Cagers. They're making me go back to a loud cruiser bike.

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Josh

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I drive through some of the roughest traffic in Toronto every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. I'm off the road when there's salt or sand. I'm on the road as soon as the first spring rain washes the salt and sand off the road. Very few ride as long as I do - and I'm almost at 25 years on 2 wheels.

Since September, the behavior of drivers have gotten horrible! Most think they can socialize and work while driving. Not so much.

I find I have to not only pay attention to the cars around me, but also, figure out what they are paying attention to. Accidents are on the rise on my route - I've been able to get out of many close calls - but not everyone has been so lucky.

Did everyone's life suddenly get busier? Have people forgotten they can turn their head, and look before they change lanes? Why must people socialize and drive? Why work and drive? Why not focus on driving?

I ask - take a moment, check your blind spots - you could save a life, an insurance claim... or avoid triggering a road rager. Curious if it's just a problem here in Toronto.

My bike is a FZ1 and is very quiet. I'm investing in a louder bike - I believe loud bikes save lives. They won't see me but they'll here me for miles.

Thats my rant for the night... any other members commute via bike?
 
I have been a year round all weather commuter since about 1967. Cell phones have caused a very big degradation in the driving of many people. I have always driven just a bit faster than the flow of traffic, it pisses some people off, butt they DO see me!
 
I've never driven a bike but really wanna get one, unfortunately I live in what I am told is the worst area in the USA for motorcycle accidents. Few weeks ago I was talking to a guy that was parked at a red light on his $25,000 Harley, lady behind him in her SUV was texting, didn't see the massive bike in front of her or the red light, ran him over. Luckily he survived with minor injuries though the bike was trashed, I've talked to many people that are selling there bikes or storing them until they move as they are unwilling to drive in such a dangerous place.
 
It is ridiculous in Utah. Walking, riding, running, whatever you are doing you are at risk for being hit by a road rage or inattentive driver. There is a reason we all drive SUV's and its not because of the snow. I sold my bike when I had kids because I knew I was living on borrowed time if I continued to ride in Utah.
 
i feel ya...i just started riding recently and until now was unaware for the most part of really how dangerous it is....i mean yeah i know people drive like idiots but until you are on two wheels you don't realize how quickly you can die as a result of it.....i didn't wanna put a lot of money into my bike but i did invest in the brightest friggin led set up you ever saw.....if you rn into me at a light in the nighttime you are legally blind....i was also looking into a louder horn and have some slip on pipes coming soon hopefully that will louden up my bike some......ryan
 
Had a coworker that was doing 90 on one wheel in downtown Dallas and got merged upon and almost died. If you can miss a wheelie at one and a half the speed limit, you can miss anything.

I went and got bubble mirrors for both sides of my car after hearing about it.


Also, I don't like to multi task at all, and I'm being sure to teach my kids that driving is far and away the most dangerous thing we do.
 
I ride my bike pretty much every day.
We have a nice cycling culture in Denmark with lots of bike lanes, so it is easy(and safe) to get around town on two wheels.

Lars
 
I was once driving the highway in Czech Republic. It was summer, around 8-9pm when the sun sinks and it starts to get grayish.
Suddenly the traffic started on getting thicker and thicker. And stopped. For the next 3-4 km we drove at 5-10km/h
Away I could see the police and ambulance lights.
As we approached the scene of the accident, we could see lorry on the left lane , and underneath rear right wheels was a bike, seriously - the small bit of the back that was left of it. It looked like the wheels have eaten the bike, and the biker. Nothing left of the human, almost nothing of the bike.
Later on I read that when biker drives 240 km/h, is visible for 2 seconds in your sidemirror. Yes, two seconds.
Now Im not saying all bikers drive that fast, but after that I started checking my mirror twice when changing lane.
 
One of the things I've always been surprised at is a 16 y/o can buy a super-sport bike for less than $5000, with a top speed of ~300KM/h. Does not make sense to me. I ride to get to work, and to get home.
 
