The public's love/hate reaction to EUC riders

[BKW]

Didn't really know what to title this. Want to keep this post positive, but I sense some people don't like EUC riders. It could be all in my head, but I just have this feeling that many people view EUC riders kind of like we're pretentious? Like, they think, "he must think he's so cool on that thing". I bet a lot of people who drive a lot of nice cars probably get the same reaction from people.

All in all, it doesn't really bother me if that is the case. I remember when I first started riding my bike in Manhattan and I quickly realized people hold you to a pretty strict standard or they get upset -- pretty understandable. Nowadays, I don't get as much flack riding a bike around the city, probably because I'm more experienced in the city and probably more predictable to others, etc. The more I ride on the EUC the more I want to be as respectful and predictable as possible because I think people have very strict standards if you ride it here -- people will let you know! lol.

What are you guy's thoughts on this? Let's try to keep it respectable

Edited February 11, 2022 by bkw

[Planemo]

I don't think the public dislikes us by default. Of course there will always be a few, no matter how courteously you are riding, but in general the overwhelming majority don't have an issue in my experience.

However, the nicest people you could meet quickly become agitated at an exponential rate depending on how the rider is behaving. I have been at the rear of a few group rides and the comments I have heard from the public regarding riders who have passed them already haven't always been good. A couple of times, if I think one of the riders really was being an arse, I have stopped to apologise. During the conversation I have quickly found out that the member of public was entirely reasonable, friendly and have no issues with PEV's per se but were majorly pissed at the speed/carving/infringement of personal space etc.

And there is some merit in your comment re the public thinking 'he must think he's cool'. I had a complaint from a work colleague (a really nice and friendly girl) who, when she found out I rode EUC's, told me about an incident in London recently where she had seen a guy on one who was 'carving everywhere'. She specifically said 'he clearly rated himself, he was showing off, weaving around people, blasting music. He certainly knew how to ride, but he was being a dick about it and I wasn't the only one who thought the same because I heard a few other walkers mentioning it'. She gave a description/clothing etc and there was zero doubt it was one of the guys I knew.

[mhpr262]

Yeah I absolutely HATE that carving thing when people do it on busy streets, with people and cars all around. It is so irritating for everybody else in traffic  when somebody drives that erratically and unpredictably.

[Miko.cz]

yesterday i rode around river on bike path. Already sun down, dark quickly comming. My KS-16S automatically lights on (with a small masking strip on light, against glare of others), on my helmet signal lights blinked (turned maximally down). In the opposite direction against me a woman on bike. No reflexive anything, zero bike reflections, no lights, probably darker clothes. Babling against my lights.
There will be always people that take extra care about others and ignores their own mistakes.

[.....]

No hate for riders around here. Of course, its rural and in the South. There's also a shortage of euc riders. So far, I've been met with smiles and looks of incredulousness 99% of the time. The only time someone looked like they just smelled a fart, as I approached, was in town. It was one of those ladies with a stick up her a** and a $5k dog leading her.

[BKW]

1 hour ago, Miko.cz said:

yesterday i rode around river on bike path. Already sun down, dark quickly comming. My KS-16S automatically lights on (with a small masking strip on light, against glare of others), on my helmet signal lights blinked (turned maximally down). In the opposite direction against me a woman on bike. No reflexive anything, zero bike reflections, no lights, probably darker clothes. Babling against my lights.
There will be always people that take extra care about others and ignores their own mistakes.

I've had a couple bicyclist upset at me before on the bike path and say some pretty vulgar things. Both times were times when I should of been more aware of my surroundings, so I get it, but wasn't an intentional thing on my part. Because of this, I try to be a more cautious and respectable rider. I think a lot of people may look at the EUC and think it's unpredictable on the street, which is why I feel they hold it to a higher standard for safety and control.

[BKW]

4 hours ago, mhpr262 said:

Yeah I absolutely HATE that carving thing when people do it on busy streets, with people and cars all around. It is so irritating for everybody else in traffic  when somebody drives that erratically and unpredictably.

I can understand the irritation caused by this.

[Tawpie]

Obviously you can't please all the people all the time, we're people and we have bad days.

Remember kindergarten? They should have taught you just about everything you really need to know... one of which is "don't be a dick" (in not so many words). Folks around here are generally grateful and often say "thanks" when I announce my approach on a bike path—something the spandex crew rarely does. I carve every chance I get, but straighten out, slow way down, and ride well to the side when there are people around. When it's crowded, I walk. When it's safe to do so I pull out of the lane to let cars pass.

