just like some people who fix up old houses serve their own egos in so doing.
And granted, I don’t know the sort of cyclists you encountered on your drive home.
However, most of the cyclists I that I know use their bikes as means of caring for God’s best and most supreme creation: human kind.
Perhaps the clogs of bike riders you encountered that day were participating in a charity ride. There are quite a few of those during summer months. And yes, the riders are going to be many and going to obstruct traffic. Just a month ago our locale hosted a lunch stop for a major cycling event. Yes, the two lane roads were “clogged” with large groups of riders whilst the hundreds of riders were passing through. But how this means the riders are serving their bikes or themselves and not creation is not even a reasonable thought.
My spouse and I were avid cyclists for years. Until my spouse developed a chronic health condition a few years ago. Unfortunately, and very sadly, they are not able to ride anymore. It was only this year that I have once again been getting out on my bike, as I have dealt with the chronic grief of our newfound reality.
When I am out on my bike, pushing the pedals, hard, down the country roads, I can pray and yell and sob my grief and anger to the Lord. I pound out the pedal strokes, and gradually the intensity of my emotions subsides, and my body and mind reach a sort of peace. I also experience a freedom out on my bike, away from crowds and people and everything else, freedom that is not like much else. And, I am out in God’s good creation, watching the farmland, the creatures, the roadside flowers.
There is nothing wrong with cycling any more than there is anything wrong with replacing hundred year old porch rails.
True. It has more to do with being considerate, following the rules of the road, and not being assholes (which, in my experience, many who ride in groups act like when they're with their gang). It's the tyranny of the minority, as they say. If I'm driving 30 on one of our very curvy country roads, which is the speed limit, and I come around a curve and find a bunch of bicyclists spread out across the road, per usual, and I can't brake in time, I'll be the one who is charged with (whatever). The bicyclists won't be charged with anything. That said, I'm very sorry for your loss, and I truly hope that your time in nature and with God helps you heal.
Around me, cyclists drive to and from work. They ride for exercise in large groups or alone, using a full lane of the major artery to travel between home and home paths during heavy traffic hours. They are generally nasty and hostile, no "sharing the road," prefering to create dangerous situations that are terrible for all.
It actually is hard for bikes to “share” a lane. There typically is not space in a car lane for both vehicle and bike. Thus, the safest option is for the cars to pass the bikes in the opposite lane.
Seems unwise and impolite to schedule group ride, or even individual ride, during peak traffic hrs.
Personally, I ride a foot or two into the lane, so that cars will not try to squeeze past which would endanger me. Plus, sometimes there are road hazards - small holes or rocks - that are immaterial to a car but deadly for a bicycle tire. These are usually along the edge of the road. So I ride in the lane to avoid these.
shoulder = decent bike lane; middle = middle of the driving lane; around you = vs. into you, sideswiped, rear-ended or otherwise. Debris on the shoulder is always a hazard. One of the greatest safety inventions ever: mini rear view mirror for left side of helmet. Next are flashing red rear lights, seat and helmet, then flashing headlamps, handlebars and helmet. Finally, reflective tape or fabric. I want to stand out on the road, not blend in. I also always ask angels for protection. Well, except the one time I forgot a few years ago and ended up with an injury falling off the bike. Painful reminder.
Seems, usually, that each rear blinky buys me about two feet of space between the passing vehicles and my bike. I agree - blinky on helmet and on seat post. Never ever wanted non-bright colors for my jerseys - be as visible as possible.
I used to add red reflective tape to my helmet but haven't since getting my last bucket. Thanks for the reminder.
And soon they won't be able to afford their lifestyle with biden build back better BS. Add to the fact Philly is well on its way to becoming the latest dem sh*thole so these bikers and hikers will be easy peasy prey for the repeat offenders. Good times. 🤨😉
A bicycle and kit are really not that expensive. One time expense. Unlike golf and gym memberships. A very nice bicycle can be had for around $1000, then may $150-200 for a set of clothes, which actually do make the ride more pleasant - it isn’t all for looks. It’s awfully nice to not be sitting atop a seam in my shorts (were I wearing regular shorts instead of padded bike shorts) and very nice to not have chafing of my loose short pant legs between my leg and the bike seat. And the pockets on the back of the jersey are helpful for carrying things like food and phone.
If the cyclists can’t afford their “lifestyle,” neither can the golfers or gym rats or yoga ladies, etc. Not sure how this is relevant to cycling. But maybe I misread your intentions.
I think you make a good point that people who don’t participate in these activities often make incorrect assumptions about them and the participants in them. I am a runner and people don’t understand why I don’t run on the sidewalk—concrete is harder on your body than asphalt and most sidewalks are a little wonky and uneven at best, very easy to trip on especially in the dark or low light. Or why I wear form fitting compression shorts (chafing is really NOT fun!). People giving others grace and the benefit of the doubt as well as being considerate (on both sides) would go a long way.
I don't know where you live. It could be different. Where I am at it is has an entitled elitist thing about it. After all they are not polluting as much as the rest of us. Very progressive. And the other activities have their same stuff too. Though the golfers tend to be more conservative.
Is it possible that the attitude is a feature not of the cyclists because they are cyclists, but more broadly as a feature of the area where you live? As I recall, I think, you are in a generally progressive area?
Regardless, there are very good, logical reasons for wearing a bike kit. 🤷🏼♀️ I can’t imagine riding my road bike in regular clothes. Misery.
A little harsh aren’t you? Bikers can say they didn’t pollute the air as much as people driving cars. Lol. What a small-minded way to judge people. Yes, bikers annoy me at times, but live and let live. We have all annoyed someone at some point in our lives. Try to be thoughtful, kind and forgiving of those that trespass against you.
Hahahaha...same way in Fishtown, Northern Liberties...and they weave in and out and do not abide by the traffic laws, which are the same them as they are for motorists.
As a young woman, I was chased on my bike one day, by a carload of males, across a long road from a So-Fla beach to the mainland, so there was no escape. It started with them hitting me in the rear end with some sort of rope or something. I didn't know what they intended, but it frightened me no end. I thank God the traffic was so heavy that I was able to stay ahead of them, with great effort, fueled by adrenaline. When I reached my destination safely, I called the police, and since I had the tag number they were able to find them. I was allowed to come in and face them, though I don't even know if they were charged with anything. They looked sheepish when I walked in.
I hope so, too. It seemed like it might, from their demeanor. I wish I had been my present-day me back then; I would have had the courage to speak to them, whereas my shy younger self said little if anything. It seemed like the cop had done a good job talking to them before I got there, though.
I hear you about the difference between younger, shy self and current self! I definitely can relate to that. So many things I let pass because I was too timid to say something… Or just wasn’t sure what to say or how to approach it.
It’s a Filter that gets removed after 40!! Even worse at 50, and then watch out for 60, it gets even better!!! I have so many more guts now than I ever have. I did so many things wrong because I wouldn’t speak up for myself! I was smacked on the behind in 72’ when I first moved to Florida. We lived in St Pete. I was so mad befit scared the crap out of me. I was 13 at the time. I wished I would of thought to get their tag number! God Bless you!!
Used to live in Marin County, just north of SF over the golden gate bridge. Up there, cyclists are just like PJ says, and worse. They FEEL so MANLY. The roads are mostly 2 lanes up there too, so it gets tighter than biden sniffin ya uncomfortable.
Yup-- I'm in still there. Useta be one of the lycra-and-merino crowd myself, until A Certain Resident west of here went around prosetylizing for everyone to get on a bike and go. Useta like walking up the fire roads from Phoenix Lake to the top o' Tam and back-- in running shoes-- for the peace and quiet....Well, that soon became impossible after Ms. Evangelista's friends did all their outdoor "lab work" on various road bike frames, riding down "Repack" (I actually would run into this knot of naughty trail-abusing dudes, the "Three Musketeers" of Repack, working on/discussing their outdoor R&D sessions, then riding home to Fairfax, creating bike frames that could take all the abuse and the rest is history... and I can name names... they're painted right on their brands' frames and you see 'em in the bike shops...
