I ride my bike to work in SLC on average 3 days a week. Its a 12 mile ride each way, so I'm on the road a reasonable amount. Although I almost always ride on streets with bike lanes, I still average 1 or 2 close calls per week. SLC is the 2nd most deadly city for pedestrians in the USA so I suppose it's to be expected that it's dangerous out there.
Anyway, yesterday I'm riding home. The street I'm on has a bike lane, and there is a 4 way intersection where my direction of traffic has the right of way. I, and most traffic are making a right hand turn. (This is the corner of 21st East and Parkway/ parleys canyon blvd) The street to the right I'm turning on to also has a bike lane. I usually make the turn with the cars with no problem. They stay in the car lanes, I stay in the bike lanes, everyone's happy. The road has a slight downhill grade and it's a 25mph neighborhood collector type road, so I usually ride almost equal with traffic speeds.
As I go to make the right hand corner a fully dressed street bike -quiet not a harley - something just smaller than a honda gold wing - decides that he's turning right through the corner of the bike lane... while I was there in the corner. I swerved as close to the curb as I could and was putting my hand out to push off the motorcycle as I was yelling at him. It was probably 12" or so between me and him and he heard me yelling at him and jerked back into his lane.
I don't quite know how he could have missed me. I wear a bright orange jersey and I was in front of him at the corner. I guess he was off in his own little world. At least he had his token American flag flying on the back of his bike.
Just thought it was a kinda funny unusual situation to almost get run down by a motorcycle. You'd think they of all people would be paying more attention to what they are doing. If he hits me, we're both going down because I'm more than likely going to give him a push back hard enough to knock him off the motorcycle. That's what I was bracing for. I usually get the soccer mom backing out of the driveway not paying attention, the UPS/FEDEX/City bus driver that pulls out without looking, or the teenager on the phone. The motorcycle was a new one for me.
Anyway, yesterday I'm riding home. The street I'm on has a bike lane, and there is a 4 way intersection where my direction of traffic has the right of way. I, and most traffic are making a right hand turn. (This is the corner of 21st East and Parkway/ parleys canyon blvd) The street to the right I'm turning on to also has a bike lane. I usually make the turn with the cars with no problem. They stay in the car lanes, I stay in the bike lanes, everyone's happy. The road has a slight downhill grade and it's a 25mph neighborhood collector type road, so I usually ride almost equal with traffic speeds.
As I go to make the right hand corner a fully dressed street bike -quiet not a harley - something just smaller than a honda gold wing - decides that he's turning right through the corner of the bike lane... while I was there in the corner. I swerved as close to the curb as I could and was putting my hand out to push off the motorcycle as I was yelling at him. It was probably 12" or so between me and him and he heard me yelling at him and jerked back into his lane.
I don't quite know how he could have missed me. I wear a bright orange jersey and I was in front of him at the corner. I guess he was off in his own little world. At least he had his token American flag flying on the back of his bike.
Just thought it was a kinda funny unusual situation to almost get run down by a motorcycle. You'd think they of all people would be paying more attention to what they are doing. If he hits me, we're both going down because I'm more than likely going to give him a push back hard enough to knock him off the motorcycle. That's what I was bracing for. I usually get the soccer mom backing out of the driveway not paying attention, the UPS/FEDEX/City bus driver that pulls out without looking, or the teenager on the phone. The motorcycle was a new one for me.
