Bikes vs Cars

[roundball]

It isn't fiscally responsible or practical to expect bike trails to be built to get bicyclists everywhere they want to go .

Some of us commute via bike and like to run errands as well.

Fewer cars on the road adding to congestion, less wear and tear on streets, healthier adults. So many upsides to promoting and supporting bicycling.

But didn't you hear? Roads are for CARS!!!1!

 

[CRAZYGREG]

From this thread:

If you drive a car - You are less healthy, Lazy, go to Burger king drive thru's, Have tons of extra time to sit in a car and wait behind bikes

 

[CRAZYGREG]

But didn't you hear? Roads are for CARS!!!1!

Finally - this guy gets it!

 

[Clonehomer]

From this thread:

If you drive a car - You are less healthy, Lazy, go to Burger king drive thru's, Have tons of extra time to sit in a car and wait behind bikes

Yep. You're getting it now.

It just comes down to how tolerant you are of people who prefer a different mode of transportation than you. Sometimes you've got to realize that the world does not revolve around you.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I don't see how anyone can argue you don't need to leave room when passing a cyclist.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I don't see how anyone can argue you don't need to leave room when passing a cyclist.

Ya I mean, if you knew that cyclist was a close friend or your son or daughter or your mother or father how would you act?

 

[bellzisu]

It isn't fiscally responsible or practical to expect bike trails to be built to get bicyclists everywhere they want to go .

Some of us commute via bike and like to run errands as well.

Fewer cars on the road adding to congestion, less wear and tear on streets, healthier adults. So many upsides to promoting and supporting bicycling.

So many upsides to biking... Yet for selfish reasons people can't see that.

 

[ClonesFTW]

Because sane people recognize the inherent differences between bikes and cars and can adjust accordingly without throwing a ***** fit on a message board about it?

Who's throwing a fit? I casually added my opinion.

 

[VeloClone]

For me, no, not usually, especially on 25 mph roads. There are plenty of bikers though who don't like to follow basic traffic signals, so that having to slow down and pass them once, on a busy road full of traffic, turns into having to slow down and pass them 3 or 4 times. Mainly because a lot of bikers in my town don't feel that stoplights apply to them. So right after you get past them, you stop at the intersection, to watch the guy slide up, pass everyone that just passed him, then run the light so we all have to do it again. Right or wrong, it's frustrating.

Then there are the ones, who I really hate, who feel stop signs don't apply to them either. There is one intersection, in my neighborhood, on my way home, where I've almost hit probably 8 bikers, because for some reason, they don't feel the stop sign there applies to them. Of course a couple of them, even though I did manage to stop, still felt the need to call me an ******* and flip me off. (I didn't have a stop sign BTW.)

These are really the only times I get ******. I do realize that the millions of bikers out there, these are the few, but the few of them are just like the few of the people who genuinely hate bikes, they are the ones who stand out. Luckily i live in a pretty Bike friendly town. Most of the roads are marked with special bike lanes, so that helps to ease things a lot.

I am a cyclist and I agree with you on hating these cyclists. The majority of cyclists really don't like the ones who ride like the road belongs to them and everybody better get out of their way even if they are running a light, totally blowing through a stop sign or riding the wrong way on a one way street. Most cyclists recognize that ******* off the driver who is half in the bag because of the six pack he had after work, and originally failed his driving test three times before he got his license anyway is not making anyone safer.

There is a big problem with a vocal/highly visible minority of cyclists who think they rule the road and are above any laws here in the Twin Cities. That doesn't mean we should be vilifying with them the vast majority who are trying to do the right thing.

By the way, whoever said that high oil prices brought about a relatively recent change in laws to give bikes access to streets and roadways better look again. In most places bikes have always had equal rights to most roadways since before the advent of the automobile. The real question is what are cars, trucks, buses and bikes doing horning in on the roadways that historically were created for horse drawn traffic?

 

[VTXCyRyD]

I would like to see bicycles regulated to county roads and not on US highways. Granted, this isn't ussually a problem, but I have occasionally seen people riding bikes on 30 between Ames and M'town

I would then like to see funding for the county roads to include a bike lane when repairs are made. To help fund that I think bikes on the road should be charged an annual license. Is $10 per year too much to pay to enjoy your hobby?

They already take money from snowmobile and ATV licenses to use for the bike/multipurpose trails that snowmobiles and ATVs aren't allowed to use.

