How was your ride today? Week of July 2nd

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Hi folks!  Tell us all about your ride!  Don't be shy, we want to know all about it...

My ride today [so far] was JP/Cox.  Now I will take a nap and do a recovery ride to Wildrose.  Gotta replace those fluids...

Forums: 

Pneuma, Packers, Ridgeback

Submitted by xcrider on

We take it for granted but friends from Edmonton are so jealous that this ride is so close to home. That reminds me, I better send them an email letting them know I was out there on such a fine day.

Close Call

Submitted by Smokey Crow on

My ride in was good up until I was almost run over by a car that decided it was time for him to cross 26 Avenue through a stop sign and I had to swerve to avoid being hit. I don't know if it was because they didn't see me or thought they had enough time to cross but it defenantly got my adreneline going. I did have a few choice words and was happy to see that their window was open.

After that I was happy I made it into work right before the rain started to fall.

Happy riding!

Glad You're OK

Submitted by gyrospanner on

Still buzzin' on adrenaline?


 


I find that after close calls I usually have those haunting "I wonder what woulda' happened if.." post stress kinda' thoughts, that mixes really well with the adrenaline.


(I hate when that happens!)

Definitely Made Me Think

Submitted by Smokey Crow on

I was surely thinking about the damage that would have been done if I were hit, that is foresure. I was also extra aware on my ride home yesterday and my ride in today but no more buzz today!

Interesting encounter

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

This morning I took my usual route, east on 8th ave, south on 5th street, lane change to make a left turn on 9th ave. As I rode east on 9th I saw ahead of me a fellow walking across 9th in the middle of the block, head down, not paying attention to anything. I could see we were on a collison course if one of us didn't move. When we were very close to each other, he still wasn't looking at me and he clearly wasn't giving way so I hit the brakes (and intentinally skidded my tires to make a point). He stopped abruptly and gave me the look of death - as if he wanted to rip my head off - I nodded and said Go Ahead. He continued to stare at me and I back at him, I then said one word "Jaywalking" . He then said to me "You have the whole road you Jackass!". OK, maybe I could have slowed and rode around him or whatever but in what universe am I the Jackass when he was the jaywalker!!

jaywalkers

Submitted by 2wheeler on

I had a similar situation where a jaywalker lunged at me and pretended to punch me as I rode on the street. He was crossing the road to his parked car.  He thought that I should have stopped for him even though he was jaywalking.  

But it's Calgary...

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Jaywalkers have some sort of special aura in Calgary which causes drivers to slow down and even stop for them.  I see jaywalkers use this power on 9 Ave. everyday - it's really quite impressive.  However, cross at a crosswalk or at a corner and the aura vanishes.  

What a Jerk!

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I would have considered 2 courses of action


 


1) Report him to CPS.  You had a look at him and coulda' got his licence ###.  He could have caused you to swerve & fall, or swerve into another vehicle (moving or not!).  How old was this guy anyways?  It seems like another case of ignorance towards cyclists. 


2) Squirt him with your water bottle.  Then he would have chased you with his car and you would have a chance to practice your alley kat skills!


 


I think I would choose door #2.....

Pssfft!  How dare you ride

Submitted by birchy on

Pssfft!  How dare you ride down the street.. legally.  The nerve!

This is a pet peeve of mine too..  Same when I'm driving.  Was with my wife one day.. she was driving, and this lady blows right through a stop sign.. wife locks up the brakes and narrowly avoids the lady..  wife hits the horn and the lady looks at us and gives us the one finger salute!  Yeah.. we were totally out of line there.  *sigh*

Another Place for "Interesting Encounters"

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I need to run an errand at lunch today that reminded me of this -


I often go north on 9A Street from Memorial and up through SAIT.  To refreh your memory, 9a Street is that one way street that goes between the LRT track and the Sunnyside Safeway AND IT HAS A BIKE PATH ON IT.  It is really useful, as you cross Memorial on the pedestrian overpass and then it's clear sailing from there to get to your close-to-downtown NW locations...


 


If you go there at lunch, you will undoubtedly encounter joggers on that road.  And you will get "the look" from them (You know that look I mean, the "R U F'd" look!). 


 


IT'S NOT A JOGGING PATH!


 


 


Rant Off!

9A street

Submitted by bike-run on

Strangely, the bike-lane signs are only visible from the south, not north, so south-bound cars (and possibly joggers) may not be aware it's a legit bike lane (unless it changed recently)

People are losing their common sense.

Submitted by rustabout1981 on

People are crossing the road without even looking for cars let alone bikes. Sometimes with headphones on I can't beleive they don't even bother to look they just stare in the direction they're walking. It's funny that your Jaywalker mentioned that 'you have the whole road'. I can avoid people if they walk the same speed by aiming my bike where they WONT be when I reach that point. But unfortanately when they finally notice me they always stop in the worst possible place or pull a 'deer in headlights' type move on me. In other words they essentially impede the entire lane.
Bylaw and CPS have been ticketing people for Jaywalking across 7th ave. due to so many pedestrain collisions with C-trains. Unfortunately whenever I see someone ticketed they are usually Jay-walking but 'safely'.

