--- john kelley <jtk32000@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> 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
>
=== message truncated ===

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