Sunday mornings I can usually go to the end of my block to the one of the main riding roads south of town and either catch or be caught by somebody to ride with. It is one of the things I love about my home.
This Sunday, however, I was exposed to the worst of cycling and it left me angry and disillusioned.
The organized Sunday ride of a big local club was going my direction at the same time I was, and it took me less than a single block to realize that not only was this a group I did not want to ride with, but that they were actually putting me in danger.
The road out of town has a marked bike lane wide enough for comfortable two-up riding, but the lead section of this group was wider than that and once the group hit the first stop light, they not only clogged the bike lane, but also the full width of the car lane. They did it again a block later at the next light. As I watched from the back of the group, I could easily understand the rage that motorists feel toward this gang on inconsiderate louts.
As we started down the hill, on a relatively straight road with a bike lane, I found myself afraid to pass even one person, because the riders at the back of this group were randomly braking without warning and a couple were weaving across the entire width of the bike lane. So now, I not feared being hit by an out-of-control angry motorist, but was also scared of getting hooked into traffic by somebody who did not know how to ride in a group.
My last post was about classy riding. Well, this was a text book on what NOT to do.
I changed my route enough to escape these people, but the actions of this unruly mob left me feeling a little more paranoid of motorists than before. I kept thinking that the big group would generate a serious case of road rage in someone who had just enough sense not to plow into a big group, but more than enough rage to flatten a solo rider on an empty stretch of road.
We all have to share the road. Let's show just a little consideration for all road users.
Earle,
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing you encountered the Bombay Club, as they were riding out of Vilas this weekend. I used to ride "with" them, but don't anymore because of their poor road etiquette (and high "T" score, shall we say). I put "with" in quotes, because a) the pack either braked or take off like it was training ride or b) They took most of the road and I was embarrassed to be around them. I am grateful for their cue sheets though, but nothing else. A few of my biking colleagues no longer partipate in their rides either. (oh, and you know who I am - Ellis #25!)
I won't name names. But your description sounds a lot like the unruly mob I ran into. And I would rather ride the same few loops accessible from my house than to pay for their book.
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