Sam, question about bikers...

[indyfrisco]

Sam,

What about “this guy” who I have encountered several times in my life?

Recently, I was heading back home from Chicago. About a 5.5-6 hour drive. I had my wife and 5 year old in the car. Lots of country riding. Get stuck on a long stretch of highway where it is just a single road with one lane going each way. Not a ton of cars so there were plenty of opportunities to pass. I pass about 10 cars and get behind a motorcycle. Harley guy with his leather vest and jeans. Trying to look like a Son of Anarchy I suppose. Anyhow, I see the road up ahead is about to split into a 4 lane divided highway so I hang back a bit.

We are going about 60 in a 55, but we’re in the middle of nowhere, and I don’t fear a cop is nearby so once we reach the divided highway, I push on the gas just a bit. As I am getting closer to biker dude who is still going about 60, I move over to the left lane to pass him. I’m going about 68 as I near him and he then moves over to ride on the center line dividing the two lanes and I brake it as I thought he was moving into my lane. He then just stays right there on the center line. For me to pass him, I have to get within a couple feet of him. I sit back for a minute or so saying “wtf is this guy doing?” I told my wife “fuck him, he has no authority to enforce the speed limit” so I go to pass him. I hug the left shoulder which there isn’t much of and as I am passing the fuckhead I really wanted to clip him with the side view but I was a good 2.5 feet from him. He feels the need to scream at my passenger window something so I flip the motherfucker off. As soon as I got by him, he moved back to the center of the right lane.

Now, like I said before, I have had this happen to me a couple other times in the past. Been a few years, but it has happened before. As a biker, are you aware of this practice? Why the hell would a biker put himself at risk to keep me going 60 in a 55 rather than 65? I usually ride about 8-10 mph over the speed limit. If I want to risk getting a ticket, so be it. I don’t text or use my cell while I drive.

Fuck Biker Cop Wannabes. May all of them end up road rashed to death.

[indyfrisco]

That guy has a bike too? I've seen him in a car and in a truck.

Yeah, I've seen that guy in a car and/or truck too, but it amazes me someone would do it on a bike and risk their own life. Dude didn't even have a helmet on.

Sam,

I didn't know if there was just some biker "code" or "practice" that is used to try to get those of us in cars to slow down for the sake of biker safety. I had never heard of that. I've never owned a bike, but I had a bike license in Texas as my dad has 3 bikes, and I would occasionally ride with him. I wanted a bike, but in all honesty, while I enjoyed biking, I was scared shitless every time I hit a pebble in the road. I told my dad that, and he said, "Good, you should ride scared because if it is ever you vs. them, they always win."

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Guy on a bike crashed into the back of a Jeep just outside my office on Monday. There was a couple of us sitting there, we heard the crash, then went to the window to look. The Jeep's rear window was busted, the bumper was mangled, and the dude on the bike was lying on the ground, not moving. We ran out there and called an ambulance. Dude's face was fucked and had a big piece of glass sticking out of his neck. Did not look good at the time, but he survived. The Jeep was turning right and I guess the guy on the bike was riding his ass, and instead of going around him, he decided to drive through the back of his vehicle. Dunno how you don't see a large vehicle right in front of you with its break lights and turn signal on. I understand depth perception isn't as good on a motorcycle, but I suppose that's why tailgating isn't in your best interest.

Bikes are cool, but just not worth it. There is no margin for error. It just takes one mistake, and it doesn't even have to be yours.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Depth perception is affected by riding a motorcycle? How so?

Couldn't tell ya. That's what my dad told me, that you have better depth perception driving a car than you do riding a bike. Or maybe you technically don't but it just seems that way? He used to ride quite a bit long ago, but fucked up his back pretty badly at a young age, which still causes him pain to this day.

[indyfrisco]

Bikes are cool, but just not worth it. There is no margin for error. It just takes one mistake, and it doesn't even have to be yours.

Which is why I chose not to get one.

