[dante]

I saw a whopping group of 2 roadies the other day on my narrow, 2 lane road with no shoulder. And douche #2 was riding side by side. I honked, came around and told the ass hat he is one of the many reasons I'd gotten hit twice on my road bike. He just laughed. My wife stopped me from brake checking him.

There is a huge group of roadies that does climbs up to Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the BRP officers have had to break them into groups of 5-10 so that cars can get by them. The BRP runs the length of the Appalachians and is great for slow driving, scenic views and great road riding. But this was one massive pack of 50+ riders.

The roadies that were telling me about it seemed "bothered" that they had to split their pack up. Roadie arrogance is horrid. Roadies actually make roads for cyclists unsafe.

Not suer about NC, but here in WI on a narrow road with no shoulder, a cyclist is supposed to ride in the center of the lane according to the WISDOT. If you try to squeeze over to the side cars will try to pass you while not giving you room, and you're more likely to get hit. I've noticed it while riding a street by my house which is 2 lanes in each direction but no shoulder, if I take up the entire lane cars will have to switch lanes to pass. If I try to ride on the right side of the lane, cars will try to squeeze past me without moving over or giving me my 3'. However, even though you are supposed to ride in the center of the lane, you're still supposed to ride single file when traffic is backing up behind you. So... single file in the middle of the lane it is!

edit: Google maps view of the road I'm talking about.

I also read this about the riders who were hit:

It was also raining heavily when the crash occured, he added, which could have caused one of the drivers to lose control.

I'm not sure, but it's hard enough to see when it's pouring rain, and depending on the attire of the cyclists, it wouldn't be hard to see how someone might not see them until it was too late. I know that there's no way I'd be riding on a road with no shoulder in the pouring rain...

 

[dump]

As I said, it is my understanding that for an employer to sponsor someone, there needs to be something exceptional about your skills/training that makes makes you unique......that it would be next to impossible to find someone like you locally.

If you were a doctor, engineer etc, there would be no problem because we have a shortage of professional (many leave for the US for more $$)

Now maybe if you can find an employer that will go to the mat for you, then you may be in good shape.

However, maybe going in with you bike park thing is a better strategy. If you can go in as an entrepeneur, you might have an easier time. In that instance you're bringing something to the table, as opposed to (in theory) "stealing" a job from a loca.

This is pretty much my understanding as well.

 

[MMike]

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Cyclist+widower+blames+road+terrorist+deaths/3038308/story.html

Ok now this is getting ridiculous. Another one in Trois Rivieres....not montreal...but only about 90 mins north. He's not expected to survive....not wearing a helmet.

“If we were in the United States, the driver responsible for destroying our lives would already be before the courts. The simple reality is that we are responsible for the safety of others when we wield a weapon, the automobile.”

 

[sanjuro]

I just don't know what the big deal is about passing cyclists?

How much is your trip delayed, 30 seconds?

I wait patiently for all cyclists before I pass them. No big deal.