Increasing Severity Of Bicycle Injuries Leads To Concerns About Cycling Infrastructure

[steven johnson]

I've seen enough of dangerous situations while bicycling to believe it's getting more dangerous to bicycle.

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2009) — Record-high gasoline prices, the slowdown in the economy, and increasing environmental sensitivity are leading more people to bike to work or for play. But an adequate infrastructure may not be in place to protect cyclists from serious injury according to surgeons who presented a new study on the issue during a scientific paper session at the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

The researchers found that the severity of injury and hospital length-of-stay for bicycle injuries at one trauma center has increased significantly over the past 11 years. Despite the wide-spread attention paid to the importance of wearing helmets, helmet use did not change during the time period of the study, and more than 33 percent of 329 bicycle injury victims had a significant head injury. Even more alarming, the number of chest injuries increased by 15 percent and abdominal injuries rose three-fold over the last five years. “We were astounded by that data,” said Jeffry Kashuk, MD, FACS, associate professor of surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and senior attending surgeon at the Rocky Mountain Regional Trauma Center at Denver Health Medical Center, Denver.

“We’re talking about injured spleens and livers, internal bleeding, rib fractures, and hemothorax . Those kinds of injuries are reflected by an increase in injury severity score,” he added.

The study was conducted in Denver, which has one of the most well-developed bicycle path networks in the country.

“Denver is very much a bicycle community. If we are seeing an increase in injuries in a metropolitan area that has fairly mature bike infrastructure from the standpoint of bike pathways, there’s reason for concern about what’s happening in metropolitan areas that don’t have that level of maturity.


Increasing Severity Of Bicycle Injuries Leads To Concerns About Cycling Infrastructure

[Duckhunter935]

1. From what I see here

If bicycle riders would obey the law, it may cut down on accidents. Zipping in and out of traffic, running red lights, lane splitting.

[wellstone dem]

3. I follow the law

stop for red lights, wait for signals, signal my turns. I regularly, daily, end up yielding to drivers who do not understand the right of way, or do not know to look right when crossing a bike path. I am regularly yelled at, honked at, and harassed by drivers.

Despite all this, ohhhh how I love biking.

[conscious evolution]

5. Unfortunately,for every rider like you

there are five more who don't follow the rules of the road.
That said,there is probably ten asshole or ignorant drivers for every driver who respects bike riders rights.

Sucks,don't it?

[kestrel91316]

22. I have rarely seen cyclists riding irresponsibly or outright breaking laws in Los Angeles.

But need I tell you how many MILLIONS of car drivers over the past 26 years here I have seen doing so?????

It's not the cyclists who are the problem in this city. It's drivers who think they own the road. Many of them display their intelligence by screaming at me to get off the road, where I have every right to be. And no, I don't ride my bike in the left lane.

[dysfunctional press]

36. quite the opposite in chicago...

in the neighborhoods, i see more bicyclists breaking the law than abiding by it.

[HuckleB]

39. I guarantee that you're not paying attention.

To cyclists, or to automobile drivers.

[dysfunctional press]

52. where in chicago do you live?

:shrug:

[HuckleB]

62. ROTFLMAO!

I've been to Chicago enough to have seen plenty of cyclists stop at stop signs.

I've been to plenty of cities across this nation.

Now stop the BS.

[dysfunctional press]

86. if you don't live there, then you don't know what it's like. and it isn't b.s.

not stopping at stop signs, going the wrong way on one-way streets, riding on the sidewalks, not using hand signals when making turns or changing lanes, failing to yield for pedestrians, no lights on the bike after dusk, etc...

there are LOTS of traffic laws being broken by bicyclists everyday in the big city- these are just a few of them.

get a clue.

