Cyclist vs Rider: Was I in the Wrong?

"valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option" (valsidalv)
04/14/2016 at 21:35 • Filed to: None

This incident occurred on my ride home from work today and I want to rant just a little bit but also see what you guys think.

Here’s the scenario: I’m on my motorcycle riding on a two-way, two-lane road (small residential street) approaching an intersection with a light. According to Google Maps I am 150 m away from the light. Approximately 50 m in front of me is a cyclist traveling in the same direction. He is biking in the middle of our lane. Naturally I catch up to him quickly and overtake him on the left using the oncoming lane. In the image, green is the cyclist because he is eco-friendly and red is me because I’m the devil. Now, I double checked and there is nothing illegal with overtaking another vehicle as long as the maneuver happens in a different lane - which it did - and it is safe to do so - which it was. I don’t know what he was doing in the middle of the lane but w/e, I’m not about to ride behind a cyclist on my motorcycle doing 20 km/h especially when there’s no other traffic on this street. Something I’ve learned on my motorcycle (and bicycle for that matter) is self-preservation is the most important thing, and if someone is going too slow or too quick I will do my best to distance myself from them.

Anyways, the light is red and he catches up to me. I had an idea I may have irked him, and so it begins. He starts talking to me and it’s kinda hard to hear with my visor down and motorcycle running. “Why do you think I was in the left lane?” is what I think he said. For starters, there is no ‘left lane’ on a street that has only one lane in each direction. If he was talking about a left-turn lane... well that isn’t there. If by ‘left’ he meant ‘oncoming’ then that’s also false because he was still in the correct lane... Regardless, can you be any more passive aggressive? I don’t know nor do I give a shit why you were where you were. All I know is that you were a slow moving vehicle and I overtook you. The light will turn green soon and I just want to get home so I say “I apologize” and somehow that pisses him off more because his rant continues. Once again, I just want to put this to rest because I’m literally 1 km from my place so I say “I apologize” again (how Canadian of me, eh?) and then he mouths off something like “You’re a biker too, you should know what you’re fucking doing”. And that pissed me off. Here I was being fairly nice to you and then you had to start swearing. Light turns green so I blast away and I’m done with it.

Now I’d like to hear some Oppopinions. I am fairly certain that neither of us did anything illegal in this scenario. As I mentioned, it is legal to overtake, and legally the cyclist can take up an entire lane if he wants to. I think the question here is who was being the bigger asshole?

The concept of “share the road” clearly did not resonate with this dude because he felt he could eat up an entire lane while traveling at a turtle’s pace. I think I may have given him a scare or something when I passed him since it’s not something you would normally expect but does that make me a dick as well?

All I know is if I was on my bicycle I would never be in the middle of the road so far from an intersection. If I have to make a left turn I will wait til I’m closer to the turn and at the very least make room for cars to get by if I’m not. Not sure if my cyclist buddy thinks he truly is invincible by being in the middle of the road but if I was in a car behind him I’d be tempted to overtake him as well.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE a co-worker of mine wants to buy my Ninja 400!!! He randomly came up to me one day to ask about insurance rates on bikes and I told him mine was for sale and it fit the bill for him perfectly. So that’s gonna happen, and I’ll be picking up my ZX-6R a week from now. Yaaay!

DISCUSSION (31)

jkm7680 > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:39

Most serious cyclists where I live are entitled assholes.

Like, the kind that ride down roads where cyclists are NOT ALLOWED TO RIDE and in the middle of the road everywhere, especially when the speed limit is much higher than the speed they’re riding.

Blondude > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:40

Cyclist was an asshole. Case closed.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > jkm7680
04/14/2016 at 21:40

This guy was serious. Tinted glasses and lycra suit.

jkm7680 > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:42

Oh good, my least favorite kind.

He’s probably just playing the “I’M ON A BIKE AND HAVE A ROOF RACK ON MY PRIUS” card.

Tekamul > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:50

You behaved correctly, he was an entitled ass.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > jkm7680
04/14/2016 at 21:50

Kinja'd!!!

“The benefits of biking are so obvious why do you even own a car you sellout”

jkm7680 > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:52

I think a Mustang would easily resolve this problem.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > jkm7680
04/14/2016 at 21:53

HAHAHA pure gold!

Urambo Tauro > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:54

He starts talking to me and it’s kinda hard to hear with my visor down and motorcycle running. “Why do you think I was in the left lane?” is what I think he said.

Assuming you heard him correctly, maybe he was about to make a left turn? Maybe he was going to turn into one of those driveways, and by overtaking him, you cut him off from performing that maneuver? Then after you passed, he cancelled said turn to follow you and confront you.

If he was planning to turn, I’d expect a signal, which in his case probably wouldn’t be a flashing light, but an outstretched arm.

Anyway, that’s the best explanation I can come up with for his so-called “left lane”.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 21:56

Well, I mean I’d have said you were in the right if when you went past him you kicked him off his bike, pulled over, pulled his rear wheel off his bike and beat him unconscious with it, so maybe I’m not the best guy to ask about cyclists...

...but you didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just another prick cyclist. Done and done.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Urambo Tauro
04/14/2016 at 22:01

Nope, there are no left turns between where we were and the traffic light.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
04/14/2016 at 22:02

I got a laugh out of this.

Urambo Tauro > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 22:04

No driveways?

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Urambo Tauro
04/14/2016 at 22:08

At the point where I overtook him there is nothing on the left, just the curb and sidewalk. I’m pretty sure he wanted to make a left at the light.

