Biking on a summer day - beware drivers

Here is the latest biking news...

Incident with cyclist humiliates local resident

Posted Aug 9, 2012 By Laurie Weir
EMC News - A Drummond/North Elmsley man says he feels he was humiliated and degraded after an alleged altercation with a cyclist near his home on July 21, as he attempted to pass three large groups of cyclists. The event that took place that day was the 220 km Gran Fondo Ottawa Reggio Capitale - a cyclist's equivalent to a runner's marathon event. It required participants to travel west on the Tennyson Road on their way to Perth.






You have to watch oncoming traffic, since the bikes aren't single file, and cars tend to swerve into our lane, rather than slowing down. The rules of the road are for chumps! Seriously, we all have to drive predictably, drive defensively, and they scare me when they pull out like this.

There were hundreds of people biking: young, old; large, small; men and women. They kept coming and coming! I'm sure there are better ways to ride, though. Single file, maybe?! Just sayin'! 

From Biking in Middleville

Biking on 2 wheels can be tricky on summer roads. Just pick a lane, and not mine!

From Biking in Middleville

I thought June was bike month in Mississippi Mills!

There are bike events in Almonte, Mississippi Mills Bicycle Month, bikers everywhere!

From Biking in Middleville

From Biking in Middleville

Mind you, car drivers are as bad as those riding bikes. This guy seemed to need two lanes in order to turn right from the gravel road onto highway 511. Next, he passed the car in front on the solid line, going up the hill.

We have had to pull onto the gravel three times this summer, as drivers pull around cars on a curve when they cannot see oncoming traffic. In one case, two cars were stopped and a third pulled around into our lane. There were 3 or 4 cars behind us, and we all had to get onto the shoulder.
I was pulling into my driveway, from the south, as a car passed the car behind me, who was slowing to let me do my turn. The third car couldn't see me turning into my driveway, but arrogantly passed the car directly behind me, failing to see my car, or my turn signal. He screeched into the other lane, and onto the shoulder on the other side. He is lucky there were no cars oncoming.

This was just before our big storm, Mon., June 24, with a tricycle on the road! Hope they made it home safely! There must have been three thunderstorms that came across our area. Welcome rain, I'll tell you!