I'm all for Jaywalking so long as it's done diligently and you aren't impeding anyone. I'm just amazed what I'm seeing downtown. I hope these people never have to cross roads in other countries like China or Mexico where you need common sense and alertness.

Dry and Warm

Submitted by pinkrobe on

I had a dry and warm ride on the way in, and the ride home was pretty decent too, albeit a bit windy.  Went out to do a little trail work on Special K in Kananaskis, and it was windy as hell out there!  They got rained on pretty good, but it seemed to miss Calgary.

Felt like the wind was coming

Submitted by RyanC on

Felt like the wind was coming in from the NW this morning. The wind gave me a nice boost going down 10th St NW where I glanced down at the Cateye and noticed I was going 65 km/hr. At that speed I would have been eligible for a velocity award from the CPS.

It's that time of year again...

Submitted by pinkrobe on

Stampede, where any whiff of common sense on the street vanishes. I rode my usual side street route to my bike parking (corporate function downtown), and had 4 close calls (one with a cyclist). I think it was 1 jacked truck, 2 5-series and a tweaker on a BMX riding the wrong way on 12 Ave. Should have stayed home...

I don't know what it is

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I just about got smoked by 2 guys who ran a red light in the same intersection. 


When the light turned green for me, I started pedalling and then looked to my left to check for cars and I saw the first guy coming, so I hit my brakes and he went by about 3 feet in front of me.  I started pedalling again and watched him go by and as I got close to the other side of the intersection, clown #2 came around the corner on 2 wheels and swung out into the right lane in front of me (maybe about 5 feet away).


 


I shoulda' stayed home too!

My company Stampede party

Submitted by Julie Gregg on

My company Stampede party tonight means a taxi ride home:), also means I took the bus this morning all duded up in my cowgirl stuff!! Yeehaw!! Was jealous of the bikes passing the bus I was in. Gorgeous morning for a ride.

Bylaw officers downtown

Submitted by DragonBeanie on

Headed downtown for a meeting this morning and was a bit nervous to see the bylaw officers by the 10th St. bridge point their speed guns at me!  I was wearing dress clothes and riding my heavy mountain bike: did it really look like I would be speeding???  I was tempted to stop and ask them how fast I was going, out of curiosity, since I only have a bike computer on my road bike!

Fell this morning.

Submitted by Tyrone on

I went to pull out of the c-train station this morning to start my commute.  There was a line of cars turning in, so I slowed down to look for a break so I could head out of the parking lot.  When I realized I was there for the duration, I went to unclip my right foot.  Well my cleats had come loose, and were not turning with my shoe.  Uh oh!!  This is gunna hurt!!! Then BLAMO, down I go.  I actually had to remove my foot from my shoe.  It was awesome.

Heh

Submitted by mercator on

That exact thing happened to me right in front of my house a couple of years ago.  All my neighbors now know I'm a total klutz.

Lesson learned:  cleats are part of regular maintainence.

It's Stampede Parade Day

Submitted by Tisin on

I think someone remarked on Twitter that it's unofficially "ride your bike to work day." Although the Bow River paths were pretty quiet (downtown to 37 ST NW).

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm glad I don't have to be on the CTrain with all the extra strollers, lost tourists and afternoon drunks this year because I'll be riding to work.

Angry Drivers

Submitted by snowandscience on

Was harassed on the road today by a driver DBD 7377 with a "Student Driver" sign in the rear window. NB on 29 St NW in front of Foothills Hospital approaching 16 Ave NW. Cycling in the right lane, doing 30 km/h or thereabouts (don't use a spedometer) driver behind me wanted to go right onto 16 Ave in the merge lane. Laid on his horn a few times, I looked back to see what was going on, he gave me a "what the hell look" so I flipped him the bird (lost patience with angry drivers since returning from Montreal, my bad, I know) he then proceeded to pass me closely in my lane, slow down in front of me, and flip me the bird. Obviously losing any time he just gained by passing me, as I got to the stop line before he had turned right. Reported to CPS, they were helpful and took the complaint seriously. Otherwise was a beautiful day for a ride. Happy stampeding everyone! Bikes are the new horses in Calgary! 

Anybody get caught in the hail last night?

Submitted by gyrospanner on

I did for about 10 or 15 minutes in Bowmont Park.  One weird thing was that I could actually hear the storm coming - at first I thought it was just wind, then I started to wonder if Bearspaw dam had failed (now that woulda' ended badly for me down on the flood plain!), then I started to hear the first few hailstones hitting the trees and bushes and then the sky really opened up!  Wow!


The biggest stones were about the size of a dime.  When the cracked on my helmet, my ears rang.  I had welts all over my arms despite wearing a raincoat.  At one point I seriously considered crawling under a park bench to get out of it.


 


Speaking of riding in bad weather - does anybody want to share any weather related stories about the recent MS ride or the RTCC?

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