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Content from our friends over at Chick Talk Dallas

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Top 10 rules for riding at White Rock Lake

by Joanna Cattanach of Chick Talk Dallas

Photo by Flickr user geozila

So it seems I’m not the only one annoyed by the cyclists and runners around White Rock Lake. This weekend, I cycled my way around the lake but it wasn’t a fun ride. I don’t know if it was the heat and humidity that had people is such a foul mood. But after my partner’s tire went flat, I had to hustle back to the car for a pump. On my way back, an older man with a fanny pack and towel wrapped around his neck proceeded to instruct me my seat is too low, “You’ll get better leverage if you pull it up higher.” Thanks, man. But who’s asking you? I continue along the path and get about five minutes from my car ready to take a final bridge when I’m suddenly halted by a family following a toddler on her bike with training wheels! The cyclist behind me takes the family, zoom I follow his lead and make sure the oncoming rider sees me, as I pass the family, the oncoming rider yells out, “Hey, no passing on the bridge!” You know what, I usually don’t but I had no energy left to walk my bike up the bridge because the threesome I was stuck behind was watching the puppies in the dog park and not the bridge riders behind them. So I’ve composed a list of rules for riding around the lake.

Top 10 Rules for Riding the Rock

1. Don’t Give Free Advice: Leave it to the “Free Advice Guys” on the banks of the lake. Unless you’re asked or you’re Lance Armstrong, I don’t need to hear about seat levels, angles, drafting etc. from rookies or weekend warriors. I’ll injure myself on my own, thank you very much!

2. Turn it Down, iPod Junkies: Hey, it’s not my fault if I run your ass over because you’re jamming out to Queen and don’t hear my, “I’m on you’re left. Hey, I’m ON YOUR LEFT!!”

3. No Excessive Cursing on the Course: Dude, there are kids around. Do you have to yell the f-word if someone cuts too close or isn’t going fast enough at 9 a.m on a Sunday morning? Really?

4. Wear Your Helmets: Why is this still an issue for people? I saw a couple on a tandem bike with a toddler in the child seat attached to the back and none of them were wearing helmets. Concrete and your brains are not a good match!

5. Power Parents, Poor Kids: Just because you want a ride around White Rock does not mean you should subject a toddler to 90 degree heat, 100 percent humidity in a netted cage behind your bike. Have you seen your kids? They’re hot. Red faced. I feel bad for them.

6. Pass With Caution: There’s a six inch rule here but I’ve had a speed biker so far up my back tire that if I so much as sneeze we’re both going down. Be careful, make eye contact with oncoming riders, be patient, you are not on the Tour De France.

7. Quiet Your Conversation: Having riding partners is great, but you might not realize how loud your conversations are to people riding near you or unloading their bikes. If you’re talking about sex, your business and money, we can hear you. Every word.

8. Too Many Bodies, Too Little Space: Runners, walkers, dogs in groups of more than two-wide hog the narrow paths and roads. I’ve seen teams of riders block traffic on Lawther. It’s annoying. Move over or in a line.

9. Traffic Rules Apply to Everyone: Yes, I’m talking to you, Mr. Blow Through a Stop Sign and you, Ms. No Signal when making a left. Your bike is your car on two wheels. We can’t read your mind. Signal. Obey the laws. It may save your life.

10. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: The lake is for everyone, from the weekend fishermen, to kids, to newbies trying out their old banana seats, to “serious” bikers and those just out for a leisurely day. Show some respect and patience. It’s not a racing course, so if an older couple is taking their sweet time and breaks your pace, Mr. 21-Speed in butt padded shorts, deal with it. They have just as much of a right to the pavement as you do.

Pegasus News content partner - Chick Talk Dallas

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

Amen, sister. Too many people spend $2500 at Richardson Bike Mart trying their dandiest to look like Lance Armstrong and end up acting like complete narcissists. If it were up to the weekend cycling warriors, no one would be allowed to simply take a leisurely bike ride or stroll around the lake.

warden62 Anonymous

3 months ago
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Haha, #5 - once I saw this lady and her little girl, the girl was clearly struggling and was asking to stop for some water. The lady said something to the effect of "you can't stop for water during the race, you're not stopping now". Didn't even make sense.

Seriously, this girl couldn't have been much more than 10 years old. Sad.

James Scott Verified

3 months ago
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1 should always apply. In all situations. This is one of the things I hate about Texas, people are chatty.

In fact, new rule. If someone has earphones in, don't talk to them unless warning them about some emergency. This includes talking to people biking, exercising, and me standing in an elevator.

Pavel Lishin Verified

3 months ago
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Oh god, formatting sucks.

