Wrong way cyclists- an observation

Whenever someone is riding the wrong way towards me, I notice that as they approach they will expect me to veer into traffic that I can't see coming while they go on the side closest to the sidewalk.

This is really annoying! I can't see the cars coming and they can.

What do you do in these situations?

To some degree I usually "play chicken" and go straight towards them and try to force them to go around me but more often than not I lose my nerve to have a confrontation and end up going to the traffic side to avoid a head on collision.

Normally wrong way bikers (salmoners?) don't bother me except for this tendency to want to pass me in this manner.

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Permalink Reply by mike w. on May 16, 2017 at 2:03am

To me the scariest thing is encountering a salmon rider when i'm driving.

Recently i barely avoided one who was going down the wrong side of US14 (Northwest Highway) in Palatine on a narrow curve in heavy traffic. If i'd have clobbered him, i'd've been on the hook for his medical or funeral expenses and reparations to his next-of-kin. Salmon don't seem to understand about closing speeds or that cars entering traffic from a cross street are looking to the right at oncoming traffic and often aren't looking or expecting a cyclist approaching from the left opposite the direction of travel.

One ninja salmon i regularly encountered on my old commute was on Milwaukee avenue in Glenview (N of Central st., a 40mph stretch) in the pre-dawn dark. i learned to expect him, but after a couple of weeks saw him no more. i wonder if he eventually got hit?

Permalink Reply by TonyP on May 16, 2017 at 2:21am

Rules of the road apply to cyclists as well as cars, so in this case a lawyer should prove the fault belongs on the salmon. If it happened it would be worth talking to your insurance about.

Permalink Reply by mike w. on May 16, 2017 at 3:09am

Even if i were to be found faultless in the eyes of the law, i could still incur massive legal expenses (wrongful death lawsuits &c,) not to mention years horrific memories and feelings of remorse.

Permalink Reply by Maurice on May 16, 2017 at 6:22am

To me the scariest thing is encountering a salmon rider when i'm driving.

 

Came across one of these last night.  Middle aged dude on a MTB salmoning his way up the Lower Wacker service road at night with no lights. If that's not enough, he plowed full speed through a red light into my path.  Lucky for him, I'm very cautious.

Permalink Reply by Irvin Steinert on May 16, 2017 at 3:29am

I think that the wrong way cyclist is one that essentially believes that the road belongs to motor vehicle traffic and that they are "watching out for cars". The greatest challenge for urban (and suburban) cycling is to have all  users of our public byways embrace (or at least concede) that all users are equal valid users of that space and must have the safety of all within their circle of concern and influence.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on May 16, 2017 at 5:42am

The greatest challenge for urban (and suburban) cycling is to have all  users of our public byways embrace (or at least concede) that all users are equal valid users of that space and must have the safety of all within their circle of concern and influence.

That's a big hurdle for our society to overcome.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on May 18, 2017 at 6:01am

Reading the past few pages I cannot say anything more  about what people my age, or near my age were correctly and incorrectly taught. What I can say is that I see a call to make sure current riders of all ages are educated to ride WITH traffic.  We need to educate past the bad advice that many here have heard over the years.  

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