DC Cyclist - riding technique and criticism

[Anton Berlin]

There's a varied argument in the R U Fing Kidding Me thread - here's
my thoughts.

Notice the shadow of the cyclist at 53-55 seconds. He's too far to
the right at that time - opening the lane for cars to graze him on his
left.

When the truck pulls even at 1:09 - 1:11 the cyclist still has every
right to be where he's at - even further to the left if you ask me.

While it's not clear from the truck and lane markings who moved on who
- its totally clear from the trucks shadow when he is hassling the
cyclist and right before he hits the cyclist.

At 1:11 the shadow of the truck gives the cyclist a 'lane of sunny
road' 3 ft wide perhaps to the white line on the right.

The last thing we see before the crash is the shadow of the truck
(hood) has moved over 2ft and is close to the white line.

When we race in packs - you elbow a guy that moved 4" off his line and
the squirrel that moved 2ft would have taken down a few riders nearly
every time.

The DC cyclist should have been further out in the road. Then he
would have had more 'free space' to swerve right into safety if he
needed to.

It's rarely safe to swerve left into safety ( at least here in
Amerika )

Serving in and out of lanes where cars sometimes park is not safe. It
is better to maintain and occupy a lane and make the driver go
around.

4 decades and hundreds of thousands of miles - this still hasn't
happened to me. TXTRs worry me more than angry rednex.

[Fred Flintstein]

On 10/3/2011 8:33 PM, Anton Berlin wrote:
>
> It's rarely safe to swerve left into safety ( at least here in
> Amerika )
>
> Serving in and out of lanes where cars sometimes park is not safe. It
> is better to maintain and occupy a lane and make the driver go
> around.

Blindly swerving is not safe. Neither is staking a claim to
the center lane. That ****es people off. We've seen what
happens when drivers are ****ed off and a cyclist is not
aware of what is behind him. So I'm guessing you're
bull****ting us and don't actually do that. It isn't safe.

If I'm going to claim a lane to clear parked cars I look
first. Maybe make eye contact, maybe gesture if needed. I
can't do any of those effectively if I just ride in the
middle of the ****ing road looking straight ahead.

I am guessing most people reading this do something similar.

F

[RicodJour[_2_]]

On Oct 3, 11:32*pm, Fred Flintstein >
wrote:
> On 10/3/2011 8:33 PM, Anton Berlin wrote:
>
> > It's rarely safe to swerve left into safety ( at least here in
> > Amerika )

You swerve to avoid stationary objects? Hmmm...I think you were
already swerving before you got on the bike. :)~

> > Serving in and out of lanes where cars sometimes park is not safe. *It
> > is better to maintain and occupy a lane and make the driver go
> > around.

Then why do the carhops do it on rollerskates?

> Blindly swerving is not safe. Neither is staking a claim to
> the center lane. That ****es people off. We've seen what
> happens when drivers are ****ed off and a cyclist is not
> aware of what is behind him. So I'm guessing you're
> bull****ting us and don't actually do that. It isn't safe.
>
> If I'm going to claim a lane to clear parked cars I look
> first. Maybe make eye contact, maybe gesture if needed. I
> can't do any of those effectively if I just ride in the
> middle of the ****ing road looking straight ahead.
>
> I am guessing most people reading this do something similar.

That's it in a nutshell. I mean Rodney King had it right:
"Can't we all just get along?"

Whether it's a cyclist or a driver, anyone that doesn't allow that the
other guy has just as much right to be on the road, and is deserving
of the basic common courtesies is a total Dick Cheney.

R

[Frederick the Great]

In article >,
Fred Flintstein > wrote:

> On 10/3/2011 8:33 PM, Anton Berlin wrote:
> >
> > It's rarely safe to swerve left into safety ( at least here in
> > Amerika )
> >
> > Serving in and out of lanes where cars sometimes park is not safe. It
> > is better to maintain and occupy a lane and make the driver go
> > around.
>
> Blindly swerving is not safe. Neither is staking a claim to
> the center lane. That ****es people off. We've seen what
> happens when drivers are ****ed off and a cyclist is not
> aware of what is behind him. So I'm guessing you're
> bull****ting us and don't actually do that. It isn't safe.
>
> If I'm going to claim a lane to clear parked cars I look
> first. Maybe make eye contact, maybe gesture if needed. I
> can't do any of those effectively if I just ride in the
> middle of the ****ing road looking straight ahead.
>
> I am guessing most people reading this do something similar.

Yes.

The eye contact thing puzzles me.
Short of physical interference,
the worst thing to do to somebody
is ignore them. That is why I
acknowledge drivers and cyclists
around me. Never had somebody
bristle at being acknowledged.