[GoCubsGo]

48. Here, too...

The other night, I saw I guy riding in the dark, no lights on his bike, no helmet, iPod plugged in his ears, riding AGAINST the traffic. On a road that has no shoulder. And, it was far from the first time I saw something like that. The local cycle club is just as bad. I'll encounter some of them on their Sunday morning ride. They'll be riding two and three abreast, and they won't move over for car traffic. Ironically, many of them have "Share the Road" bumper stickers on the backs of their vehicles.

[ThomThom]

63. I agree there are too many that do not follow the rules and they

give us that do a bad name. Given that the number of people riding bicycles for what ever reason has increased, the statistics should be going up on the number of serious accidents. People in cars and trucks are not good at looking for bikes and motorcycles. Public awareness needs to be increased, people need to understand that bikes are vehicles too and should obey the traffic laws. I personally do not ride in traffic unless it is on a back street, I refuse to compete with cars. Many times I have been threaten by people in cars, it is very dangerous on the streets for unprotected cyclists. I have even had a gun pointed at me because I slowed some irate person down, when I had a perfect right to be where I was.

[HuckleB]

9. Oh, lord.

It always amazes me to see the generalizations spread about bicyclists, while automobile drivers continue to break the law just as often, if not more.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

19. Really. I can't remember the last time I saw a bicyclist stop at a stop sign ..

... and half don't stop at red lights. Also, I don't recall a rash of car lane-splitting. Bikes? All the time - every day.

[HuckleB]

25. Then you're not paying attention.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

50. delete wrong spot

[drmeow]

23. I think you see more cycling

stupidity in younger riders which tapers off but driving stupidity continues at all ages. Older bikers don't have the invincibility delusion that younger bikers do - but the things drivers do that are dangerous to cyclists are done by drivers of all ages. Some of the mindnumbingly stupid things that younger bikers do can really stand out. Whenever I see one of the dumb college students riding down my street on the way home from campus talking on their cell phones, I cringe (never mind the ones who think the stop sign doesn't apply to them). When I know my partner rode his bike and is a little late getting home, I start to freak.

When I'm walking, I am afraid of being hit by both cars and bikes (and I've almost had nasty collisions with both). While cars have the potential to do more damage, but the bikes get ridden on walking paths so the risk seems greater.

As someone who walks and drives and used to bike all the time, I've become a much more considerate driver with respect to bikes and pedestrians. But too many drivers never walk or bike and so can't put themselves in those shoes.

[HuckleB]

26. Cell phones are ludicrous for all vehicles, including two feet, IMO.

[drmeow]

28. Amen to that n/t

[tonysam]

70. Let me tell you: Drivers can bitch all they want,

but if they hit and kill a cyclist, it will be THEIR fault regardless.

Myself I would prefer many more cycling lanes, and more away from downtown areas. But there has to be some level of security in bike paths that aren't adjacent to existing roads; there have been assaults, rapes, and murders on these paths.

[drmeow]

79. Not always

there was a case recently here in AZ where a driver hit and killed a cyclist and it was determined that the driver was not at fault. There are very real limits to how much a driver can do. I try to be a careful driver around cyclists because I was one and my partner is one. But I've seen situations (especially on campus) where a collision with a car would not have been the driver's fault - one in particular - if the cyclist had run the stop sign 10 or 15 seconds later, the laws of physics would have prevented the bus that he cut off from being able to stop and not hit him (the bus was already in the intersection and you can bet that had the cyclist been hit, I would have testified in any court of law that it was in NO WAY the driver's fault - and yes, the asshole cyclist was on his cell phone). Just last week there was the guy who nearly rode into me while I was in the crosswalk (on feet) when he ran the stop sign on his bike. And then he got pissed at me

Yes, there are plenty of douchbag drivers but as someone who works on a college campus and walks to and from that job 5 days a week, I have seen an awful lot of cyclist potential Darwin award winners every day. If we assume that the societal idiot vehicle operators are randomly distributed, you would expect the same proportion of idiots on bikes as you see in cars. College age bike riders seem to be particular assholes - just as college age drivers seem to have a higher number of assholes.