Scott > jkm7680
04/14/2016 at 22:16

There are really no roads that cyclists are not allowed on, they are considered vehicles just like a car and motorcycle and are required to obey the same rules of the road. In fact I remember as a kid in elementary school, and middle school, the local police got on a kick about enforcing traffic laws on bicyclists. I recall a few of my friends getting tickets for riding their bikes on sidewalks. I could not believe that the police would actually advocate having elementary school kids riding their bikes on the street rather than the sidewalk, but that is the law. I suspect some parents complained as I eventually got stopped a few times but never got a ticket, just advised to ride in the street.

What tends to irritate people is that bicyclists tend to pick and choose the laws that they want to obey, but get upset about motor vehicles not treating them as a vehicle.

jkm7680 > Scott
04/14/2016 at 22:17

Not where I live.

There's a ton of main roads where bikes aren't allowed and a parkway where bikes aren't allowed. It's mainly the busy ones with traffic one lane each direction, because asshole bikers ride slowly in the middle of the lane and can't ride on sidewalks because of ped traffic.

gmctavish needs more space > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 22:25

Meh, as long as he wasn’t signalling a a left turn, you did nothing wrong as far as I understand. I’d say you found yourself a cyclist that doesn’t know/care how roads work, which is a pretty huge shocker

Urambo Tauro > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 22:27

Well, so much for playing devil’s advocate. Sounds like he was setting up for that eventual turn too far in advance.

My citroen won't start > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 22:30

I once accidentally parked my Range Rover in the bike lane, that’s all the help I can give you.

Scott > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 22:30

If he was to the left of his lane, did you give him plenty of clearance or were you to the right of the other lane. In Germany the law on over taking bicyclists is that you must leave enough room between you and the bicyclists so that he has room to fall over without being at risk of being hit by your vehicle. While I am not aware of any such law in the US, I know in drivers ed class I took I was taught that when a pedestrian is crossing the road you need to either wait for them to reach the opposite side walk or clear your lane with enough room to not feel intimidated by your going past.

In my motorcycle training I was taught to act as if I am sitting in a car, and always keep to the left side of any lane I am in unless riding in a group. The reason was largely to get other motorists to not crowd me to closely, and leave room so that if I am crowded I have my own room to use in an emergency. This is also why bicyclists tend to right out to the left of a lane, to force traffic to give them room. The cyclist may have felt that you did not leave enough comfort zone between the two of you.

valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option > Scott
04/14/2016 at 22:45

We are taught the same thing when on a motorcycle - stay on the left side of the right lane, the right side of the left lane, and try to avoid the middle lane if possible. However we don’t have any classes you need to take in order to take a bike on a road (sometimes I think we should). I would assume that he felt I came too close to him but I was in the oncoming lane so his “feelings” don’t count for anything in this case. My question is why was he biking in the middle of the road. Did he feel that that’s ok to do because it’s a quiet street? Did he just want to do that because there were no other cars? I don’t know, but any reason for being in the middle is dumb unless you are making a turn and have properly signaled for it.

Svend > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 22:54

No fella. You did right.

If the cyclist was wanting to turn left at the junction he should of kept right and then as he got closer to the junction did a visual check behind and then held out his left arm to indicate he was going left as he got to the junction. He was just being another cyclist who thinks everyone should care about him and he owns the damned road.

Next time someone says “why do you think I was in the left lane?” simply reply, “well if you don’t know how am I supposed to know”.

Scott > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/14/2016 at 23:01

For the same reason motorcyclists do so, it forces traffic to go into the other lane to get around you, rather than lane sharing.

facw > jkm7680
04/15/2016 at 01:14

Everywhere I’ve ever been cyclists are allowed on all roads expect freeways. Are these roads of yours signed?

facw > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/15/2016 at 01:18

Normally when cyclists bike in the middle of the lane, it’s because they feel there is not enough room for a car to pass them safely. A cyclist is legally allowed to use the whole lane at their discretion. They (rightly) do not trust cars to pass with sufficient clearance in tight spaces. The other option is they’ll take the lane to be able to make a left turn.

Doesn’t sound like either of those cases applies here, and unlike a car, a motorcycle should be able to pass safely anywhere there is a full lane available.

facw > My citroen won't start
04/15/2016 at 01:20

Please don’t do this. Though note that in Texas, it is legal to park in bike lanes unless explicitly marked otherwise, because our legislators are assholes.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/15/2016 at 02:15

In the glory land of California, one is required to give 3 ft of room when passing. I used to train a lot for races I wouldn’t really go to, but it’s kosher in my book. I don’t know why someone would be in the middle of a 2 way street, but I only make that choice if I don’t have a safe shoulder/or I’m in a city street where I have to wiggle around. Hell, you’re still better than the dickhead who decided to roll coal as he passed me.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms
04/15/2016 at 03:35

i often tell People the batshit crazy stuff drivers do to me without provocation as a cyclist, and they don’t really believe me, but this seems like the type of attitude that would cause a person on a two lane road whose headed toward me to go over the yellow line into my lane and speed up. Yes, this happens to cyclists in rural areas. Yes, it’s almost always a white diesel. Yes, it’s like the least fair game of chicken ever and I always let them win.

jkm7680 > facw
04/15/2016 at 07:58

Yep

Berang > valsidalv, reminding you that infiniti is an option
04/16/2016 at 18:13

Maybe he was planning on making a left turn?

But then he should have signalled so.

iaintafraidofnoghost > Blondude
04/20/2016 at 22:07

Most people on two wheels are.