Haven't done that Lake road but many paths around Tam. Where bikes didn't go... very peaceful back even in 2018. Got great shots of the fog bank coming toward Stinson. Mill Valley was the worst for driving with the ridiculous packs of "cyclists". It was unnerving for me, and I was driving a 2 seater old car, aka small. They STILL made me nervous.
I’m sorry that you do not get to experience the exhilaration and delight of the freedom that is found in pounding the pedals for miles out in the country, seeing the flowers and birds as they go by, smelling the sweet corn as it nears harvest time, dodging the potholes that show up in front of you, being utterly self-sufficient and self-contained (food, water, means of transportation) for however long you are out on the bike.
My bike is freedom, it is a way to expel intense stress, to get my head in a better place when it is going crazy. It is the opportunity to think, to pray, to lament and yell and grieve (some hard stuff in my life at the moment).
It is not at all childish.
If my bike is merely a child’s toy, what then is the stair master or the treadmill at the gym? After all, don’t these simply mimic the toys of childhood too - when we climbed the stairs and ran the playground for fun?
Of course there will be cyclists who misuse their bikes, who are rude, who dart in and out of traffic. *Just like there are car drivers who misuse their cars, are rude, and cut people off. *. Doesn’t mean all car drivers are nuts. Nor are all cyclists crazy or selfish.
Hear! Hear! Same exact reason why I've ridden a bike for 65 years - since I got my first one for Christmas as a pre-kindergarten child. Still riding my road bike 150 miles or more every week for the freedom, fresh air, beautiful views, heart-pounding hill climbs and descents(!), general stress relief and attitude adjustment. Yes, there can be large groups of cyclists (called a peloton) out here, as it's a well-known area to train, but personally, I find the drivers of automobiles being distracted by their phones or fancy computer/dash panel to be more dangerous than slowing a bit for a peloton and then passing when it's safe for everyone.
Geez, what statist article. Bicycles are fun, help keep you healthy, and are nowhere near as dangerous as a car. And bicycle rage can hardly be similar to road rage.
Rourke had too much time on his hands that day, and probably spent the rest of it sitting on the porch, daring people to step on his lawn. If he was being sarcastic, writing that piece was also a waste of one’s time. It wasn’t funny.
Most of the men cyclists I meet, unfortunately, are extremely opinionated sops with too much time on their hands and no skills. They can't produce anything, as they have no skills. So they buy a 7000 dollar bicycle and 100 pounds of spandex, and ride around in congested traffic areas challenging cars. I say fuvk em.
There are many accidents due to irresponsible cyclists, not just in cities. Numerous encounters happen every year where horse riders and/or horses are killed because bicyclists on trails refuse to follow the rules. Bicycles don’t kill, people kill.
This privileged hater trespasser arsonist was identified because of his repeated criminal behavior, via his expensive cycling gear and tat.
His actions speak more of the person than the bicycle.
And I nearly, as a cyclist, got hit by a stray dog that came barking down the side of the road beside me last weekend. A former friend hit a dog that dashed out in front of her - left her with a concussion (yes, she was wearing a helmet) and a pelvis fracture.
Sorry, I couldn't resist as I though the article's satire was obvious. I've been reading O'Rourke for thirty years and should have realized it may not have been apparent to everyone.
When I was a little girl we had so much fun on bikes! Even decorated them to make them personal, and sometimes made special noise by clothes pinning playing cards to the spokes to make that fluttering sound.
However when the 'cyclists' took over, they mad it into a 'trendy' thing. I would feel like a rebel not wearing spandex, an adult, riding without a helmet. But once I decided to get back on the bike, I decided I'd do as I pleased and not based on 'trend'.
I didn't like Rourkes script for that reason too. I see the good side. But many may never have seen it like I did and still do. I'm of older middle-age and just bought a bike for my BDay last year.
That clothing is apparently very expensive. It’s a status symbol. And if you didn’t have it you probably wouldn’t be allowed to ride with the pack. But it sure looks hot and constricting. Tight spandex in 90 degrees. Yuck!
However, when I started riding with my spouse, when we began dating, I learned that the clothes have specific benefits. (Else why would the pro’s wear them?)
The fabric is wicking fabric that pulls sweat away.
The jerseys are designed with a longer hemline in back vs front, so when the rider is bent over his back is still covered. Additionally, there are pockets in the jersey for carrying items - food, pepper spray (for dogs that chase, or others), phone, etc.
The shorts are form fitting to avoid chafing that occurs with loose fabric rubbing over and over and over whilst cranking the pedals. It also has some padding to help with contact between the saddle and butt. 😉
The clothes are expensive, yes. But so is most athletic wear for specialized sports. Shoot, we just spent over $100 on soccer cleats for our kiddo’s soccer cleats - and those we have to repurchase every time kiddo’s feet grow- which is a lot! Bike kits are going to be a once every so many years purchase.
I’ve never participated in group rides, but I can’t imagine any of the ones in my area turning someone away for not having “appropriate” clothing. As far as I am concerned, I wear my bike clothes because they make the cycling experience more enjoyable, not less.
In small defense of "cyclists," my husband rode his bike to work for several years as a way to "kill two birds with one stone." He was the most unassuming cyclist (never owned a "kit") you have ever met and was very conscious about being a responsible cyclist sharing the road with cars. These kinds of stories just drive him crazy because he knows how it affects the general opinion about cyclists. The guy involved in this video is the worst of the worst - a bike-riding cliché. By the way, drivers are not always kind to cyclists either with one hitting my husband and running him off the road intentionally. People can have inappropriate anger issues. Add distracted driving to the mix and that is whey he no longer bikes.
Yes, my dad used to cycle and was always respectful, riding to the side and on the shoulder wherever possible, and some people would try to run him off the road and one threw a bottle at him 😳 So it definitely can go both ways.
It actually can be MORE dangerous to ride right on the edge or shoulder than to ride out in the lane, believe it or not.
Several reasons:
• riding right on the edge permits drivers to think they can “squeeze by” you, when in reality, there usually is not room for a bike and a vehicle in one lane.
• the edge often has debris - rocks, glass, small potholes - that is lethal to a road bike tire. A cyclist may try to swerve to avoid said debris, but he has left himself little space for doing so, if he is already at the edge of the road.
• riding on the shoulder is okay - if it isn’t full of debris AND if the cyclist doesn’t need to re-enter the traffic lane. The problem can come if the rider need to re-enter the traffic lane, traffic isn’t expecting him to do so, won’t be looking for him to re-enter, boom.
Personally, I ride a foot or two out into the lane, for exactly the reasons above. I also don’t ride busy city streets but stay to less traveled country roads.
Good points. I was thinking of the wider shoulder that many of the county roads have where I grew up. Not on the edge where the dirt is. But yes, points well taken about the dangers of being on the edge of the road or even the shoulder.
Yes, and as in all things, generalities leads to stupidity. We can’t assume all bicyclists are rude, selfish bores just because some of them are. My daughter and SIL are avid cyclist, for exercise, not commuting. They stick to trails and the only time they’re on a roadway is to and from the trail. And they’re polite, Christian conservative people. 😊
I commuted to work on a bike for years. I loved it. I stayed mostly on the unoccupied sidewalk, since the roadway next to the sidewalk often had broken glass. I changed a *lot* of tires on those trips.
At a different place where we lived, courtesy of the U.S. Army, I was able to find a nice back way with a beautiful trail, for almost all of that commute, but for the one I mentioned above, there was pretty much one road that went there.
That is terrible. We had a young mom killed, several years ago now, when two drivers playing chicken swerved onto the shoulder of the road hitting and killing her instantly. She was out for an early Sunday morning ride choosing that time and day to avoid cars.
Yes I’m sure his mother is regretting that she let him ride alone on the Boulder Colorado roads. If my 17 year old wanted to train like that I guess I would have to dedicate my time to trailing behind him in my suv with my hazards flashing to try to keep him safe. People are looking at their phones and just distracted.
