The mad cyclist
There are two left turn lanes at Northwest Distressway and Penn; I first saw him between them, sandwiched between me and someone else’s truck. He wasn’t taking up a lot of space, to be sure, but it did mean an extra bit of caution when the light changed and we started through the intersection.
Or so I thought. The second the green appeared, he was gone and halfway across before any of us lowly motorists could do the lateral move from brake pedal to gas.
And then he hung a right on 50th westbound, precisely where I was headed — except that he was going right down the center strip.
The guy was doing an honest 20 mph, which, all things considered, is fairly speedy; the SUV in front of me hung back so as not to crowd him off the road, and then exited to the side. I slowly pulled even with him, and then left him behind.
This experience left me with two thoughts:
- We really could use more bike lanes in this town;
- But where would you put one on this stretch of 50th? It’s one of the narrower two-lanes around.
I’m assuming he got home, wherever home is, okay.
Mark Alger »
2 September 2010 · 11:23 pm
If cyclists want to ride on the roads, then they should follow the rules of the road as though they were actual wheeled vehicles — not moving hazards. Otherwise, they should stay on the sidewalk, like the other pedestrians.
M
CGHill »
3 September 2010 · 7:41 am
And this might work, if we actually had sidewalks.
Nicole »
3 September 2010 · 12:24 pm
Elevated bike ramps! Make ‘em work for their health. :)
Tom »
3 September 2010 · 1:17 pm
I’m a cyclist (not mad) and offer this on The Mad Cyclist: 1) Illegal (add unsafe and unwise) use of lanes in his left turn, same goes for his westbound trek on 50th; 2) 20 mph is a good clip even for a strong rider on a good bike; 3) Let me guess – oblivious with earbuds, sans helmet, and he blew through the stop sign at Villa? 4) Bike lanes are great, but don’t belong everywhere; 5) Sidewalks aren’t a solution for bikes because they more greatly imperil pedestians (BTW, bicyclists are not pedestrans) more than cars imperil bicylists – bikes belong on roads.
Our roads work for everyone who shares them, so long as everyone follows the rules. But then, that principle pretty much applies everywhere else, doesn’t it?
CGHill »
3 September 2010 · 1:25 pm
I don’t know if he blew through the stop sign at Villa; I was past him by then. I didn’t check him for earbuds.
For the quarter-mile I was behind him, he was doing the same 20 mph I was, assuming Nissan’s speedo is at least tolerably accurate.