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 Yasmeen on July 20, 2017 at 8:09am

Ok, I have one. It's a big one for me. It drives me bonkers when cyclists belittle fellow cyclists as well as make grand statements about how they are THE ONLY ONE that obeys laws. Give me a break. 95% of us ride carefully obey laws (that make sense and keep us safe). Holy cyclists come out when there's a crash to tell us they are the only one in Chicago that obeys a traffic light. And what do I feel? *eyeroll*

That's right, I feel annoyed. I ride Damen, Lincoln, Clark, etc. very often and I have been stopped waiting for lights with a number of cyclists waiting with me. Same for my experiences riding downtown. Could we please stop perpetuating the nonsense motorists throw at us to victim blame when a crash occurs?

p.s. if you follow CL on FB, there's a regular lady that loves to tell us how we are all bad cyclists and she is the only one that stops. EVER. *eyeroll x1000*

Permalink Reply by mike w. on July 20, 2017 at 8:40am

Thank you! +100

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on July 21, 2017 at 11:54am

You can only +1. You now owe the community 99. The Plus Revenue Service will now be garnering your pluses.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on July 22, 2017 at 2:07am

Put it on my tab.

Permalink Reply by Carter O'Brien on July 20, 2017 at 9:57am

Add me to the list bemoaning:

shoalers

pass on the righters

goldbrickers in the LFT (not riding, just yakking with friends)

holier than thou cyclists across the board

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on July 20, 2017 at 10:00am

What's a shoaler?

People looking at their phones not just on the LFT, but on bike lanes in the city. 

Nevermind, found what shoaling means: 

Shoaling (Bike Snob NYC)

Ever find yourself waiting at traffic lights when a fellow cyclist practically pushes his way in front of you, before you have to overtake them when the lights go green? That’s shoaling

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/cycling-slang-you-need-to-know/

Permalink Reply by V W on July 20, 2017 at 10:23am
Another one: when a cyclist comes to a stop or slows to a crawl in the middle of a bike lane/path without getting out of the way of cyclists that may be behind them.

Happened to me just this morning. I'm riding east down washington coming up to lasalle and this cyclist in front of me slows to a near stop at the green light. I loudly say "why are we slowing down?" since they didn't pull over nor signal a turn. He ignores me and appears to plan to wait for people traffic to clear so he can make a right. He could have pulled off to the right either way and left some room in the lane. I had to go into the car lane to get around him.

I notice this happens more often at times where there's less people biking (because of, for example, rain- it was rainy this morning). So maybe cyclists are more likely to assume they are the only one on the road.
Permalink Reply by Cheryl on July 21, 2017 at 8:01am

Cyclists who pass on the right. Cyclists who silently buzz me when they pass - it's not that hard to let me know you're there and leave a reasonable amount of space. Cyclists who refuse to yield the right of way to those who have it. Cyclists who blow the red lights on Kinzie and make us all look bad.

Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on July 21, 2017 at 9:05am

And that is why I will have a GoPro mounted on my bike more often - to show the worls how to ride like a respectable cyclist. Respect and be respected.

Permalink Reply by Tom A.K. on July 21, 2017 at 9:12am
Ernesto, I've seen your video. Where do you mount your cam?
Permalink Reply by Ernesto Lube on July 21, 2017 at 12:55pm

I use a generic GoPro mount that can go on the handlebars or top tube of the bike. 

But I just ordered a more permanent one that fits on the handlebar. 

Permalink Reply by Kevin Wright on July 27, 2017 at 9:24am

It seems the only people who do this are the slowest of riders too.  I'm one of the fastest riders in Chicago, in decades of riding this city I've been past maybe three times while underway.  Yet the slow person on the Divvy (I use them too) that I just passed feels the need to get in front of me at the next light.  So when it turns green I have to struggle to pass them in tight quarters, then at the next light they go around me again.  Some streets, like Harrison or Dearborn, are timed so the lights don't allow more than 2 blocks progress before having to stop again.  If I want to race to the next light it should be my prerogative.

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