Who Are the Annoying People Who Ride Their Bikes on River Road During Morning Rush Hour???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I didn't say it was illegal; just very unwise. And you certainly can't expect cars to be overjoyed about you when you're deliberately engaging in antisocial (albeit legal) behavior.

Unwise compared to what?

and it is NOT antisocial, other than to people like you who try to avoid understanding why cyclists do what they do.

you have the wrong person. I'm a biker and I've loved the times when I had a feasible bike commute. I agree that biking on busy traffic arteries is legal in DC; but it's unwise, and it's anti-social to slow down traffic at rush hour. And overall it's not good for the cause of getting more investment in and acceptance of bike infrastructure. Just bike to Bethesda and metro in like the rest of us.

I don't live in MoCo. But riding in on arterials is probably MORE wise than taking metro for most people, in terms of health outcomes.

Also if someone can ride to downtown Bethesda, can't they ride into DC on the Capital Crescent Trail? What does this have to do with River Road? What high speed road are you thinking of ? One in DC? I am pretty sure the DC govt is not going to stop putting in bike lanes because some folks in Bethesda and North Potomac don't like cyclists.

Sure, take the Capital Crescent, that's an excellent alternative. I seriously doubt there's any research comparing taking the Metro to biking down highly trafficked arterials like River Road with no bike infrastructure. But anyway the other point is being anti-social. You're engaged in an activity that's impinging on traffic, so you're going to get annoyed responses just like this OP. You can't engage in out-of-place behavior that inconveniences others, and not expect them to be annoyed. Which is not a great look, if you care about getting better bike infrastructure created.

1. The CCT is NOT a good alternative for someone living in say, Tenleytown and heading to Dupont. I know this is hard, but not everyone lives in MoCo.

2. While there is no specific research on that particular route (I mean reallY?) the health effects are major, and few people are hurt riding during the day, in helmets, on arterials like that. Its not terribly comfortable, but you are nice and visible and most drivers don't want a collision. There are lots of places that drivers think are safe for biking that are in fact more dangerous.

3. The District of Columbia does not consider it antisocial. They are not going to build less bike infra because of resentment by Marylanders (while except for the Marylanders who attend influential black churches in DC, but I don't think many of those live in Potomac or Bethesda). If anything, higher levels of biking on the state avenues in upper NW just might prod them to accelerate alternatives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, take the Capital Crescent, that's an excellent alternative. I seriously doubt there's any research comparing taking the Metro to biking down highly trafficked arterials like River Road with no bike infrastructure. But anyway the other point is being anti-social. You're engaged in an activity that's impinging on traffic, so you're going to get annoyed responses just like this OP. You can't engage in out-of-place behavior that inconveniences others, and not expect them to be annoyed. Which is not a great look, if you care about getting better bike infrastructure created.

Why is it anti-social to get to work during commuting times by bike? Seriously. Getting people from home to work by car is not the primary purpose of the road network. Roads are for all people, not just people in cars. Why isn't it just as bad when people in cars deter people on foot and people on bikes from using the road as it is when people on bikes momentarily delay people in cars?

I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

[Anonymous]

Also of course the CCT is NOT an alternative to River Road in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

So if you want to bike to work from Potomac, during normal commuting hours, what are you supposed to do?

You build up a biking culture by biking. You don't build up a biking culture by not biking, or by biking where only other people on bikes can see you. The more people bike on River Road during normal commuting hours, the more normal people will consider biking on River Road during normal commuting hours to be. And the safer it will be, too.

[Anonymous]

NP. The bikers on this thread, sadly, are simply contributing and adding to anti-bike sentiment. Their rude responses seem to be never ending, and only support stereotypes people have of bikers as being unagreeable and socially clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

What again is the alternative route? I am assuming this is River Road north of Goldsboro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I didn't say it was illegal; just very unwise. And you certainly can't expect cars to be overjoyed about you when you're deliberately engaging in antisocial (albeit legal) behavior.

Unwise compared to what?

and it is NOT antisocial, other than to people like you who try to avoid understanding why cyclists do what they do.

you have the wrong person. I'm a biker and I've loved the times when I had a feasible bike commute. I agree that biking on busy traffic arteries is legal in DC; but it's unwise, and it's anti-social to slow down traffic at rush hour. And overall it's not good for the cause of getting more investment in and acceptance of bike infrastructure. Just bike to Bethesda and metro in like the rest of us.

I don't live in MoCo. But riding in on arterials is probably MORE wise than taking metro for most people, in terms of health outcomes.

Also if someone can ride to downtown Bethesda, can't they ride into DC on the Capital Crescent Trail? What does this have to do with River Road? What high speed road are you thinking of ? One in DC? I am pretty sure the DC govt is not going to stop putting in bike lanes because some folks in Bethesda and North Potomac don't like cyclists.

