http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836 As an avid bicycle rider, I can't understand why Bakersfield, especially Northwest Bakersfield, doesn't have better roads for bicycles.&nbsp; You can't really ride anywhere without running into a narrow stretch of road or a bike lane that is so full of broken glass and other junk that you have to ride in traffic lanes just to get around it.&nbsp; Also, some drivers aren't very kind to bicyclsits.&nbsp; I've been honked at and yelled at while riding down the road.&nbsp; i.e. A week ago last Friday (?), I had turned onto Verdugo Lane from Holland Street.&nbsp; I had to use Holland Street to avoid the Calloway Dr&nbsp;&amp; Rosedale Hwy&nbsp;intersection on my way home from Action Sports at Calloway and Brimhall Rd.&nbsp; On Holland Street, I had to ride away from the side of the street to avoid hitting parked cars.&nbsp; When I turned right onto Verdugo, a young&nbsp;woman in a&nbsp; truck yelled at me, &quot;GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET!!!&quot;&nbsp; Of course, I was pretty pissed off at the lady for saying that.&nbsp; She drove off and&nbsp;I just rode on, thinking&nbsp;if I could have responded to her, I would have said, &quot;SHUT UP.&nbsp; YOU TRY RIDING A BICYCLE IN NEARLY 100 DEGREE HEAT FOR 10 MILES!&quot;&nbsp; My word to drivers, &quot;Give us bicyclists care and respect on the road.&nbsp; We have enough to deal with already.&nbsp; We're doing you a favor by helping keep our air clean and reduce dependence on oil.&nbsp; So, please, do us bicyclists&nbsp;a favor and respect the fact that we're riding bicycles and that we can't go 50 mph like you can.&nbsp; And, by law, we have to be on the street and you have to share the road with us.&quot;&nbsp; I apologize if I was riding too far out in middle of the street (Holland St.) that day.&nbsp; When I ride, I try to respect drivers as best as I can.&nbsp; If I'm at&nbsp;a 4-way stop and nobody is coming up behind me, you'll often see me yield to as many as 4-6 cars just because I know they can clear the intersection faster than I can.&nbsp; I try to stay as far to the right as I can, unless I'm turning left or avoiding a hazard or changing lanes when I need to go straight when there's a right turn lane (or when the right lane becomes a right turn lane).&nbsp; I do use the bike path whenever possible, too.&nbsp;Also, most bicyclists I see are riding on the right side of the road and away from traffic. Also, there is a pure lack of bike racks here in Bakersfield.&nbsp; Bike racks are places where riders can safely&nbsp;park their bikes and lock them up while&nbsp;at work or patronizing a business.&nbsp; (I think most schools have bike racks for students who ride to school).&nbsp; I would like to see more bike racks&nbsp;here.&nbsp; As an avid bicycle rider, I can't understand why Bakersfield, especially Northwest Bakersfield, doesn't have better roads for bicycles.&nbsp; You can't really ride anywhere without running into a narrow stretch of road or a bike lane that is so full of broken glass and other junk that you have to ride in traffic lanes just to get around it.&nbsp; Also, some drivers aren't very kind to bicyclsits.&nbsp; I've been honked at and yelled at while riding down the road.&nbsp; i.e. A week ago last Friday (?), I had turned onto Verdugo Lane from Holland Street.&nbsp; I had to use Holland Street to avoid the Calloway Dr&nbsp;&amp; Rosedale Hwy&nbsp;intersection on my way home from Action Sports at Calloway and Brimhall Rd.&nbsp; On Holland Street, I had to ride away from the side of the street to avoid hitting parked cars.&nbsp; When I turned right onto Verdugo, a young&nbsp;woman in a&nbsp; truck yelled at me, &quot;GET OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET!!!&quot;&nbsp; Of course, I was pretty pissed off at the lady for saying that.&nbsp; She drove off and&nbsp;I just rode on, thinking&nbsp;if I could have responded to her, I would have said, &quot;SHUT UP.&nbsp; YOU TRY RIDING A BICYCLE IN NEARLY 100 DEGREE HEAT FOR 10 MILES!&quot;&nbsp; My word to drivers, &quot;Give us bicyclists care and respect on the road.&nbsp; We have enough to deal with already.&nbsp; We're doing you a favor by helping keep our air clean and reduce dependence on oil.&nbsp; So, please, do us bicyclists&nbsp;a favor and respect the fact that we're riding bicycles and that we can't go 50 mph like you can.&nbsp; And, by law, we have to be on the street and you have to share the road with us.&quot;&nbsp; I apologize if I was riding too far out in middle of the street (Holland St.) that day.&nbsp; When I ride, I try to respect drivers as best as I can.