The Chainlink

Bikers that always cut to the front of the line, repeatedly....

I am always getting quite annoyed of those fellow bikers, whom ride much slower than you, get in front of you at intersections. This is particularly bad on the diagonal roads where they will try to shortcut the light by pulling half way across it. 

Don't these guys have a clue after the 5th or 6th time that I pass them before they even finish getting across the intersection? It's not like this "head start" is really getting them up to speed any quicker. Most of the time they are just causing a potential conflict as I pass them....

I notice that it usually are the ones that are riding fixed gear... 

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Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on August 22, 2013 at 9:36am

I have this happen regularly...but there's one guy who bothers me a bit. I didn't notice him until I passed him one day and he started yelling names at me. I just smiled and waved, and he looked pissed. I saw him again yesterday, no helmet, wheels all out of true, mountain bike gliding over those high peaks of the Ohio overpass on Milwaukee. He's my shoaling hero.

Permalink Reply by Tim S on August 22, 2013 at 9:39am

I have, more than once, enlightened them when we are both at the red light. Some people don't know what they are doing is annoying believe it or not. 

Other day I was riding S on Damen, passed a kid SB as I got to the light he shoaled me once, light green I pass again, hit red, he shoals again. At that point I defined Shoaling and asked him to be more cognizant of the practice. That night as I rode home he approached from behind started to pass, looked at me and remembered didn't shoal. Hopefully it has stuck with him.

Now that little blonde who, I must say I did not mind having to pass on multiple occasions, shoaled me a number of times and did not take kindly to me attempting to educate her. She gave me the stink eye a few times as I re-passed her. I get it, kind of, it can be annoying when I, a 40 yo man commuting on a 27 yo bike that is probably older than you, continue to pass you decked out in lycra on that sweet Colnago.   

Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on August 22, 2013 at 10:11am

How could they not know they are doing it?  If you don;t realize you are passing, and then being passed by, the same person time and time again you are not paying enough attention to the world around you to safely bike.

Mickeal Teague said:

Even though this is the 1st I've heard of (or encountered) bikers doing this, I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate & just purpose that, maybe, they don't realize they're doing that. Maybe, possibly, potentially, uhn, uhn... 

I don't do that cutting thing but I roll, recreationaly, on a Giant mountain bike & don't do speed biking nor do I ride where many intersections are, so I just don't know BUT if they are cutting on purpose, "F" em & keep rollin' right past them' (as they're panting & prob out of breath) LOL   :)~

Permalink Reply by Davo on August 22, 2013 at 10:19am

Its super lame to do this when people are stopped at a red light. That being said I have no problem doing this when I am timing the lights but I always pass on the left. So technically thats not shoaling, right?

Permalink Reply by John Wilson 6.0 on August 22, 2013 at 11:59am

So...you started a thread to complain about cyclists who do something you admit doing yourself?

Gotcha.


Tim said:

it's funny because I admit I do it too. Only thing is, I actually have a reason to do it, I ride fast. The thing that I don't do is, if someone is faster than me, I will let them go ahead of me, and that is how it should be.

Permalink Reply by Tricolor on August 22, 2013 at 12:14pm

I think I saw her on Lincoln (or maybe Damon; I was on both) last Tuesday doing the same thing.  Did she have a death grip on the drops?

Tim S said:

Now that little blonde who, I must say I did not mind having to pass on multiple occasions, shoaled me a number of times and did not take kindly to me attempting to educate her. She gave me the stink eye a few times as I re-passed her. I get it, kind of, it can be annoying when I, a 40 yo man commuting on a 27 yo bike that is probably older than you, continue to pass you decked out in lycra on that sweet Colnago.   

Permalink Reply by prof.gfr on August 22, 2013 at 12:23pm

I had Cap'n Commuter do this to me repeatedly along Lincoln Avenue between Belmont and Irving Park yesterday. He was riding an upright hybrid with panniers, wearing a flourescent yellow jersey, and a helmet so he was obviously a frequent rider. But his bike was poorly tuned (squeak squeek squeeky chain), he was slow as hell, and despite my politely passing him with a bell ding and an "onyerleft" three times he kept shoaling me and everyone else at the friggin' intersections...including cars, which is really really dangerous. He kept creating these situations where other cyclists had to pass him in order to maintain their accustomed speed (and I'm not that fast) and he was annoying a lot of cars.  I was gonna talk to him but he would shoal so far out into the intersection I would've had to yell at him.  

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on August 22, 2013 at 12:23pm

I just think the intersection is not the place to play position-shifting, even if you'll pass me or another cyclist later; stop at the stopline, don't take over the crosswalk, look orderly and visible to cars, and be a decent human being. It's this weird newbie cyclist behavior that bugs me, along with the people who pull all the way to the right curb at intersections just to put their foot up. But I can be cranky. 

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 22, 2013 at 12:38pm

NSP

Anne Alt said:

+1

h' 1.0 said:

What's it like seeing other people on bikes on your way to work? I've always wondered.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 22, 2013 at 12:39pm

Sounds like we need our own cable show to throw work to SNL cast-offs....

"Milwaukeelandia?"

Jaik - 4.3mi said:

I have this happen regularly...but there's one guy who bothers me a bit. I didn't notice him until I passed him one day and he started yelling names at me. I just smiled and waved, and he looked pissed. I saw him again yesterday, no helmet, wheels all out of true, mountain bike gliding over those high peaks of the Ohio overpass on Milwaukee. He's my shoaling hero.

Permalink Reply by Skip Montanaro 0mi on August 22, 2013 at 12:40pm

Some guy was doing this a few days ago headed out Elston.  Three of us were moving along at a pretty good pace.  We'd pass him just beyond the intersection.  He'd catch us at the next light, then roll out as far as he could in the intersection.  Lather, rinse, repeat for a mile or two.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 22, 2013 at 12:43pm

Oh no Sarah, not you too ?!?!


Sarah D. 1-3.3 said:

I just think the intersection is not the place to play position-shifting, even if you'll pass me or another cyclist later; stop at the stopline, don't take over the crosswalk, look orderly and visible to cars, and be a decent human being. It's this weird newbie cyclist behavior that bugs me, along with the people who pull all the way to the right curb at intersections just to put their foot up. But I can be cranky. 

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