Tulsa ranked in America's Top 50 Bike Cities

[custosnox]

Have you forgotten the stress of being behind the wheel for the first time? Everyone feels like they need to teach us young'uns a lesson, because we need to be prepared for all the idiot drivers in the world. Well, guess what, we come across those same idiots you do.

Intentionally driving worse around inexperienced drivers is a terribble idea. The slightest thing that you might consider to be easy to deal with could cause a student driver to overreact and oversteer, which very well could cause an accident.

Oh, I remember it.  I had my first wreck when I was 11, rolled my first car at 15.  As I said, I tend to throw in a bit of a buzz.  I've been driving long enough to know how to get someone's attention without causing an accident.  Trust me, intentionally driving worse around inexperienced drivers is not a terrible idea, take it from someone who has the experience to say so.

[ZYX]

Oh, I remember it.  I had my first wreck when I was 11, rolled my first car at 15.  As I said, I tend to throw in a bit of a buzz.  I've been driving long enough to know how to get someone's attention without causing an accident.  Trust me, intentionally driving worse around inexperienced drivers is not a terrible idea, take it from someone who has the experience to say so.

I'm a fairly good driver. You wouldn't even know I was a student driver until I'm driving a car that is marked as such. It's when people start acting like idiots around me or forcing their way in front of me that I get nervous and drive worse. I understand that not every driver is perfect, and I will come across situations that I don't like. However, I handle those much better when I don't have other people trying to teach me a lesson or that cut me off at stop signs because they don't want to drive behind me.

Just let me deal with bad situations as they come, not as you deem them neccesary.

[custosnox]

I'm a fairly good driver. You wouldn't even know I was a student driver until I'm driving a car that is marked as such. It's when people start acting like idiots around me or forcing their way in front of me that I get nervous and drive worse. I understand that not every driver is perfect, and I will come across situations that I don't like. However, I handle those much better when I don't have other people trying to teach me a lesson or that cut me off at stop signs because they don't want to drive behind me.

Just let me deal with bad situations as they come, not as you deem them neccesary.

You forget, I've been there already.  Getting you a bit more used to idiot drivers in a way that, rather you think so or not, isn't actually endangering you will help you be prepared to act when it actually counts.  You may not believe me, but when I do what I do, it may get your heart rate pumping a little bit because it's unexpected, but when it comes right down to it I'm not endangering you. 

[guido911]

[Red Arrow]

Wow! This guy took the game of 2 points for each bicycle, first driver to 100 wins seriously.

[Red Arrow]

Have you forgotten the stress of being behind the wheel for the first time?

Yes, I actually have forgotten.  I learned to drive on private property and had been driving without an adult present since I was about 10.  I had not wrecked or otherwise damaged any equipment.  Our family went places on the weekend and usually took a vacation by car each summer.  Being on the road was not traumatic for me.  I know that not everyone has the opportunities I did.

My situation was as follows:

...but I'm not going to speed up to the flow of traffic when a) it was to my knowledge against the law,

You say you didn't see the sign.  That happens.  If that many people were passing in the conditions you describe there is a real probability that you were way too slow.  Your instructor was probably seeing how you handled the situation.  If you want to go slow, expect to be passed.  Depending on how slow you are going, some other drivers may do stupid things to get around you.

and b) I didn't feel at all comfortable traveling at that speed.

That's part of learning to drive.  When I was in Driver's Ed (in PA), our area was mostly 40 mph and less.  We did have a by-pass around another town that was 60 mph.  That was the defining task.... driving on the Media (name of the by-passed town) Bypass.  My sister learned to drive here.  Her defining task was to drive over the Banana Bridge.

That is why I feel that others should cut a bit of slack to student drivers. We're not prepared to react to an emergency situation, so please do your best not to create one.

I don't intentionally try to create an emergency situation for anyone.  If you are never exposed to marginal situations, you will never be ready for an emergency.  Good luck and I hope you don't learn by accident.

[MrsConan]

Now that we have the laws down, I'd like to add a couple of things to the bicycling discussion.  Would you like to be judged by the dooshbag in your group?  We, as cyclists, have to educate motorists and ourselves on how to handle traffic situations.  Unfortunately, there are those few on both sides who refuse to follow the laws.  The cyclist passing a line of stopped cars?  Dooshbag.  And the cyclist taking up the entire lane on a narrow two-lane?  Yeah, dooshbag.  There are safer roads to take.  I will sometimes take up the lane on a rough patch of road but I do my level best to make sure traffic doesn't get caught up behind me.  I will acknowledge drivers and wave them around to pass when it is safe.  I find that drivers will back off just a bit when they know what I'm going to do.  But they have to be paying attention.  Just the other day I gave the motion for a passing car to stay behind me as I saw another car approaching a blind curve.  She didn't see it and nearly caused an accident.  It would help if motorists would put their damn phones down.  Two days ago, I'm climbing up the hill on 36th St. just west of Harvard.  Extra wide road, I'm as close to the right as possible and just as I reach the crest some a$$hat blows his horn RIGHT NEXT to me.  Completely uncalled for and nearly sent me over the curb.  Oh, and I love the people who have to stop right in the crosswalks on bike paths.  And then there's the motorists who think turn signals are optional.  How am I supposed to know what your intentions are so I can get out of your way?  Not that I have to in most cases, but I find that goodwill earns me and the cycling community a bit of respect.  It also insures that I get back home safely.  So, the next time you've got a cyclist on the road with you, try to be patient and give him/her a chance to do something right.  That way, you both get to your destination in one piece.  You never know when that cyclist might be your friendly neighborhood insurance agent.

