c/bike-lane-venting

miaa41•2h ago

That one driver on 4th Ave who actually thanked me for existing in the bike lane

I was biking home on 4th Ave last Tuesday, and this guy in a sedan stopped way early at the cross street, way before the stop sign even. He rolled down his window and yelled "Hey, I see you, sorry about all the idiots!" and gave me a thumbs up. It was such a small moment (like 5 seconds total) but it stuck with me because normally drivers either ignore me or honk. Has anyone else had a random positive interaction with a driver that caught you off guard?

0 comments

mila395•10h ago

Found out my city's bike lane stripes are actually illegal

Was riding down 5th Street in Portland last Tuesday when a traffic cop pulled me over to chat. Turns out our bike lanes are only 3 feet wide when the city code says they need to be 5. Anyone else ever measure their lanes and find out they're getting cheated?

1 comments

west.claire•16h ago

Hit 500 miles on my bike this morning in Denver and realized something strange

I've been tracking my rides for 2 years but never actually added up the total. 500 feels like a big number but most of those miles were on the same 3 mile stretch of Colfax where the bike lane just disappears. Has anyone else noticed how uneven their route really is once you start counting?

1 comments

stellablack•3d ago

Took me 8 months to figure out I was pedaling wrong in the bike lane

I've been commuting on the greenway bike lane near downtown Austin since last spring. Every day I'd get passed by people on road bikes and just figured I was slow or out of shape. Then last Tuesday a guy on a cargo bike pulled up next to me at a light and asked if I knew my saddle was way too low. I never even thought about it, I just set it where it felt comfortable. He showed me the knee angle trick and I raised it about 3 inches. Now I'm cruising past the same people who used to blow by me. Has anyone else had a simple adjustment totally change their ride?

2 comments

fiona_fox56•4d ago

Got a flat tire in a pothole disguised as a bike lane yesterday

I was cruising down the lane on Elm Street and hit a crater that was hiding under a puddle, and my front tire went flat in like 2 seconds. Had to walk my bike 10 blocks to a repair shop caked in mud. Has anyone else dealt with bike lanes full of hidden potholes?

2 comments

cameronwest•4d ago

The shortcut through the alley behind 5th street actually saves me 8 minutes every morning

I used to fight with cars on Main Ave every day... traffic was awful. Then one day I noticed a gap in the fence behind the old bakery. I tried it and it drops me right at the bike path past the library. No cars, no honking, just a smooth ride. Has anyone else found secret routes like this that totally changed your commute?

2 comments

mila395•5d ago

Bike lane glare finally fixed with one cheap trick

I always dismissed those stick-on mirror things for bike helmets as gimmicky, but after nearly getting doored on Grand Avenue last month I tried one. It's a simple convex mirror that clips to your helmet visor and it costs maybe 8 bucks on Amazon. Has anyone else used these and found they actually help with spotting cars coming up behind you?

2 comments

parker543•5d ago

Talked to a new rider who called bike lanes 'car limbo zones' and it made me see them different

I was waiting at the light on Broadway last Thursday and this guy fresh to commuting said bike lanes feel like spaces where cars just wait to squeeze you out, which hit me hard because I've been riding here since 2012 and I guess I got numb to that feeling.

2 comments

rowan_kelly64•6d ago

Saw a guy in full business suit biking through a flooded underpass last week

It was after that huge storm on Tuesday, the bike lane under the railroad bridge near 5th street was totally underwater. I stopped to turn around and this dude in a full suit, tie flapping, just pedals straight through it. Water came up to his waist, he didnt even slow down. Just kept going like it was nothing. I gotta respect the commitment but also, like, why not take the side street? Is there some unspoken bike lane rule about never deviating from your route?

2 comments

seth442•8d ago

PSA: The bike lane on Broadway near the 405 onramp is a death trap after dark

I was riding home from work last Tuesday around 7pm and almost got clipped by a car turning right into the onramp. The stupid green paint is worn off so you can barely see it, and the city put a garbage can right in the middle of the lane near the bus stop. I had to swerve into traffic to dodge it. Anyone else have close calls on that stretch? I'm thinking of just taking the side streets from now on even if it adds 10 minutes.

2 comments

kaiharris•10d ago

The old bike lane on Broadway was sketchy but this new one is worse somehow

We had the old painted bike lane on Broadway that everyone complained about for 4 years. Drivers parked in it, people opened doors into it, all the usual stuff. Then the city ripped it out and put in a raised lane with flex posts 3 months ago. Now the flex posts are already busted up in 3 spots, and the raised curb collects leaves and garbage so bad I nearly wiped out last Tuesday. Anyone else find the new design actually more dangerous than the old one?

2 comments

adams.troy•10d ago

New bike lane on 5th Ave downtown last month vs the old one - huge difference

I rode the newly painted bike lane on 5th Avenue last week and it's way wider with actual curb protection, but the old one from three years ago was just a painted line that cars ignored constantly. Anyone else seeing way more enforcement or is it just my city finally getting its act together?

2 comments

elliot_king•12d ago

Found a shortcut through the alley behind Main Street and it cut my commute by 10 minutes

I got tired of waiting at the light on 5th and Oak every morning. Last Tuesday I tried cutting through the alley behind the old post office and it connects right to the river path. Now I save about 10 minutes each way. Has anyone else found a hidden route like this in your city?

2 comments

charliew99•14d ago

The bike shop guy told me to ditch my brake lights for hand signals

Last month at Broadway Bike Shop on 3rd, the mechanic said brake lights just attract thieves and I should learn proper hand signals instead. He was totally right, I pulled up to a stop sign last week and some dude on a moped almost rear ended me because my hand signal was too slow. Has anyone else had a close call relying on just hand signals?

3 comments

bell.emma•16d ago

That driver who screamed at me from his SUV on 5th Street

I was biking home last Tuesday evening on the 5th Street bike lane when a guy in a black Ford Explorer honked and yelled 'get on the sidewalk!' out his window. He was stopped at a red light (which I was legally passing on the right), and he kept revving his engine like he wanted to run me over. Has anyone else had a driver yell something totally ridiculous at them even when you're clearly following the rules?

2 comments

pat_hart•18d ago

Took me 45 minutes to get around a delivery truck parked in the bike lane yesterday

Market Street near 5th, this UPS truck was just sitting there blocking the whole lane. Had to go into traffic with cars honking. That's 45 minutes I could have spent actually riding. Anyone else have one spot that always causes issues?

2 comments

david123•19d ago

Can we talk about how a fallen tree branch in the bike lane changed my whole view of those new barriers?

I was dead set against the concrete separators on West 7th Street until a giant cottonwood limb came down during that storm Tuesday morning and I watched it bounce harmlessly off the barrier instead of hitting me square in the chest, so now I guess I owe the city an apology, has anyone else had a close call that made them flip sides on bike lane infrastructure?

2 comments

finleyfox•20d ago

Found a back alley route that skips two blocked bike lanes downtown

I got so fed up with the constant construction on 5th Street that I started looking for alternate ways through the industrial part of town near the river. After three tries, I found this narrow alley behind the old warehouse district that connects to the greenway trail without hitting a single car. It's not marked on any map because it's technically a service road for delivery trucks, but I only saw one van in there last week. The problem is the pavement is cracked in a few spots and there's gravel near the turn, so I have to slow way down. But honestly, I'll take a rough surface over getting honked at by drivers who think bike lanes don't matter. Has anyone else found a hidden shortcut that saves them time or stress around here?

2 comments