Message to the Lime Green Shirts

Sircrashalot

New Member
First, I dont want to pick a fight. Second, I ride road (very little & very slowly) too. Third, I tried really hard to see the other point of view and thought about it for a couple days before posting this, but hte more I think about it the more ticked off I get.

I hope this post is seen by any of the lime green shirt & black short wearing road bikers that I had the displeasure of encountering this past Sunday morning on Fresh Ponds Rd.

This is about manners, sharing the road, and not giving bicyclists a bad name.

The first half of the encounter on this 40 Mph road with no shoulders was coming around a bend to see a bunch of bikes splayed out on both lanes of the road, and green shirts walking around aimlessly everywhere on the road. A couple of the shirts looked at my car coming, yet made no effort to let the other folks know a vehicle was approaching, or to make any haste in removing their equipment from the roadway. They did not signal to me that there was some emergency that I should stop for, nothing. They ignored the 4,000 Lbs. of steel coming completely. I slowed to a near stop way back, already beginnng to think that this kind of stuff is why motorists in Austrailia speed bump cyclists. Ever so slowly the bikes were moved, and I was able to pass. no wave, no nod for my patience, no nothing. Looked like one of the crew had a flat. For comparison, imagine heading through your favorite single track, only to come on 8 bikes laying in the middle of the trail, with people walking everywhere and one bike upside down off to the side. You say hi, get no response, nobody sdoes anything, and you have to dismount and walk through the woods around the mess. Same feeling, same vibe. Ridiculous.

I drove on, thinking about how important it is that us MTB'ers yield the trail and wave and give friendly hellos to hikers, etc. in the trail to prevent others from having the poor opinion of us that I, a fellow cyclist, formed after the way the green shirts acted.

Not 30 seconds down the road and what comes into view but 4 more green shirts, riding, decent pace, maybe 20Mph in the 40 road, spread out taking up the entire lane of the solid double yellow line back road. I saw no mirrors on helmets or bars, so from way back I gave two very short, friendly toots, to let them know a car was coming. heads turned around, saw me, and the buggers stayed right where they were blocking the whole road. SO, I braked, slowed, and had to cross the double yellow line to go around. All they had to do was form up a second or two so I could pass more safely without having to go into the other lane with a bend approaching. I resisted my temptation to lay on the horn as I went by. Really ticked me off. Same game...I tried to be respectful and kindly share the road, and got shown their backsides.

Frankly, it pissed me off. Here I am, somebody who rides too, and I went out of my way TWICE to be extra cyclist friendly, and basically got the finger back twice. Here I was, a motorist perfectly willing to share the road, happily. The response I got was the green shirts communicating "this is our damn road, how dare you have the nerve to drive on it".

Actions like these do no good for cyclists of any kind. It was also dangerous, and just plain stupid of them.
Heres hoping one of them sees this post.
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
on PA 32 north of New Hope, I see this alot. While I do ride road and don't mind taking a bit of the lane when there is no shoulder, I do get over as much as possible when carrs do come. Riding more than one deep just shouldn't happen unless the should is at least 4' wide.

f'ing roadies.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
when i see someone driving like an @sshole, i dial #77 on the cell phone and get connected to the aggressive drivers hot line. i report the incident and move on. cyclists have to obey rules just like drivers, and if they are creating an unsafe condition, a call to 911 certainly would be justified, IMHO. chances are nothing would happen, but you never know.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
It just wouldn't be right if we went a month without bashing some roadies on MTBNJ. :confused:

I think all MTBers that ride in muddy conditions should be required to show up for the next trail maintenance day. :rolleyes:

I truely sorry you had to slow down...twice!!!
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
f'ing roadies.

If only there weren't laws against concentration camps. We could mis-match their clothing, take away their razor blades, make them wear helmets with visors, and then force them to ride single-file in NJ, the "no-shoulder state"...Or, the next time you see a group of guys out on road bikes, just drive your car into the middle of the group...

-Jim.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Why didn't you just run them all over and let god sort 'em out?

Dunno what to say man. There are assholes everywhere. On road, off road, on bike, off bike, blow up doll humpers, Walter. So it goes.
 

Cyclopath

Shop Owner / Employee
Shop Keep
I spend at least 80% of my riding time on the road.

I find most drivers to be courteous and willing to share the road. But then, I'm courteous to them and get out of their way as soon as possible. We "share".

Just as wild motorcycle riders make motorists less sensitive to the perils and needs of "touring" motorcyclists, Cyclists that are rude and inconsiderate to drivers, runners, walkers or horses give all cyclists a bad name and are therefore a threat to my safety and that of every other cyclist.

That being said, two wrongs don't make a right and bashing any group for the actions of one or two or even more is wrong and counterproductive.

