Trash From Cyclists on Road

Lonnie Utah said:

So I was out the other day, on a kinda rural road (ie no runners), and kept noticing empty gel pack wrappers, and energy bar wrappers, etc.

Come on folks, this is littering. We have a responsibility to keep the roads we ride on clean. It's just as easy to tuck the empty wrapper back in your jersey pocket were it came from than to toss it out. Don't give us a bad name by pitching it out.

L

Agreed 100%

We need to preserve the image of the cyclist as one who is trying to make a difference. We care about the environment, therefore we drive less and use less gasoline. We can't send that message if at the same time we're tossing litter everywhere. We don't want to darken out reputation like that, after all, we love the outdoors and stand for a ideal that cycling is more than just a sport, it's a way of living heathier and smarter.

I also agree that cyclists should be responsible in taking any and all trash with them. I sometimes see empty Gu packages on the ground near a popular jogging/cycling bridge. The local cyclists can't even blame the middle school kids... it's not like they are eating Gu on their way to school or something. :eek:

However, in my defense, I will admit that I have accidentally dropped garbage every now and then. :o

I agree as well! Lets help to keep our roads clean

[quote="Lonnie Utah"]So I was out the other day, on a kinda rural road (ie no runners), and kept noticing empty gel pack wrappers, and energy bar wrappers, etc.
[font=Comic Sans MS] [font='Times New Roman']I agree😠 if a cyclist can carry the item until he needs it why can't he carry the now lighter wrapper/container back home with him. I ride with a back Pac and often at rest sites I’ll pick up the liter, when I’m out in nature i want to enjoy the natural ground cover,Hmmmm,🙄 I wonder if GU will give me a free full sachet with every one of their discarded wrappers i pick up.[/font][/font]

There are some [censored] riders out there though. I was walking from my work to the shops to grab some lunch and spotted a trek madone ridden by a guy with full discovery team outfit and a body to match. He rode up the inside of a turning car at speed and the turning car broke violently to avoid hitting him, horn blazing. The car had right of way but if he had hit the rider, it would have been "oooooh, another [censored] ignorant driver".

I go out of my way to acknowledge drivers who do the right thing... sometimes a wave or just a nod...

What about going out of your way to acknowledge cyclists that do the right thing? Looks like the cyclists that was almost ran into is doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing....going fast and looking good.

I'll admit I threw a few GU's by the road side yesterday at my race, but when you're in a pack of 40 going top speed inches from people on all four sides you don't have time to screw around with your back pockets.

heathb said:

I'll admit I threw a few GU's by the road side yesterday at my race, but when you're in a pack of 40 going top speed inches from people on all four sides you don't have time to screw around with your back pockets.

That understandble, but I have a couple of ideas for you,

1) You could have drifted towards the back to give yourself more room,
2) You could have doubled back and picked up some other trash along the route
3) You could have used one of the GU type dispensers (mini-water bottle kind of thing).

jensonusa.comNU409B01 Hammer+Gel+Flask.aspxOpen ↗

But do what you think is right...

[quote="fauxpas"]There are some [censored] riders out there though. I was walking from my work to the shops to grab some lunch and spotted a trek madone ridden by a guy with full discovery team outfit and a body to match. He rode up the inside of a turning car at speed and the turning car broke violently to avoid hitting him, horn blazing. The car had right of way but if he had hit the rider, it would have been "oooooh, another [censored] ignorant driver".

Hey I've got one of those Trek riders in my town as well - maybe it's a Trek thing - do you think we are onto something fauxpas? Maybe it's a "Lance rode one of these so I can be arrogant as well" mentality. :eek:

Lonnie Utah said:

That understandble, but I have a couple of ideas for you,

1) You could have drifted towards the back to give yourself more room,
2) You could have doubled back and picked up some other trash along the route
3) You could have used one of the GU type dispensers (mini-water bottle kind of thing).

jensonusa.comNU409B01 Hammer+Gel+Flask.aspxOpen ↗

But do what you think is right...

+1.