It's scary driving in Boulder. So many cyclists on the highways and roads. My daughter went to school at CU. One day she called us, freaked out and in tears. She had hit a college kid on a bicycle. We thought, omg, they are going to lock her up and convict the death penalty. Thank goodness there were witnesses and it was actually the cyclist who hit her. He got the ticket and some bumps and bruises. She got a big dent in her car.
A society of permissiveness and callous disregard--ColorainbOw is full of insane (CA and non-citizen) drivers, racing, weaving, texting, THC-ing, all great sport and for no reason endangering. 760+ DEAD on our HIGH-ways last year i believe-- It's Fking insane that traffic fatalities are simply commonplace and we just accept the CRAP Behaviors that Cause them
When I was growing up, we lived a half-hour drive from the nearest city (where my dad worked) and only had one vehicle. My dad rode his bicycle to and from work most days, so my mom would not be stranded without a vehicle. His ride involved a 3000 ft change in elevation (the seriously uphill part was at the end of his long day) on mountains roads with no shoulders and only one lane in each direction. He never wore spandex and was absolutely the most respectful, courteous, and deferential a bicyclist as anyone could possibly be, frequently endangering himself to avoid causing any inconvenience to the motor vehicle operators. It didn’t matter - he still regularly dealt with dangerous and hostile drivers. I’m disgusted by the entitled cyclists that lead most motorists to immediately feel disdainful for and drive in ways that endanger decent bicycle riders like my dad and your husband.
I used to cycle for health and could do 150 mile rides over two days. My longest in one day was 100 miles.
It is the best exercise I’ve ever done. It made me strong, resilient and determined. That said, I never used it as a commuting option. It was a sport.
Now I don’t cycle because the population and traffic where I live has increased so much that it’s dangerous to ride without packing up and driving an hour to get to rideable roads.
As a cyclist I also hated to see bikers take advantage of lanes. Although bikes have the right of way, they will always lose in a collision. A collision also ruins the life of the auto driver with bills, lawsuits and possible criminal charges. It’s a no win.
So what does the city do?
Shrink the lanes width to add dedicated bike lanes.
Now the lanes are so thin that there is only 12 inches between cars!
Next. Put up 3 foot posts along the road to mark bike lanes.
Now it’s more dangerous for auto traffic and the I never see anyone on the bike lanes.
I love the sport of cycling but politicians have figured out how to ruin sports. All sports.
Men competing with women. Disrespect the flag. Convert driving lanes to bike lanes.
It’s sad.
Now I’m resigned to only a few mountain bike trips a year and I’m not in great shape like I was when I could bike for sport.
Portland Oregon is the example of squeezing cars together with wider bike lanes. Traffic increases, and bike lanes are still mostly empty. So stupid. All part of the criminal design. They DO ruin EVERYTHING.
Cyclists don't pay their "fair share" for the road resources they have taken over. My costs have escalated while becoming more dangerous for everyone. Bicycle registration and liability insurance should be mandatory.
If they are going to do the roads in a way that impedes drivers and takes away lanes from drivers then I agree!!! Not to punish those who use it for exercise or enjoyment though. But was PDX is doing - they need to pay!
Actually the original roads were indeed paved for cyclists. 😊
Bikes are considered vehicles and have as much right to the road as cars. Obviously that doesn’t mean it is WISE to ride the thin bits of carbon or metal on ALL or ANY road.
Agreed. I only bike on side streets and always pull over to allow cars to pass, or switch to the sidewalk until they pass. I don’t trust texters and never bike on busy streets.
Bicyclists demand (with bumper stickers and the like) that “we share the road” and “look twice” but they REGULARLY run stop signs. If you refuse to mind the rules of the road, you don’t belong in traffic.
I feel the same about many motorcyclists too. My fb feed is often clogged by virtuous messages of "watch out for motorcyclists because they share our roads too!!"
Just take a drive around on the Dallas metroplex highways and it's very common to see motorcyclists speeding and weaving in & around traffic. I've even seen them pass cars using the hwy shoulder and jump in line at red lights. The crotch rocket riders are the worst.
I was hoping you were going to mention the crotch rocketeers. We can’t walk out our front door on Saturday nights without hearing that for hours — I think they cross the entire metroplex north to south on 75, then turn around and do it again. Not only speeding and weaving, popping wheelies too.
So because a few folks don’t stop at stop signs, all are bad and don’t belong on the road.
Reason we don’t always stop at stop signs (and I *always* look ahead before simply cruising through) is the amount of energy expenditure required to resume speed after coming to full stop. There’s also the minor inconvenience of having to clip out of the pedals in order to fully stop, but that’s not really the driving factor.
If I look ahead and see no one approaching the intersection, I keep going. If vehicle is approaching, I slow or stop, as indicated.
I *never* assume that a vehicle should or will defer to me in an intersection, so I will never just roll through if vehicles are at/near the intersection. That is asking for suicide.
I ride a bike like I drive a car: just like I'm invisible. I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to go around me, and I try to make sure I always have an 'exit'. I've never been hit. Drivers ed in the 70's taught me well.
I live in an area with many blind intersections. I have recently had to teach 4 teenagers how to drive. Bicyclists always gave us learning moments as they blew through their stops. I’m not saying all bicyclists don’t belong on the road, but bikes are supposed to mind the same rules as a car.
Uh, yeah, blowing through a blind intersection is asking to get hit.
There is a local intersection out here in the country - I’m always glad when the fields are planted with soybeans so I don’t have to stop *if I don’t see cars approaching.*. When planted with corn, I absolutely have to stop.
Yes, bikes are supposed to behave like vehicles, since that is how they are classified legally.
You haven’t seen anything until you go to Portland Oregon and witness how the cyclists have taken over via the Oregon democRAT government. They rule the roads and have all the right of ways. Downtown they car lanes are getting almost too small to even fit a car and they bicycle lanes are getting wider and wider. I have nothing against bicycles as they are great exercise. But. They are trying to get rid of cars completely in Portland although they have made electric cars “ok”. It’s disgusting, really. We saw it coming years ago.
You are right on Sunnydaze, thank congress person Blumenauer ( wears a fluorescent bike pin) for a lot of the destruction to PDX road passibility. I used to drive fire trucks for a living in that city, a nerve wracking experience. Especially when cyclists feel they are above the law of pulling right and stopping for emergency vehicles. At least I could count on the single digit salute as I wormed my way clear of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed your little rant and can say with confidence that I know many people who would like to "open their doors" while passing a cyclist. 😂
Actually, those comments are the 1st ones I look for (sort of). I know what they are going to say, 'facts are hard', '3 day war', blah, blah. I ignore those and read the comments from the sane ones here on C&C. I think it behooves everyone here to reply to their comments with, something illustrating just how inane their contributions are. Maybe they will stay away then. 🤣🤣
"So, on February 27, three days after the start of the war, he said on Fox News: “Now the battle in Eastern Ukraine is almost over, the Ukrainian troops are largely surrounded and cut off, now they have a concentration down in the southeast in 30 to 40 thousand , and if they don't vend, surrender the next 24 hours, the Russians will ultimately annihilate them”.
On March 6 on Fox Business, he found an explanation for why it didn't happen.
“At the first five days, the Russian forces, I think, were too gentle. They have now corrected that. So I would say another 10 days this should be completely over. But the question is, what is it that Zelenskyi is going to do? The Russians have made it very clear what they want is a neutral Ukraine. This could have ended days ago if he accepted that. And then they can adjust the borders, but the eastern part of Ukraine is firmly in Russian hands, but again, the Russians are not seizing the territory. They are destroying Ukrainian forces. That’s their focus”.
After another 10 days, the colonel tried to pretend that his prediction was justified. On Tucker Carlson's Fox News program, he stated: "The war is really over for the Ukrainians”, “They have been grounded to bits. There’s no question about that despite what we report on our mainstream media”.
