just take the whole goddamn lane in situations like that
fuck the cabbie who has to slow down behind you
heres the deal:
if you continue to allow yourself to be put in situations in which you are relying entirely on threatening driving of an angry cabbie
to not cross the line
and the randomness of doors opening etc.
you will get hurt or die
take the whole goddamn lane if it is down hill and your turn is coming up
left lane
right lane
whatever
the chances of getting hooked or doored or so much greater than being run down from behind that it makes the choice clear
you have kids
and cyclists have a right to the whole fucking road not just the deadly parts of it[/quote]
+AMILLIONZ
I wish someone would have told me that when I first started riding in a city, it took me a while to realize that hey “no person in even a halfway working right mind would hit my from behind”. I still split lanes and everything when traffic gets tight and I need to pass some autofools but now for the most part I go at my own speed (whether fast or slow) and take the whole lane.
In fact, I was thinking I was taking the lane in the situation above… except for a semi-maniac like the cabbie I mentioned, I’ve never had someone try to share the lane when I’ve had the position I had.
That’s why the cabbie’s behavior was so surprising, because I was out of door range (at least 2+ feet), and these lanes (De La Vina near Sola, for those who know the town) are not wide at all. I always take the lane when the situation warrants and do so very assertively.
But apparently I left just barely enough room for the cabbie to try to “share” aggressively. The guy was obviously a much bigger jackass than I…
Taking the lane, especially on the types of streets we have in this town where the lanes are substandard width and there are parked cars everywhere, is defo FTW.
Actually, for the most part I’m pretty chill on the road bike. I think it’s because I mainly don’t ride that downtown much if at all, instead up on the much less crowded roads in the foothills.
But also, since it has gears I can obviously be more mellow about maintaining my speed… whereas on the fixed gear, once I get moving, I don’t like to stop. Stopping impedes the zen LOL
I hate cabbies. Like I try so hard to give all groups the benefit of the doubt and keep from stereotyping but I HATE CABBIES. On my bike I have problems with them. When I was riding my motorcycle consistently I had problems with them and they don’t seem to give a fuck. They honk their obnoxious horns all the time and drive like fucktards when its snowy out with their bald tires.
[quote=“tarckatina”]Not riding like a jackass is a lot more fun on a road bike.
For real, I way prefer extreme stop and go with two brakes/gears.[/quote]
Man I don’t, the only time I like gears is when I can really open it up and get moving. I like the fixed gear specifically for traffic and sitting at lights (if I don’t run it and bust a wicked skid)
This is a great topic. Sometimes I find myself doing ridiculously dangerous shit (my bag once got caught on a mirror when filtering between a parked semi and a line of moving SUVs, a gap just wide enough for the bike but not for my bag). The high is something I haven’t found elsewhere, and I only reach the point riding fixed. I think something about the drivetrain moving all the time makes it feel like the bike wants you to go fast, even when it’s dangerous, even when you have to pull crazy moves to keep up your 20mph+ speed.
Maybe try a freewheel if you’re worried about dying?
Apparently? Do you live here, or just opining from afar?[/quote]
T, have you ever been to Santa Barbara?[/quote]
I live in Santa Barbara, I guess i misread the OP thinking he said it was crazy traffic but he really said “Mind you this is all in downtown-style traffic mainly moving 15-30mph, somewhat heavy but not crazy.” I was picturing NYC traffic.
Thanks for articulating something I feel about riding a fixed gear, too – the damn things seem to scream “gimme gimme more faster harder” and, well, I just don’t refuse.
That’s precisely the problem: I’m not worrying, at least not when I’m riding…
It’s only afterward, when I contemplate what a fool I’ve been
I feel faster on my fixed then when I compare to actual numbers I am tons slower. I also feel faster when its dark out, and feel faster on the dirt but the numbers show I am truly faster on a road bike, on the road.
Unfortunately I think the only thing that will calm you down in an actual crash or collision.
Not saying it should happen, or I would want that to happen. But damn, I haven’t been on my bike since I’ve been hit. I don’t know how I’ll feel when I do. But I’m kinda not looking forward to the first day or two.
I guess you just need to get over the mental block about your invincibility and accept that your body is a pretty delicate thing that can get fucked up real fast if you’re not careful.
[quote=“danger_scott”][quote=“tarckatina”]Not riding like a jackass is a lot more fun on a road bike.
For real, I way prefer extreme stop and go with two brakes/gears.[/quote]
Man I don’t, the only time I like gears is when I can really open it up and get moving. I like the fixed gear specifically for traffic and sitting at lights (if I don’t run it and bust a wicked skid)[/quote]
i was without a fixed gear for a while, and i found that i did not like riding in traffic on a geared bike. it may have been that the bike was too big and the brakes were set up too low, but i just didn’t like the feeling. it was nice to not have to worry about pedal strike, but…
Thank you TarckBike.com, with your help I successfully avoided riding like a jackass on both my rides to and from work today. I had opportunities - but I held back. And I didn’t die. Today was a Good Day.
Admitting you have a problem is the first step… now I’m just hoping I don’t backslide!
