I wrote this up a day or two ago and hesitated to post but after talking with Ariel I've decided to share, apologies to Jim if it doesn't meet group guidelines.
Last New Years Eve, 2021, my wife and I set out for one last ride of the year, venturing through wine country just outside of San Luis Obispo city limits. Suffice to say we were celebrating our own version "Bicycle Day", Ariel piloting her beloved Platypus and me aboard my then Cheviot. Things were just starting to get interesting as I was trailing Ariel when a black Chevrolet Tahoe came flying up the road behind us and made absolutely zero effort to acknowledge our existence, coming within a foot of my beloved ahead. He must have been cognizant of his lack of regard for us because he looked in his rear view mirror only to be met with my one finger salute. This enraged the man, who slammed on his brakes in the middle of the lane in anticipation of our arrival. Harassment ensued, threats were made towards me, and I could only smile and agree with the 50-something year old man who claimed "I'm going to kick your a**", "I'm sure you will buddy" I responded. I think that was enough to bolster his ego so he threw his SUV into gear and peeled out, never to be seen again. I didn't catch is plate number but I made note of his license plate frame. I kept an eye out for him around our small town for a while before coming to the conclusion that he doesn't deserve to continue to live rent free in my mind, so I'd finally let go of the situation until seeing this thread arise. Moral of the story, you can't change someones mind who doesn't want to change it themself, it's better to either not engage, smile, and continue on your way. Jared in SLO, CA On Monday, October 10, 2022 at 11:58:56 AM UTC-7 foolis...@gmail.com wrote: > Longtime lurker and Riv owner here. Last summer while riding my Riv Road I > was run over by a truck rolling through a stop sign. I went down and the > truck rolled over my bike and right shoulder. It's spooky being under a > moving vehicle like that. I was pretty mangled, cuts, fractures, dislocated > shoulder, etc. > > Lessons learned? Traffic is alway more dangerous coming from where you > can't see. (i.e. intersections) Also, drivers should never roll through a > stop sign and keep an eye out for us cyclists. That young kid hopefully > will never make that mistake again. I've been clipped a few times before > but this was the worst. > > Also: If anyone is looking for a Riv Road 58cm (straight) but needing a > fork, let me know! It looks good on the mantle but should be ridden again. > > Trevor > Looking both ways in Nashville > > On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 5:16:55 PM UTC-5 Curtis wrote: > >> Please be very cautious when choosing to engage with drivers. Only they >> know what lurks in their minds at that moment. >> >> Curtis >> Yielding to a 3000 pound mass of steel is a wise decision. >> >> On Sun, Oct 9, 2022, 2:59 PM Joe Bernard <joer...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> I moved this year and there's a 55mph 4-lane highway I use a lot, I >>> don't love the speeds as the cars fly by but the emergency lane is wide and >>> I don't worry about it too much. What PISSES ME OFF are the honkers who do >>> it just to startle me cuz I guess it's hilarious. Not a fan. >>> >>> On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 2:51:24 PM UTC-7 Ian A wrote: >>> >>>> I had an incident last year thar still affects me. I was rolling along >>>> in the shoulder, enjoying the day en route the donut shop turnaround point >>>> (30 miles out, 30 back) when a pick up driver tried sideswiping me. He had >>>> to aim for me, this was intentional. My reactions meant I swerved clear, >>>> almost hard enough to take myself off. Luckily my tires held. >>>> >>>> I had no interaction with driver prior to this. It was a driver who >>>> just wanted to punish a cyclist. >>>> >>>> I still feel stress following this incident and no longer ride that >>>> route at all. It's just not fun anymore. >>>> >>>> I do live in oil country and among really good people, there are some >>>> very entitled and angry people who will bully and intimidate. >>>> >>>> Dealing with this stuff is difficult, but I would say this forum.is >>>> probably not the place for it. >>>> >>>> IanA Alberta Canada >>>> >>>> On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 2:40:27 PM UTC-6 Joe Bernard wrote: >>>> >>>>> I got "the honk" a couple weeks ago. I was on a residential street >>>>> that narrows down from 35mph posted limit to 25 as it comes around a >>>>> tight >>>>> curve and shoots downhill. At the crest I took the lane with the >>>>> knowledge >>>>> that shortly I would be rolling at near 25 and a big black lifted pickup >>>>> came off a side street at the same time. HONK! It was stupid and I >>>>> briefly >>>>> considered getting aggressive with cowboy, but I just as quickly deduced >>>>> that getting run over or shot was probably not a good plan. I moved over >>>>> and let Jethro through. My advice is always move over and let Jethro >>>>> through, you're not going to win that incredibly stupid battle. >>>>> >>>>> On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 9:41:46 AM UTC-7 eric...