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Good video and really opens up a larger discussion regarding bikes, e-bikes, pedestrians, and traffic. Let me preface this by saying that I am an avid road biker and ride a motorcycle. I also live in a mountain town and not a city, so my perspective may be somewhat different. Also agree that we don’t need more rules, just people to understand the etiquette of the roads. This applies to drivers as well. Somewhere parents stopped teaching the basics.
I have long thought that bikers had a bit of an identity crisis. Are they pedestrians or are they vehicles subject to the rules of traffic? No need to fan the anti-biker flames here as yes, they need to adhere to the rules of the road. I see them riding the sidewalks, which drives me crazy. But then, having attempted to ride a bike in some of urban area I can completely understand why. You are really taking your life into your own hands when you venture out on the streets in a big city on a bicycle. But the reality is, bikers that identify as pedestrians just fly out into crosswalks at speeds well in excess of what any pedestrian would be travelling. I had one just zip out in front of me on a crosswalk as I was exiting a roundabout this summer. He would have gone over my hood had I not slammed on the brakes. Who would have been at fault?
I could go on but all of this is just exacerbated with e-bikes. Again, and identity crisis on steroids. They think they are pedestrians but they are dong over 30mph. They think they are bikes, but they are going double the speed causing all kinds of problems. My daily bike ride is up Vail Pass in the summer. The e-bikes have no idea how to ride safely and politely. When climbing, they regularly pass me within inches going 10-15mph faster than I am going without the simple courtesy of giving space or saying on your left. Can’t count the number of times I’ve almost been hit. When descending I come around a corner only to have them riding four abreast taking up the entire uphill and downhill lanes. All this despite the no e-bikes sign at the base of the pass.
Sorry, let’s call them what they are. They are bicycles with a motor, also known as motorcycles.
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