Pavel Lishin Verified

3 months ago
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::people are chatty

Am I alone in the cheerful enjoyment of cross-modal irony.

Jason Rice Verified

3 months ago
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Preach it sister! One reason I don't ride at White Rock are the performance riding junkies a-holes out there who ride side by side and 20 deep. No wonder people have road-raged against these parties in the past, they're self-righteous,cocky and very foul-mouthed to boot. Everyone needs to respect the rules of the road....

Chris Kidd Verified

3 months ago
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Why should you care whether somebody else is wearing a helmet or not? Maybe you should change that rule to "mind your own business".

luniz Anonymous

3 months ago
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Brain chunks rust the chain, and are a bitch to clean off.

Pavel Lishin Verified

3 months ago
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And I wouldn't want to stop to call 911. I'm lazy and you'll be using up my phone battery.

Jesus Valadez Verified

3 months ago
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911 and brain chunks for falling off a bike? Did you guys not ride bikes as a kid?

luniz Anonymous

3 months ago
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No, I'm poor.

Jesus Valadez Verified

3 months ago
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Of course, Luniz. Brain chunks and everything.

'splains a lot, huh?

Pavel Lishin Verified

3 months ago
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1 & 4 directly contradict, can't take this blog seriously anymore*.

*I only remember like one other post so I guess I never did.

Scott Doyle Verified

3 months ago
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Wah, wah, wah! So the other kids don't play nice when you go out to ride your bike. Instead of whining about it on a blog- how about using a bit of your 'blog courage' to confront the big kids personally if they do something you don't like?
Do you really think the rude big kids are reading your list of rules? Everybody wants to make up rules. I agree there's not enough common-sense being used now-a-days, but the reason is largely because common-sense is being replaced by lists of rules. Let's make lists of rules on how to behave while doing anything imaginable- then no one will have to actually think at all.
I've got a rule for ya...get a life!

And yeah, if someone wants to ride without a helmet- let 'em. It's their brains. And if it's so freakin' dangerous for you to ride your bike that spilling your brains is considered- you should probably keep it in the garage. You may not be big enough to bring it out yet. Maybe next year.

Rick Yost Verified

3 months ago
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This, like most adverse aspects of the Metroplex, is mostly a Dallas thing. Come over to Fort Worth and ride the Trinity Trail. We don't have rules but we do have lots of common sense and courtesy.

Ralph Gill Verified

3 months ago
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Sounds like yost has first hand experience with brain splatter and getting pushed in the dirt as a kid LOL, im guessing he's one of the performance riders trying to compensate ;) I kid rick, your one of the saner voices around here

Seriously, I agree with Cubfan (cubbies of the world unite!), this is an exclusive Dallas area issue, as everyone in this town is too dang self-righteous for their own good. Ive taken my bike over to the Trinity Trails in Cowtown and also ridden on Lady Bird Lake/Barton springs in a-town, people in those two locations are at least courteous when it comes to asking to pass around users..

Chris Kidd Verified

3 months ago
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I think the problem is that there are too many people at the lake, mostly because it's the only place a lot of people feel safe while riding. Katy Trail is nice but again there is limited riding space. We need more paved bike paths. However if you're willing to travel south of the Trinity, there are some great off-road trails for biking near Keist Park and Red Bird Airport (Dallas Executive), also a fairly new trail just west of Duncanville close to where I-20 and Spur 408 intersect. I also suggest Joe Pool Lake.

p332361 Anonymous

3 months ago
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I am a runner who is out at WRL almost every day. I cannot agree with you more about the cyclists needing to follow the rules of the road as a car. I've almost gotten run over by bikes who were supposed to stop and didn't (and then I get screamed at). The only other things I would add are that every biker should call as they pass. I always rasise my hand in thanks or say thank you to let them know I've heard them. Also, cyclists need to know that it is the LAW that runners have to run facing oncoming traffic (on the left) where cars can drive at the lake. Where they can't, then runners need to be on the right. A lot of runners do not know this either.

esmith Anonymous

3 months ago
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Yeah, Rick, direct confrontation is always the way to go:

http://www.star-telegram.com/804/stor...

webbhill Anonymous

3 months ago
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Not every situation calls for direct confrontation. But if some jerk on a bike pisses me off at the park, I'm more likely to ask him what his problem is than to mumble about it the rest of the day.
People are too ready to turn every little frustration in their day into a public cause. This same attitude leads to folks calling 911 when they don't get their fries at the drive thru, or any number of unnecessary legal actions which could be settled in more sensible ways.

Take a little more responsibility for your life. Every time you step out your door you take a risk. You risk running into rude, obnoxious people, and getting hurt somehow. Either stiffen your lip, or close the door and sit back down.