Sure, take the Capital Crescent, that's an excellent alternative. I seriously doubt there's any research comparing taking the Metro to biking down highly trafficked arterials like River Road with no bike infrastructure. But anyway the other point is being anti-social. You're engaged in an activity that's impinging on traffic, so you're going to get annoyed responses just like this OP. You can't engage in out-of-place behavior that inconveniences others, and not expect them to be annoyed. Which is not a great look, if you care about getting better bike infrastructure created.

1. The CCT is NOT a good alternative for someone living in say, Tenleytown and heading to Dupont. I know this is hard, but not everyone lives in MoCo.

2. While there is no specific research on that particular route (I mean reallY?) the health effects are major, and few people are hurt riding during the day, in helmets, on arterials like that. Its not terribly comfortable, but you are nice and visible and most drivers don't want a collision. There are lots of places that drivers think are safe for biking that are in fact more dangerous.

3. The District of Columbia does not consider it antisocial. They are not going to build less bike infra because of resentment by Marylanders (while except for the Marylanders who attend influential black churches in DC, but I don't think many of those live in Potomac or Bethesda). If anything, higher levels of biking on the state avenues in upper NW just might prod them to accelerate alternatives.

You can get from Tenleytown to Dupont on smaller surface streets. No need to take Wisconsin, unless you prize a direct route over safety/being a good citizen approrpiately sharing the road.

https://ddot.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddot/publication/attachments/dc_bike_map_2012_full_version.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

What again is the alternative route? I am assuming this is River Road north of Goldsboro.

I dunno, but if there were truly no safe and appropriate route, I just wouldn't bike commute. If you chose instead to be unsafe/inappropriate, then that's on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can get from Tenleytown to Dupont on smaller surface streets. No need to take Wisconsin, unless you prize a direct route over safety/being a good citizen approrpiately sharing the road.

https://ddot.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddot/publication/attachments/dc_bike_map_2012_full_version.pdf

By "sharing the road", you evidently mean, "staying off the road".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

So if you want to bike to work from Potomac, during normal commuting hours, what are you supposed to do?

You build up a biking culture by biking. You don't build up a biking culture by not biking, or by biking where only other people on bikes can see you. The more people bike on River Road during normal commuting hours, the more normal people will consider biking on River Road during normal commuting hours to be. And the safer it will be, too.

If you insist you have to bike to work at all costs, then you should chose a home location that allows you to do that. You are NOT building up a bike culture by biking on River Road. I'm sorry, you're just not. It's a highly trafficked artery without room for a heaving volume of bikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You can get from Tenleytown to Dupont on smaller surface streets. No need to take Wisconsin, unless you prize a direct route over safety/being a good citizen approrpiately sharing the road.

https://ddot.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddot/publication/attachments/dc_bike_map_2012_full_version.pdf

By "sharing the road", you evidently mean, "staying off the road".

No, sharing the roads by taking appropriate routes. It's not that hard to figure out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

What again is the alternative route? I am assuming this is River Road north of Goldsboro.

I dunno, but if there were truly no safe and appropriate route, I just wouldn't bike commute. If you chose instead to be unsafe/inappropriate, then that's on you.

It's not unsafe. And it's only inappropriate if you start with the assumption that people shouldn't bike on roads with lots of cars during rush hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. The bikers on this thread, sadly, are simply contributing and adding to anti-bike sentiment. Their rude responses seem to be never ending, and only support stereotypes people have of bikers as being unagreeable and socially clueless.

You are rights. We should not respond. Not with emotions, and not with facts. We should allow falsehoods and insults to stand. History has shown that is how change is achieved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You can get from Tenleytown to Dupont on smaller surface streets. No need to take Wisconsin, unless you prize a direct route over safety/being a good citizen approrpiately sharing the road.

https://ddot.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ddot/publication/attachments/dc_bike_map_2012_full_version.pdf

By "sharing the road", you evidently mean, "staying off the road".

No, sharing the roads by taking appropriate routes. It's not that hard to figure out.

Who's sharing Wisconsin Ave with whom?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I didn't say it's anti-social to bike commute. I said it's anti-social to be "that guy" who bikes down River Road at rush hour. I love bike commuting, did it for years (on bike lanes and lesser-trafficked surface streets.) It's anti-social to bike down the middle of a fast-moving artery with no bike lane at rush hour. And it does not help the cause of building up a biking culture one single bit, because either annoys the drivers or makes bike commuting look like something only maniacs do.

What again is the alternative route? I am assuming this is River Road north of Goldsboro.

I dunno, but if there were truly no safe and appropriate route, I just wouldn't bike commute. If you chose instead to be unsafe/inappropriate, then that's on you.

It's not unsafe. And it's only inappropriate if you start with the assumption that people shouldn't bike on roads with lots of cars during rush hour.

That's a pretty fair assumption that I think everyone (including lots of bikers) except an extreme minority shares: you shouldn't bike on roads with no bike infrastructure with lots of cars during rush hour.