McGregor delivered another analysis on the ultra-right cable and satellite channel Real America's Voice on July 7:
“The war, with the exception of Kharkiv and Odesa, as far as the Russians are concerned is largely over. There is no intention to do anything else because the Russians don’t have a very large army. They’ve got a very limited armed force and that’s by design, they didn’t want to build a huge army, they certainly are not in a position to threaten NATO nor would they unless they were directly attacked by us.
So the last thing, the last thing that Putin wants is to go west of that Dnieper River and end up incorporating, 20 million, 25 million Ukrainians into Russia. He knows they don’t want to be part of Russia, that’s never been his aim”.
On September 12, on the air of the same Carlson program, McGregor again stated that “this war may soon end,” and added: “The Ukrainian army is bled, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are killed or wounded, Ukraine is really in the balance.”
This was the day after the liberation of Izium, Balakleia and Kupiansk - and before the Ukrainian army liberated Kherson."
Macgregor is an idiot.
Remember, 545 days into the 3 day war for Russia :)
I bike very irregularly. When I do, I'm always on the shoulder, going with traffic, unless that is impossible. We have some roads out here with all of a 6 inch shoulder. But I too have had to put up with cyclists in the middle of the road with no way to pass them safely in a car. Annoying.
As a bicycle shop owner in my area once said to me,”You don’t need to dress like a clown to ride a bike.” I live next to a rail trail; the real fanatics insist on riding in the road 30 yards away from said trail. Annoying.
Depends on the trail and goals of the cyclists and the road.
If it is a relatively untraveled road and the trail has a fair number of pedestrians, then likely both I and the pedestrians are safer if I keep my 12mph speed on the road.
If it’s a busy road, by all means, get on the trail. It’s an act of self-preservation.
It’s a busy road as it’s a cut-through to a highway. I think that since it is hilly, and not flat like the trail, gives the bicyclists more of a challenge. Ah, well.
It’s definitely high risk. Sadly a 17 year old Colorado boy, Magnus White was recently killed on a training run on his bike, hit from behind by a 23 year old driving a Toyota. He was almost pro, set to race in Scotland. Perhaps he would have been safer in a big group. He was alone.
So sad. This happens to runners too. Why I prefer to run in neighborhoods on side streets or protected trails. Too many aggressive and inattentive drivers 😕
It happens to farmers too, large slow ag equipment traveling from field to field. It boils down to greed and disrespect for others, few people want to yield 'their space' to others.
People are very impatient and think they’re the only ones in the world 🙄 No one could be more important than they are 🙄 I call these people toddler drivers.
Daughter, I were targeted walking on the country road in front of our house and the neighbors too the same evening! We all hit the ditch laying down. Never in sixty years!!
It's all the blood getting diverted to the lower leg muscle groups. It takes away the vital ingredients for the upper body muscles to work properly......idk, like the brain?.
So I should’ve followed your and others’ admonitions today and avoided my bicycle ride. I began by discovering a rear flat before I even set out. Haven’t changed a flat in probably 4 years, mostly because I haven’t ridden for almost 3. And this was a rear at that (slightly more cumbersome due to gearing on rear). Got that fixed and then just a few miles out found the sole of my shoe was coming apart from the shoe. Since my feet need to be clipped into my pedals to turn them, I decided to turn around and terminate the ride early. Almost home when, attempting to unclip from the pedals, the shoe came completely apart from the sole.
Thankfully I was well within walking distance, so I took off my other shoe and my socks and walked home barefoot.
Guess now I have to go purchase a new
pair of those “elitist” (others’ words) bike shoes. But ya’ know what? These are probably 17-18 years old. So they’ve lasted a long while. Much longer than our kiddo’s soccer cleats, and longer than a gym rat’s gym shoes (assuming the gym shoes get replaced as recommended every year or so). I just hope I can use my old cleats or that my old ones are still made so that I don’t have to also buy new pedals. Good grief. (Cleats come in different styles and have to be paired with mechanically coordinating pedals.)
PJ O'Rourke beautifully captured the essence of cycling thirty years ago.
"A Cool and Logical Analysis of the Bicycle Menace"
https://notanothercyclingforum.net/bikereader/contributors/misc/menace.html
One of my favorites. A sample:
"Bicycles have their proper place, and that place is under small boys delivering evening papers. Insofar as children are too short to see over the dashboards of cars and too small to keep motorcycles upright at intersections, bicycles are suitable vehicles for them. But what are we to make of an adult in a suit and tie pedaling his way to work? Are we to assume he still delivers newspapers for a living? If not, do we want a doctor, lawyer, or business executive who plays with toys? St. Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, 13:11, said, "When I became a man, I put away childish things." He did not say, "When I became a man, I put away childish things and got more elaborate and expensive childish things from France and Japan."
"Considering the image projected, bicycling commuters might as well propel themselves to the office with one knee in a red Radio Flyer wagon."
Just getting back from Holland where cycling is THE way of life. THEY have the right of way in every situation and they are EVERYWHERE!! One guy almost ran my sister down and was mad that she didn’t (couldn’t) move. If you want to see bike insanity look no further it’s right in Holland.
A dearly departed former friend and work colleague summed up Holland in a way I can never forget. "How much respect can you have for a population who built their entire nation below sea level". And another who partnered with him had multiple gems form doing a 2 year lived there project with this same guy. "It's the only place I've ever been where the wind blows straight down, and moss grows all the way around the trees". And another, when the plant manager offered to take them out to dinner after they finished the project : " When we were working day and night, sometimes until 11 at night , and all of your staff went home every day after normal working hours, you were too cheap to so much as bring us a bottle of mineral water. So, I 'll not dine with you now.". And last, "I finally found out what "going Dutch " means. It means I pay for me, and I pay for you". All this from a good old country boy from the mountains of western VA.
Yes, Europe takes the whole cycling cult to a new level.
But be careful as cycling can cause sads.
A friend who visited Holland over the summer had the same experience.
Thanks so much! I have had the same thoughts. Saturday, a gorgeous August day, coming back from salvage lumber company--which we have tried for a month to reach (not a spur-of-moment choice of time-use) to get wood, to replace a 100-year old porch railing (see, not playing with toys), we drove through Fairmount Park (Phila). Traffic was stopped several times for the many bikers. I remarked to husband that these bikers and hikers must be people who live in apartments/condos/'minimum-maintenance' houses--who do not have to, or choose to, spend their discretionary time caring for historic structures, growing their families' food--choices, choices, choices. Pleasure to be found in each way of life. But what will the bikers be able to say of their lives at the end? Choose this day 'what' you will serve. As for me and my house (besides choosing to serve the Lord) we will serve His creation. Thanks also for providing me this opportunity to develop a hitherto undeveloped thought.
As a cyclist myself, I am rather significantly appalled that you would assume that cyclists are merely serving themselves when they ride.
Now, sure, some of them are, just like some people who fix up old houses serve their own egos in so doing.
And granted, I don’t know the sort of cyclists you encountered on your drive home.
However, most of the cyclists I that I know use their bikes as means of caring for God’s best and most supreme creation: human kind.
Perhaps the clogs of bike riders you encountered that day were participating in a charity ride. There are quite a few of those during summer months. And yes, the riders are going to be many and going to obstruct traffic. Just a month ago our locale hosted a lunch stop for a major cycling event. Yes, the two lane roads were “clogged” with large groups of riders whilst the hundreds of riders were passing through. But how this means the riders are serving their bikes or themselves and not creation is not even a reasonable thought.
My spouse and I were avid cyclists for years. Until my spouse developed a chronic health condition a few years ago. Unfortunately, and very sadly, they are not able to ride anymore. It was only this year that I have once again been getting out on my bike, as I have dealt with the chronic grief of our newfound reality.
When I am out on my bike, pushing the pedals, hard, down the country roads, I can pray and yell and sob my grief and anger to the Lord. I pound out the pedal strokes, and gradually the intensity of my emotions subsides, and my body and mind reach a sort of peace. I also experience a freedom out on my bike, away from crowds and people and everything else, freedom that is not like much else. And, I am out in God’s good creation, watching the farmland, the creatures, the roadside flowers.
