Two wheels versus four
You might have noticed that people in Richmond love their bikes. That is unless they don’t ride a bike and sometimes hate sharing the road with people that do. If you bike to and fro, what are things like for you while trying to navigate the streets alongside enormously heavy pieces of steel that could […]
You might have noticed that people in Richmond love their bikes. That is unless they don’t ride a bike and sometimes hate sharing the road with people that do.
If you bike to and fro, what are things like for you while trying to navigate the streets alongside enormously heavy pieces of steel that could crush you?
If you opt for the four-wheel mode of transportation, what are your thoughts on your two-wheel wielding co-citizens of the streets?
-
Recommend this
on Facebook -
Report an error
-
Subscribe to our
Weekly Digest
Valerie Catrow
Valerie Catrow is editor of RVAFamily, mother to a mop-topped first grader, and always really excited to go to bed.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
I actually got used to the absurd pace and unpredictablity of traffic and learned to love my slower, more vulnerable, less hostile perspective. I’m even used to drivers who like to yell “faggot” and “loser” at me, as if transportation could ever define my sexuality or status. What I never get used to is the wind and the rain. The wind drains my energy and gets me hella frustrated and the rain just makes the ride miserable. Also, the sand that gets put down for that one day of snow seems to stick around through summer, turning a wet day into a muddy one, and a windy day into scratched corneas. Well that’s it. Thanks.
Those two-wheelers are not co-citizens! I bet most of them don’t even vote. I bet they couldn’t even win the “How the President Died” game (http://twinfatuation.blogspot.com/2009/04/testing-twins.html) and don’t wash between their toes. Other than that, I think they’re swell. I do my best to slow my careening piece of steel when I am near them, to share the road and not attempt to crush them. Sometimes, at stoplights, I’ll offer them a sip of my soda.
While I don’t ride a bike, I appreciate people who do. But I never know – do they want me to pass them or not? I basically don’t want them to feel like I’m trying to kill them.
Also, bikes don’t go on the sidewalk. Otherwise they’d be called sidebikes.
let me say this.
last night a little after 2 am i was riding my bike home. a car full of dorky college bros was driving on floyd. they swerved towards me a couple of times trying to pretend like they were going to hit me.
i followed them for awhile they ran a red light to get away from me. i caught up to them at main and vine.
got their plate and called the cops.
idiots.
sometimes i wish i carried a gun.
I bike everywhere, and the biggest problem I have is with cars that fail to signal. Folks, don’t get ticked with me for blocking your turn when I don’t know you’re turning.
I tend to use 4 wheels because, well I’m lazy for one but two I live 20 mins away from work, which is in the fan. I wish I lived closer so I could ride my bike to work (like in college) but 13 miles up and back is a bit too much for me.
Here are my problems with “bikers”
1. don’t run traffic lights, stop signs, etc. cause I stop for them and assume you obey the law too and if you don’t, I may hit you.
2. don’t drive the wrong way on a one way street (main st for example), I also may hit you.
3. don’t drive on the sidewalks cause you may hit me and I’ll be super pissed.
4. A combination: don’t ride on sidewalks going down main street in the opposite direction and then cross over intersections without even looking. I haven’t hit you yet, but I may if I am on a cross street, or rather you may just run into the side of my car in which I will just look at you like you are a complete idiot.
For 4 wheel riders:
1. Use your turn signal, Donna can’t read your mind and neither can I.
2. I hear that a car that is hesitant on passing a bike is really just annoying the bike rider. (it’s just what I hear)
3. Share the freaking road, otherwise they will start riding on sidewalks. And I have already gone over that.
I think some people just don’t know these rules when it comes to sharing the street with cars: bike with the traffic, walk against it.
