Dear Everyone,
After reading many of your comments I would like to
share a few of my own. I have only been riding for a
little more than a year. I have gotten into this sport
hard and fast by training and riding long rides. I
depend many times on my fellow GCC club members to
keep me straight; to show me proper etiquette and
protect me from myself if necessary. There is a
certain amount of teaching and learning in every
sport. Those of you who have the knowledge should pass
it on appropriately. There are bad bikers whose
behavior can be changed. As far as the drivers many of
their behaviors will not be changed. Rednecks in
trucks who drive too close or play chicken with bikers
happens evry day where I live. So much so that I
cannot bike where I live I come to Gainesville. Would
like to thank Roger Pierce and all my fellow club
members for your patience and the great rides I have
been on.
                  John T. Kelley III
--- Huan Dinh <huan_dinh@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>
>
>
> Dear RB,
>
> Yes, motorists and their careless habits can be a
> hazard to cyclists.  However, when we, and I include
> myself, do something stupid like trying to win a
> sprint by riding in the middle of the road, we are
> not making any friends or gaining any respect from
> motorists.  The last I check, no one has ever posted
> any prize list for these sprint signs!!!!
> Unfortunately, if we are in the middle of the road
> and get hit, we are roadkills, and the driver gets a
> slap on the wrist.  Who do you think really win in a
> bike/car accident???  Just imagine if you were a
> motorist and has no concept/understanding of the
> sport of cycling at all, I personally would be
> highly PO if I was the one in the car and cyclists
> riding 4-5 abreast.  Happy riding and remember
> rubber side down and SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE
> PRIORITY.....
>
> Huan
>
> > Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:41:17 -0700
> > Subject: Re: GCCMail: Now I Understand
> > To: kanders@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > CC: team-florida-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx;
> gccmail@xxxxxxxxxx
> > From: rbrowning@xxxxxxxx
> >
> > Kevin,
> >
> > Thanks for your thought provoking editorial
> comment on crazed cyclists who
> > make things worse for the rest of us.  All of us
> who've raced, worked as
> > bike messengers, etc. know that this stuff goes on
> all the time and indeed
> > - it gives a lot of car drivers the impression we
> are yahoos undeserving
> > of anything but contempt.  We all need to be doing
>  what we can to squelch
> > such  behavior, even as we know that as long as
> there are light bikes, big
> > gears and testosterone the craziness will
> continue.
> >
> > The problem I have with well-intentioned "let's
> all beat our breasts and
> > appreciate how bad we look from the car driver's
> point of view" essays is
> > how much it is preaching to the choir. As your
> little essay illustrates -
> > we are all automobile users and we know darn well
> how bad crazed cyclists
> > look to Mr. and Ms. Middle-America car drivers.
> To some extent, we are
> > they.  But do Mr. and Ms. Middle-America
> on-the-cell-phone and
> > fussing-with-the-kids
> while-trying-to-read-the-road-map car drivers know
> > what it feels like when they cluelessly pass us
> with 6 inches to spare?
> > Hell no they don't.  And since the vast majority
> will never ride out on
> > places like Williston Road (where cyclists, doing
> everything  "right"
> > have been hit and killed by inattentive drivers)
> they will never attain a
> > symmetrical state of gut-level appreciation that
> car drivers can look just
> > as stupid and careless to us cyclists as some of
> us do to them.  Except --
> > they don't  look suicidal to us -- they look
> homicidal.
> >
> > So I'd suggest for each "mea culpa" about how bad
> we look to the American
> > Auto nation, we also write an accompanying piece
> about how bad spaced out,
> > distracted or just downright hostile car drivers
> (yes, they are  a tiny
> > minority, but so are these racers that Kevin
> describes) look to us
> > cyclists and email it to an AAA on-line forum,
> Gainesville Sun or mass
> > media outlet of your choice.  We are never going
> to get a reciprocal
> > understanding from the motorists of America that
> some of them look as bad
> > (or worse) to us as some of us do to them, but
> neither are we going to
> > ever squelch all the squirrely riders in our
> midsts.  Just because we
> > can't possibly succeed, it doesn't mean we
> shouldn't keep trying to both.
> >
> > happy trails,
> > rb
> >
> >
> >
> > kanders@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> > >Someone on the Hipp ride today almost became a
> statistic. And I would
> > >have become a statistic too. First off, I know
> the Hipp ride is not Team
> > >Florida and it is not GCC so I am not casting
> stones at either group as a
> > >whole. But right now, as an avid cyclist and
> cycling advocate, I am
> > >beyond angry, scared and frustrated. Now I have a
> better understanding
> > >why some motorists hate us, honk at us, buzz us
> and write letters to the
> > >Gainesville Sun. Like a lot of you, I rode my
> bike today. First into work
> > >and then home on Williston Rd via Wacahoota, a
> nice 23 mile semi-daily
> > >loop. I decided to take my truck, parked for 6
> days out of the week, to
> > >the Publix on 34th and Williston for the weekly
> grocery run about 7 pm.
> > >Turning on to Williston, I notice that I'm behind
> the Thursday Hipp ride.
> > >Those of you who ride Williston Rd a lot know the
> area- the crest of the
> > >hill about 2 miles west of I-75. As I pass the
> peleton towards the crest
> > >of the hill, I have two riders in the bike lanes
> to my right and
> > >approaching westbound cars in front. No worries,
> lots of room, eh? After
> > >all, I ride this particular bike lane every day.
> Now, I understand that
> > >this point of the Hipp ride is a sprint to the
> finish, but the leading 2
> > >or so riders swing out IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
> EASTBOUND LANE- and I do mean
> > >THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKING LANE to do who knows
> what, maybe pass some
> > >unfortunate soul. OK, riders on the right, cars
> on the left, cars behind,
> > >WTF do I do! I had to slam on the brakes and do
> something I have never
> > >done before to a cyclist- lay on the friggin
> horn.
> > >
> > >There may be many of you who say that as cyclists
> we have as much right
> > >to the road as motorists and for the most part I
> am one with you in that
> > >regard. But this incident was not only wrong from
> a legal point of view
> > >(and yes, I have read the Florida statutes), but
> just plain stupid,
> > >ignorant and yes suicidal. I will remain a
> cycling advocate, but my level
> > >of understanding of motorists who are pissed at
> us has increased by an
> > >order of magnitude.
> > >
> > >Riding again tomorrow, but in the bike lane
> > >
> > >Kevin Anderson
> > >
> > >Team VetMed Faculty Advisor
> > >GCC Member
> > >Occasional Team Florida Rider
> >
> >
> >
> > Rick D. Browning, AIA*
> > Mail address: 1675 NW 19th Circle
> > Gainesville, FLA   32605
> > rbrowning@xxxxxxxx
> > (503) 358-3274 cell
> >
> > * registered architect in Oregon
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > To unsubscribe from GCCMail, please go to
> http://gccfla.org/.
> > Point to Members Area, and click on GCCMail.  Use
> the form on the page.
>
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe from GCCMail, please go to
> http://gccfla.org/.
> Point to Members Area, and click on GCCMail.  Use
> the form on the page.
>

      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Check out the hottest 2008 models today at Yahoo! Autos.
http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe from GCCMail, please go to http://gccfla.org/.
Point to Members Area, and click on GCCMail.  Use the form on the page.