There is nothing wrong with cycling any more than there is anything wrong with replacing hundred year old porch rails.
True. It has more to do with being considerate, following the rules of the road, and not being assholes (which, in my experience, many who ride in groups act like when they're with their gang). It's the tyranny of the minority, as they say. If I'm driving 30 on one of our very curvy country roads, which is the speed limit, and I come around a curve and find a bunch of bicyclists spread out across the road, per usual, and I can't brake in time, I'll be the one who is charged with (whatever). The bicyclists won't be charged with anything. That said, I'm very sorry for your loss, and I truly hope that your time in nature and with God helps you heal.
No, sir, nothing wrong with the bikes-- we are noticing, however, that the problem is with the operators thereof...
💯
As with most things.
Around me, cyclists drive to and from work. They ride for exercise in large groups or alone, using a full lane of the major artery to travel between home and home paths during heavy traffic hours. They are generally nasty and hostile, no "sharing the road," prefering to create dangerous situations that are terrible for all.
It actually is hard for bikes to “share” a lane. There typically is not space in a car lane for both vehicle and bike. Thus, the safest option is for the cars to pass the bikes in the opposite lane.
Seems unwise and impolite to schedule group ride, or even individual ride, during peak traffic hrs.
Personally, I ride a foot or two into the lane, so that cars will not try to squeeze past which would endanger me. Plus, sometimes there are road hazards - small holes or rocks - that are immaterial to a car but deadly for a bicycle tire. These are usually along the edge of the road. So I ride in the lane to avoid these.
Its a smart way to ride a bike if you want to be safe and ride again.
Exactly.
Nice to read someone with bike sense here too. 👍🏻
If you've got a shoulder get way over.
If there's only a little, ride out in the middle
so they *have* to go around you.
shoulder = decent bike lane; middle = middle of the driving lane; around you = vs. into you, sideswiped, rear-ended or otherwise. Debris on the shoulder is always a hazard. One of the greatest safety inventions ever: mini rear view mirror for left side of helmet. Next are flashing red rear lights, seat and helmet, then flashing headlamps, handlebars and helmet. Finally, reflective tape or fabric. I want to stand out on the road, not blend in. I also always ask angels for protection. Well, except the one time I forgot a few years ago and ended up with an injury falling off the bike. Painful reminder.
Seems, usually, that each rear blinky buys me about two feet of space between the passing vehicles and my bike. I agree - blinky on helmet and on seat post. Never ever wanted non-bright colors for my jerseys - be as visible as possible.
I used to add red reflective tape to my helmet but haven't since getting my last bucket. Thanks for the reminder.
And soon they won't be able to afford their lifestyle with biden build back better BS. Add to the fact Philly is well on its way to becoming the latest dem sh*thole so these bikers and hikers will be easy peasy prey for the repeat offenders. Good times. 🤨😉
Blue areas are collapsing under the weight of their own public policies: cronyism, corruption, diversity, sanctuary. Good luck to them all.
????
A bicycle and kit are really not that expensive. One time expense. Unlike golf and gym memberships. A very nice bicycle can be had for around $1000, then may $150-200 for a set of clothes, which actually do make the ride more pleasant - it isn’t all for looks. It’s awfully nice to not be sitting atop a seam in my shorts (were I wearing regular shorts instead of padded bike shorts) and very nice to not have chafing of my loose short pant legs between my leg and the bike seat. And the pockets on the back of the jersey are helpful for carrying things like food and phone.
If the cyclists can’t afford their “lifestyle,” neither can the golfers or gym rats or yoga ladies, etc. Not sure how this is relevant to cycling. But maybe I misread your intentions.
I think you make a good point that people who don’t participate in these activities often make incorrect assumptions about them and the participants in them. I am a runner and people don’t understand why I don’t run on the sidewalk—concrete is harder on your body than asphalt and most sidewalks are a little wonky and uneven at best, very easy to trip on especially in the dark or low light. Or why I wear form fitting compression shorts (chafing is really NOT fun!). People giving others grace and the benefit of the doubt as well as being considerate (on both sides) would go a long way.
I don't know where you live. It could be different. Where I am at it is has an entitled elitist thing about it. After all they are not polluting as much as the rest of us. Very progressive. And the other activities have their same stuff too. Though the golfers tend to be more conservative.
Is it possible that the attitude is a feature not of the cyclists because they are cyclists, but more broadly as a feature of the area where you live? As I recall, I think, you are in a generally progressive area?
Regardless, there are very good, logical reasons for wearing a bike kit. 🤷🏼♀️ I can’t imagine riding my road bike in regular clothes. Misery.
Agree.
A little harsh aren’t you? Bikers can say they didn’t pollute the air as much as people driving cars. Lol. What a small-minded way to judge people. Yes, bikers annoy me at times, but live and let live. We have all annoyed someone at some point in our lives. Try to be thoughtful, kind and forgiving of those that trespass against you.
Amen!
Hahahaha...same way in Fishtown, Northern Liberties...and they weave in and out and do not abide by the traffic laws, which are the same them as they are for motorists.
As a young woman, I was chased on my bike one day, by a carload of males, across a long road from a So-Fla beach to the mainland, so there was no escape. It started with them hitting me in the rear end with some sort of rope or something. I didn't know what they intended, but it frightened me no end. I thank God the traffic was so heavy that I was able to stay ahead of them, with great effort, fueled by adrenaline. When I reached my destination safely, I called the police, and since I had the tag number they were able to find them. I was allowed to come in and face them, though I don't even know if they were charged with anything. They looked sheepish when I walked in.
Good for you! That's horrible and could have been a tragedy.
{{Hugs}} That was a terrifying experience for a young girl.
It really was; they would gun the engine of their car and race up behind me when traffic allowed.
Oh wow what a scary experience! Glad you were able to report them, maybe it made them think twice about doing that again.
I hope so, too. It seemed like it might, from their demeanor. I wish I had been my present-day me back then; I would have had the courage to speak to them, whereas my shy younger self said little if anything. It seemed like the cop had done a good job talking to them before I got there, though.
I hear you about the difference between younger, shy self and current self! I definitely can relate to that. So many things I let pass because I was too timid to say something… Or just wasn’t sure what to say or how to approach it.
It’s a Filter that gets removed after 40!! Even worse at 50, and then watch out for 60, it gets even better!!! I have so many more guts now than I ever have. I did so many things wrong because I wouldn’t speak up for myself! I was smacked on the behind in 72’ when I first moved to Florida. We lived in St Pete. I was so mad befit scared the crap out of me. I was 13 at the time. I wished I would of thought to get their tag number! God Bless you!!
Used to live in Marin County, just north of SF over the golden gate bridge. Up there, cyclists are just like PJ says, and worse. They FEEL so MANLY. The roads are mostly 2 lanes up there too, so it gets tighter than biden sniffin ya uncomfortable.
They aren't men. Under 45 = soy boys. 45 and older = manginas.
DAMNNNNNN ANNIE..... damn.......
Later Jay
Yup-- I'm in still there. Useta be one of the lycra-and-merino crowd myself, until A Certain Resident west of here went around prosetylizing for everyone to get on a bike and go. Useta like walking up the fire roads from Phoenix Lake to the top o' Tam and back-- in running shoes-- for the peace and quiet....Well, that soon became impossible after Ms. Evangelista's friends did all their outdoor "lab work" on various road bike frames, riding down "Repack" (I actually would run into this knot of naughty trail-abusing dudes, the "Three Musketeers" of Repack, working on/discussing their outdoor R&D sessions, then riding home to Fairfax, creating bike frames that could take all the abuse and the rest is history... and I can name names... they're painted right on their brands' frames and you see 'em in the bike shops...
