You should try riding in central wisconsin. No lights, no cars, few if any other bikers, roads mostly in great shape (no truck traffic) and some hills to keep things interesting. All of which makes riding up there much less stressful than what it seems you have to endure.

I'm gonna go out a limb here and guess your bike is exponentially better than mine, yet there I can average 13 MPH no problem.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

A couple things happened to me over the past year. One, I tore my quad tendon and two, my bike broke down and due to COVID policy supply chain issues I couldn't get the necessary replacement parts from Trek. I had to improvise, so I ended up with a gear set in front where the larger gear is only six inches in circumference. It's very difficult to make speed with that set-up.

Even on my relatively heavy hybrid I was able to average 18-19 mph for long stretches. I'm not sure that is possible the way my bike currently is, but we'll see. As I said, I haven't come close to going all out yet.

I don't really mind the company of other riders. All I would ask is the same courtesy that I regularly extend.

Here's an example. If I come to a red light and a guy pulls up on a $10,000 Colnago dressed like he is in a Tour and with 1% body fat, when the light turns green I let him lead the way out of there. I don't rush out in front of him and make him pass me. Now sometimes, even a guy like that isn't as strong as I am and I end up passing him, but I make the logical assumption to begin with and defer to the guy who appears to be the faster rider. Yet, there are times when I'm obviously faster than a guy and he only catches me at the stop lights, yet every time he ignorantly comes out of there in front of me forcing me to pass him again and again.

Here's another example. Inevitably, the guy dressed like he is in a road race is going to ride hyper-aggressively. Like, "FUCK YOU, GET OUT OF MY WAY!" (We've been over the "ON YOUR LEFT!" thing which really just means "Get the fuck out of my way because I refuse to slow down or stop.") Not long ago I was heading north on Sherman and a Tour rider was heading east on Noyes. I got to the intersection first and he was on my left anyway. It was obviously my right-of-way. (I want to point out for Frank that not coming to a complete stop may be technically illegal, but it's an accepted custom just like getting angry at a guy driving the speed LIMIT in the far left lane.) I could see the motherfucker wasn't going to stop or slow down so I hard rode right through in front of him and we came very close to colliding. Kind of dumb on my part but fuck that guy. Why should I defer to him? I was ready to crash. I'm not sure if he was.

Anyway, I can ride the Green Bay Trail or the North Branch Trail and it's pretty relaxing and there isn't much traffic. Before I got hurt I was rarely passed from behind and when that occurred it was usually on Sheridan Road on a weekend where there is a completely different class of rider and more significantly, a different class of bikes.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

I can throw a football over a mountain.

Yeah I figured 13 was not your upper end. Even if I could go 19 on my old rattletrap I don't think I would want to; I would have no confidence in being able to stop quickly if I had to. My wife's been after me to get a better bike but as I say I don't feel the need to go any faster. Plus as you mention the supply chain issue is a problem. I can get parts for the one I have now so I'll keep making it work. But if you need parts one of the Deacons at our church rides a Trek there every day...I don't think there are any cameras pointed at the bike rack

I guess my main point was that in my view rural riding is so much more relaxing then dealing with lights, cars, other bikers and pedestrians and at the same time (for me) a better workout. But to each his own.

Hopefully your recovery continues and you are soon back to full speed!

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Thanks!

Yeah, it's usually pretty relaxing going through the woods on the North Branch Trail. Sometimes I like a fast guy to come along and shake me up though. Otherwise I'm prone to dogging it.

My hybrid Trek is okay, but even though it's relatively new, it's not as good as the cheap Trek 820 I rode for twenty-five years. I guess they just don't make 'em like they used to.

My wife has told me to treat myself to an expensive road bike. I guess I ride enough to justify it. But I ride all year round so I have to have a bike I can ride in the winter. And we live in a condo so I have storage issues with two bikes. I guess I could solve that if I really wanted to. I could keep one at the office during the season when I'm not using it.

But even though I don't think anyone would call me parsimonious, I'm frugal enough that I'm not sure I'd want to spend upper four figures on a bicycle.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

I'm 63 and pretty sure I am older than JORR, but still...

https://abc7chicago.com/glencoe-bicycle ... /13693877/

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

I ride that route all the time. Yesterday I came back the other way through the woods along the river rather than taking Sheridan Road back south.

There was also a bad car vs. bike crash near dolphinland at Devon and Kostner earlier this week.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

There is no may be about it. It's illegal, period.


