I had an encounter with a roadie today. I decided after a ride on Schone Creek to ride over to the lake and explore a bit of pavement. I rode up the road in the bike lane and with a 30+ lb low geared bike, a full pack of trail gear, and a freshly full hydro bladder, I was a slow moving target...
Just after the split with Camp Creek Trail, at the crest of the first hill there were two walkers walking side by side in the middle of the road. I waited for them to move to their marked walking lane. They did not, they instead began to drift further into the bike lane. The paint was worn so they may have not realized what they were doing. I steered left to the edge of the path and I was about to say something when the roadie came on the scene.
From about 100 ft back he yelled "You! Get over! Over there."
Startled, I looked back and saw he was pointing to my right, so I assumed he was calling to me... Nope he was yelling ahead at the walkers. They scurried over to "their" side and he turned his attention to me. I had drifted over to the right side of the lane as a result of turning my head and so he could pass on the left while staying in the bike lane. In seconds he was on me. He starter yelling "on your right" so I started drifting left to give him room... I mist have violated a roadie rule because he lit into me. "Stay where you are!" "On your Right!".
He charged ahead and picked up speed as it leveled off and he was gone, but I could still hear him when he got to the guy that was ahead of me.
This guy's giving us bikers a bad image and its not our fault. I've had nothing but good meetings with hikers in nearly a dozen visits and rides covering at least 45 miles of trail at Ft Ben. From what I've read here and seen at events, this group has fought hard to be accepted at Ft Ben. But the public won't care which type of bike the rude guy was riding.