So spread the love... forgive... act courteously and let it grow.

*A public service announcement from your official MTBNJ peacekeeper*
 

KenS

JORBA: Director
JORBA.ORG
I understrand your frustration, but completely disagree with you :D

When I am ride on the road, I look at every single car that I see as a potential accident, and I despise every single one of them. The drivers almost always have a sense of entitlement, particularly in NJ. "How dare that bike get in my way and slow me down". F em all.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
I understrand your frustration, but completely disagree with you :D

When I am ride on the road, I look at every single car that I see as a potential accident, and I despise every single one of them. The drivers almost always have a sense of entitlement, particularly in NJ. "How dare that bike get in my way and slow me down". F em all.

I agree here. Next time i see a car on the road Ill stop, pull over, get off the bike and let you pass.

Ok here are my thoughts on the issue. If you are on a road and the other side of the road is clear, why not just pass them? We all speed, talk on our phones while driving and break all other various MV laws. Please dont tell me you are having stress over crossing a double yellow line.

I know in the first encounter where guys are all over the road is a bit different. Not sure what the deal was with that but even still, how much time did you lose on making it to your destination? Step on the gas and youll be all caught up.

Im not giving roadies free reign of the road either. I try to be aware of traffic conditions and ride accordingly. And most guys I think also try to be as well. Riders and drivers should be responsible when on the road. YES some guys can be real Aholes. Im sure they are in the minority. There are more Ahole driving cars on the road. No one is here complaining about them.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i've ridden an awful lot of miles on the road in an awful lot of places, and for a living in a few, and if described accurately, those riders were flat out wrong, and inconsiderate assholes. defending them is associating yourselves with them and in my eyes, brings you down a couple of notches closer to their level. is they aren't called out for their actions, what's to put the notion in their head that they should cut it out?

i ride as close to the right side as practicable, make sure i'm visible, and almost never have a problem with motorists. riding two or more abreast with no shoulder and/or leaving bikes scatterred across the road(and not rushing to move them) when another vehicle comes are/is illegal, inconsiderate and unsafe.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
I think we as riders we all are associated with these guys. I have not had anyone honk and say thanks for riding courteously on the road.

I said before I try to ride and be considerate of the traffic. I need a 4000lb piece of steel to run my ass over like I need a hole in the head.

Im not completely defending these guys, I wasnt there so I cant soundly judge on what happened. My point is that i think many times people tend to over react to cyclists being on the road. I dont think the suggestions I made are so rediculous.
 

Shaggz

A strong 7
i don't quite get why he is in the wrong here. as i read it he came across two groups of road bikers , the first changing tires with their bikes and equipment in the road as opposed to the shoulder, and the second was riding below the speed limit, taking up an entire lane, forcing him to cross into the opposite lane. both unsafe conditions.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
i've actually gotten quite a few thank you honks and thumbs ups.probably at least once or twice a week while commuting. :hmmm: i'm very communicative with drivers via hand motions:)D), like waving them by, signalling turns, letting them know if theres a car coming in the oppossite direction around a blind turn, waving thanks when they go out of their way, even a little bit, to let me past.
 

anrothar

entirely thrilled
fred, where's the full size picture of you in your mtbnj-colorblind-spiderman-at-the-beach uniform? :D i need a new desktop.
 

ArmyOfNone

Well-Known Member
i've actually gotten quite a few thank you honks and thumbs ups.probably at least once or twice a week while commuting. :hmmm: i'm very communicative with drivers via hand motions:)D), like waving them by, signalling turns, letting them know if theres a car coming in the oppossite direction around a blind turn, waving thanks when they go out of their way, even a little bit, to let me past.

Man, north jersey drivers must like cyclists. Or maybe just you. They must see what I see :D

fred, where's the full size picture of you in your mtbnj-colorblind-spiderman-at-the-beach uniform? :D i need a new desktop.

Im in the process of putting that all together. For now Norm will just have to do.
 

KenS

JORBA: Director
JORBA.ORG
I don't think crash is in the wrong, or that the lime green guys are model cyclists. I just firmly feel that too many people driving cars in NJ and elsewhere have a false sense of entitlement and get pissed too easy at bikes sharing the roadway. For every driver that gets pissed at having to slow down I am sure there is a cyclist who has been nearly killed (or actually killed) by a car while riding within the law. f cars and f road rage.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Three words to live by here folks: gross tonnage wins, aka GTW

And what norm said.
 

Frank

Sasquatch
f road rage.

don't you dare try and take that away from me you @#%$ing roadie.:rofl:

*purely a shot at KenS and NOT roadies in general.

Sadly this is NJ and there are a lot of a holes...cars and bikes. :(
 
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