This means slow moving traffic, not slow people like you.

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Guaranteed the motherfucker was parked in the bike lane.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

Probably not worth riding into the backside of a van to prove a point.

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If I had to guess, the rider moved out to the left of the van and the dope winged him with the door. Either that or the rider was riding with his head down. In which case he's a dope, but that still doesn't excuse the guy parking in the bike lane. Drivers would go apeshit if a couple guys on bikes decided to park in the middle of the road. But parking in the bike lane is supposed to be no big deal. BIKE LANE UPRISING!

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

Especially on hot days I sometimes catch myself riding with my head down. I'm lucky I have not ridden into a parked car.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

I'm extremely familiar with that stretch of road. Landscapers, delivery vans, and other service trucks are constantly parking in the bike lane.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

Jorr, I was in lower Manhattan the last few days. I could not believe all the bike lanes. I never recall seeing so many. People on bikes everywhere.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Streets are for cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Having bike lanes give bikers a false sense of security, thereby making it more dangerous for them. If they want to be safer, get rid of the the bike lanes.

That's an opinion.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

Keep them and as soon as a bike leaves the bike lane, ticket them. That's one way to help close the pension gap this state faces.

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It's a wrong opinion, at least according to Illinois law.

On most roadways, bicyclists (including those on electric bikes or low speed vehicles such as scooters and mopeds) have the same rights and responsibilities as other roadway users. https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drive ... afety.html

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

I was riding on the road with my two kids the other day in our neighborhood and some jerkoff in a Tesla had the temerity to honk at us because we probably cost him 8-10 seconds to get to his desired destination.

We have sidewalks for pedestrians. They aren't walking in the streets.

The streets should not be system of recreation. And those who use their bikes as a necessity, I'm sorry you're poor. But if I'm backed up 4 blocks because there's a bike lane taking up the right lane, and that biker just passes me and gets to HIS destination before me, there's something seriously wrong with the system.

Which means cyclists have to stop at stop signs and wait for green lights. JOrr's fabrication of it being an accepted custom means he's still for breaking the law.

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Cyclists aren't pedestrians. And bicycles are for transportation just like automobiles. Where the fuck do you have to go that's so important you need to speed around in a gas-guzzling behemoth?



Sounds like you should be on a bicycle.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

You will close the pension gap faster if you ticket every driver who fails to either come to a complete stop at a stop sign or use a turn signal.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

Or - and just bear with me here - give all pensioners bicycles and allow trucks to park in the bike lane.

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Sounds like a skill but I'd rather die like slaves and Purdue Rick want to.

Simple Frank is too dumb to understand that bicycles are legal road vehicles in all 50 states.

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Communists are just people who are terrible at capitalism.

I've never said they weren't. In fact, I've acknowledged that they are legal road vehicles MANY times including once here in this very thread
My gripe is that bikers seem to think they are special and thus do not have to adhere to traffic laws. Its not a two way street, pun intended. You're either a legal road vehicle that has to stop at stop signs, or you're not and you're at the mercy of autos.

You talk about accepted customs and defacto stops as if they supersede the law because you're an idiot who doesn't understand the law, an asshole who refuses the follow the law, or too focused on looking for pennies and nickels along your route to notice that there is a stop sign and a parked delivery truck ahead.


Now let's see how long before Caller Bob or Seacrest quote the above without realizing they are just owning themselves.

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I think that Frank understands that.

Not sure he knows how to a ride a bike though.

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Bicyclist Wants To Be Treated Like A Car But Also Be Able To Just Kinda Break The Rules When He Wants To

Aug 25, 2023 · BabylonBee.com

CHICAGO, IL — In a statement delivered to a line of 100 drivers who had been stuck behind him for the past 3 hours, local bicyclist JORR said that he wants to be treated just like a car on the road, but also to just kinda be able to break the rules whenever he wants to.

"I'm an important bicyclist deserving your respect, and should be granted all the rights and privileges of a car at all times!" said JORR to the parade of honking automobiles behind him. "But also, I don't carry insurance for when I cause an accident and would like to disregard traffic lights and signs whenever I want. It is my divine right! NOW STARE AT MY SPANDEXED BUTT FOR THE NEXT 30 MILES AND LIKE IT!"

Sources say JORR then ran three traffic lights and then started a fight with a biological woman parked in the oh so precious bike lane.