Pet Peeves Among the Pedals

Not about pedestrians, not about motorists, just about our fellow cyclists. We are all so different that stuff is bound to frustrate when we approach riding in such different ways, explain to those we think are less experienced, etc. Ok, tell us your stories, tell us your pet peeves, we're all friends! 

I'll start out with a pet peeve of mine... The cyclist that blows past me so close to me I felt the wind of their SWOOOOOSH as they fly past me but they say nothing to warn me. We're in tight quarters in the bike lane. Buy a bell and/or tell me you are there! 

p.s. sure, your pet peeve may be the forum post that's been done before but I kinda feel like this tucks into other topics so this time I'm giving the pedal pet peeve front and center.

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Permalink Reply by Mike TeeVee on July 5, 2017 at 9:28am

Headphones, headphones kill me. If you can't hear, you are a danger to yourself and every other rider. Take off the tunes and enjoy the sound of the road.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on July 14, 2017 at 7:31am

Yes and yes. 

Cell phone reading, aka, texting while riding. 

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on July 14, 2017 at 7:33am

Got it: if I go deaf, I have to give up my bike. :)

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on July 15, 2017 at 3:14pm

Thank you. I always wonder how hearing helps. I mean, what does one do in response to "danger" sounds? If one is looking forward one can react to sights: basically, stop before you arrive at the danger.

If one hears some thing bad happening from behind, do you have enough information (obtained solely on audible input) to leap from you bicycle to safety? In time? Really? Should a cyclist hearing danger from the rear come to a rapid stop? I think perhaps we should be more outraged by cyclists without rear view mirrors.

In the absence of a high tech, rear facing reflective surface; would it be possible to intermittently, at regular intervals, rotate ones head to the rear, take in visual data, make a series of calculations based on experience and probable scenarios and either continue as before or leap from your bicycle onto the parked cars just to your right? ;-)

Permalink Reply by V W on July 6, 2017 at 3:48pm
People riding parallel (2 abreast). Unless it's a wide open area with little traffic, it's rude and selfish.
Permalink Reply by Alex on July 11, 2017 at 3:18am

wow, haven't commuted since last wednesday or thursday, so I looked forward to today's commute. NOPE, it sucked. sorry to be such a pessimist, but biking here just sucks so much. so many cars in the bike lane--that doesn't even phase me much unless it's in something like dearborn, or when it's an extra-dangerous situation. but since this is about other people on bikes--the shoaling was awful, to a dangerous point, and there were the three times when i stopped at a stop sign because of pedestrians, or cars that were clearly there before me, and the same asshole on a divvy flew through the intersection past me without ever slowing down, i'm sure making everyone present hate cyclists, including me. the shoaling is getting to my head. it's been almost a year of trying to get back into enjoying being on the bike around here, and it's taking way more time, energy, and patience than i'd like. maybe it's time for a move! (to a different country :( )

Permalink Reply by Tony Adams on July 11, 2017 at 4:20am

Unfortunately, it is not likely that those obnoxious, shoaling and otherwise disrespectful (mostly Divvy) riders are reading the Chainlink. They don't seem to be a part of our cycling culture. It isn't too farfetched to suspect that they would be motor vehicle drivers if it was even remotely practical for them. Instead, DIVVY provides the fastest, easiest and most fun way to get from their train station or West Loop condo to their office tower.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on July 13, 2017 at 6:05am

Riders going the opposite way in single direction bike lanes. 

Permalink Reply by BikeScnhook on July 14, 2017 at 3:29am

Here's one that happened to me twice within about three minutes on my way to work on the LFT today:

I'm passing someone. OBVIOUSLY passing. So when I try to move back over to the right, someone zooms by on my right. At least the second guy had the courtesy to say the infamous sentence fragment "On your right."

Seriously, people...if a cyclist is in the process of passing someone, will it kill you to slow down and wait until that passer gets back to the proper lane?

Permalink Reply by Maurice on July 14, 2017 at 6:14am

Putting this here because it's the most recent, somewhat relevant thread. My 5-mile ride in to work was insane this morning.  Is there something about Fridays that makes people completely lose their minds and engage in dangerous behavior?  I was hit once and nearly hit five more times all while riding legally inside of marked bike lanes...and that's not even counting the usual cluelessness involving car doors and pedestrians.

 

The parts relevant to this thread:

- Without looking, a cyclist standing on the curb decided to place his bike inside the lane (presumably so he could then saddle up and start riding) at the exact moment I was passing. Worse, he placed it perpendicular to the direction of traffic, essentially blocking the entire lane with his stopped bicycle. 

- Another cyclist turned into my path and salmoned up the Washington PBL, which by design makes it rather difficult to get out of the way. Pro tip: If you're going to salmon, don't do it in a confined space with curbs on both sides.

 

Not so much relevant to the thread but related to the story:

- THREE vehicles blew red arrows and turned into my path on PBLs in a 2 minute span. The first was a pickup stopped on Clinton. Well, he was stopped until I was about to go through the intersection...then he suddenly gunned it through the bike lane.  The next two were stopped at the red light on Washington and Wells, waiting for pedestrians to clear the intersection.  When the crosswalk was empty the first one right hooked me, but I anticipated her move and avoided a collision. Then the car behind her also ignored my presence and tried to follow right behind.

- Last but certainly not least, a car pulling out of a parking lot blew through the bike lane without looking and actually hit me before stopping short of the auto traffic lane. Again, I anticipated the move, swerved, and was able to post on the car's hood with my foot to keep my balance so neither I nor my bike are damaged, but that's just dumb luck. I easily could've been run down or knocked into traffic.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on July 14, 2017 at 6:47am

Oh man! be careful out there!

 The Dearborn lanes vs Congress during rush hour... so much traffic that forces cyclists to stop at the appropriate red light... but then some drivers who get stuck on their own red light, at the intersection, blocking it and the bike lanes... they look down in embarrassment, or they just don't care. 

Permalink Reply by Kelly on July 14, 2017 at 7:39am

I'm sure this has already been mentioned by I really don't like when other cyclists try to pass on the inside/right and push me out in traffic. Total pet peeve. And almost always the person doing this also gives me no warning they are passing.

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