&nbsp; If I'm at&nbsp;a 4-way stop and nobody is coming up behind me, you'll often see me yield to as many as 4-6 cars just because I know they can clear the intersection faster than I can.&nbsp; I try to stay as far to the right as I can, unless I'm turning left or avoiding a hazard or changing lanes when I need to go straight when there's a right turn lane (or when the right lane becomes a right turn lane).&nbsp; I do use the bike path whenever possible, too.&nbsp;Also, most bicyclists I see are riding on the right side of the road and away from traffic. Also, there is a pure lack of bike racks here in Bakersfield.&nbsp; Bike racks are places where riders can safely&nbsp;park their bikes and lock them up while&nbsp;at work or patronizing a business.&nbsp; (I think most schools have bike racks for students who ride to school).&nbsp; I would like to see more bike racks&nbsp;here.&nbsp; en-us Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:50:00 PDT <p>And not to mention, the bike path needs more water fountains.&nbsp; There are none west of The Park at Riverwalk, and it is 8 miles from there to the west end at Enos Lane (Hwy 43) near I-5.</p> http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_261346 http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_261346 <p>And not to mention, the bike path needs more water fountains.&nbsp; There are none west of The Park at Riverwalk, and it is 8 miles from there to the west end at Enos Lane (Hwy 43) near I-5.</p> <p>I'm writing on behalf of my husband, Kyle - I just read your article aloud to him (he bikes a lot and is training for another century from LA to San Diego). He said he totally agrees with you... He used to ride his bike to work every day (quite a ride!) but I'm scared for him to now - people are in LaLa Land and it's just dangerous! He usually frequents the hills on the east side of Bakersfield and takes two water bottles with him due to the lack of water fountains.</p> <p>So, know that a fellow rider agrees with you and supports you...</p> <p>Ride carefully and remember that you have the right to pull out at least four feet from the site of a hazard on the road - it's a shared responsibility and most people aren't even aware of it!</p> <p> </p> http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_264483 http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_264483 <p>I'm writing on behalf of my husband, Kyle - I just read your article aloud to him (he bikes a lot and is training for another century from LA to San Diego). He said he totally agrees with you... He used to ride his bike to work every day (quite a ride!) but I'm scared for him to now - people are in LaLa Land and it's just dangerous! He usually frequents the hills on the east side of Bakersfield and takes two water bottles with him due to the lack of water fountains.</p> <p>So, know that a fellow rider agrees with you and supports you...</p> <p>Ride carefully and remember that you have the right to pull out at least four feet from the site of a hazard on the road - it's a shared responsibility and most people aren't even aware of it!</p> <p> </p> <p>Sometimes it seems that the faster people can go, the slower they are to exhibit patience. It's a shame you were hasseled so rudely!</p> <br /> http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_300589 http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_300589 <p>Sometimes it seems that the faster people can go, the slower they are to exhibit patience. It's a shame you were hasseled so rudely!</p> <br /> <p>Thanks for the great comment, deweaver3.&nbsp; By the way, a couple of weeks ago, I nearly got ran off the road going south on Calloway Dr near Rosedale Hwy like 4 times.&nbsp; That's why I don't use that stretch unless I absolutely have to and hence the reason why I use Holland&nbsp;St to Verdugo Ln.&nbsp; There's a signal at Calloway and Holland St, so the left turn is easier to make.&nbsp; Also, the littering here is a major problem, especially broken beer bottles.</p> http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_300753 http://www.bakersfieldvoice.com/home/Blog/goldenhawkfan/28836/#c_300753 <p>Thanks for the great comment, deweaver3.&nbsp; By the way, a couple of weeks ago, I nearly got ran off the road going south on Calloway Dr near Rosedale Hwy like 4 times.&nbsp; That's why I don't use that stretch unless I absolutely have to and hence the reason why I use Holland&nbsp;St to Verdugo Ln.&nbsp; There's a signal at Calloway and Holland St, so the left turn is easier to make.&nbsp; Also, the littering here is a major problem, especially broken beer bottles.</p>