In Santa Barbara riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol is as serious a charge as driving a car under the influence. The drunk cyclist who slammed into my car there was very much at fault (he immediately jumped back on his bike and took off - given the dent in my trunk, I wonder how much damage was done to his bike).

[dysfunctional press]

53. you're obviously not paying attention.

on a percentage basis- a bigger share of bicyclists break the rules of the road than cars.

[kestrel91316]

20. Like clockwork, a bike hater jumps in to make like it's THE VICTIM'S FAULT.

I ride my bike a fair bit in Los Angeles. But I refuse to ride to work during the week (2.5 miles) because of the numerous times I have had motorists not just be rude but in some cases TRY TO KILL ME. And yes, I obey all laws and ride very reasonably and responsibly.

Perhaps one of those assholes was YOU.

[tinrobot]

30. Cars outweigh most cyclists by at least 10:1

But more importantly, in most cities, they outnumber them by over 1000:1. So, even if only one percent of drivers are assholes, that means we have 10 times as many assholes to deal with than drivers.

When drivers have to deal with cyclists, their biggest consequence is a dented fender.

Cyclists face death.

Think about it.

[unkachuck]

21. bull....

"Zipping in and out of traffic, running red lights, lane splitting."

....maybe kids riding on sidewalks don't obey every traffic law, but the adults I know and ride with, do. As far as I know, cyclists have a right to use the roadway (unless restricted) in all 50 states like any other vehicle. It's motorist Killing and Injuring cyclists because the damn motorist won't follow the Rules of the Road!

....whether it's drivers that won't give the proper vehicular clearance when passing, who charge through stops and intersections oblivious to cyclists or drivers who are to damn distracted by cell-phones and hamburgers, it's the motorized vehicles that are causing the danger and problem.

....it's only when our state got serious with high fines and long prison terms for killing a roadway worker, that things started to improve....ideally cyclists need their own roadway out of competition with motorized vehicles but until then, there needs to be high fines and long prison terms for killing a pedestrian or cyclist....and yes, I own and drive a car too....

[ThomThom]

64. I will pay the ticket for riding on the sidewalk rather than risk death.

A car is a deadly weapon in the hands of many drivers when it comes to cyclists.

[backscatter712]

72. It's actually more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk.

Cars can't see you at all on the sidewalk, when you cross driveways and intersections, you risk a car pulling out right in front of you or backing into you, you endanger pedestrians, etc.

The studies are pretty conclusive - the safest place to be is on the road, riding WITH traffic, using proper reflectors or lights so cars can see you. By all means, stay right where possible, and let cars go around you, but at the same time, you have the right to use a little bit of lane if you're running past parked cars and don't want to get doored.

[ThomThom]

78. ???

get a grip

[backscatter712]

84. The numbers don't lie

http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/sidepath/sidecrash.htm

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Library/riskfactors.htm

It is indeed more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk than on the road. Cars can't see you if you're riding on the sidewalk if there's obstructions like parked cars in the way, and if they turn in front of you or into you, they won't see you until it's too late.

[tinrobot]

27. There is no love lost between cyclists and drivers.

The only thing both sides seem to be able to agree upon is that hate each other and they both want to stay the hell away from each other.

Rather than pointing fingers, perhaps both sides should work to create a true cycling infrastructure for major cities. This means separate roads for the bikes, not just a white stripe on the right side of the road. The further apart we keep cyclists and drivers, the happier both sides will be.

[tinrobot]

35. Here's what happens when drivers are assholes.

This happened earlier this year in Los Angeles. Two experienced riders were descending down a canyon road. A driver, who was upset at being held up, passed them and then immediately slammed on his brakes in anger, sending one of the cyclists through his back window.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comments_blog/2009/01/doctor-cyclists.html

The driver had no injuries. The cyclist was lucky to walk away with his life, much less his face. So when you complain about cyclists being assholes, just remember that one asshole driver can do a hell of a lot more damage to a cyclist than one asshole cyclist could ever do to a driver.

