Actually, in California at least, cyclists are listed by the Department of Motor Vehicles as having the "Same RIGHTS and RESPONSIBILITIES as any other vehicle. Yeah, there are cyclists out there with an attitude or poor skill levels, just as there are drivers out there with an attitude, including the "I don't yield to bikes" attitude (Try stating that as a defense in court after an accident). Road cyclists know that they are banned from sidewalks in most of California, which are usually reserved for pedestrians, who are also allowed to jog or walk in the relatively few bike lanes, even if there is an adjacent sidewalk! The Cyclist has literally no alternative but to use the street, to which they have a legal right. (In parts of California, it is even legal to use the shoulder of the freeway, as there is no alternative route!)

Some cyclists develop an attitide after dodging car drivers that turn without signaling, run stop signs, or swerve suddenly into the cyclists as they reach down to answer thair cell phone. Cyclists also have to negotiate around arrogant "I yield to nothing" joggers, often with baby strollers, running 3 abreast the wrong way in the street or bike lane. Finally, they - like car drivers - have to deal with idiot cyclists riding the wrong direction, pot holes, road debris, and poorly marked construction work. However, these hazards, which are an inconvenience or frustration to a motorist, can be life threatening to a cyclist.

These facts don't excuse an attitude, nor do they excuse rude behavior or violating road rules. Most road cyclists I ride with know that in any encounter with a car, the cyclist is likely to loose the most - if not their life or physical well being, at very least severe damage to an insanely expensive ($100 - $500 per pound!!!) road bike that is cherished by the cycist at least as fervently as the MB owner cherishes their ($15-$25 per pound) C36, E500, etc. Incidently, the fragile road bikes aren't insured by anyone, and are usually a write-off after an encounter with a car!

But the car driver also looses - at least a scratch and dent to their car, or in cases of negligence on the part of the driver, the loss of money or even their personal freedom. Bottom Line - mutual respect for each others rights is called for. Sorry for the sermon, but I appreciate my precision road bike as much as I do my MB, and hope at some point to be able to buy a Mercedes mountain bike to get the best of both worlds. There really is room for both out there on the road.



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JCE
87 300E, 65k miles
Smoke Silver