[Conan71]

You never know when that cyclist might be your friendly neighborhood insurance agent.

Or someone's wife. 

[JCnOwasso]

I completely respect riders; however, I do have one problem.  If I were the guy riding the bike I am going to pick a safe path of travel, especially if I am riding during rush hour traffic.  There is one gentlemen who rides down 106th st N at about 5:45.  Normally this is not an issue, but the past three times I have come across him, he has been on the blind hill/turn between Memorial and Mingo.  While he is going in the opposite direction, you have idiots being held up behind him wanting to pass.  One of those times I had to almost eat a tree with my truck because of this.  I am not faulting the rider for the poor choices of the driver, but I wouldn't want to ride that hill just out of my own safety. 

[Red Arrow]

but I do my level best to make sure traffic doesn't get caught up behind me.

We can't even get car drivers to abide by that simple courtesy.

Oh, and I love the people who have to stop right in the crosswalks on bike paths. 

Too many drivers have no concept of what the limit line is for.  I always seem to be on the right of some oversize Pickup truck with their doors on over the limit line blocking the view to the left.  It makes it difficult to make a right turn on red after stop when some idiot blocks the line of sight to traffic.

[nathanm]

One thing that cyclists do that really does irritate me is for them to pass a line of cars at a stop sign or traffic light to get in front and then take the lane.

I have a problem with cyclists doing this illegally, but I don't consider bike boxes to be a bad idea at all. They probably wouldn't make much sense at 111th and Sheridan, though.

Where are all of these bicycle-reliant people anyway?

Right here. (Not completely reliant, but I'm selling my car..it turns out one is plenty for us) You're probably not going to find me nearly in Bixby on my bike, though. 15 miles is about my limit these days.

Two days ago, I'm climbing up the hill on 36th St. just west of Harvard.

I call that "death and resurrection." Yes, I am that much of a pansy. It might help if I didn't have an extra 12 year olds' worth of weight holding me back.

Anyway, I'm pretty weird. I prefer riding on the four lane roads where terrain allows me to travel at a decent clip. Why? Because everybody's got their own lane to cheerfully pass me by should they so desire, even if I'm having to take the whole lane to keep away from glass, car doors, or whatever else drivers don't notice that I have to avoid)

[MrsConan]

We can't even get car drivers to abide by that simple courtesy.

Well now, there's a switch!  A cyclist with better road manners than most drivers?  LOFL!

Too many drivers have no concept of what the limit line is for.  I always seem to be on the right of some oversize Pickup truck with their doors on over the limit line blocking the view to the left.  It makes it difficult to make a right turn on red after stop when some idiot blocks the line of sight to traffic.

I concur.  A lady looked me right in the eye (well, she would have if I hadn't had my shades on) as she stopped in the crosswalk to make a right turn, completely blocking it in front of the casino.  And she waited for the green light on purpose, as there was no traffic.  I just smiled at her and mustered the traffic karma curse in her name.  I hate it when I don't get the memos that they own the entire road.

[MrsConan]

[
I call that "death and resurrection." Yes, I am that much of a pansy.

LOL.....that's okay N.  That groaner's not for the weak, I assure you.

And I apologize for the prior post........can't figure out this whole "quote" thing.........

[Hoss]

[
I call that "death and resurrection." Yes, I am that much of a pansy.

LOL.....that's okay N.  That groaner's not for the weak, I assure you.

And I apologize for the prior post........can't figure out this whole "quote" thing.........

MC, just make sure that last "/quote" tag is before your response and you'll be ok...sometimes there is a lot of blank lines before it for whatever reason.

[carltonplace]

Down this way, there are several newer subdivisions that are large enough that a few laps can be several miles. While you may not get the high speeds, you can certainly get a decent work out and also say "hi" to people just hanging out in their front yards. I've met several people this way, and now that I run more in these places, I can actually stop to chat with them.

On a health note, any other runners and cyclists out there? I seem to get my heart rate way higher on a bike than while running. And another thing, and I think Conman could relate as a few others in here, at my age I am stronger now than I was 10-15 years ago. So what am I saying? Get off your arses and get after it....

I do both and for me running is the more strenuous work out. You can't "coast" while runinning and I keep up a 7 to 8 minute mile for 5 to 6 miles 6 times per week.