I just try to do the things I appreciate when other people do it.

But yeah, like others that pre-judge I'm guilty as charged: if you're driving a BMW, I already know you're the worst. I'm not surprised that some feel the same about wheel riders.

[MadVlad]

Never had a negative reaction from anyone, but I ride respectfully, I dont blow by people, I give them space when I go around them, I follow basic traffic rules most of the time etc. Then people look at you in a more "oh look at that thing" way, girls wave and giggle, that type of deal. If you ride like a complete dbag guess what, people dont think you are cool or edgy, they do notice you, but its in the "oh look at that hipster dbag" way. Its just like when you see a kid doing a burnout or a rev bomb in an expensive car downtown, you dont think "oh how cool is he", you think "dbag". Now you see someone rolling in a nice ride being chill and you probably think "hell yeah, thats a sweet ride".

Edited February 11, 2022 by MadVlad

[TantasStarke]

Rarely get negative reactions on the street, but I get shit a lot on the Erie Canal up here in NY. 9/10 times it's the cyclists decked out in tour de france gear who give me shit. I always ride safe around other people on the trail, don't pass cyclists going double their speed. I slow down to match their speed and slowly pass while alerting them and I'll still get middle fingers, yelled at, etc. On the street though I've only had the typical blind drivers, and drivers who think they own the road. Any pedestrians I see are either indifferent or curious. I do a lot of carving when riding at low speed, but I stay in my lane. There'll always be sad saps who want to try and knock you down a peg to feel better about themselves, whatever the reason may be. Be it jealousy, bad interactions with PEV's, sense of superiority with cycling, whatever it is.

[Paul A]

Wonder if carrying a first aid kit and having a first aid decal(s) on wheel/body would help signal goodwill to others...

[VikB]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:47 PM, bkw said:

What are you guy's thoughts on this? Let's try to keep it respectable

I don't think the public hates EUCs any more than they hate skateboards or bicycles. The do hate people behaving like douchebags though. So if a member of the public has had a few bad experiences with someone on an EUC or skateboard or bicycle they'll have a negative impression of the whole group so when you ride by safely/politely you may still get the stink eye, but that's because they are still dealing with the emotions of previous interactions.

Where I live there are no EUC riders. Every person I meet is generally pleasant when they see the EUC and interested to find out what it is. They have either had no EUC interactions before or I passed them respectfully going a modest speed. If I started buzzing them at 50kph on the bikepath they'd start to hate EUCs.

I try and be considerate when I am out on my EUC, skateboard or bike. Not only because it's the nice thing to do, but also because when it comes to enforcement of any laws/by-laws the police are going to be influenced by public sentiment on the issue in question. Same goes for local councils making new rules.

[Paul A]

 

 

 

[GothamMike]

A: An Electric Unicycle

A: State law says it should go 20 MPH

A: Ewheels.com has a wide variety of price ranges

A: No, it is not insured (rolls away)

[litewave]

On 2/11/2022 at 9:35 AM, ShanesPlanet said:

No hate for riders around here. Of course, its rural and in the South. There's also a shortage of euc riders. So far, I've been met with smiles and looks of incredulousness 99% of the time.

GO figure. Not sure I would consider west NC part of the "south" but totally agree otherwise. For the most part southerners are more fun- and freedom-loving, and are giddy over anything with wheels and motors - especially if they go fast and make lots of noise. That's why I'm putting a NASCAR sticker on my Z10 and adding some cool exhaust noises for bike week this spring.

[TantasStarke]

37 minutes ago, litewave said:

GO figure. Not sure I would consider west NC part of the "south" but totally agree otherwise. For the most part southerners are more fun- and freedom-loving, and are giddy over anything with wheels and motors - especially if they go fast and make lots of noise. That's why I'm putting a NASCAR sticker on my Z10 and adding some cool exhaust noises for bike week this spring.

Up here in NY I've never had issues except with the spandex cyclists. I really should put the harley engine audio on my wheel just to really piss them off

[.....]

1 hour ago, litewave said:

GO figure. Not sure I would consider west NC part of the "south"

Can't see the Mason Dixon line from here, its WAY up there in Yank territory. Moonshine stills and cotton still burnin' and pickin'. Gots some tobacco too! Altho, NC is a bit in the mountains and it gets much colder here, than our Georgia/Florida brethren.  Gasoline is still king around here too, but power and wheels of most sorts are widely accepted as both transport and good fun.

