Some notes about the Bicycle Totals area. The Front+Rear miles is a stat on the number of miles on the rear tire. I rotate my tires when I purchase a new tire. The way I do it is that if I am replacing a worn rear tire I put the brand new tire on the front and take the front tire and place it on the rear.
Well this morning I had three different drivers want to show me how unsafe cycling is! News flash people after 40 years of riding of various roads across the country you are not going to scare me off the road. The first one was much like the Town of Cary truck. Passing me in the same spot the same way. On my right as the lane begins? Really people do you really think is leagal and wise to pass me on the shoulder as a lane is appearing on the right?? So that as I head into the lane I am pulling into your path???
Then there was the person that so wanted to pass me. He moved out and then the truck coming the other way had to practically get off the road to avoid you? So your very scary driving is proving what? That you are a danger to others.
Then the tractor trailer driver that moved over too quickly.
Well Lets just say cars run stop signs. I get them all the time on video doing this. Today I have selected two of them to show to the world. I do get tried of people saying "Well you cyclists don't stop at stop signs" Well here is a generalization for cars. "Well you know you car drivers don't stop at stop signs" There I said it and I have the proof in this video so get off your high horse and just live with the fact that car drivers don't stop all the time.
Now for another generalized statement. You know I hear quite often about how cyclist should ride on the sidewalk and we should ride on the greenway. Well these same people just go on a greenway and then take up the whole paved road and just don't act like they are sharing it. Much like when they drive on the road. They don't want to share the place with a cyclist. You can't have your cake and eat it too people. That is why I am going back to the road where at least the law is on my side. I generally don't like greenways and I will present a video today of why I don't like greenways. In this video we see people that use the path to practice baseball stuff. Walk across without looking till they are in front of you and let a 3-4 year old just wander on the path? Now would a person let a 3-4 year play in say a parking lot? In the road? Then why on a paved greenway that carry's traffic too? Do people not see the danger they are causing me? Then there is the adults the freeze up when they are looking at you and can't decide where to go so I have to do a track stand while they decide where they are going to go. Now I love to show off and do track stands. A track stand is where you come to a complete stop with out putting down a foot you just sit on the bicycle balancing it while not moving. Anyway here is that video. Enough ranting for the day!
Now the women driver in this clip passes me on the right! What she used was a right turn lane to turn into Office Depot. It did not even go as far as the light. I guess she wanted to save time? But the funny thing was she saved no time she had to stop for the red light? So what was accomplished by doing this??? She was in such a rush that she wanted to save nothing? Where are the Police when you need them?
The cyclist you see in this video not even paying attention is running a red light on the sidewalk against traffic. I was almost hit by this guy. Just insane why should I as a cyclist have to worry about other cyclists? Don't ride on the sidewalk and don't ride on the wrong side of the road! Doing both at the same time is just plain Darwin award material. Just plain stupid riding. Imagine if I was a car? Follow the laws people!!!
This crazy woman just comes up along side me. She knows I'm there but then well she is going to go right at the corner and she is the type of driver that is going to go right to the edge of the road to turn. It does not matter that a cyclist is there. Just push my butt off the road! Then lets pretend no one is there and never look at me? You can see that I end up on the grating for the storm drain.
I had three incidents. Two of them commercial vehicles. One was just a car. Two of them never even fully pass me before they stop. The car driver in the first incident does not like to hear anything because he/she lays on the horn after I speak my mind.
The second incident in the video is a Town vehicle. This amazingly smart person passes me on the right as the lane begins to emerge on the right. I was lucky that I looked back and saw what he was doing otherwise it would have been an even worse start to the day.
The last one is a landscape truck from Yard-nique. Two of the trucks manage to pass me but the last one pushes me out of the lane and then stops because they are at a line of cars basically the other landscape trucks. Then when I confront the driver he tells me to basically get off the road and on the shoulder. Funny thing is there is no shoulder there there is a right turn only lane. Not very observant.
But the good news is I reported both commercial drivers to the company's. One being the Town of Cary. I have had incidents before so I know the person in charge's email address. And he at least seemed to be concerned about this incident. You know what they say? A picture is worth a thousand words? Video is worth millions. The other Yard-Nique the owner called me back and was very upset with the incident involving his driver. He says he is also a cyclist and understands my frustration. He says that driver will be disciplined what ever that means. His drivers attitude was you don't belong on the road and when I told him I was videoing the ride and would show his boss the video he just laughed as if I wouldn't do that.
In this video you will see a cyclist pass me going the other way. I am going the long way out so that I can take a certain road. There is no way to get to said road legally if I don't go this way. This cyclist is going to circumvent the problem by jumping a large paved shoulder! This is not legal nor right. Cyclists are always complaining that cars don't respect them. Well this is just an example of way cars don't respect you! Don't take liberty's just because you are small. Now what would happen if a car did the exact same thing??? If a Police Officer saw it do you think they would get a ticket? Damn straight so the cyclist that does it should get ticketed if they do it.
There was no room for this bus and I to share this lane. He should have known that but what ever the driver was thinking it was not about my safety. Of course you expect a professional to know better but commercial bus drivers are only marginally better then school bus drivers. Any way I had to hit the brakes to keep the bus from crunching me. Needless to say I have fired off a complaint to the bus company. Usually they reply back. I have offered the video to them and hopefully they will take me up on it and I said they should show it to the bus driver and ask them how they would have felt with a large object almost hitting them.