But again, that’s just some people. I think anyone who primarily uses a bike as their means of transportation deserves some props for their smaller carbon footprint.
i bike a little and drive a car a little (more).
the vast majority of bikers run red lights and stop signs. sometimes without slowing down. i don’t really care so long as it doesn’t effect anybody else. when driving, i don’t even look the opposite way down a one way street before pulling out. so, if you’re riding the opposite direction, good luck in the battle between your face and my honda element. and i will expect you to pay for any damages.
yes, pass bikers. yea, you’re saving the planet except for the line 50 cars behind you on the road an extra 10 min each bc of your slow ass.
in the year 2000 we’ll all be flying our cars anyway and bikers can just have the roads.
My favorite trick the 4-wheelers use is the ‘drive right up behind you and honk’ trick. Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate that. What are we in middle school?
As for passing 2-wheelers, by all means, do it, assuming it’s safe to do so. Sometimes we may even give you a wave to let you know it’s clear.
@scott, I’m not sure how I feel about the ‘stop at all stop signs and red lights’ rule. Technically, yeah you’re right, but assuming the bike slows down and makes sure it’s clear, it seems like going through is one of the advantages of riding, especially if you shoes are clipped in.
So bikes and cars are supposed to play by the same rules on the road. But, I ride a bike pretty often and I say SCREW THAT. The roads and rules are taylored to cars, not bikes. It’s hard work to propel yourself on a bike and I am not interested in stopping at lights/signs when there is obviously no danger present. Breaking and looking both ways, yes. Coming to a stop and starting again repeatedly, while two-ton steel monsters get away with everything under the sun while on their cell phones (and kinda ruining our planet), well, it’s just asking a bit much.
Valerie’s praise and admiration isn’t a very satisfying trade-off (no offense). There need to be advantages and incentives for cyclists. We want reparations. No, make that a permanent right of way. And force fields! Why should cyclists have to be late everywhere and yield to cars in ever instance? Because we’ll die if we don’t? That sucks. I like Chris Wolf’s tolerant attitude, but most of these other comments seem to come from a car-culture mindset. My angle might be a liability to any cycling advocacy campaign, but I don’t think many people would argue that Richmond does enough to encourage bicycling.
Valerie, I agree that bikes have no place on the sidewalk. But, when I’ve done it, it was to get out of the way of some timid driver creeping along behind me instead of passing. ;-)
I bike and i pull over reasonably to the right to let cars pass. when i drive i hate when a biker dosent move over to the right so i can pass safely.
Most bikers will move to the right to let cars pass if they hear them (biking with an ipod? are you insane? one of my roommates does that and I admonish him for it all the time). When I bike i move as far to the right as possible to let cars pass me, if there is a place where I know I won’t be able to (I.e. going east on park avenue right before vcu – there are large potholes) then I’ll wait until I know I won’t get a flat from hitting the pothole and move over, sometimes I’ll even stop if there’s an aggressive car behind me.
I think that following the traffic rules is a good guideline for bikers, but they shouldn’t be forced to do it like cars are. Most of the time I stop at red lights and check to see if it’s clear (and it usually is). and travel right through them. At 4-way stops I often just run them if they are clear, if there is a car coming I stop and give it right-of-way. I haven’t had many problems using this mentality, and I’ve only gotten honked at maybe once or twice. I seem to have a much bigger problem when using my 4-wheeled vehicle, especially in the fan, because bikers will just assume I’m looking for them I guess? My dad always told me to ride a bicycle assuming you’re invisible, don’t expect cars or people to see you.
I don’t really ride for transportation as my job is up towards Ashland but I often takes rides from the Southside (Forest Hill and Powhite) across the Nickel Bridge, through the Fan, VCU campus, downtown, and if I’m feeling it, up to Church Hill. I try and choose roads that aren’t too busy but sometimes just for speed I’ll cruise down Cary. I bought myself the brightest tail light money can buy and have a decent head light as well. So far no issues with traffic or rude drivers. One guy actually complimented my tail light while we sitting at a stop light on Franklin Street. That’s one thing I make sure I always do… treat myself as a vehicle and obey all traffic signs and signals. I’ll watch with amusement (and a bit of irritation) as some VCU kid on a fixed gear bike and no lights drifts aimlessly through a red light. I honestly can’t believe more people aren’t hit in the Fan with the bad habits of many of the bike riders there.