[alcatraz]

After 5 years of riding around my area of the city I live in, I bet people are thinking. Hmm, that guy again. He's still alive. That's weird.

Still I don't see many others. I can probably count the amount of EUC riders I've seen on one hand. And the city I live in has 7 million people in it.

I think I'm somewhere between 20.000 and 30.000km now.

[GothamMike]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:36 AM, VikB said:

I don't think the public hates EUCs any more than they hate skateboards or bicycles. The do hate people behaving like douchebags though. So if a member of the public has had a few bad experiences with someone on an EUC or skateboard or bicycle they'll have a negative impression of the whole group so when you ride by safely/politely you may still get the stink eye, but that's because they are still dealing with the emotions of previous interactions.

Where I live there are no EUC riders. Every person I meet is generally pleasant when they see the EUC and interested to find out what it is. They have either had no EUC interactions before or I passed them respectfully going a modest speed. If I started buzzing them at 50kph on the bikepath they'd start to hate EUCs.

I try and be considerate when I am out on my EUC, skateboard or bike. Not only because it's the nice thing to do, but also because when it comes to enforcement of any laws/by-laws the police are going to be influenced by public sentiment on the issue in question. Same goes for local councils making new rules.

If you act like an immature skateboarder, people will hate you. 
 

[BKW]

20 hours ago, TantasStarke said:

Up here in NY I've never had issues except with the spandex cyclists. I really should put the harley engine audio on my wheel just to really piss them off

Same here. I'm in NYC and the only people that are rude are spandex cyclists. I was riding around today on a long bike path with multiple pedestrian crossings and I find it ironic how these spandex riders have griped at me in the past when they themselves don't yield to pedestrian crossings. Was hoping today someone would say something to me so I could ask why is it cyclist are so crotchety all the time. I'm a cautious rider for myself and for pedestrians but when I first started it was newbie mistakes

I was also at Central Park today and pulled over to the edge of a path with literally 15 feet clearance and I hear, "EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME!". This was a normal cyclist and she was riding the wrong way! I'm starting to think it's just how they roll lol. I'm likely projecting, but I do feel there are a lot of people that look at EUC riders as reckless/pretentious

Edited February 22, 2022 by bkw

[Paul A]

https://bicycleuniverse.com/cyclists-stop-traffic-lights/

Do Cyclists Have to Stop at Traffic Lights?

In short: it depends.

Some states do allow cyclists to treat traffic lights as stop signs and stop signs as yields, meaning that they can ride through both if it is safe to do so.

Other states treat bikes as cars and so cyclists must stop at traffic lights.

 

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/bikes-can-now-legally-run-red-lights-at-50-intersections-across-nyc-032818

Bikes can now legally run red lights at 50 intersections across NYC

March 28 2018

If the program is successful, it may finally be time for many New Yorkers to overcome their crippling fear of navigating the city’s streets on two wheels.

[BKW]

^^^ These are literally the signs along the hudson river bike path that I am referring to:

Edited February 22, 2022 by bkw

[Richardo]

The first time i saw an euc, i didnt like it! I thought it seemed “foppish” like someone affecting to wear a top hat. 
 

also as a cyclist and someone struggling to stay in shape i was prejudiced against all “competitors” to the mechanical bicycle. 
 

Was a bit of a journey to come round to the EUC world! Glad i did though

[alcatraz]

1 hour ago, Richardo said:

The first time i saw an euc, i didnt like it! I thought it seemed “foppish” like someone affecting to wear a top hat. 
 

also as a cyclist and someone struggling to stay in shape i was prejudiced against all “competitors” to the mechanical bicycle. 
 

Was a bit of a journey to come round to the EUC world! Glad i did though

I still do a lot of cycling. The two activities aren't really in conflict. One is health focused and about efficiency. The other is just to get a kick, and to get from A to B and work on your technical skills a bit more.

[Scottie]

2 hours ago, bkw said:

Was hoping today someone would say something to me so I could ask why is it cyclist are so crotchety all the time.

I have to agree with @Mike Sacristan who has mentioned that cyclist are highly engaged with preserving and conserving their inertia since they worked hard for it. They do not like it when something interferes with that plan.

2 hours ago, bkw said:

I was also at Central Park today and pulled over to the edge of a path with literally 15 feet clearance and I hear, "EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME!". This was a normal cyclist and she was riding the wrong way!

Almost anyone can ride a bicycle, so there are all kinds.