Cars/SUVs have no respect for you as a cyclist. In this video you can see this car blow off the stop sign cross the road and then come all the way into the bike lane while I had to brake hard to keep from hitting her. What the heck do people think or rather the problem is people do not think. They have no concept of how fast I am really moving and since it is a nice large vehicle they will be gone before I get there. Once again you were wrong. I was there at the same time and you almost took me out! All this rushing and she as only going one block! ONE BLOCK!!!
Now I have been amazed at what drivers of cars will do to a cyclist in their need to keep going at all costs. They can't possibly be delayed for anything even on a side street. But I had a bunch of cars go around a garbage truck this morning. In order to go around this garbage truck they had to drive on the wrong side of the road. So none of them thought anything was wrong with driving towards me. But the last one really was intent on hitting me. I had to move out of the travel lane or risk being hit head on! I just wish hope that the time she saved by not waiting was worth it to her!
I haven't posted in a while all the crazies seem to be staying home. So with daylight savings in effect both my rides are in day light! This hasn't happened in over two years! I was working strictly second shift up to 4 months ago. I switched to days just after the clocks flipped to standard time. So it was like nothing changed! Well here is a full video with music sped up 32x to make just about 2 hours of riding only last a little over 3 minutes. Enjoy the music.
Well I almost hit an albino squirrel on the bike. Squirrels has done this to me before. I once had one run between my wheels at 18MPH. But this is the first time I have seen an Albino one! To be honest I never saw it till it was in front of the bike. It reminded me of a guinea pig when it first jumped out since I was not looking for it. I was like what the heck was that? When I turned around he was sitting on the grass where he started.
I had a nice couple turn around and check on me tonight. I had finally decided it was just too cold to keep going in shorts. I mean the temperature was 43 when I left work which is border line too cold for my shorts. But within a half an hour it was 35 and my knees were not happy with me for making them work in the cold. So they finally convinced me to pull over and cover them bad boys up! Just as I'm finishing the layers a car pulls up to make sure I was OK That one kind act restores my faith in people again. Actually I never lost my faith in people even though there are so many people that just want me off the roads.
The middle of the video is sped up.
I am amazingly close to 15,000 miles on my rear tire. It is 14,800+ now. I should break 15K soon. But how much longer can this tire last! This has been a wet cold winter. The cold does not cause tire problems but rain can sure lead to flats since things stick to your tires when wet and cause punctures but so far so good this year.
Nothing was going to stop this person from making the left not me not the car that was stopping for the red light and making a right. Nothing was getting in this persons way! I mean he buzzed not only me but another car! Where are the police when you need them. This spot is good for police usually because they park down the road a bit so you always see them in this area. Too bad they were not there tonight!
That is the red light runner was there again this morning. I almost missed him but traffic held him up long enough for me to catch him run the red light again.What I find curious about it is how he does it. I'm sure in his mind it is alright to run it in the fashion he does. I say that because yesterday you could see in the video he was on the sidewalk and when he ran the light he was using the crosswalk. So I guess in his mind it is OK to run a red light if you get in where peds are supposed to be? What ever I just wish the Police would witness it and then have the guts to ticket this person. I HATE red light runners!!!
Well the first thing in this video I posted today is a cyclist! The first time we see said bicyclist he is on the wrong side of the road. Then he makes a left and we find him riding properly as I come up on him and pass him. A bit later when he finally shows up while I am waiting at a red light he is now on the sidewalk. This guy just can't make up his mind how he wants to ride. But he knows he is not waiting on the red light. So he runs it. He just makes it across and the light has turned green!
The next thing in this video a bit later towards the end of my ride. I show three cars passing me with plenty of distance which I much appreciate! But then naturally the fourth car thinks he does not need to wait on the car coming at us in the other lane. So he squeezes by me with just inches to spare!
The final person of the day was on my way home. Now the other driver was really close but this person redefines how close can we get. In looking at the video you would think he must have touched me! Less then a inch off my handlebars I mean that is just too damn close people.
Well what can I say about a driver making a left and I'm making a right at the same corner. This person just did not want me to have the right of way. I run over 2000 lumens of light you can not say you didn't see me. I'm right in front of you. You can see my shadow from the trucks lights as he comes right up to me. then passes me just to make a right just up ahead. I mean come on you why couldn't you give me 15 seconds?
Well lets start out today with the truck that did not want to wait so he just pulls out in front of me amd makes me slow down. I know I'm being a complainer but what the heck! I can so I will.
Then there is the stop stop sign runners. I will be posting these as I can find them in the videos. I really hate how drivers of cars/truck never run stop signs and never run red lights. But every single cyclist does. So I will be pulling out of my videos any cars that I feel have broken the law. We will see how many over time I find.
Starting today I have two stop sign runners. Enjoy the short video.
Well this week I working the swing shift. So I am working 12PM to 8PM. So far today was rather boring. Maybe I'll look for cars that don't sop and run stop sins and red lights. I'll try to pay attention and catch cars breaking the law! Cars run stop signs and blow off red lights all the time.