Haven't done that Lake road but many paths around Tam. Where bikes didn't go... very peaceful back even in 2018. Got great shots of the fog bank coming toward Stinson. Mill Valley was the worst for driving with the ridiculous packs of "cyclists". It was unnerving for me, and I was driving a 2 seater old car, aka small. They STILL made me nervous.
I’m sorry that you do not get to experience the exhilaration and delight of the freedom that is found in pounding the pedals for miles out in the country, seeing the flowers and birds as they go by, smelling the sweet corn as it nears harvest time, dodging the potholes that show up in front of you, being utterly self-sufficient and self-contained (food, water, means of transportation) for however long you are out on the bike.
My bike is freedom, it is a way to expel intense stress, to get my head in a better place when it is going crazy. It is the opportunity to think, to pray, to lament and yell and grieve (some hard stuff in my life at the moment).
It is not at all childish.
If my bike is merely a child’s toy, what then is the stair master or the treadmill at the gym? After all, don’t these simply mimic the toys of childhood too - when we climbed the stairs and ran the playground for fun?
Of course there will be cyclists who misuse their bikes, who are rude, who dart in and out of traffic. *Just like there are car drivers who misuse their cars, are rude, and cut people off. *. Doesn’t mean all car drivers are nuts. Nor are all cyclists crazy or selfish.
Hear! Hear! Same exact reason why I've ridden a bike for 65 years - since I got my first one for Christmas as a pre-kindergarten child. Still riding my road bike 150 miles or more every week for the freedom, fresh air, beautiful views, heart-pounding hill climbs and descents(!), general stress relief and attitude adjustment. Yes, there can be large groups of cyclists (called a peloton) out here, as it's a well-known area to train, but personally, I find the drivers of automobiles being distracted by their phones or fancy computer/dash panel to be more dangerous than slowing a bit for a peloton and then passing when it's safe for everyone.
Exactly yes to all you said.
The first car wreck that I ever experienced (car v car) was due to a woman on her phone who plowed through a red light.
Well said!
Geez, what statist article. Bicycles are fun, help keep you healthy, and are nowhere near as dangerous as a car. And bicycle rage can hardly be similar to road rage.
Rourke had too much time on his hands that day, and probably spent the rest of it sitting on the porch, daring people to step on his lawn. If he was being sarcastic, writing that piece was also a waste of one’s time. It wasn’t funny.
Most of the men cyclists I meet, unfortunately, are extremely opinionated sops with too much time on their hands and no skills. They can't produce anything, as they have no skills. So they buy a 7000 dollar bicycle and 100 pounds of spandex, and ride around in congested traffic areas challenging cars. I say fuvk em.
Bicycles are fun but carry a responsibility.
There are many accidents due to irresponsible cyclists, not just in cities. Numerous encounters happen every year where horse riders and/or horses are killed because bicyclists on trails refuse to follow the rules. Bicycles don’t kill, people kill.
This privileged hater trespasser arsonist was identified because of his repeated criminal behavior, via his expensive cycling gear and tat.
His actions speak more of the person than the bicycle.
And I nearly, as a cyclist, got hit by a stray dog that came barking down the side of the road beside me last weekend. A former friend hit a dog that dashed out in front of her - left her with a concussion (yes, she was wearing a helmet) and a pelvis fracture.
You might want to research this topic... Not everything is a CODE RED outrage.
https://www.wikihow.com/Have-a-Sense-of-Humor
Oh, so it was satire....
Sorry, I couldn't resist as I though the article's satire was obvious. I've been reading O'Rourke for thirty years and should have realized it may not have been apparent to everyone.
Apologies for the snark and best wishes.
This author is known for his satirical and sometimes curmudgeonly takes.
When I was a little girl we had so much fun on bikes! Even decorated them to make them personal, and sometimes made special noise by clothes pinning playing cards to the spokes to make that fluttering sound.
However when the 'cyclists' took over, they mad it into a 'trendy' thing. I would feel like a rebel not wearing spandex, an adult, riding without a helmet. But once I decided to get back on the bike, I decided I'd do as I pleased and not based on 'trend'.
I didn't like Rourkes script for that reason too. I see the good side. But many may never have seen it like I did and still do. I'm of older middle-age and just bought a bike for my BDay last year.
The mere fact that serious bicyclists don ridiculous multicolored clown like apparel should tell us everything we need to know.
That clothing is apparently very expensive. It’s a status symbol. And if you didn’t have it you probably wouldn’t be allowed to ride with the pack. But it sure looks hot and constricting. Tight spandex in 90 degrees. Yuck!
Yeast, yeast everywhere.....😫
Actually, no, not.
It’s wicking fabric like any other sports apparel.
See my comment above.
My spouse and I used to be avid riders. Never dealt with yeast. Not saying it doesn’t happen. But it is not inherent to the spandex. 😉
I too used to think it was odd apparel.
However, when I started riding with my spouse, when we began dating, I learned that the clothes have specific benefits. (Else why would the pro’s wear them?)
The fabric is wicking fabric that pulls sweat away.
The jerseys are designed with a longer hemline in back vs front, so when the rider is bent over his back is still covered. Additionally, there are pockets in the jersey for carrying items - food, pepper spray (for dogs that chase, or others), phone, etc.
The shorts are form fitting to avoid chafing that occurs with loose fabric rubbing over and over and over whilst cranking the pedals. It also has some padding to help with contact between the saddle and butt. 😉
The clothes are expensive, yes. But so is most athletic wear for specialized sports. Shoot, we just spent over $100 on soccer cleats for our kiddo’s soccer cleats - and those we have to repurchase every time kiddo’s feet grow- which is a lot! Bike kits are going to be a once every so many years purchase.
I’ve never participated in group rides, but I can’t imagine any of the ones in my area turning someone away for not having “appropriate” clothing. As far as I am concerned, I wear my bike clothes because they make the cycling experience more enjoyable, not less.
Thanks for that info. I thought it was simply all for “the look”. Glad to be corrected.
It’s definitely a unique look. But, all for a purpose.
Kinda like football uniforms have a unique look. And it’s all for a functional purpose.
PJ O’Rourke was a treasure. He wrote some great stuff. Thanks for sharing and I can’t wait to read it after work.
Awesome!! I needed that laugh more than you know right now! Thank you!!
In small defense of "cyclists," my husband rode his bike to work for several years as a way to "kill two birds with one stone." He was the most unassuming cyclist (never owned a "kit") you have ever met and was very conscious about being a responsible cyclist sharing the road with cars. These kinds of stories just drive him crazy because he knows how it affects the general opinion about cyclists. The guy involved in this video is the worst of the worst - a bike-riding cliché. By the way, drivers are not always kind to cyclists either with one hitting my husband and running him off the road intentionally. People can have inappropriate anger issues. Add distracted driving to the mix and that is whey he no longer bikes.
Yes, my dad used to cycle and was always respectful, riding to the side and on the shoulder wherever possible, and some people would try to run him off the road and one threw a bottle at him 😳 So it definitely can go both ways.
Drivers are no saints that's for sure.
Bad apples in every bunch.
It actually can be MORE dangerous to ride right on the edge or shoulder than to ride out in the lane, believe it or not.
Several reasons:
• riding right on the edge permits drivers to think they can “squeeze by” you, when in reality, there usually is not room for a bike and a vehicle in one lane.
• the edge often has debris - rocks, glass, small potholes - that is lethal to a road bike tire. A cyclist may try to swerve to avoid said debris, but he has left himself little space for doing so, if he is already at the edge of the road.
• riding on the shoulder is okay - if it isn’t full of debris AND if the cyclist doesn’t need to re-enter the traffic lane. The problem can come if the rider need to re-enter the traffic lane, traffic isn’t expecting him to do so, won’t be looking for him to re-enter, boom.
Personally, I ride a foot or two out into the lane, for exactly the reasons above. I also don’t ride busy city streets but stay to less traveled country roads.
Good points. I was thinking of the wider shoulder that many of the county roads have where I grew up. Not on the edge where the dirt is. But yes, points well taken about the dangers of being on the edge of the road or even the shoulder.