--
Old Fritz

[Frederick the Great]

In article
>,
RicodJour > wrote:

> That's it in a nutshell. I mean Rodney King had it right:
> "Can't we all just get along?"

Until the famous incident, that was not Rodney King's
philosophy. He was convicted of armed robbery and
battery; was out on parole, drove with a BAC in excess
of 0.19, led a high speed pursuit, and while being
handcuffed threw officers off himself; all before he
was set upon with truncheons.

RK did not say "I was a dick. Don't be a dick."

Since then he's been convicted of hit and run, and
driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
This year he was arrested for drunk driving.

--
Old Fritz

[RicodJour[_2_]]

On Oct 4, 2:31*pm, Frederick the Great > wrote:
> RicodJour > wrote:
>
> > That's it in a nutshell. *I mean Rodney King had it right:
> > "Can't we all just get along?"
>
> Until the famous incident, that was not Rodney King's
> philosophy. He was convicted of armed robbery and
> battery; was out on parole, drove with a BAC in excess
> of 0.19, led a high speed pursuit, and while being
> handcuffed threw officers off himself; all before he
> was set upon with truncheons.

Which is another reason to always look around you when you're riding
the bike.

> RK did not say "I was a dick. Don't be a dick."
>
> Since then he's been convicted of hit and run, and
> driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
> This year he was arrested for drunk driving.

Can't we all let bygones be bygones?

R

[Frederick the Great]

In article
>,
RicodJour > wrote:

> On Oct 4, 2:31Â*pm, Frederick the Great > wrote:
> > RicodJour > wrote:
> >
> > > That's it in a nutshell. Â*I mean Rodney King had it right:
> > > "Can't we all just get along?"
> >
> > Until the famous incident, that was not Rodney King's
> > philosophy. He was convicted of armed robbery and
> > battery; was out on parole, drove with a BAC in excess
> > of 0.19, led a high speed pursuit, and while being
> > handcuffed threw officers off himself; all before he
> > was set upon with truncheons.
>
> Which is another reason to always look around you when you're riding
> the bike.
>
> > RK did not say "I was a dick. Don't be a dick."
> >
> > Since then he's been convicted of hit and run, and
> > driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
> > This year he was arrested for drunk driving.
>
> Can't we all let bygones be bygones?

To err is human;
to forgive divine.
I am but human.

--
Old Fritz

[RicodJour[_2_]]

On Oct 5, 3:12*am, Frederick the Great > wrote:
> *RicodJour > wrote:
>
> > Can't we all let bygones be bygones?
>
> To err is human;
> to forgive divine.
> I am but human.

Oh, so that "The Great" part is a lot of hooey...?

Another life illusion bites the dust.

R

[Simply Fred]

Frederick the Great wrote:
> To err is human;
> to forgive divine.
> I am but human.

And to troll is bot or whatever the collective for bots are (for some
reason the word collective always makes me think of 7of9s breasts like
the word hatch makes the berliner think of Liz's teeth).

[RicodJour[_2_]]

On Oct 5, 9:46*am, Simply Fred > wrote:
> Frederick the Great wrote:
>
> > To err is human;
> > to forgive divine.
> > I am but human.
>
> And to troll is bot or whatever the collective for bots are (for some
> reason the word collective always makes me think of 7of9s breasts like
> the word hatch makes the berliner think of Liz's teeth).

http://media.monstersandcritics.com/people/Jeri_Ryan/images/group9/SGS-009640.jpg

Her age and they're like that...? Yep, she's part Borg.

R

[Frederick the Great]

In article
>,
RicodJour > wrote:

> On Oct 5, 3:12Â*am, Frederick the Great > wrote:
> > Â*RicodJour > wrote:
> >
> > > Can't we all let bygones be bygones?
> >
> > To err is human;
> > to forgive divine.
> > I am but human.
>
> Oh, so that "The Great" part is a lot of hooey...?

Yes, Alexander the Pope.

> Another life illusion bites the dust.

That's a good thing, right?

--
Old Fritz

[Simply Fred]

RicodJour wrote:
>> Oh, so that "The Great" part is a lot of hooey...?
>> Another life illusion bites the dust.

Frederick the Great wrote:
> That's a good thing, right?

Damn, I thought you were the tooth fairy bring us free ponies in
exchange for incisors.

[RicodJour[_2_]]

On Oct 6, 3:30*pm, Simply Fred > wrote:
> > Frederick the Great wrote:
> RicodJour *wrote:
>
> >> Oh, so that "The Great" part is a lot of hooey...?
>
> >> Another life illusion bites the dust.
>
> > That's a good thing, right?
>
> Damn, I thought you were the tooth fairy bring us free ponies in
> exchange for incisors.

Probably closer to the evil clown that brings you scissors and tells
you to run and play. =:O

R