[Robb]

44. There is always a "food chain." Semi trucks, SUVs, cars, motorcycles...

...bicycles, and pedestrians.

One's choice of transportation does not guarantee they are not an asshole. :hi:

[tinrobot]

81. There was a study of NYC bicycle incidents.

The study found that 90% of all car-bike collisions were the car's fault.

Food chain, indeed.

[Ignis]

60. +1

Thanks for showing the disparity in power in this car/bike equation. :hi:

[Ian David]

2. Bicycle riding is hard work...

Details Emerge of Bush's Scotland Bicycle Accident
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2006/02/26/831/90801

Another Bush bike accident takes out Scottish Policman...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x529660

Bush bruised after bicycle bang
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3739515.stm

[Robb]

4. It's interesting it's not the number of injuries, but their severity that's increased.

I live here, and I'm not sure Denver's bike path system is all that.

For example, in my neighborhood their are exceptionally wide and fantastic-looking bike lanes on a main artery I've never seen a bike on.

By contrast, I always seem to see a lot of bikes in places with narrow or no bike lanes. :shrug:

[rucky]

8. I think some of these newer bikes give the riders a false sense of security.

just a theory.

[HuckleB]

10. How do you come to that conclusion?

[rucky]

13. They're designed to be pushed harder.

In different terrains, higher speeds, etc. People naturally want to test the limits of the equipment, but may overestimate their own skills.

[HuckleB]

14. I get that.

I don't get the false sense of security, however.

[tinrobot]

38. I think it's the rise of fixed gears and road bikes

A decade ago, mountain bikes were the bike of choice. Those bikes are slower, but also made for trail riding rather than street riding.

Since then, Lance Armstrong has made road cycling much more popular. Add to that the bike messenger inspired fixed gear hipster communities in most cities, and you have a lot more bikes on the road.

[HuckleB]

41. Fixies are still a big minority, even in a fixie town like Portland.

And road bikes vs. mountain bikes are still selling at about the same rates they have for 25 years.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. WHAT biking infrastructure would that be?

I used to bike 15 miles to work, with a place I could shower and change.

Then, one morning, a drunk took aim and repeatedly tried to knock me off my bike. The witnesses said he was laughing and yelling at the time. Luckily, his aim was quite off.

[Buzz Clik]

7. Your incident with the drunk is a sad story, but well apart from bicycle infrastructure.

A real bicycle infrastructure would include bike paths that actually go somewhere useful. Adequate, marked and enforced bike lanes.

All this can be negated by carelessness, recklessness, and negligence by bikers and drivers.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

46. chicago is allegedly a bike friendly shitty.

It is, at the lakefront. But elsewhere? not so much.

[dysfunctional press]

54. get away from the lakefront a little more...

bike lanes aren't really needed in the neighborhoods- where most of the streets are one-way, and don't have much traffic. and a lot of the busier streets have been cut down to one lane, with a bike lane as well- lawrence and elston, for example.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

55. precisely the location where the drunk took aim at me.

and my bike lane. I think he hit 3 cars in the process, along one whole block. Luckily I was unscratched.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

56. precisely the location where the drunk took aim at me.

and my bike lane. I think he hit 3 cars in the process, along one whole block. Luckily I was unscratched.

[Bigmack]

11. Too fast!...

We ride nearly every day. Sometimes 6 miles, sometimes 20 miles. We're old and slow and ride heavy bikes and wear visibility vests and helmets, and we bike very defensively.

I read the anti-biker stuff in earlier posts, and I agree... to a point. There's lots of assholes out there, and some of them drive, some bike, some ride motorcycles, some of them drive boats... even sailboats! The biking assholes are no different than the others. Some of the gung-ho bikers are like the gung-ho sailboaters.. they never give the right-of-way to anybody.