Yes, and as in all things, generalities leads to stupidity. We can’t assume all bicyclists are rude, selfish bores just because some of them are. My daughter and SIL are avid cyclist, for exercise, not commuting. They stick to trails and the only time they’re on a roadway is to and from the trail. And they’re polite, Christian conservative people. 😊
I commuted to work on a bike for years. I loved it. I stayed mostly on the unoccupied sidewalk, since the roadway next to the sidewalk often had broken glass. I changed a *lot* of tires on those trips.
Yes, my husband found back trails to use when driver behavior became intolerable but sometimes the road is the only viable path.
At a different place where we lived, courtesy of the U.S. Army, I was able to find a nice back way with a beautiful trail, for almost all of that commute, but for the one I mentioned above, there was pretty much one road that went there.
I love "bike" riding! Cyclists are 👆 and with so many distracted drivers seems suicidal today.
Absolutely, rest In peace Magnus White, young Colorado teen who was hit earlier this month
That is terrible. We had a young mom killed, several years ago now, when two drivers playing chicken swerved onto the shoulder of the road hitting and killing her instantly. She was out for an early Sunday morning ride choosing that time and day to avoid cars.
The only way to avoid cars is to stay away from roads where cars drive.
Bike only trails are the safest option for cyclists.
Stay away from 3tons of steel moving between 20 and 50 mph per hour if you want to stay above ground.
Roads were not designed for cyclists.
Yes I’m sure his mother is regretting that she let him ride alone on the Boulder Colorado roads. If my 17 year old wanted to train like that I guess I would have to dedicate my time to trailing behind him in my suv with my hazards flashing to try to keep him safe. People are looking at their phones and just distracted.
People are looking at their phones and just distracted....
and many are on mind altering licit and illicit drugs that slow cognition and reaction times.
It's scary driving in Boulder. So many cyclists on the highways and roads. My daughter went to school at CU. One day she called us, freaked out and in tears. She had hit a college kid on a bicycle. We thought, omg, they are going to lock her up and convict the death penalty. Thank goodness there were witnesses and it was actually the cyclist who hit her. He got the ticket and some bumps and bruises. She got a big dent in her car.
😞
A society of permissiveness and callous disregard--ColorainbOw is full of insane (CA and non-citizen) drivers, racing, weaving, texting, THC-ing, all great sport and for no reason endangering. 760+ DEAD on our HIGH-ways last year i believe-- It's Fking insane that traffic fatalities are simply commonplace and we just accept the CRAP Behaviors that Cause them
When I was growing up, we lived a half-hour drive from the nearest city (where my dad worked) and only had one vehicle. My dad rode his bicycle to and from work most days, so my mom would not be stranded without a vehicle. His ride involved a 3000 ft change in elevation (the seriously uphill part was at the end of his long day) on mountains roads with no shoulders and only one lane in each direction. He never wore spandex and was absolutely the most respectful, courteous, and deferential a bicyclist as anyone could possibly be, frequently endangering himself to avoid causing any inconvenience to the motor vehicle operators. It didn’t matter - he still regularly dealt with dangerous and hostile drivers. I’m disgusted by the entitled cyclists that lead most motorists to immediately feel disdainful for and drive in ways that endanger decent bicycle riders like my dad and your husband.
Your dad sounds like a Superman. What a great testimony. Thank you for sharing.
That’s so sad!!!
Many cyclists sit way too long on those tiny hard seats and it cuts off circulation to their brain.
SITTING on THOSE cuts circulation where? Oh, of course, the thinking part of the male that affects the brain. 🤭
Ok. It certainly affects that part of the female anatomy too. I prefer a tractor seat.
Many cyclists suffer from a medical syndrome - Cranial Rectal Inversion.
The only cure is a surgical procedure called Radical Cranial Rectal Proctectomy
Have understood there's an effect on procreation as well. At least for the male.
Give Darwinism a chance!
And perhaps that's a good thing...
The WHO need to depop their own environment.
Considering many have their head up their *sses, I am inclined to agree. 😄
🤣
Hahaha 😂
I used to cycle for health and could do 150 mile rides over two days. My longest in one day was 100 miles.
It is the best exercise I’ve ever done. It made me strong, resilient and determined. That said, I never used it as a commuting option. It was a sport.
Now I don’t cycle because the population and traffic where I live has increased so much that it’s dangerous to ride without packing up and driving an hour to get to rideable roads.
As a cyclist I also hated to see bikers take advantage of lanes. Although bikes have the right of way, they will always lose in a collision. A collision also ruins the life of the auto driver with bills, lawsuits and possible criminal charges. It’s a no win.
So what does the city do?
Shrink the lanes width to add dedicated bike lanes.
Now the lanes are so thin that there is only 12 inches between cars!
Next. Put up 3 foot posts along the road to mark bike lanes.
Now it’s more dangerous for auto traffic and the I never see anyone on the bike lanes.
I love the sport of cycling but politicians have figured out how to ruin sports. All sports.
Men competing with women. Disrespect the flag. Convert driving lanes to bike lanes.
It’s sad.
Now I’m resigned to only a few mountain bike trips a year and I’m not in great shape like I was when I could bike for sport.
Portland Oregon is the example of squeezing cars together with wider bike lanes. Traffic increases, and bike lanes are still mostly empty. So stupid. All part of the criminal design. They DO ruin EVERYTHING.
Same here in Grand Rapids, MI. Even dumber when you figure we have snow on the ground 7 months of the year...
Yes! You win! 😂 😂
Cyclists don't pay their "fair share" for the road resources they have taken over. My costs have escalated while becoming more dangerous for everyone. Bicycle registration and liability insurance should be mandatory.
Most cyclists also own cars. So they pay.
Very, very few cyclists actually rely on only their bike as transportation. At least outside of places like SF and Portland and places like that.
In my part of the country, cyclists ride for exercise and fitness. They own cars - usually more than one per family and drive plenty.
College students. And then there's the city that provides electric bicycles for the poo... Wait! For who m? 🙄 #UrbanaBLUIllinois 😡
If they are going to do the roads in a way that impedes drivers and takes away lanes from drivers then I agree!!! Not to punish those who use it for exercise or enjoyment though. But was PDX is doing - they need to pay!
Ditto for Seattle🫤
Auto roads were non designed for cyclists.
Cyclists and bike manufactures need to do what drivers and auto manufactures did...
devise a scheme for funding and building out a safe cycling only riding infrastructure.
If you look at the history, it was cyclists who originally lobbied for road improvements.
The problem is there are too many jerks, in cars and on bikes.
Actually the original roads were indeed paved for cyclists. 😊
Bikes are considered vehicles and have as much right to the road as cars. Obviously that doesn’t mean it is WISE to ride the thin bits of carbon or metal on ALL or ANY road.
No one has mentioned the need for semis to have their own lanes too!! Remember when trains...
Agreed. I only bike on side streets and always pull over to allow cars to pass, or switch to the sidewalk until they pass. I don’t trust texters and never bike on busy streets.
Bicyclists demand (with bumper stickers and the like) that “we share the road” and “look twice” but they REGULARLY run stop signs. If you refuse to mind the rules of the road, you don’t belong in traffic.
I feel the same about many motorcyclists too. My fb feed is often clogged by virtuous messages of "watch out for motorcyclists because they share our roads too!!"
Just take a drive around on the Dallas metroplex highways and it's very common to see motorcyclists speeding and weaving in & around traffic. I've even seen them pass cars using the hwy shoulder and jump in line at red lights. The crotch rocket riders are the worst.
I was hoping you were going to mention the crotch rocketeers. We can’t walk out our front door on Saturday nights without hearing that for hours — I think they cross the entire metroplex north to south on 75, then turn around and do it again. Not only speeding and weaving, popping wheelies too.
Amen!! I see this all the time 😞
Sigh.
So because a few folks don’t stop at stop signs, all are bad and don’t belong on the road.
