Where do you ride? (road, side of road etc.)

I've noticed something. Shorty after I motorized I started wearing a helmet and an orange, relflective safety vest. (like road workers wear) And the cars do treat me with noticably more respect. (I also get measurably to the left of the white line. You can't afford to let them try to squeeze you)

About 9 out of 10 get totally or mostly in the other lane. Most of the rest don't try as hard as I'd like to get over, but they pass at a distance that is at least acceptable. The last few are jerks who don't make any effort and are mad at me for just being there.

The ratios are definitely better than if I ride in just street clothes.

I'm also hoping that the law will be harder on some creep who hits a cyclist if the cyclist is lit up like a neon sign.
 
I'm also hoping that the law will be harder on some creep who hits a cyclist if the cyclist is lit up like a neon sign.

I don't think It makes much of a difference in the day. It doesn't matter what you are wearing. If its in the middle of the day drivers should be able to see you. PERIOD. If not then they shouldn't be driving.

One time A semi with a 50 foot or so trailer passed me without getting over at all! There was no one in the other lane!!! I was scared to death as this 50 foot 30 ton machine passed me inches away! Then after that I got mad as h*ll. I decided if I caught up with the guy I was going to raise h*ll. it wouldn't have been pretty....when you endanger my life like that you might get your @ss kicked buddy. I wasn't able to catch up....
 
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I agree that they should see you, no excuses. What saddens me badly, though, is that every now and then someone will run over a cyclist (I remember one case when it was four cyclists) and at trial their defense will be something like "I was changing my CD".

And then they get probation.

Personally, I think that if someones takes a life through such CRIMINAL negligence, then the punishment should be very severe. But the courts don't seem to agree on that one.

My hope is that high visibility will translate into more liability for the driver when these things happen.
 
Personally, I think that if someones takes a life through such CRIMINAL negligence, then the punishment should be very severe. But the courts don't seem to agree on that one.

+1

If it was truly an accident, I think that a year in jail would make most people think twice about "changing a cd" or receiving road head, or whatever he or she might have been doing that distracted his/hers attention to what his/hers 3,000 lbs machine was steering into! Wake up people! Pay attention to the road. Get off your d*mn cell phones too.
 
Also, as stated earlier there is a lot of debris on the side of the road which could cause a flat.

debris on the side of the road

man oh man is that the TRUTH

here in East County San Diego
on the side of the roads I have been seeing
many spark plugs ???
we know that spark plugs don't just fall out onto the street
thinking that someone has a bucket full of old plugs
just driving around and throwing them at things

we never did anything like that when we were young

WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO ????????????????????

oh come on now -- ride that thing Mountainman
 
Wouldn't it be nice if some of our taxes could go to something like sweeping the paved shoulders? I have one long hill on my commute that has a nice, wide shoulder. It would be just great except it's full of gravel and other debris. So I have to slow down and ride pretty carefully.

Oh, Simonator; I agree but I'd say that if someone dies because of something stupid, then one year is not enough. Maybe five.
 
Oh, Simonator; I agree but I'd say that if someone dies because of something stupid, then one year is not enough. Maybe five.

That is kind of a tough call. I feel that most "normal" people will learn their lesson and might even let it destroy their lives if they kill a pedestrian accidently with their car. They will have to live the rest of their lives knowing they killed someone because they were fooling around. I know we all want justice when someone we love dies because someone was being a careless idiot. However, there is no sense in over punishing someone. That is why I feel a year is adequate. As far as murder goes. Lock em up for life. There is no excuse for murder unless it is self defense.
 
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You're right. Most of these people who throw their cars at us will hate themselves for the rest of their life if they ever kill one of us. But I'd like them to give the matter some thought before they take a life. I'm thinking that if it's known that bike killers do fairly hard time, then they might take the matter seriously before they do something stupid.

Isn't it crazy? They're doing something that, in the end, even they don't want. But they're doing it anyway because they can't be bothered to think behind the wheel.
 
I ride on the shoulder if it at least 2 feet wide and smooth/clear. If not I'm within 2 feet of the white line. Most of the time I just ride on the line. Both flats that I've had since motoring my bike were on the shoulder of the same highway. One going north, one south. Small cut through tread/tube. If I'm downtown (30 mph speed limit) I take the lane. People give dirty looks when they floor it around me even though I'm going the limit. If you are in the lane (even if you're just barely to the left of the line) cagers seem to notice that you're going a lot faster than a normal bike and not pull out in front of you! Man does it suck trying to stop from 30mph in a few feet because some ******* is on his cell while whipping into Walmart!! Then he wanted to give me a dirty look because I'm mean-mugging him! A few times when I see someone about to turn in front of me I hold up my hand and wag the my index finger at them like and old school teacher warning a kid not to try something. It usually gets me a dirty look too, but at least that's better than being a hood ornament! Happy motoring!
 
Both flats that I've had since motoring my bike were on the shoulder of the same highway. One going north, one south. Small cut through tread/tube.

Try thorn resistant tubes. That is what I am using on the rear. They are ALOT thicker than normal tube. At $10 a tube it's well worth it.
 
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