The advantages of riding alone
Posted on September 28, 2008
This weekend a lot of things happened in the local rides.
Saturday we have Swamis and SDBC and both are strong in their own world. You ride crits, you do SDBC, you do anything else you HAVE to do SWAMIS.
Yesterday (saturday) I decided to do my own thing. Decided to ride the coast and take it easy. Well, the ride was great (80 miles in the AM and 20 in the afternoon) and I did have my moments of suffering, so all was good.
Today I met with some teammates and I got the scoop on what happened in the organized rides. I am not sure what I would have chosen if i had the chance to.
SWAMIS = Chris Horner showed up and I think he rode the whole ride at 400 watts. He set it up in one speed and the carnage started as soon as the road went up.
SDBC = the whole ride got stopped, pulled over, a handful got tickets and another few went downtown.
Now, with that scenario, which one would you have chosen?
I was glad I “naturally” avoided both.
I fell lucky!!!!
» Filed Under Cycling
Comments
6 Responses to “The advantages of riding alone”
Leave a Reply
More details on sdbc ride??
I don’t have many.
All I know is that last weekend there were many complaints about rolling STOP signs. And I *heard* that a Sheriff pulled the group over some time ago.
Apparently he could not point out who he saw rolling the STOP sign.
So this weekend they got the camera out and caught people on tape.
Group gets pulled over and some sat and said nothing while other blabber mouths started to argue with the officer and I think those knuckleheads might have gone downtown… and it was VISTA too.
The police left with a warning that if ANYBODY on the ride rolls through a STOP sign again, the WHOLE group will get ticketed…
I think the ride is under huge scrutiny. Too many people that do not belong there.. should be SDBC people only, that way you can ban who breaks the law
funny…the only time I’ve seen the SDBC ride have significant conflict with cars (the fear usually cited for citing cyclists) is when the cars initiate. A few years ago, some fool swerved into the group in his black BMW and missed a serious lawsuit due to some epic bike handling. Wonder why they don’t bring the camera out for that…. AND, they don’t ticket all those damned runners and RVers that fuck up the bike lanes!!
But…it’s long past time to put an end to the mondo group ride in this area. All were founded when there was far less traffic and stop lights/signs. That ain’t the case anymore. Even with Swami’s, the run down Del Dios is going to kill someone eventually. I think we should push for a place/way to have our rides with some control. We are nearly 400 strong when you count up all the people that ride either Swami’s or SDBC’s A, B+, B-, C-is-for-coffee, D+++ and E-Ticket rides. Why shouldn’t there be an organized way for us to use our city streets for 2 hours on a Saturday?
Any suggestions? How ’bout a circuit that would permit signage, temporary closure or a rolling closure? (BESIDES FIESTA!!)
oh, I have heard so many stories of people arguing with cars EVEN if the cyclist was correct AND the police taking the motorist’ side. This happens time and time again.
Something big (like the Cynergy guy getting fucked up) needs to happen before the police takes the side of the cyclist.
This is not going to change soon. The definitive change happens when THAT motorist gets on a bike an starts riding. People will only change their attitude once they start riding, it happened to me. And my attitude got even better after chewing up some pavement… its wonderful what crashing does to you…
In any case, that ride is under severe watch. Unfortunately.
btw…does Vista have a downtown?
oh, and fyi…years ago when I had a relative living there, vista was known for cozy (I won’t use the other c-word) relations between certain factions of the po-po and the judicial wing. I’m sure they were in their rights to take them up there…but, it may have been motivated by a quorum of friendly folks who won’t ask the obvious question “do you arrest motorists who protest speeding tickets?”