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Permalink Reply by alan miller on May 25, 2009 at 11:01am

the ride was great. first time i was able to follow a cue sheet and not get lost (LOL). it was inspiring to see15000 people out there. i really like to photography along the way.

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 25, 2009 at 11:05am

Hey Dottie,

Sorry you had some racers acting rudely as you said in your blog. However, it was in the ride guide that slower cyclists should stay to the right. I didn't have any trouble with rude racers, then, I was one of those guys doing 30MPH on aluminum and carbon going south in the left lane.

I made a point to yell out "On your left!" 10-15 feet behind slower riders who were in the left lane. No one seemed mad about me speeding by them.

Not to doubt you, but some examples might help the city add some etiquette rules to the ride for faster road riders.

Thanks.

-Ryan

Dottie said:

So much fun! This was my first time and I was amazed at the sheer number of participants. Hanging out in Grant Park afterward was lovely, too. I agree that it should be several hours longer instead of forcing people to get up at 4 in the morning. But most cities would never do it at all, so I'm pretty proud of Chicago. I have some pictures and a quick video here.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on May 25, 2009 at 11:08am

Yeah, signs out about the rules of the road is a good idea since we all know some riders don't register, and hence, don't read the ride guide.

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Permalink Reply by Ed on May 25, 2009 at 11:17am

I took that picture headed north on LSD. Not sure where.. was busy concentrating on not crashing while I took the picture.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on May 25, 2009 at 11:19am

got ya. i was just curious since there was only one biker behind you....

Ed said:

I took that picture headed north on LSD. Not sure where.. was busy concentrating on not crashing while I took the picture.

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Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on May 25, 2009 at 11:21am

FYI: 30 mph = 22 feet/second. Your "10-15" foot callout gave those less experienced (probably) riders about 3/4 of a second to: realize that you're talking to them, process what you said, decide on the correct action to take, then take that action.
Maybe more, proper lane usage signs. (see my msg above)
This seems to be an annual subject. Maybe more can/will get done for next year.

Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:

Hey Dottie,

Sorry you had some racers acting rudely as you said in your blog. However, it was in the ride guide that slower cyclists should stay to the right. I didn't have any trouble with rude racers, then, I was one of those guys doing 30MPH on aluminum and carbon going south in the left lane.

I made a point to yell out "On your left!" 10-15 feet behind slower riders who were in the left lane. No one seemed mad about me speeding by them.

Not to doubt you, but some examples might help the city add some etiquette rules to the ride for faster road riders.

Thanks.

-Ryan

Dottie said:

So much fun! This was my first time and I was amazed at the sheer number of participants. Hanging out in Grant Park afterward was lovely, too. I agree that it should be several hours longer instead of forcing people to get up at 4 in the morning. But most cities would never do it at all, so I'm pretty proud of Chicago. I have some pictures and a quick video here.

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Permalink Reply by justJason on May 25, 2009 at 11:28am

This was my third BTD, and like the previous years, I wanted to do the double loop. But I overslept (thanks to the warming, sedating powers of a fat orange cat), and just made it to Grant Park from Bryn Mawr. And to be honest, I didn't feel like contending with that mad arctic lake wind blast heading north! But I had a kickass time hanging at the Chainlink/Big Shoulders Realty tent, handing out uberscads of Chainlink bookmarks all the while, and seeing a ton of familiar and happy faces!

That being said, now my bald head is right said red, and feels sunburn fresh!

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 25, 2009 at 12:38pm

Michael,

My 10-15 feet call out was a total estimation. I yelled out when I felt they were within earshot, and I wasn't too close to them.

Sorry for the confusion.

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Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on May 25, 2009 at 12:49pm

Tank,
My comments were more that we need someway to let the less aware know some protocols. Slower on the right; faster on the left. (I would have thought that most of the motorists that were riding would "get" the concept)
- I think I did the math incorrectly and that 30mph = 44fps.

Tank-Ridin' Ryan said:

Michael,

My 10-15 feet call out was a total estimation. I yelled out when I felt they were within earshot, and I wasn't too close to them.

Sorry for the confusion.

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Permalink Reply by Dottie on May 25, 2009 at 2:45pm

Hi Ryan. The quick mention in my post was about one group of very aggressive riders in a highly congested area - sometimes people just have to slow down for safety, especially when there are so many children and elderly around. Other than that one group, all the participants - fast, slow, and in-between - were wonderful. The amount of cooperation that went into making the ride such a success was really impressive.

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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on May 25, 2009 at 3:56pm

Ok. There were some congested areas, and I definitely slowed down there, even if I had a completely clear left lane.

Dottie said:

Hi Ryan. The quick mention in my post was about one group of very aggressive riders in a highly congested area - sometimes people just have to slow down for safety, especially when there are so many children and elderly around. Other than that one group, all the participants - fast, slow, and in-between - were wonderful. The amount of cooperation that went into making the ride such a success was really impressive.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Ratner on May 25, 2009 at 4:36pm

I loved it. I know the event was meant for leisurely pedaling, but I couldn't resist having that much wide-open pavement stretched out before me. According to my Garmin, I averaged 21mph over the 30 mile loop (24 going south with the tail wind, 18 going north with the headwind). And several guys in pacelines blew right by me. I never realized how much car traffic slows you down.

It made me dream about entire roads being permanently designated for bike and pedestrian traffic. Imagine if a bike road stretched from New York to LA!

I thought for the most part, people were polite and minded the "slow riders to the right" rule.

But there was one guy going like 9mph in the fast lane, iPod cranked, oblivious to the people behind him shouting "on your left!" Then there was this lady who let her 8-year-old daughter ride in the fast lane.

I too, would love to see LSD shut down for bikes (and pedestrians, too) for longer periods and more often. But I feel pretty lucky we at least get to ride on it once per year.

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