And I suspect that if you were able to pull a GU out of your jersey pocket, you could have just as easily put the empty GU pack back in the pocket. Did you bother to go pick up your trash? Or did you just let your trash be someone else's problem?

Nope I didn't go back and find the gu wrappers. It was a 24mile loop 4 times around. I wouldn't have a clue where they ended up at. Besides once I finished the race that started at 11 a.m. in 104 degree temps the only thing on my mind was an ice cold shower. Falling to the back of the pack to worry about wrappers isn't an option when your in tight, the course is very hilly and the yellow line rule is in effect. And I wasn't the only racer that was doing this. Some were tossing their empty water bottles in the ditch in non designated drop zones. You have to understand the pain that you get into and the mindset that happens when your frying under the sun.

This isn't something that I do on my daily training rides of course. I'll admit I ride to ride fast, I'm not really into the scenery.

janiejones said:

Hey I've got one of those Trek riders in my town as well - maybe it's a Trek thing :eek:

I work in Newcastle... As good as trek may be, I'd never buy one when looking for a proper ride, as its too associated with septics...

People who litter suck.

I have bushwacked my way to the top of mountains that have no trail. You would think there would be very few people that have ever gotten to the top, but you still find garbage on the summit. You find cigarette butts along hiking trails. Even worse is the soft drink cups along hiking trails, which means that the a-hole that dropped it left his car knowing he was going to toss the cup when he finished.

Anyone who claims they cannot put their carbo gel wrapper back in their jersey pocket is a lying sack.

heathb said:

You have to understand the pain that you get into and the mindset that happens when your frying under the sun.

Sounds like an excuse to me. I ride hard too (I always have efforts on my rides to 90-95% MHR), and last month we had 10 straight days of 100+ F deg heat. But somehow my trash has always made it home with me too. Oh yes, I've also taken home perfectly good water bottles that some other riders have decided they didn't need anymore.

I know you think I'm trying to beat you up right now, but I'm not. I'm just trying to get folks to think about their options.

L

It really bothers me when I see cyclists trash on the side of the road. I think sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Any argument that cycling is better for the environment is right out the window when cyclists start to litter. Likewise, it's hard to claim we have the same rights as cars when cyclists still blow through red lights.

Like I mentioned earlier I put them in my jersey pocket when I'm training and even if I'm racing if I can, but the course and the group was tight and you need to keep your hands where they belong. I ended up getting eighth place, if I had bothered to put those gel packs back in my jersey I might not have placed in the top ten and then I would have had to kill myself for dishonering my family name. 🙂

When I'm out on the road, I rarely see any GU wrappers by the road side. I do however see plenty of mcd's,sonic and burger king sacks and I'm pretty sure most cyclists don't eat that [censored]. It's good that were all being enviromental stewards, but at the same time I've seen more than my fair share of hypocritical enviromental weenies with their bikes attached to the back of their big trucks and suv's, I see them at every race and get together.

I too have seen lots of empty gel wrappers when out riding and its disappointing.

Even worse is seeing discarded tubes on the side of the ride. I have seen this many times in my area.

Heath,

Everything's cool. My whole point in starting this thread was to get folks to think about their actions. I think you do.

L

heathb said:

Like I mentioned earlier I put them in my jersey pocket when I'm training and even if I'm racing if I can, but the course and the group was tight and you need to keep your hands where they belong. I ended up getting eighth place, if I had bothered to put those gel packs back in my jersey I might not have placed in the top ten and then I would have had to kill myself for dishonering my family name. 🙂

When I'm out on the road, I rarely see any GU wrappers by the road side. I do however see plenty of mcd's,sonic and burger king sacks and I'm pretty sure most cyclists don't eat that [censored]. It's good that were all being enviromental stewards, but at the same time I've seen more than my fair share of hypocritical enviromental weenies with their bikes attached to the back of their big trucks and suv's, I see them at every race and get together.

At the risk of appearing judgemental, if you can't take care of your own trash than maybe you did not deverve eight place.