Man, that loop really needs a new name.
Apparently it didn’t help that Fox News aired a piece the night before slamming cyclists and the legislation we are trying to get passed in Colorado so that we have a legal 3 foot barrier around ourselves on the roads (among other things). The mountain folk that reside along the hills we ride were out in FULL FORM yesterday. In my two years of riding we had more “incidences” yesterday than all my other days…combined.
The day started off very cold at 5am. It seemed not so cold at our starting point and I made the horrible decision to abandon my knee warmers. The first 2.5 hours were spent telling myself “This coldness will pass”, and “Someday I’ll be warm again”. Just before that happened I encountered a chilly descent that left me and my bike bike shaking uncontrollably the entire way down it. Not so safe.
Several hours into the ride the sun made an appearance and warmth was finally to be had. By the end of the first loop my shoulders were aching pretty bad, from the hours of shivering, I think. When we got down to the car 65 miles in and 8K of climbing done I knew I had another loop in me but wasn’t all together too sure how it would go down. Our group of David, Michelle, Anthony, Steve and I was being reduced to just Anthony, Steve, and I. We refueled and got back on the road.
Things really started to perk up on the second loop. The climbs were flying by and we were laughing a lot. Giddy moments abound. All of this despite the fact that we had been passed by large diesel trucks within 6 inches of our handlebars, yelled at, had dust spun out on us on purpose, honked at, and just generally disdained the entire day. We were starting to find all of it pretty comical despite our adherence to the laws.
About half way through the loop we started to get really excited. We were all feeling super great, all our issues had gone away and we were jazzed. We had a great last half loop despite a motorcyclist descending Highgrade at 85mph and taking a bad line, thus scooting himself within 12 inches of Steve. That was grrrreat. Loved that part!
All in all we beat it back to our starting location, strong, happy, and realizing that the next time we endeavored in a 135 mile, 16,000 feet of gain, double Epic ride, we were gonna bring the TT bikes and hit it hard.
Quote from Steve at mile 128….”Dam, we’re in great shape”.
..Uh, yea, ya think?
Finally, a few words for some choice Conifer/Evergreen Drivers:
- when you pass me and your car/truck is within 12 inches of my handlebars, that’s so not cool
- when you accelerate past me in your diesel truck spraying fumes all over me on purpose, that’s not cool.
- when you decide that racing past a group of us 15 feet from a stop sign, cutting us off, than then slamming on your breaks for the stop sign, yea, not cool
- when you make a quick left in front of us despite the fact that you watched us coming in the other direction for a good 20 seconds, and we have to swerve to miss your bumper, that’s not cool
- when you pass us on a motorcycle going 85 in a 45, when we are going 40, again, not cool
- when you pass me and my elbow bumps your mirror, not cool
- when you pass me and your dog is hanging out the window barking at me, not cool
- when you honk for no reason, not cool
- when you accelerate aggressively around us, not cool
Did you wake up in the morning and decide to kill a cyclist? Do you hate us that much? Because that’s what all of this behavior will eventually result in. We are wearing spandex, there is no power struggle, we are at your mercy. Please, for the sake of my daughter, let us obey the law and ride our bikes without such disdain.
One that note…it really was a totally awesome ride, even with all the jerks out there.
Dadder says:
You need to send this to all of the TV stations in the Denver area. and see if we can get some air time about this subject
April 30th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Ben says:
great ride!
too bad for the jerks out there – unfortunately I’ve dealt with plenty of that especially around Erie. I have seriously thought about getting a small digital video recorder so when the jerks come out I can capture it and pass it along to the authorities. There are a few out there that store ~2hrs worth on a secure digital card and are small enough to mount on bars or helmet, possibly two and put one on seat post facing rear as well.
Beyond that; I’ve also joined Bicycle Colorado and Bikes Belong along with studying local and federal laws around vehicular code.
Good job on your training ride and the great form that you are gaining!
April 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Hillary says:
I wish these jerk drivers would realize that they are endangering not only cyclists lives, but their own.
Other than that, it sounds like a great day.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Run Colorado says:
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=4938
This is a bit of an interesting read on how drivers react to cyclist. I had remembered watching this segment on 20/20.
But yeah, idiots are everywhere. I’ve experienced it cycling and running.
Heck, even sometimes when I am running, I encounter cyclists who don’t want to move over. This is in the park and we are both coming at each other, I stay near the curb and sometimes they fly past me less than a foot from my shoulder.
I keep thinking, if you hit me on your bike, you’re going to get hurt worse than me.
Sorry you had to experience that though.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Sonja says:
That’s crazy. My coach doesn’t wear a helmet except when required at a race and this article reminded me a lot of his reasoning. We do definitely look very experienced all decked out in our team kits.
Cars treat me better than they do him, I always wear a helmet and obviously I’m a chick. I also make lots of eye contact and smile. My coach notices that when he makes eye contact a car is more likely to be aggressive, whereas I find it to be the opposite.
There are so many social forces at work here.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:37 pm
Run Colorado says:
I would think that eye contact helps, makes you personable and not so much a stranger, well…unless the driver hates you!
But when running, crossing intersections, I definitely try to make eye contact.
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Ben says:
I always make eye contact, if they are in front or to the side of me – only had one person still try and hit me and that was a postal worker who’s brain was elsewhere I guess.
Most of the people that I have problems with come up from behind so I generally don’t make eye contact with them unless I’m staring/glaring at them as they go by while putting me at risk.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 pm
triAndrea's Going Epic » Blog Archive » Filing Tragic Events says:
[...] Great Story-Cyclists and Drivers posted under Triathlon Training [...]
March 25th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
michelle anthony says:
[...] while Brian stayed in Milwaukee and played bass with Michelle Anthony and Stephanie Dosen. …Epic Loop…twice | Sonja WieckMan, that loop really needs a new name. Apparently it didn't help that Fox News aired a piece the [...]
April 4th, 2010 at 4:58 am