One of the biggest problems is bikers with Type-A personalities.... drive!...drive!...drive! Add a $2500, 15 lb bike and $250 worth of clothes. These people want to ride FAST, and sometimes without those helmets that mess up their expensive haircuts. The roads, and even the bike lanes, are not good enough for that. When they crash, they are bound to get hurt worse than somebody going slower with a heavier bike.

[kestrel91316]

24. Here in Los Angeles I think the Type A's wouldn't be caught DEAD

on a bicycle, no matter how pricey. They race their high-end imports (always black, except for the red Ferraris)) down the streets.

[DBoon]

29. and they view people in bicycles as losers and hippy anarchists

who deserve to be run over.

Seriously, I think there are a number of motorists who believe they have the right to flatten any cyclist they see.

For example:

Cyclists from around the City were looking forward to Councilman Bill Rosendahl's Community Forum scheduled for tonight and it was that significant citywide interest that may have been responsible for causing the Forum to be canceled.

It was last Wednesday that Councilman Rosendahl called for the Forum in response to the significant outcry over the Mandeville Road Rage incident of July 4th that left two cyclists badly injured, the motorist facing multiple felony charges and the community divided, with many shocked at the motorist's behavior and others complaining that the cyclists had it coming.

LAist broke the story a week ago and the debate roiled. The LA Times article of Wednesday has received over 600 comments to date, many of them vehement in their criticism of the cyclists in this incident as well as of cyclists in general. The LAWheelmen received an email from a woman stating "HOORAY FOR THE DOCTOR. It's about time you lawless bunch of crayolas get what you deserve! There are several of us current and former La Habra Heights residents ready, willing and able to testify on behalf of the doctor. YOU DON'T OWN THE STREETS, don't follow the law and are a blight on society."

from http://laist.com/2008/07/14/tensions_flare_rosendahl_cancels_cy.php

[tinrobot]

37. Drivers tend to forget how easy driving can be...

Drivers control vehicles with immense amounts of power with not much more than a press of a toe and a flick of the wrist. They're bathed in air conditioning, sit in leather seats, listen to stereos, and have cup holders to make the experience even easier.

Yet they complain and get angry when a cyclist gets in their precious way. Chill out, sit back in that leather seat, drink your Big Gulp and turn up your stereo while you wait for a safe opportunity to pass that cyclist.

...and smile at the cyclist, because that bike is one less car to stink up your air.

[ThomThom]

65. then there are the kids on their Japanese motorcycles racing threw

traffic at 120+ on the freeway I saw a couple weeks ago. They might even have been hitting 140. My heart didn't stop pounding for 5 miles after they flew past me. They scared the hell out of me. There are plenty of assholes to go around.

[Ignis]

61. I grew up in LA, and I wouldn't bike there.

Despite the high number of asshole drivers here in the Bay Area, it is just about a million times worse in LA, and the "cycling infrastructure" (which really means designated bike lanes, at BEST :eyes: ) in LA is horrible compared to SF.

Stay safe out there! :hi:

[SeattleGirl]

12. I would guess that the fault for that lies somewhere in the middle

of the cyclist/driver/infrastructure triangle. In the area of Seattle where I work, many many people get around on bikes, and while I think that's great, what I don't think is great are all the cyclists who run red lights, pedal down the middle of a lane holding up traffic, dart in and out of traffic, and other things that scare the bejesus out of me.

I've also seen my fair share of drivers who seem to think that cyclists are out just for them to intimidate, and that pisses me off. A bicycle is no match for a car, even a very small car.

Then there's the infrastructure. Many of Seattle streets now have bike lanes, but far more don't, so oftentimes, cyclists have no choice but to ride in the same lanes in which cars travel. My daughter used to bike everywhere, but she had so many near-misses she switched to the bus.

I would love to see more bike-friendly areas in Seattle, that help keep bikers AND drivers safe (or safer, at least).

