To start off with positive news, I’ve been learning how to trackstand. My best time so far has been 30 seconds. Yay!
Now, the rants:
There are actually two type of cyclists that annoy the fuck out of me.
The first type are the “tough as shit” boys that like to speed down pedestrian filled sidewalks. I’m the type of person that actually turns my head to look at people on bikes. I like cute boys on sexy bikes like any other girl. But I’m turned off by the pussy factor of idiots speeding down crowded sidewalks because they’re too cowardly to bike on the road. I’m not even talking about slow riders who leisurely take the sidewalk on their cruisers and what not, or even people who use mostly empty sidewalks on otherwise busy roads. I’m talking about people who perpetuate the stereotype that cyclists are reckless and inconsiderate jerks by weaving through pedestrians at high speeds. Don’t do that. You hate it when cars buzz you, so why do that to people?
The second type of cyclist just confounds me. They’re the ones that do ride on the road… but they do it against traffic. I actually remember reading on a bike forum where someone preferred to bike against traffic because that way they can see cars coming. I’m not even going to bother explaining why that’s wrong and why it’s dangerous. I see cyclists riding the wrong way and I feel like just yelling at them.
There’s a third type of cyclist that sort of bugs me, but I don’t experience them much, except online. That’s the vehicular cyclist advocate. Those who believe that cyclists are vehicles, therefore they must be respected as such, even in predicaments such as turning left from the left lane on a busy four lane highway. Those that would chastise you for not stopping and planting your foot down at every red light and stop sign, even at empty intersections. Those that claim that bike lanes and helmets are deadly and dangerous (I get the arguments against them to some degree, but I still think that facilities and safety gear provides an important service and shouldn’t be opposed as tirelessly as some of these people do).
I’m in bicycle themed rant mood lately because I’ve been observing dumbasses around all year and they really do give cyclists a bad name. I hate being buzzed or sworn at or disrespected because some dude “had a bad experience with a cyclist once therefore all cyclist are evil commie dickwads that deserve an end under their SUV”.