Side note...a month ago, a very close family friend was in French Lick (20 miles from home) with his biker buddies. He owns the local funeral home (save the irony comments, I ain't reading them). He got a call about a death of a very popular figure in our town here. He wanted to be here in person to console the family in the funeral home as this man was the local golf coach for 45 years and well respected. He hopped on his bike and headed back home.

He never made it. RIP Johnny.

It just isn't worth it.

[Mikey]

Guy on a bike crashed into the back of a Jeep just outside my office on Monday. There was a couple of us sitting there, we heard the crash, then went to the window to look. The Jeep's rear window was busted, the bumper was mangled, and the dude on the bike was lying on the ground, not moving. We ran out there and called an ambulance. Dude's face was fucked and had a big piece of glass sticking out of his neck. Did not look good at the time, but he survived. The Jeep was turning right and I guess the guy on the bike was riding his ass, and instead of going around him, he decided to drive through the back of his vehicle. Dunno how you don't see a large vehicle right in front of you with its break lights and turn signal on. I understand depth perception isn't as good on a motorcycle, but I suppose that's why tailgating isn't in your best interest.

Bikes are cool, but just not worth it. There is no margin for error. It just takes one mistake, and it doesn't even have to be yours.

Could be that the biker was farther back, saw the Jeep slowing down and didn't realize he was turning right, sped up to pass on the right and ended up eating glass as a result. A lot of bikers around here pass on the right on our two lane rural highways. I don't mind them doing it and I'll even make sure I'm near the center line if I see one coming in my rear view, especially of the traffic is slowed down or stopped. But...I don't think it's legal.

Also, a lot of stupid ass drivers swing their right turns wide for some reason. I mostly pull over as far to the right as I can when approaching a right turn.

[indyfrisco]

My dad crashed his bike when he was 21. Rolled into a ditch and the back of his head hit a concrete culvert and broke his back. Had he not been wearing a helmet (which cracked all the way through), there would be no IndyFrisco as I was conceived when he was 25.

(Obligatory UNRACK PapaFrisco's HELMET!)

[Diego in Seattle]

First off, that depth perception being better in a cage is a bunch of crap. I will say that the last two days on my ride to work I've gotten behind cages driving in the early morning darkness w/o taillights. Obviously that's a problem for others regardless of the number of wheels, and that could have been the cause of the other incidents if they were at a time of darkness.

Secondly, I will ride the left lane if there's no one behind me, and won't be in a hurry to move over if I'm leading a group. The reason is two-fold. First, when you're in the fast lane there's only one side that cars can move into you. When you're on the right there's two sides that can move into you. And that right side gets into why I try to stay out of the right lane. Too many idiots in cages will pull out from a cross street or driveway into the path of an oncoming bike. At least when there's another lane for me to be in there's less likelihood they'll violate my right-of-way. Now if there's traffic behind just me I'll try to move over as soon as I come across a spot where there's less or no likelihood of the the above scenarios happening, but if I'm leading a group I'll stay there. Too many idiots will force their way into a group of bikes.....and then stay there (most non-riders don't understand the elastic nature of a group of bikes & how quickly they might need to stop).

Mikey, I hate to break it to you, but where you're at it is legal for the bikes to go between lanes (aka lane-splitting). It was first allowed as most bikes initially were air-cooled. Those bikes that are air-cooled can overheat while stuck in traffic if they don't get air going by them. So they allowed the bikes to lane-split. But it must be done in a manner that is considered safe. This means when the flow of traffic is doing no more than 35 mph, and they can't have a speed margin over the cars around them than 10 mph.

IF....go ahead & give the bird as well as cut off the "Sons of Anarchy wannabe's." Focus on the ones wearing a center patch & rockers....it'll make the world a better place. :twisted:

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

You're my son?!?!

Sure. Send money.

