The Chainlink

Just an informal poll. I'm interested in hearing what other Chainlinkers encounter in their travels that present the most typical, day-to-day hazards.

Lousy street/road surfaces? XPWay interchanges? RR tracks? Bridges? Speeders? Peds?

For me, it's distracted motorists, (either on/engrossed in a cell phone) and drivers that gun it through an intersection after the light turns red. They seem to be everywhere in the city where I do the majority of my riding.

Thanks for your responses. Be seen and be safe.

Views: 1231

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

The instantaneously and suddeness of a unaware driver opening a car door into traffic and causing a cyclist to be doored !
Attachments:

I was doored Monday on Milwaukee. No terrible injuries or damage to my bike. I did blog about the incident.

Are you ok, are you ok, are you ok, are you ok ? . . . It is an annoying thing to ask, but at least he was checking to see if you were still conscious and coherent and his irritating voice brought you back. Take care!

Gosh, where to begin?  I'd say that number one is that small number of drivers who seem resentful that I'm even on the road, even though I hug the right side as much as is safely possible.  It's not helpful blowing your horn at me just because I'm out there.  Second, I'll go with road conditions.  My usual bike is slightly on the streetier side, with a 28 front tire and 26 rear.  I constantly keep an eye out for craters that will send me flying and wreck my rims.  Chicago proper has the worst streets of anywhere I go.  I love it when they do those half-assed repairs in the winter so that the next day not only is the pothole back, but is surrounded by plenty of scattered gravel to navigate through.   

Riding northbound on Clybourn and nearly getting nailed by any of the following between Division and Halsted:

1) Cars sitting in the bike lane waiting to exit Jewel at Division

2) Cars making unexpected turns traversing the bike lane without looking to see if there are any oncoming bikes

3) People on wheelchairs sitting or weaving through the bike lane

4) People randomly walking in the bike lane, like the security guards from the newly opened Marianos

5) Not having anyway to make an emergency exit from the bike lane (unless Im on my mountain bike with full suspension)

Cars, both moving and parked. Peds are annoying to, but easier to dodge.

I hate those signs in the middle of the street, informing it's a state law to stop and let people cross. Well if there is a legal parked car, and you are in the bike lane, cars can't go over the middle to allow more room to pass. kinda of glad a lot of those signs have been flattened.

Distracted drivers. They are the most frightening because they are unpredictable and unaware.

Drivers that gun it through the red light: The worst R-L-R video. https://youtu.be/zSiByTTeC3Y

There's a scary clip where the R-L-R narrowly misses the school peds, and one that shaves past a cyclist.
Scary to watch, even scarier to have happened to you more than once !

People driving cars dangerously.

Wobbly riders, ninjas, geese.

My #1 Problem is Cortland. Massive craters, missing bike lanes, tons of gravel and random train track pieces on the only route between the Bloomingdale trail and lakefront trail. I think they took out a light maybe too so people race through.

Contact Alderman Brian Hopkins Ward02@CityofChicago.org

#2 would be the general lack of enforcement of basically anything. There really are no rules out there.

RSS

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service