Sunday Morning Rides are Over - Cyclists win. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Sunday Morning Rides are Over - Cyclists win.

M

Merkid

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So for the last 20+ years our small group (avg. 5) have scheduled early morning rides on Sundays into escarpment country, We're not of the younger breed but have a lot of riding experience under our belts and with most of us located in the GTA's west end, we were blessed with short timeframes to head into the north Burlington and Halton Region areas but yesterday was our wake up call to avoid Sunday mornings.

The ratio of cyclists and bikers is not even equitable these days and it is becoming a bad cocktail mix in trying to share road space within the narrow roads.

Further complicating things is the refusal of large groups of cyclists to allow bikers ( incl. cars) to pass them so all forms of vehicles get stuck behind them and impatient such that stupid moves on both sides are undertaken. We even crested a blind hill yesterday only to hit the binders cuz a few cyclists decided to stop and take a water break in the middle of the road.

Anyway, when I noticed that two of our group became so ****** that they laid on their horns coming up behind the cyclists throwing them off balance and further, refuse to leave them wide berths. I told the two guys that it would be too easy to hit one of the cyclist if they don't stay wide when passing them. I just don't get it

However what I do get is that cyclists have rights on roadways so we are hoping they will be in lesser numbers on weekday mornings.
 
While they have the right, I am still amazed by the road choices some of these cyclists make. Washed out, gravel and pot holed covered messes in the most rural area. Do they not watch the news the chances of being hit and then have the driver speed off leaving you to fend for yourself is getting increasingly higher. I even worry about that on my motorcycle.
 
Those guys give responsible cyclists a bad name... Getting stuck behind a bunch of cyclists because they all want to ride side by side really sucks. Oh and that time I soiled my pants because a car crossed the median to get around these guys while going over a crest with me going the opposite direction.
 
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Riding 15sr many years ago, i came across a young couple dressed in full Tour de France gear. She was flat on her back, no color eyes rolling and incoherent. Put on the 4 ways and called 911.
He freaked on me."she's just dehydrated". They had $5k bikes and no water in 30deg heat. They put her in the ambulance and off she went. He continued to freak."How am i gonna get her bike home".Buh bye.
 
Wingboy said:
Bicyclists, vegans and hipsters. Uggh.
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What have Vegans done to make your quality of life worse?

As for the cyclists, I've been riding 5yr+ and never had an issue, or even come across a group. Even if so, Canada is so massive, with millions of km's, the fact that you won't ride Sunday mornings isn't due the cyclists, it's not wandering where they don't. As a cyclist myself, mornings work well because its cooler, and much less wind. idk, I feel with so many roads to ride, there is plenty to share and everyone to be happy
 
ScorpionT16 said:
What have Vegans done to make your quality of life worse?

As for the cyclists, I've been riding 5yr+ and never had an issue, or even come across a group. Even if so, Canada is so massive, with millions of km's, the fact that you won't ride Sunday mornings isn't due the cyclists, it's not wandering where they don't. As a cyclist myself, mornings work well because its cooler, and much less wind. idk, I feel with so many roads to ride, there is plenty to share and everyone to be happy
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Cyclists need to break this entitlement that hangs over their community. No one is happy when they change from a road vehicle to a ‘pedestrian’ whenever the traffic signs don’t agree with their conservation of motion. Passing right turning vehicles on their right with no sense of appropriate care or attention for anyone but themselves is beyond stupidity

Sorry, but you guys have earned the hate.

In other news I note we now have bike lanes on danforth. Oy vey.
 
ScorpionT16 said:
As for the cyclists, I've been riding 5yr+ and never had an issue, or even come across a group. Even if so, Canada is so massive, with millions of km's, the fact that you won't ride Sunday mornings isn't due the cyclists, it's not wandering where they don't. As a cyclist myself, mornings work well because its cooler, and much less wind. idk, I feel with so many roads to ride, there is plenty to share and everyone to be happy
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Point being they should ride single file on narrower roads and not obstruct traffic. They are slower than the rest of the traffic so obstructing traffic is just gonna increase frustration and eventually someone is gonna run out of patience. When I rode up north there were at least 2 or 3 situations where cars let me by ( I don't tailgate, just patiently wait until I get a chance or they wave me by). Common courtesy I would say!

That said I never really had an issue with a group of cyclists yet!
 
ScorpionT16 said:
What have Vegans done to make your quality of life worse?

As for the cyclists, I've been riding 5yr+ and never had an issue, or even come across a group. Even if so, Canada is so massive, with millions of km's, the fact that you won't ride Sunday mornings isn't due the cyclists, it's not wandering where they don't. As a cyclist myself, mornings work well because its cooler, and much less wind. idk, I feel with so many roads to ride, there is plenty to share and everyone to be happy
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Where did i say my quality of life is worse?
You know what they say. How do you know that someone is vegan? Don't worry, they'll tell ya.
 
There's a way to coexist.
Abreast is fine as long as it's not "busy" (aka no incoming traffic at all) but as soon as there's any sort of traffic in both directions reverting back to single file should be pretty easy and the default.

Just like for motorcycles i find that the bigger the group the dumber the moves and same goes for cycling. You find yourself in a group so you have this tribe mentality that turns you into a chest thumping entitled ahole.

I cycle probably as much as i ride the motorcycle these days and i can see both sides of the argument but sharing the road goes both ways, it doesn't mean take over the road. Especially on a climb in a blind corner (hello lower base line?!)

But with covid, you'll definitely see a huge influx of newer cyclists who don't know how to share the road..with experience you eventually kinda figure out the best way to approach it. The fact that bike stores are out of stock since last year should give a clue that there are a lot more riders out there, and a bunch of them are going to be new, uninformed and inexperienced. And cycling groups which usually will help onboard those cyclists and show them "the way" to do things properly have been "officially" told not to organize group rides (maybe up until recently). So no guidance there either.
 
I know this is a debate, largely because there is little enforcement of peleton or side by side style riding. The HTA says riders must give way to faster traffic by pulling right, and may not ride side by side if impedes the normal flow of traffic.

I'm all for cyclists sharing the road, but like the rest of the road users they should have rules and those rules should be enforced.


A couple of other things that I'd change.
1) Remove the reverse onus law. Toronto based studies place equal blame on cyclists and drivers (33% cyclists, 33% motorist and 33% joint) yet motorists have the bigger burden when it comes to liability.
2) Where bicycle lanes have been afforded, cyclists should be limited to those lanes and prohibited from using the auto lanes for anything but turning or avoiding obstacles in bike lanes.
3) Make riders using the road produce drivers licenses if they have one to police officers to facilitate appropriate assignment of HTA offences.
4) Specifically outline rules regarding single file and peloton style group riding in the HTA.
 
Wingboy said:
Where did i say my quality of life is worse?
You know what they say. How do you know that someone is vegan? Don't worry, they'll tell ya.
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The OP started a thread to do with cyclists ruining a ride and taking up space, and somehow you needed to bring Vegans into the thread...

I agree with a lot of the posts, I don't understand why cyclists ride side by side, esp when back to back is better for drag, taking turns to rest. Personally I've never seen it or experienced it, I know plenty of pro riders at work who are considerate, all of them drive and have cars too, so it's not like they don't understand the annoyance they may cause. Personally I stick to back roads and trails, all the quiet spots I knew are crowded by people now. When a whole family needs to hold hands taking up the trail's width... well, I feel ya
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