@gmail.com >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> *First of all I'd like to note that starting this thread might not be >>>>>> a great idea. But perhaps it would be a way for us to share some >>>>>> experiences, vent or commiserate. * >>>>>> >>>>>> Well, I think a lot of us have been there. We've had a weird, scary, >>>>>> too-close-for-comfort interaction with a motorist. It could be due to >>>>>> driver inattention or downright overt aggression. It could have been >>>>>> your >>>>>> fault or no fault of your own. Do you have a riding story involving a >>>>>> motorist you'd like to share? >>>>>> >>>>>> I live in Fredericksburg, VA, a small city built on a grid. We have >>>>>> an historic district here, many streets are narrow with one-way traffic. >>>>>> There are a few two-lane arteries designed to move cars. Posted speeds >>>>>> are >>>>>> 25 mph (I always drive slower and leave my truck in 2nd gear). People >>>>>> drive >>>>>> like maniacs on certain residential streets, sometimes reaching 50mph. I >>>>>> often wish for more traffic calming infrastructure, crosswalks, speed >>>>>> tables and the like. >>>>>> >>>>>> In March 2021 I was riding my bike to the bike shop, about a 1.5 mile >>>>>> trip. I was heading down a one-way street through a residential >>>>>> neighborhood with street parking on the right and long, grassy, >>>>>> landscaped >>>>>> park on the left. I was riding to the right side of the street. This >>>>>> section of road has one lane and it is unusually wide. There is room for >>>>>> someone to comfortably pass a cyclist. >>>>>> >>>>>> Someone honked their horn at me but not in the "Hi, heads up, I'm >>>>>> about to pass you please and thanks" sort of way but the "Get the fork >>>>>> off >>>>>> the road!" kind of way. It was startling. I responded by taking the >>>>>> lane, >>>>>> which is legal for cyclists in Virginia. I rode dead center in the >>>>>> middle >>>>>> of the lane. I hoisted a one-finger salute and carried on riding. I rode >>>>>> in >>>>>> the middle of the lane for approximately 100 feet before making a turn. >>>>>> >>>>>> Yes, this was an escalation. And it was a bad decision. I don't think >>>>>> I'm alone in feeling frustrated by displays of impatience and aggression >>>>>> from drivers and feel that I have certain rights as a human person to >>>>>> ride >>>>>> safely. It is sometimes difficult not to react in the moment. Motorists >>>>>> might be not only impatient but totally deranged. Road rage is real. And >>>>>> drivers are behind the wheel of a vehicle that is easily weaponized. >>>>>> With >>>>>> just a feather of the gas pedal or a slight turn of the wheel they can >>>>>> inflict irrevocable damage to a cyclist. >>>>>> >>>>>> The driver responded to my salute by getting within a few feet of my >>>>>> back wheel. When I made a turn to carry on to the bike shop, they >>>>>> followed. I could hear them revving their engine behind me and >>>>>> feathering >>>>>> the gas to get close to my back wheel but not quite hit me. I continued >>>>>> to >>>>>> ride in the middle of the road. >>>>>> >>>>>> I heard something hit the street next to me. It was an unopened >>>>>> aluminum can of a carbonated beverage (I didn't go back to check out >>>>>> whether it was soda, beer or seltzer). Acknowledging the projectile I >>>>>> decided I had to bail and get up on the sidewalk or somehow turn around >>>>>> to >>>>>> where the car could not get to me. >>>>>> >>>>>> As soon as I moved to the side to take a driveway apron up onto the >>>>>> sidewalk the car passed me, then got right in front of me and slammed on >>>>>> their brakes. I braked hard and managed not to do an endo onto their >>>>>> trunk >>>>>> or hit their vehicle. The straddle cable hanger came loose from the >>>>>> front >>>>>> brake cable. The driver sped off. I did not get their plates. >>>>>> >>>>>> A few days later I went around the neighborhood and knocked on every >>>>>> door with a doorbell camera that was along the path of my interaction >>>>>> with >>>>>> the driver. Everyone I asked checked their footage but only one came >>>>>> back >>>>>> with anything showing me or the driver. There was a clip of the driver >>>>>> revving their engine behind me and throwing the can. You can see the can >>>>>> fly through the air and hear it land in the street. I got a good profile >>>>>> shot of the car (2005 Acura TL, maroon with custom window trim), but no >>>>>> view of the tags. >>>>>> >>>>>> This is, by far, the worst interaction I've had with a motorist. I've >>>>>> only been riding for a few years. There are others that aren't nearly as >>>>>> bad but still register as scary and unnecessary. They most often occur >>>>>> when >>>>>> a vehicle is passing. I find that a lot if not *all* of the hairy >>>>>> situations I've experienced with motorists would not have occurred if >>>>>> the >>>>>> drivers had demonstrated just 5 to 10* seconds *of patience. >>>>>> >>>>>> [image: Screen Shot 2022-10-09 at 12.37.28 PM.png] >>>>>> >>>>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to rbw-owners-bun...@googlegroups.com. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f3d0cc22-8318-49c2-8007-4910ffd8a466n%40googlegroups.com >>> >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f3d0cc22-8318-49c2-8007-4910ffd8a466n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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