I have nightmares of the dreaded "turn left in front of me". Search motorcycle crashes on youtube. Very scary stuff. Except for the idiots who bring it on themselves.
 
Having been a rider for over 20 years, I am having a hard time lately justifying the risk. A lot of near misses haven't been my error they are inattentive drivers who don't have a clue about their surroundings. I love riding, but have a hard time thinking how my wife could take care of me and a baby or how she would make it without me around.
 
"Had a coworker that was doing 90 on one wheel in downtown Dallas and got merged upon and almost died"

Why was this fool doing a 90 mph wheelie on a main road,and what did he expect to happen?
 
I use a bike going around Seoul and love it. People love to say it's nuts here, and it probably is worse that any place in N.America or Europe from my experience, though nothing compared to other places I've been. However, somehow I don't ever really get caught in any bad situations and wonder if it'd be worse home in Canada where people really follow the rules, even if that's changing a bit. Here you just constantly expect certain things to happen and so you never trust anyone. The accidents might start to happen if you do.
 
LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!!

Hax the Cook CLEAVERS RULE!!! :D
 
"Had a coworker that was doing 90 on one wheel in downtown Dallas and got merged upon and almost died"

Why was this fool doing a 90 mph wheelie on a main road,and what did he expect to happen?

Because he's an idiot.

I check twice and keep checking while passing too, because I don't want to kill idiots either.


He also made me realize something incredibly stupid about our credit system. His parents cosigned on a bike for him and he made payments for the few months he owned it and had full coverage insurance. He wrecked it, the insurance paid off the bike, and then a year later, his mom took him to get a new bike, this time on his own credit because he has the credit score of someone who has paid off a sport bike on time.
:slaphead:
 
Because he's an idiot.

I check twice and keep checking while passing too, because I don't want to kill idiots either.


He also made me realize something incredibly stupid about our credit system. His parents cosigned on a bike for him and he made payments for the few months he owned it and had full coverage insurance. He wrecked it, the insurance paid off the bike, and then a year later, his mom took him to get a new bike, this time on his own credit because he has the credit score of someone who has paid off a sport bike on time.
:slaphead:

It boggles the mind,doesn't it...The vast majority of people who ride bikes are responsible,experienced riders,but I've seen a few idiots,who believe that the rules of the road don't apply to them(that goes for cars,bicycles and pedestrians as well)
 
I think a lot of people drive so much that they forget how dangerous it really is. I've never ridden a bike, but even in my car I get people that try to hit me if they think I've taken some magical spot in front of them. Or even someone that is too impatient to wait for someone to pass, and then just throw their vehicle into someone, and expect them to slam on the brakes. I think getting a driver's license is too easy, and the sad thing is, most people barely pass it.
 
No way I would ride a bike in the Toronto area, drivers are way too self-centered in their insular SUVs. I sold my Harley before moving out here. I couldn't see riding on the QEW or 400 series either, way too busy to be fun.

As a side story, driving home from Brock University to Hamilton on the 406 last week I encountered a woman weaving in and out of her lane. I drove up beside her, but with a lane separating us for safety, and confirmed my suspicion that she was texting while driving over 100 km/hr. I honked my horn a few times to get her out of her stupor and it scared the shite out of her. Ha ha. Still doesn't beat the woman I encountered on the way to work on Davenport (when I lived in TO) who had her compact out and was applying her makeup while driving her huge SUV all over the place.
 
To sum up, I think the main problem is that many drivers in those huge SUVs and minivans have become too isolated from their outside environment. Distractions such as kids, dvd movies, eating and drinking, answering phone calls and texting don't help either. Plus, so many drivers seem to be self-centered, caring only for their safety and not a lick about anybody else using the road whether it be pedestrian, cyclist, biker or scooter enthusiast.
 
. Plus, so many drivers seem to be self-centered, caring only for their safety and not a lick about anybody else using the road whether it be pedestrian, cyclist, biker or scooter enthusiast.

Amen to that. I've been cyclist commuting by bicycle for 15 years and I might as well have been wearing a cloak of invisibility. Only been actually hit once but have long ago lost count of the close calls, and.
 
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