ASSERT YOUR RIGHT TO RIDE!

I commuted on my bike in Houston for 3 years. I rode from near downtown to Shepherd/Westheimer. I followed all rules of the road, stopping at stop signs and traffic lights, hand signaling, etc.. and I still had to fight to ride on the right hand side of the road. I practically got aimed at by cars, honked at, cursed at, given the finger to and various other regular cycling taunts... The whole time I was riding I was praising the fact that I had medical insurance through work and knew that if I got hit, I would be covered.

Houston sucks for cyclists and the piddly little so called "bike lanes" the city put in are a joke. Half them are on streets that are in major need of repair so the edges (where the bike lanes are) are full of rough patches, potholes, debris, etc...pathetic.

 

I agree with you 100% that bike riders should be given complete access to the roads, however, they have to abide by the rules of the road. The thing that irritates me above all else, is when you carefully pass a rider on a stretch of road, waiting until it is clear to do so, and then at the next stop light when everyone is stopped, the rider passes in between the cars and goes to the front of the line, forcing everyone to have to pass him on the road again.

They must also use hand signals to indicate when turning and stopping, although I can't fault them too much for that, as most drivers don't dothis either.

Is there a minimum speed limit in Texas? If there is, in principal bike riders should abide by that law as well.

 

I'm in. Where do I sign!?

 

Uhhhh.....in many places, the minimum speed limit is a lot faster than what most normal people ride their bikes. For example, residential speed limits typically hover around 25mph - not many people can hold that on a bike for longer than a sprint.

 

Davo. That is so funny. I experience the same thing running. The cars will carefully pass me and then I catch and pass them at a four way light. Then they must pass me again. Hilarious. It's kinda funny for me tho... but I do know that it must get under their skin.

My biggest beef is drivers who do not stop at stop signs. Every year I almost get hit three or four times because the drivers don't stop at the stop line or the sign. They blow right through it trying to get closer to the corner. Just today a taxi driver did the same thing to me. In fact, if I was little faster, he would have put me in the hospital or killed me. He simply did not stop and thought it was all clear. It wasn't.

I must run on the sreet just to be seen. If I run on the sidewalk it's even worse. Car's don't expect you to be there.

 

I am so in.

I live in bike-friendly Austin, where bikers have a lot of freedom. I have always hated riding in Houston because of the ass hole drivers! I mean we are providing no carcinogens whatsoever, and these people think they own the roads.... sheesh.....

Tell me when and where, and I will be there. Maybe we could have a clutchcity.net meeting area as well.

 

i bought my mountain bike a couple of montha ago and it has been the best buy i ever made. i use it every do to go to school and it is so fun. i go to school in denton and it is the worst town to ride a bike. we have two big universties here and the county treats us like dirt. the place i saw the nicest bike routes is gainsville, florida where u of Florida is at. i cant wait US cities start to realize and become more health, enviroment conscious.

LONG LIVE THE BIKERS!!!

 

I haven't ridden a bike in quite a few years, but it sounds like a cool thing to do. I must agree that if cyclists want their right to the road, then all cyclists must abide to the laws that cars must follow. Unfortunately we all know that not all cyclists will follow the laws.

I'm not that familiar with cycling friendly cities, so I would be interested in which ones were the best and what made them the best.

To drive a car on the road, you have to be licensed. Do we need a license to ride a bicycle? That would be the safest, but I doubt that it would happen considering I first learned to ride a bike when I was 5.

Don't get me wrong, I do think that cyclists should have the freedom of the road, but safely and practically.

Now, I'm sorry PhiSlammaJamma, but I don't really agree with you on the jogging. You should take every step to protect yourself. It's one thing to feel like you have the right to the road and act like it, but you have to be realistic. When you get to a stop sign, don't expect people to stop for you. Of course, they are supposed to stop for you, but that's not going to happen everytime. If you try to make a point by taking over the road as a pedestrian, you're likely to get hurt. Of course it wouldn't be your fault, but what good does that do you in the hospital or in the ground.
I've always hated when pedestrians take their right of way for granted. When I was at Texas A&M, everyone knew that when you drove through campus to always stop for students crossing the street. Students take it for granted and will walk straight across the street without looking either way. They feel that it's their right and that all drivers will be constantly looking for pedestrians. It's ridiculous. It made me mad quite a few times because I've almost hit them and that would be such a horrible feeling to me to hit a person with my car. I couldn't even imagine walking across a street without looking both ways.