[MajorChode]

15. Bike pathways suck

I feel a lot safer on the roads. Bike trails are great if you're going 5mph or less. Anything faster and you're flirting with disaster.

[HuckleB]

17. It doesn't sound like the pathways you've been on should qualify as bike pathways.

[MajorChode]

34. Regardless of how you qualify them...

it's pretty hard to keep the skateboarders, skaters, joggers, and dog walkers off of them and the reality is they are much better suited to those activities. Even if you can somehow reserve them exclusively for bikers they are still dangerous because of the varying speeds, bikers who don't know how to signal when passing, bikers who meander all over the trail, obstructed curves, etc.

[HuckleB]

40. Not where I live.

I can go as fast as my ability allows on most of the paths here. The populations you describe are not going to travel as far as a cyclist, by far. They may slow things down in specific area, but not on the whole.

[MajorChode]

42. It's the same here

There's no speed limits on the bike trails around here. I'm talking about urban and suburban areas where most bike trails exist. The only question is how smart is it to go as fast as your ability allows? If your ability only allows you to do 5mph, no problem, but even at my age I can average around 18mph and on down slopes I can do considerably better. Younger and/or riders in better shape can do better than that. You'd need a death wish to do that on bike trails.

If you want to ride fast on bike trails, well it's a free country for the most part. Lots of people do, but you won't find too many highly experienced riders that do it. They wouldn't be caught dead on a bike trail, literally.

[HuckleB]

51. Hardly.

Going 20 mph or so on the bike trails I ride is not dangerous.

[MajorChode]

71. Keep thinking that

Why do you think the vast majority of cyclists that are doing 20mph(and practically all the ones who have been doing it for any length of time) are not on bike trails, or has such not crossed your mind?

[Gormy Cuss]

66. I'd rather play dodge'em with similar weighted travelers than cars.

On the many bike trails around here I average 10-12 MPH. Some sections I can average 15+ miles an hour if there are few road crossings. That's about the same as on the roads parallel to them because of stoplights and the need to accommodate lane changes and turning traffic.

I use the roads only when I can't use a bike path and tend to stay on those with bike lanes as much as possible just because drivers tend to be less annoyed than when I need to travel on the edge of a lane. Most shoulders here are gravel and really a rough ride.

[MajorChode]

75. Lots of people feel that way

Lots of people refuse to fly commercial and instead prefer to drive, but the reality is they are far less safe. Sometimes the perception doesn't line up with reality and often danger is misperceived. While biking is most likely to be statistically more dangerous than driving (there aren't enough available statistics to tell for sure), if you wear a helmet, don't ride drunk, and use lights in low visibility conditions, your safety improves exponentially and most likely comes close to driving or perhaps even becomes safer. Risk can be managed and mitigated.

[Raschel]

18. A friend of mine was out of work for two weeks after she collided with another biker. On that same

day a woman here in Minneapolis died after a she collided head on with another biker.

[MajorChode]

32. People get a false sense of security on bike paths

[ChairmanAgnostic]

47. even in Chicago, there are dedicated bike lanes

except at oak street beach. As I was walking me puppy at 6pm on a great summer day, one biker tore past me at 30 mph. Around the blind curve, came his mirror image, at about the same speed. Ever see a head on collision between two bikes? No one wins. Two ambulances were needed. The bikes were trash.

[bridgit]

16. Davis is a 'bike town', here downtown/midtown many ride bikes...

SF is even worse. A common theme is that cyclists too often, which certainly appears to be the case; lallygag down the street waiting for others to start looking out for them as if rolling through the French countryside in a gauzy dress with a baguette in a basket but then through red/don't walk city lights on cell phones, with ear buds, lighting & smoking cigs like they're not sharing roads with cars with their own operators maybe not paying attention - it can be a matter for comparative negligence but it is no less than a recipe for broken bones

[Roon]

31. Boulder Co. has a network of bike paths and there are bikes everywhere

especially when you get close to campus. The biggest issue with the Boulder cyclists I think is having to share the path with skateboarders. There are plenty of skateboarders everywhere.

