The Chainlink

I rode today. Did you?

Nice first ride in the COLD.

 

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Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on March 14, 2012 at 11:17am

I agree that we should all try to get along. But if a motor vehicle is stuck in the middle of an intersection it is pretty much always their fault. The rule is pretty simple: don't enter an intersection that you are not sure you can clear before the light changes. If anything an SUV driver should be held to a higher standard in this regard since they generally have a better view of what's going on ahead.

My closest call recently happened as a result of intersection blocking. The intersection of Congress and Plymouth has been frequently blocked lately as a result of road construction nearby and perhaps the fact that Plymouth has so little traffic. So anyway, Plymouth gets the green light but was mostly blocked except for a narrow opening on the east side of the intersection. I'm riding northbound on that right side of the intersection when a southbound SUV comes flying from his lane into that narrow opening. The driver managed to stop in time, but it was really just luck on my part that saved my front wheel, possibly my fork and perhaps my noggin from a head-on collision.

So whose fault was that? Mostly the SUV driver, but also the drivers who where blocking the intersection.


Katie said:

In this case it was clearly not the SUVs fault.  Sometimes it is - but in this case, this woman sat there and screamed at the SUV.  It certainly doesn't help drivers views of cyclists. 

Why can't we all just get along???

:D

Permalink Reply by Melanie K on March 14, 2012 at 11:21am

Thanks, Jenn :) No, I don't "scream", sometimes a few words such as "watch out" "this is a bike lane" and  "DOOR" once in a while, or I use a pushing motion with my arm & hand to alert drivers that they are getting really close to my bike or back wheel as they pass me.  Since I am trying to get to my destination safely I  don't have the energy or want the aggravation of confronting a vehicle.  I read the missed connection you posted, definitely not me, but I think I have seen that girl once or twice before myself.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on March 14, 2012 at 3:42pm

I agree.  Its a heads-up, not a command to stay where you are, which is how people who get irked by it view it I think.  But in this short period of warm weather so far, I've been passed as I was passing someone else numerous times, mostly without any warning.

Gene Tenner said:

You raise an interesting point, Jeff. I have always assumed that "on your left" or "passing" were to alert a rider of your presence, not an I-claim-this-space-so-stay-where-you-are declaration. Am I correct/wrong? I seem to notice an increasing number of people using it as a dibs.

JeffB said:

Mornings are never bad on the LFP for me.  Its the evening crowds that really clog things up.  I had a near miss last evening northbound just south of Belmont.  I'm riding on the left side of the right lane past some peds when two bikes scream past me with no warning.  Then a third guy tries to pass but is blocked by oncoming traffic and he yells "Passing!" just as his handlebars tap mine.  Its a miracle we both stayed vertical.  Note to speedsters: Calling out that you're passing is only useful if you do it before you reach my space.

Permalink Reply by Yasmeen on March 14, 2012 at 4:58pm

It's my last day off for a while so I picked up my new commuter bike and went for a ride on the lakefront from North Ave to 57th. Such a beautiful day. 

Permalink Reply by Gerry G on March 14, 2012 at 10:31pm


да

Yasmeen nice bike, great color.  What kind of new bike do you have? 

No wig this morning so it couldn't be me.  ; )

Under dressing last week, over this week.  Last year it took till June to get the temps we're currently seeing.  Spells scorcher for this summer, maybe.

Glad to hear contact was minimal on the LFP.  Driving bikes is suppose to be a non-contact thingy.

Wonderful suggestions, LFP A.M. commute.  P.M. streets, till the congestion escalates in the A.M.

I had an incident on the LFP mid summer last year.  When the walker changed direction without looking, right into my line.  I got it stopped in time.  The guy behind me to the left ran into my left arm on his panic stop.  As his rear wheel was up in the air.  All were okay.  Tanks gawd our bikes stopped short.  Panic stopper yelled at the twenty-something.  I barked too.  Then her lip started to quiver, ouch.  My decision at the time was who wants this nonsense?  THE LAST THING I NEED, is a collision with a ped.  So until Gene's pics persuaded me otherwise, it was self banish from the LFP.  My threshold for devining what's going to happen next is pretty low on the LFP.  When the running stroller pusher stops dead, not slows down, not starts walking, just stops.  I'm not expecting that.  And they have every right to it.  My ability to read and watch traffic on the street develop is more acute.  That said, LFP with the sun, water and room to maneuver is very very nice.  My what circular paragraph↑.  

 

Permalink Reply by Lanterne Rouge on March 15, 2012 at 7:41am

What an awesome morning!

 

Steel, I think a lot of us have had close calls on the LFP. When you put that may individual people into play without any governance (as there are for cars on surface streets).

 

I've come to accept the fact that pretty much between Montrose and the Pier, I'll only be going 8-10mph. Now that I know it's basically empty south of Museum campus, I'll be heading that way more often to open it up a little bit.

Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on March 15, 2012 at 7:48am
First commute since I fucked up my knee in October. FRT, Tyler Creek and Davis Rd in Elgin. 5.5 miles and 30 minutes on my 2 speed fixed gear Robin Hood.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on March 15, 2012 at 7:59am

The way I look at the LFP is that we are the speeding cars and the peds are the bikes.

Peds are a whole lot more unpredictable than us bikes are to cars too.  The same 3-foot passing rule applies to peds when we ride by them IMHO.  Anything less than that just doesn't give the rider enough space to react to a radical change in vector of a ped.   For the most part I slow down to 10MPH or less when around peds and never go more than 15MPH by them unless there is enough room to pass them with 5-6 feet of safety zone.  

The LFP is a nice place to see the park and the lake and the green grass and trees and enjoy being outdoors -but a bike super-highway to downtown it is not -at least not when it is busy and it is warm out.  It's just the facts of life.  

Until they build dedicated bike paths and keep the peds off of them, with designated crossing zones and such this isn't going to change.  I hope they DO do this someday soon, it would make things so much safer for everyone using the LFP system. 

Permalink Reply by ID on March 15, 2012 at 8:50am

The ride home last night from North Ave. to the top of the LFP was pretty hellish. Coming up the ramp from North Ave under LSD 3 trixies headed to the beach walking side by side by side blocked me in, so I asked politely if I could "sneak" past them. This was met with 3 eye rolls, an "ugh" and an "uh my guh" as passed them.

This mornings fun was with 3 dudebros from Loyola running 3 wide near the top of the trail. I was going pretty slow, getting ready to pass them, when the one on the left peeled off into a blind U-turn. I shook my head, and he felt the need to yell "get a bell" at me. I would think that you taking a quick look over y our shoulder before making a quick turn is a little more practical than me dinging a bell at every runner on the path.

I have the feeling its going to be a long spring/summer on the old LFP.

Permalink Reply by Melanie K on March 15, 2012 at 8:50am

I was starting to use the lakefront path when it was cold and dreary, but lately I only use it on my early morning commute, and take Wells to Lincoln back home in the evening. I'm not the fastest rider out there, but between the racers and the runners in training, plus the sightseers and others, the path just become one big obstacle course when it is nice out, especially in the afternoons/evenings. Much easier for me to use the streets at that time, and enjoy the path earlier in the day instead. The path is still pretty nice around 7:00-7:30 a.m., which is when I typically start my ride. 

Permalink Reply by Gene Tenner on March 15, 2012 at 9:08am

Permalink Reply by Lizzy M. on March 15, 2012 at 9:10am

Yup. I'm going to miss the lakefront path on my commute, but it may be time to let it go until the fall. At least in the afternoon/evening. The morning seems calmer.

But I am really really going to miss it until the fall.

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