 

[capitalcityguy]

I would like to see bicycles regulated to county roads and not on US highways. Granted, this isn't ussually a problem, but I have occasionally seen people riding bikes on 30 between Ames and M'town

I would then like to see funding for the county roads to include a bike lane when repairs are made. To help fund that I think bikes on the road should be charged an annual license. Is $10 per year too much to pay to enjoy your hobby?

They already take money from snowmobile and ATV licenses to use for the bike/multipurpose trails that snowmobiles and ATVs aren't allowed to use.

Hobby? It is a mode of transportation for many.

Also, more people biking vs driving equates to less wear and tear on roads and streets, less congestion (reducing expensive infrastructure expansion), and arguably less stress on the healthcare system due to healthier individuals.

So why would we do ANYTHING that works against that? e.g...requiring fees, registration.

 

[VTXCyRyD]

Hobby? It is a mode of transportation for many.

Also, more people biking vs driving equates to less wear and tear on roads and streets, less congestion (reducing expensive infrastructure expansion), and arguably less stress on the healthcare system due to healthier individuals.

So why would we do ANYTHING that works against that? e.g...requiring fees, registration.

Why do I have to pay licenses for a snowmobile and atv where the money goes to the bike trails that I'm not allowed to ride on?

Bikes using the road should pay a fee to help improve the roads to make them safer for bike users. Nothing to do with wear and tear.

 

[capitalcityguy]

Why do I have to pay licenses for a snowmobile and atv where the money goes to the bike trails that I'm not allowed to ride on?

Bikes using the road should pay a fee to help improve the roads to make them safer for bike users. Nothing to do with wear and tear.

I don't know anything about ATV or snowmobile fees but you're barking up the wrong tree if you're looking for me to support sending anymore money to gov't then they already get. I question if snowmobiles or ATVs should have to pay a fee. How is that justifiable?

 

[ia8manfan]

Considering the minimal wear bikes put on roads, and the increasing amount of general funds going to pay for those roads, cyclists probably have more "right" to the roads than automobiles.

http://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/11/25/its-time-to-stop-pretending-that-roads-pay-for-themselves/

 

[DoctorUncle]

Has this spun into the typical militant bicyclists vs. normal people ******* match yet?

Cars forever! Bikes suck ***!

 

[bringmagicback]

How about this, people on bikes are more than welcome to ride bikes. But.....If they get hit by a car, well then, thats what happens sometimes. We dont need to change laws and do all this crap. Its like hiking in bear country, I do it knowing that I might run into a bear and get eaten, it's a risk im willing to take. if I know a campsite has had recent bear activity, i dont stay there, I go to a different area. I dont try to pass laws saying bears have to stay 10 ft away from me. When I ride my bike, I realize im second on the food chain, Instead of hoping cars avoid me, I avoid the cars.

Problem solved.

 

[Gunnerclone]

How about this, people on bikes are more than welcome to ride bikes. But.....If they get hit by a car, well then, thats what happens sometimes. We dont need to change laws and do all this crap. Its like hiking in bear country, I do it knowing that I might run into a bear and get eaten, it's a risk im willing to take. if I know a campsite has had recent bear activity, i dont stay there, I go to a different area. I dont try to pass laws saying bears have to stay 10 ft away from me. When I ride my bike, I realize im second on the food chain, Instead of hoping cars avoid me, I avoid the cars.

Problem solved.

Let's just hope that no bears reach the legislature any time soon.

 

[BikeSkiClone]

I guess this isn't the thread to ask if anyone here has done the Pacific Coast Highway or Transamerica routes (roughly following ACA guidebooks)? I've never done an unsupported tour but been kicking around the idea of doing the PCH for a couple years. Also interested in the Underground RR route...it intrigues the history geek inside of me

 

[bringmagicback]

I guess this isn't the thread to ask if anyone here has done the Pacific Coast Highway or Transamerica routes (roughly following ACA guidebooks)? I've never done an unsupported tour but been kicking around the idea of doing the PCH for a couple years. Also interested in the Underground RR route...it intrigues the history geek inside of me

my great great great great grandma did the underground rr route, said she wasnt a fan. Lots of traveling at night, which is really dangerous. Plus camping out in peoples root cellars, damp and cold, always fearful. She hated it.

 

[Gunnerclone]

my great great great great grandma did the underground rr route, said she wasnt a fan. Lots of traveling at night, which is really dangerous. Plus camping out in peoples root cellars, damp and cold, always fearful. She hated it.

And the bears. Bears everywhere.