I’m a cyclist and a driver, and a motorcycle rider, too. I’ve done lots of complaining on the hypocrisy with regard to cycling. As a cyclist, I must obey all laws of the road as if I were on 4-wheels. I must stop at stop-signs and red-lights. I must use hang signals. I may not ride against traffic. I must ride as close to the shoulder or curb as safely possible. In return, I am to be treated with the same respect as another vehicle on the road. Yeah, too bad it just doesn’t work that way. We don’t obey the laws, so we don’t get respected as a motorist. We don’t get respected as a motorist, so we don’t obey the laws.
As a cyclist I’m certainly guilty of disobeying traffic laws, even blatantly in front of law enforcement, though I didn’t know it at the time. I’m also guilty of yelling at cars that ignore my existence and pass me with just a foot or less of space, often times this provokes me to make a gesture at them. And as a motorist, I’m even guilty of honking at cyclists, though the only time I can recall doing this is when the guy was in the center of the left lane not permitting anyone to pass.
Wearing my two-wheel’d hat (or helmet as the case may be), I have the following to say to drivers: Give us some respect! Pass us safely (18+ inches); the 10-seconds you wasted behind me won’t kill you. Look out for us, and motorcycles too!
A driver’s message to bikes: Stop going the wrong way down a street. Please obey the laws sometimes. Get over to the right as much as possible. Be courteous back to us and maybe you’ll earn a little respect
Unfortunately there is no real solution to this problem. Not even bike lanes will eliminate the problem, though they would certainly alleviate some of it.
As far as getting over to the right, isn’t that an issue when riding down streets where cars are parked? I could easily imagine a car-driver not paying attention as he’s/she’s is opening the door to get out of the car and clotheslining someone.
Getting “doored” is always a concern. I ride to the left and within a foot or two of the white line on the right which allows plenty of room for anything (except for perhaps a Hummer) to pass me without having to stray too far outside of his/her lane. If my facts are straight (which happens on rare occasion), it is the fault of the door operator should a door be opened and hit by passing traffic, even if that traffic is a bicycle. It is said that the best thing to do if you see a door open slightly but don’t have enough time to avoid it before the operator opens it fully is to push the door shut as you go by. I haven’t had the opportunity, thankfully; I’ve always been able to swerve away and into a clear lane. Its also wise to scan ahead for cars that have just parked, or cars that have people sitting in them. Assume they could open their door at any time. When the brake lights go off, the door usually opens just a few moments later.
I wonder which would inflict more bodily harm, being doored or hit from behind by a car.
I ride as close to the cars as I can, and look at the side view mirrors to see if anyone is in the car to make sure I don’t get doored. A lot of times you can see traffice behind you in the side mirrors of parked cars too.
I think bikes are major assets in the city; if I wasn’t half-blind, I’d like to think I’d be riding one too.
My major concern re: bikes is the fact that when riding on streets, cyclists don’t reliably follow traffic laws. I know the signals/signs are meant for cars, but I thought that (by law) bicycles had to stop at lights, stops, etc.
All too often while driving in the Fan I’ve had cyclists roll out in front of me w/o looking, pull U-turns in traffic and cross intersections against the light.
Maybe I see this b/c I drive a Prius (quiet), but I’ve seen it happen to other vehicles while I’ve been walking. My fear is that a momentary lapse could lead to someone hurt, maybe badly.
I’m even more scared when I see cyclists riding w/o hands, using a cell phone, and maybe with an I-Pod. Vaya con dios–I think that is a major risk.
I try to drive carefully, I signal, I stop at lights, etc. Please, please, if you’re on a bicycle please do the same.