[Blue_Tires]

33. the story doesn't give any details to the nature of the major accidents...

how many were a result of Evel Knievel--X-games-jackass type stunts? I smashed up my body a few times as a kid on my BMX...

[taterguy]

43. "Researchers at the University of Colorado hope to obtain funding . . . "

Sorry, the cynic in me wonders if they're just kinda sorta making stuff up to justify a grant.

As for whether or not it's getting more dangerous, well, there are more vehicles of all types on the road. So of course things will be more dangerous.

And yes, we need more infrastructure, but it's a chicken / egg thing.

There's no cycling infrastructure because not enough people cycle, and people don't cycle because there isn't adequate infrastructure.

[LeftHander]

45. Milwaukee is tough...even for cars....much less bikes.

I ride to work 16 miles one way. In city is not too bad in early morning but out twords my work I end up on a two lane shoulderless road with giant quarries at the end. Big Rock trucks barrel down the road both ways. The road is a residential access type road. With schools, kids and little commercial development but large amount of residential access. Waukesha country ignores this road and the dangerous trucks speeding on it.. Shoulders could be put in...but the "no tax low tax keep things the same forever" republicans do nothing as always.

[GoCubsGo]

49. Cycling Infrastructure?

What's that? Here in the South, there is no such thing. Cyclists are target practice for the rednecks. I quit riding 20 years ago, after one close call too many. And, I got sick of people throwing things at me from passing cars. A former housemate of mine was hit by a full 2-liter bottle of soda while riding his bike. Granted, some cyclists don't help matters any, as my post upthread points out.

[taterguy]

57. Don't wear Cubs gear when biking in the South

This is Braves Country.

On a somewhat less snarky note I don't appreciate your generalization about an entire region.

I've biked about 20,000 miles on roads below the Mason Dixon Line.

I've been yelled at a few times but no one's ever thrown anything at me or done anything intentional to jeopardize my safefy.

YMMV of course

[GoCubsGo]

68. You are lucky.

Just because you haven't had problems does not mean that the rest of us have not. I have lived in multiple states down here, as have my friends. We have all had things thrown at us on multiple occasions, and had numerous close calls. At least two of my friends have been hit more than once. I don't call that "generalization." Just saying...

[taterguy]

73. Stop wearing the damn Cubs gear

Some of the natives down here are still holding a grudge over things done by noted Cubs fan Abe Lincoln.

ps: When you say "here in the South", it's a generalization.

There are lots of Southern cities that are very bike friendly and make significant investments in bicycle facilities.

I'd name them but then we'd have to have a debate about whether or not certain cities are Southern.

[Kermitt Gribble]

58. Great, mandatory helmets will be right around the corner.

:puke:

[SeattleGirl]

67. Some areas already have mandatory helmet laws, like Seattle

Yeah, you can look like a dork, but it's better than living with a head injury.

[bikebloke]

59. I ride defensively.

I assume everybody is out to kill me, and ride appropriately. Since I'm on the road everyday, I keep an eye on car behavior. It's grown worse over the years. Especially now with mobiles, texting and DVD watching by drivers. They haven't chased me out of the saddle, and they won't. Though I've found when they see you taking their license number, the reckless drivers freak out "Hey man, I didn't mean it...C'mun, let's talk..."

And there are dingo bikers aplenty. A lot of spills and crashes can be avoided by just using the fucking brakes.

