Thank you for this.
She wasnt commuting here: this was a vacation/personal challenge ride. Meanwhile, cars piled up behind her age probably people going to work or hauling goods.
I really think the bourgeoisie image that modern cycling and it's conspicuous consumption attitude (my coworkers mostly ride 3-5000 dollar bikes) that converted simple affordably machines to status symbols has fueled more resentment from motorists.
If cars are piling up behind you, you should pull over to let them pass--even if you are in a car--but only if it's safe to do so. The implication in the article is that it's not safe ("to protect myself from stumbling off the edge"), so the "selfish bitch" is the one screaming at the cyclist, not the cyclist herself.
Read the sentence immediately preceding the one you quoted, her reasoning is to "bask in a glorious downhill". She needs the full width of the road to give a larger margin of error due to speed and to maximize her enjoyment.
A simple considerate solution would be to slow down and pull over.
The crux of the issue is that people of every persuasion, be it cyclist or driver, would never consider inconveniencing themselves or sacrificing their enjoyment for the good of others. i.e. they are selfish.
Re:Why every cyclist needs a pool noodle
by projectileboy on Saturday May 18, 2019 @12:39AM
(#19945669)
My God, thank you for this comment. I live in Minneapolis, which is very bike friendly (at least for the US). The majority of bicyclists are well behaved and just want to share the road, but an alarming number of bicyclists seem to think that taxpayer funded roads were built with only them in mind. The sense of entitlement is astounding.
In this case if the cyclist periodically slowed down and moved to the shoulder when going downhill (or in general), the pile up of cars and frustration might be mitigated.
"Through my eyeglass-mounted mirror, I watch cars inevitably pile up behind me. When the terrain flattens out and I move back to the shoulder, a stream of cars pass me."
I'd argue that the pool noodle may have unintended consequences, and will most likely increase road rage. It seems to scream EMPOWERMENT ("taking back the road"), but I think it leans more towards SELFISH BITCH.