[Mikey]

Mikey, I hate to break it to you, but where you're at it is legal for the bikes to go between lanes (aka lane-splitting). It was first allowed as most bikes initially were air-cooled. Those bikes that are air-cooled can overheat while stuck in traffic if they don't get air going by them. So they allowed the bikes to lane-split. But it must be done in a manner that is considered safe. This means when the flow of traffic is doing no more than 35 mph, and they can't have a speed margin over the cars around them than 10 mph.

Diego, I hate to break it to you but lane splitting and passing on the right are not the same thing.

[Diego in Seattle]

Mikey, I hate to break it to you, but where you're at it is legal for the bikes to go between lanes (aka lane-splitting). It was first allowed as most bikes initially were air-cooled. Those bikes that are air-cooled can overheat while stuck in traffic if they don't get air going by them. So they allowed the bikes to lane-split. But it must be done in a manner that is considered safe. This means when the flow of traffic is doing no more than 35 mph, and they can't have a speed margin over the cars around them than 10 mph.

Diego, I hate to break it to you but lane splitting and passing on the right are not the same thing.

I quickly skimmed over what you wrote & thought you were referring to both in your post. Mea culpa.

[Mikey]

Maybe I wasn't too clear, but I was referring to passing on the right on a two lane highway. Personally I don't have a problem with it if it's done safely in an area without cross streets, but it can be very dangerous if a car is planning to turn right. I commute every morning on highway 76 west out of Fallbrook for a couple of miles. Whenever the motorcycle cops decide to concentrate on that road I see multiple jarheads pulled over getting tickets, I assume, for just that.

[R-Jack]

Dunno how you don't see a large vehicle right in front of you with its break lights and turn signal on.

I do

[Diego in Seattle]

Maybe I wasn't too clear, but I was referring to passing on the right on a two lane highway. Personally I don't have a problem with it if it's done safely in an area without cross streets, but it can be very dangerous if a car is planning to turn right. I commute every morning on highway 76 west out of Fallbrook for a couple of miles. Whenever the motorcycle cops decide to concentrate on that road I see multiple jarheads pulled over getting tickets, I assume, for just that.

That's just plain stupid....cages don't see us when we're where we're supposed to be....riding somewhere else is suicidal.

[Goober McTuber]

Funny thing, around these parts the only people who refer to automobiles as “cages” are the spandex-clad bicyclists. Is it kind of hard to twist the throttle with that limp wrist?

[Diego in Seattle]

Funny thing, around these parts the only people who refer to automobiles as “cages” are the spandex-clad bicyclists. Is it kind of hard to twist the throttle with that limp wrist?

No spandex.

No Power Ranger outfit.

Just a bunch of cow hide.

I wouldn't have any idea what bicyclists use for terminology, as I don't hang out with them. Go on & tell us all about what the spandex crowd have to say, since you're so familiar with them.

And there's a difference between bikers & bicyclist, mouth-breather.

[Goober McTuber]

Funny thing, around these parts the only people who refer to automobiles as “cages” are the spandex-clad bicyclists. Is it kind of hard to twist the throttle with that limp wrist?

No spandex.

No Power Ranger outfit.

Just a bunch of cow hide.

I wouldn't have any idea what bicyclists use for terminology, as I don't hang out with them. Go on & tell us all about what the spandex crowd have to say, since you're so familiar with them.

And there's a difference between bikers & bicyclist, mouth-breather.

I’m familiar with the local spandex-clad bicyclists’ lingo as they are extremely common and vocal on local forums. Quite frankly, Pedo, you come across as an effeminate bicyclist who bought a motorcycle.

[Diego in Seattle]

To come to that conclusion you must have held your breath for several minutes when you were born.

Any interesting posts you'd like to share with us from your forays into the bicyclists' forums? And do you visit these forums when the interior decorating forums are down for maintenance?

[Goober McTuber]

I don’t read bicyclist forums. Those douchenozzles infest all forums. Well, except for the sports forums, which probably explains why you’re never seen in the NFL or BTPCFB forums here.

No spandex.

No Power Ranger outfit.

Just a pair of ass-less chaps.