[PVnRT]

69. I like where this thread is going

:popcorn:

[backscatter712]

74. You need a pic with that...

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

76. I just want to know why suburban bike riders do so in the street...

I mean, seriously... everyday I must pass one or two yahoos riding out in the road. Now this is not so bad in crowded cities or out in the country except I live in a suburban-setting city that has sidewalks on probably +90% of the streets. There are rarely even casual walkers on the sidewalks so I cannot fathom why a bike rider would have to be in the street. And it's not like they're even riding up next to the curb so a car can safely pass - the riders are right out in the middle of the lanes. On top of it all, they rarely follow the traffic rules as if they travel so slowly, laws designed for cars must not apply to them. Pisses me off to no end. It's nothing but undue risks for both riders and drivers when the safe & logical alternative (sidewalks) are never used.

Seriously... all it takes is for one boneheaded distracted driver on a cell phone or turned around yelling at the kids to hit some bike rider.
Even doing a paltry 25mph, a bike rider could be easily killed by a minivan or car.
Riders who use the roads instead of open sidewalks are like republicans... I just want to shake the stupid out of them.
:rant:

[taterguy]

77. Because the biggest threat to a cyclist is traffic on cross streets . . .

Maybe if you spent more time on a bike you'd realize why they do the things they do.

Yes, not obeying traffic laws is annoying but everyone does that.

Have you noticed that turn signals are now treated as "not required if I'm on an important phone call"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6807130&mesg_id=6811115

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

80. I spent 5 years in college and rode a bike to/from everyday (winter included)

I rode everyday on the sidewalks and only used streets when crossing or avoiding sidewalk construction/obstruction.
Riding in the streets with cars that weighed TONS is absolutely stupid.
Heck, in college if the sidewalk was congested, I simply rode on the grass strip (I had a 10 speed mountain bike).

I fail to see why cross-street traffic is any more or less a threat to a sidewalk-rider versus a street-rider.
In either case, the cyclist should stop and look both ways or visually determine so upon reaching the intersection before crossing.
Assuming a 50lb bike has right of way over a 4000lb vehicle because a little red octagonal sign says so is asinine.

And drivers that do not use turn signals is another peeve of mine. It's terribly rude (and against the law) not to signal.

[taterguy]

83. Stopped car at intersection doesn't see you and starts moving

A) The likelihood of the car seeing you in the first place is greater if you're in the road since that's where cars look.

B) If you're on the sidewalk you'll have much less time and distance to react.

C) If you're gonna make stuff up please be plausible about it. There's no such thing as a 10 speed mountain bike. Mountain bikes have extra gears, to use when you're climbing a steep ascent in mountains. If you cite the specs of the specific bike that you allegedly had then I will humbly apologize.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

85. I did not make anything up.

I went to school in cleveland and the campus was quite spread out. A bike cut down on the 15-20 minute walk considerably.
Plus, it was mostly downhill on the way back from classes so the ride back to the dorms (and food) was made easy.

The bike had 5 gear sprockets on the rear wheel, and 2 pedal gear sprockets (hi & low). Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that is a "10 speed" (5 high gear combinations and 5 low). The bike also had a nifty little front wheel and seat spring shock absorbing system with fat off-roady looking tires. It was one of those cheapo (<$100) walmart bikes because riding a nice bike in salt/snowy Cleveland winters rusts everything to hell. It was the kind of bike you throw away when some thug steals your wheels because it's cheaper to just buy a new one. As such, it may not have been a true mountain bike... but certainly looked the part, imo.

[taterguy]

87. You rode it five years and don't remember what kind it was

Sure

Whatever

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

88. Sure, I'll go to to my parents house, dig through the shed and take a picture tonight just for you!

Go fuck yourself... seriously. :eyes:

[taterguy]

89. This is why it can be dangerous to be a cyclist

Some of you cager-types have a lot of anger management issues.

[taterguy]

90. Where's the picture you promised me?

Guess you were lying about that too.

[Gormy Cuss]

82. It's illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk unless the sidewalk is a posted bikeway.

So if you care about cyclists obeying the traffic laws, remember that we belong on the street and in most places drivers need to accommodate us in the travel lane whenever there is no bike lane or paved shoulder, or when we need to make a left turn. We aren't there for chuckles.