[Dajianshan]

Any cars you are especially cautious of? You know... where the model of vehicle just attracts a certain kind of driver who is just a little more likely to do something stupid and kill a cyclist. The kind of car you see up ahead and just give it space.

Me: Nissan Cefiro. I don't think they are in North America, but every time...grrrr!

 

[dr pabst]

My top two would have to be the Hummer (obvious choice, I know) and anything made by Cadillac. Both brands tend to attract oblivious idiots. Hummer 'drivers' (and I use the term loosely) are invariably on thier cell phones, and Cadillac drivers seem to be either on the edge of senility, or lulled into complacency by the rap 'music' blaring over their speakers. Cadillacs with spinner wheels are especially to be avoided.

By the way, don't believe me about the 'oblivious idiot' thing?

www.rockracing.com/.../photogallery/1113.jpg

 

[livin4lax09]

rap 'music'

awesome.

 

[dave2pvd]

Buicks
Pickup trucks
Landscaping trucks, incl trailers
Hoop-Ds

 

[kayakguy]

Buicks
Oldsmobiles
Handicapp plates
Any vehicle with the "Jesus fish"

I am sure all of these people are just wonderful-but I'm not taking any chances!

 

[David Kirk]

Nothing says "give me some room" like an El Camino.

dave

 

[phoehn9111]

1958 red and white Plymouth Fury.

 

[ohannon7]

I was nearly buzzed by a new accord 2 days ago, and I was clearly in the bike lane, as soon as he passed me he moved back into the center of his lane, wtf?

+1 for the landscaping trucks/contruction trucks, the trailers can be scary

 

[jprus]

Soccer mom vehicles

Especially with the 4 foot extended side mirrors, which are conveniently at face level, not head level, so that when they buzz by you, you can see the terrified look in your own eyes. Everytime I see one I could swear I am looking at a land version of the shrimping trawlers.

 

[Sprocket - Matt]

Dullies... You know, the truck that has to have 4 wheels across the back, for what appears to be little to no reason at all, but it makes the rear end of the truck like 2 foot wider than the front, I expect the vehicle to be roughly as wide at the front but when suddenly the rear axel feels closer, it always makes me shudder a bit.. Plus those truck are towing trailers (with horses, or hay bails, or construction equip, or fertilizer tanks for the farmer's fields) about 90% of the time...

OH, and any truck with a set of Truck Balls. funny, but the personality behind the wheel probably wishes I was on the mt. bike instead of "his" road.

 

[campyhag]

I was nearly buzzed by a new accord 2 days ago, and I was clearly in the bike lane, as soon as he passed me he moved back into the center of his lane, wtf?

+1 for the landscaping trucks/contruction trucks, the trailers can be scary

Dump truck buzzed me and then swerved back and forth as it went up the road just to let me know they did it on purpose. Anybody seen the morphine?

 

[unit]

Dullies... You know, the truck that has to have 4 wheels across the back, for what appears to be little to no reason at all, but it makes the rear end of the truck like 2 foot wider than the front, I expect the vehicle to be roughly as wide at the front but when suddenly the rear axel feels closer, it always makes me shudder a bit.. Plus those truck are towing trailers (with horses, or hay bails, or construction equip, or fertilizer tanks for the farmer's fields) about 90% of the time...

OH, and any truck with a set of Truck Balls. funny, but the personality behind the wheel probably wishes I was on the mt. bike instead of "his" road.

That is why I got these...sometimes the dullies cut me a break (perhaps they figure mine broke down).

Add to the list:

Any Diesel powered vehicle modified to produce ample black smoke from the tail pipe. Seems no driver of such a vehicle can resist fogging "lesser" vehicles.

Oh, and I wish I could agree that these vehicles typically tow stuff...around here, they rarely tow anything...they just drive around burning up lots of diesel fuel.

 

[Sprocket - Matt]

Thanks for the back up...
I needed a pic.

The balls are funny, let me guess, only available for SS riders or Pugsley owners???
They're especially funny with the forum handle of "unit"....

 

[Rubber Lizard]

Minivans and vehicles in which the driver obviously has a small wang.

 

[JCavilia]

You notice a pattern in these responses?

The pattern is there's no pattern. Everybody who says they have a problem with a particular type of vehicle cites something different, except for the obvious hazards of long/wide vehicles (dump trucks, landscaping trailers).

Cars don't kill cyclists; drivers kill cyclists.

 

[Cross Chained]

-Saturns, definitely.
-Anybody with a lei or mardi gras beads hanging from their rearview mirror.
-Anybody who advertises that they are Christian, via stickers, license plates, decals, etc.
-Even worse than the Christians are the pro-lifers. If someone has a pro-life sticker, I know they'll go out of their way to run me over or cause some kind of accident. Oh, the irony!
-Company vans.
-Anyone on a cell phone.
-Chevy Cavaliers, Dodge Neons, or any other cheapo car that a teenage girl is likely to be driving.
-Some Pontiacs.
-People driving "luxury" cars who seem to think they own the road. By "luxury", I don't mean really nice cars like Jaguars. I mean the BMW and Lexus cars that every soccer mom seems to have- the kind of "luxury" cars that just about anyone can afford.
-Old people driving boat-sized cars who seem completely incapable of navigating such a large vehicle.
-Old people in general.
-People with Florida license plates.

Okay, I'm done. For now.

 

[TWD]

Camaro....any vintage
Mustang...80s or newer
Any car with 120 hp an add on "Wing" and Coffee Can Muffler and/or ground effects.
Any vehicle with spinners on it.
...and my new least favorite...the Toyota Prius.

My town is full of self-righteous hypocrites TOOLing around in Priuses. Friggin hate those cars. Not only do they sneak up on you without making a sound, but I've been cut off or buzzed by more than my fair share of Prius drivers...including the [email protected]@$$ with the "Tree Hugger" bumper sticker on it.

I want to get a bumper sticker for my bike that says "My bike gets better mileage than your Prius"

 

[kayakguy]

...and my new least favorite...the Toyota Prius.
"

I have a Prius and love it. 50mpg no problem. But I have wondered about the silence factor. Then I think it can't be any worse than when a cyclist blows by a pedestrian without any warning. Not to mention I have managed to let tractor trailers sneak up on me, that will make you pucker!

Plus its really fun to buzz other cyclist in.

 

[Mapei]

Camaros and Mustangs.
Lexuses, particularly the SUV's.
Volvos.
City buses.

On the other side of the ledger, I find these vehicles are generally bicycle friendly.

BMW's. But not the SUV ones.
Tradesmen vehicles like landscape trucks and plumber's vans.
Small economy cars.
Open-topped sports cars.

 

[Treker]

I have a Prius and love it. 50mpg no problem. But I have wondered about the silence factor. SNIP!

Put an old baseball card in your wheel so it hits the "spokes" when they go around. Makes a great noise maker so the cyclists can hear you coming. On top of that, if you are at least close to the Baby Boomer Generation in age, it will remind you of your youth.

Now I am just not sure how you would go about mounting a baseball card to the wheel of a Prius, but I'm sure you could rig up something.