Reason we don’t always stop at stop signs (and I *always* look ahead before simply cruising through) is the amount of energy expenditure required to resume speed after coming to full stop. There’s also the minor inconvenience of having to clip out of the pedals in order to fully stop, but that’s not really the driving factor.
If I look ahead and see no one approaching the intersection, I keep going. If vehicle is approaching, I slow or stop, as indicated.
I *never* assume that a vehicle should or will defer to me in an intersection, so I will never just roll through if vehicles are at/near the intersection. That is asking for suicide.
I ride a bike like I drive a car: just like I'm invisible. I don't expect anyone to go out of their way to go around me, and I try to make sure I always have an 'exit'. I've never been hit. Drivers ed in the 70's taught me well.
I live in an area with many blind intersections. I have recently had to teach 4 teenagers how to drive. Bicyclists always gave us learning moments as they blew through their stops. I’m not saying all bicyclists don’t belong on the road, but bikes are supposed to mind the same rules as a car.
Uh, yeah, blowing through a blind intersection is asking to get hit.
There is a local intersection out here in the country - I’m always glad when the fields are planted with soybeans so I don’t have to stop *if I don’t see cars approaching.*. When planted with corn, I absolutely have to stop.
Yes, bikes are supposed to behave like vehicles, since that is how they are classified legally.
I am waiting with anticipation. It should be good.
🤫 Don’t wake or summon him.
You haven’t seen anything until you go to Portland Oregon and witness how the cyclists have taken over via the Oregon democRAT government. They rule the roads and have all the right of ways. Downtown they car lanes are getting almost too small to even fit a car and they bicycle lanes are getting wider and wider. I have nothing against bicycles as they are great exercise. But. They are trying to get rid of cars completely in Portland although they have made electric cars “ok”. It’s disgusting, really. We saw it coming years ago.
You are right on Sunnydaze, thank congress person Blumenauer ( wears a fluorescent bike pin) for a lot of the destruction to PDX road passibility. I used to drive fire trucks for a living in that city, a nerve wracking experience. Especially when cyclists feel they are above the law of pulling right and stopping for emergency vehicles. At least I could count on the single digit salute as I wormed my way clear of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed your little rant and can say with confidence that I know many people who would like to "open their doors" while passing a cyclist. 😂
Dear God please don't try to resurrect that CIA troll or his brother . Let sleeping demons lie.
Actually, those comments are the 1st ones I look for (sort of). I know what they are going to say, 'facts are hard', '3 day war', blah, blah. I ignore those and read the comments from the sane ones here on C&C. I think it behooves everyone here to reply to their comments with, something illustrating just how inane their contributions are. Maybe they will stay away then. 🤣🤣
The key word is in today’s post so I am betting at least one will show up 😕
Ukraine or horsey?
The U word 😱
"So, on February 27, three days after the start of the war, he said on Fox News: “Now the battle in Eastern Ukraine is almost over, the Ukrainian troops are largely surrounded and cut off, now they have a concentration down in the southeast in 30 to 40 thousand , and if they don't vend, surrender the next 24 hours, the Russians will ultimately annihilate them”.
On March 6 on Fox Business, he found an explanation for why it didn't happen.
“At the first five days, the Russian forces, I think, were too gentle. They have now corrected that. So I would say another 10 days this should be completely over. But the question is, what is it that Zelenskyi is going to do? The Russians have made it very clear what they want is a neutral Ukraine. This could have ended days ago if he accepted that. And then they can adjust the borders, but the eastern part of Ukraine is firmly in Russian hands, but again, the Russians are not seizing the territory. They are destroying Ukrainian forces. That’s their focus”.
After another 10 days, the colonel tried to pretend that his prediction was justified. On Tucker Carlson's Fox News program, he stated: "The war is really over for the Ukrainians”, “They have been grounded to bits. There’s no question about that despite what we report on our mainstream media”.
McGregor delivered another analysis on the ultra-right cable and satellite channel Real America's Voice on July 7:
“The war, with the exception of Kharkiv and Odesa, as far as the Russians are concerned is largely over. There is no intention to do anything else because the Russians don’t have a very large army. They’ve got a very limited armed force and that’s by design, they didn’t want to build a huge army, they certainly are not in a position to threaten NATO nor would they unless they were directly attacked by us.
So the last thing, the last thing that Putin wants is to go west of that Dnieper River and end up incorporating, 20 million, 25 million Ukrainians into Russia. He knows they don’t want to be part of Russia, that’s never been his aim”.
On September 12, on the air of the same Carlson program, McGregor again stated that “this war may soon end,” and added: “The Ukrainian army is bled, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are killed or wounded, Ukraine is really in the balance.”
This was the day after the liberation of Izium, Balakleia and Kupiansk - and before the Ukrainian army liberated Kherson."
Macgregor is an idiot.
Remember, 545 days into the 3 day war for Russia :)
I bike very irregularly. When I do, I'm always on the shoulder, going with traffic, unless that is impossible. We have some roads out here with all of a 6 inch shoulder. But I too have had to put up with cyclists in the middle of the road with no way to pass them safely in a car. Annoying.
As a bicycle shop owner in my area once said to me,”You don’t need to dress like a clown to ride a bike.” I live next to a rail trail; the real fanatics insist on riding in the road 30 yards away from said trail. Annoying.
Depends on the trail and goals of the cyclists and the road.
If it is a relatively untraveled road and the trail has a fair number of pedestrians, then likely both I and the pedestrians are safer if I keep my 12mph speed on the road.
If it’s a busy road, by all means, get on the trail. It’s an act of self-preservation.
It’s a busy road as it’s a cut-through to a highway. I think that since it is hilly, and not flat like the trail, gives the bicyclists more of a challenge. Ah, well.
It’s definitely high risk. Sadly a 17 year old Colorado boy, Magnus White was recently killed on a training run on his bike, hit from behind by a 23 year old driving a Toyota. He was almost pro, set to race in Scotland. Perhaps he would have been safer in a big group. He was alone.
So sad. This happens to runners too. Why I prefer to run in neighborhoods on side streets or protected trails. Too many aggressive and inattentive drivers 😕
It happens to farmers too, large slow ag equipment traveling from field to field. It boils down to greed and disrespect for others, few people want to yield 'their space' to others.
People are very impatient and think they’re the only ones in the world 🙄 No one could be more important than they are 🙄 I call these people toddler drivers.
Daughter, I were targeted walking on the country road in front of our house and the neighbors too the same evening! We all hit the ditch laying down. Never in sixty years!!
Lol I thought I was the only one !? I told my hubbs they need license plates !!! Tax those bikes who think they own the road lol 😂
I noticed the title of your stack. Ironically, my mountain bike model is named Hobgoblin....
It's all the blood getting diverted to the lower leg muscle groups. It takes away the vital ingredients for the upper body muscles to work properly......idk, like the brain?.
So I should’ve followed your and others’ admonitions today and avoided my bicycle ride. I began by discovering a rear flat before I even set out. Haven’t changed a flat in probably 4 years, mostly because I haven’t ridden for almost 3. And this was a rear at that (slightly more cumbersome due to gearing on rear). Got that fixed and then just a few miles out found the sole of my shoe was coming apart from the shoe. Since my feet need to be clipped into my pedals to turn them, I decided to turn around and terminate the ride early. Almost home when, attempting to unclip from the pedals, the shoe came completely apart from the sole.
Thankfully I was well within walking distance, so I took off my other shoe and my socks and walked home barefoot.
Guess now I have to go purchase a new
pair of those “elitist” (others’ words) bike shoes. But ya’ know what? These are probably 17-18 years old. So they’ve lasted a long while. Much longer than our kiddo’s soccer cleats, and longer than a gym rat’s gym shoes (assuming the gym shoes get replaced as recommended every year or so). I just hope I can use my old cleats or that my old ones are still made so that I don’t have to also buy new pedals. Good grief. (Cleats come in different styles and have to be paired with mechanically coordinating pedals.)