Denver News Blog

Pretty damn funny... You definitely hit the mark. All that's missing is the oh-so-smug bike commuter -- you know we're saving the world! Also, kudos for the BSNYC references in #6.

Wow...not even remotely funny. Now all the bicyclists in Denver are put in more danger than we were before...thanks for nothing and for dehumanizing cyclists so that hateful and mentally unhinged motorists will have less regard for human beings riding bicycles--we are NOT BUGS to be squashed. Beware, Mr. Kenny, the bad karma you have unleashed might well come back to bite you!

Ha!

Most of the comments are from overly sensitive bike riders who somehow have hurt feelings due to a cartoon.

I don't know what is funnier.

Lay off the Be! He's just paying attention.

As someone who walks, yes just plain old walks, to work everyday, I can say that I have spotted the creatures he has cataloged and many more!

I don't know when riding a bike turned into a religion. But, dang, what bike riders want from cars in terms of consideration they sure as hell don't want to offer to pedestrians.

On your left my ass. Just slow down or use the street.

Not bad Kenny. It's funny how worked up people can get about stuff like this though, aint it? All you can do is shrug and go "AYHSMB".

You all realize this is a cartoon right? I just wanted to make sure you all realize that.

This is hilarious. Pure. Comedy. Gold. As a cyclist who is sometimes guilty of all of the above, I tip my tiny brimmed cap to you. Chapeau!

In response to your article I'm sending my ex-girlfriend to live in your city.

Take that.

It's funny because it's true.

sersiously, people should stop hating on cyclists, I have $10 that say whoever made these cartoons spends at least 3 hours everyday sat in an SUV in traffic watching every kind of cyclist on the road pass him.

OMG, that is some funny shizzle! I am a cyclist and former competitive cyclist. This accurately identifies the worst offenders of the cycling community nicely done! Kenny Be you might be able to get the two wheelers off your back if you do a piece on the bubbas kick'n dirt up at the cyclist with their pickups, the yummi mummies walking 3-abreast down the paths with their strollers, the canyon residents throw'n tacks out on the road in their cammo pajamas. Lets be fair and call out everyone here.....Rock on!

Dude(s), the cartoonist is obviously a cyclist, doncha think? He's nailed the bike type, the equipment and the attitudes. Relax, it's supposed to be funny.

Hi,

All I want is to SHARE the road or path with cyclists. When you pass on a path please announce yourselves. Very few cyclists let you know when they are passing. My worst fear: having one of these fast cyclists hit me in the back while I am peacefully walking the same path.

Please please annouce yourselves.

Thanks.

Kenny Be in an SUV? I know for a fact that he doesn't even own a car. And I've never seen him on a bike. I think he just swims the Cherry Creek to work every morning...

What would you expect from a cartoon that mocks cyclist's self-righteousness? A bunch of whiney self-righteous outrage! Kenny couldn't have written a better joke himself.

sincerely,
#1 Distroyer

Wow...not even remotely funny. Now all the bicyclists in Denver are put in more danger than we were before

I disagree, because it made me laugh.

I'm an advocate for urban cycling and using biking for utility purposes and regular transportation. I constantly promote the Cherry Creek Bike Station and do a nine mile work commute most weekdays. Panniers, lights, and all that...

I'm as courteous as possible while riding, being observant to motorists while also "taking the lane" to protect myself. I expect the same respect in return. But I think all cyclists, myself including, would be lying if they say they've never engaged in one or more of the article's examples during a moment of irritation or conflict.

I find the reader comments following mundane Denver Post cycling stories far more insulting, and would dare say other media outlets run such banal articles knowing it will rile up the cyclists vs. car debate resulting in more readers/viewers, and web hits. I don't believe Westword had that in mind.

My years biking around town have fortunately shown that Denver residents are very respectful towards cyclists, and the degree of awareness is far better than other cities. It's annoying and memorable when a car cuts YOU off while biking, or YOU are stuck three cycles deep at a red light and see a team of cyclists run through - but in the big picture Denver is ok.

And the comic was funny.

J. Van Dellen / Denver

Hilarious!!! I loved it. Thanks again Kenny Be...

I'm a currently an active cyclist riding 50 - 70 miles / week for recreation. I ride all over the Denver metro area and I see all of the afore mentioned types and many of their variations / combinations as a matter of routine.

I am older and overweight and I don't "look" like a cyclist. Regardless, I have been riding since I was a child and have been riding actively as an adult for 35 years. I went without a car for 15 years and conservatively, I can honestly say that I have ridden 15,000+ (and counting) miles as an adult. When I was younger I did several cross country tours and rode a circuit from Colorado Springs / Fairplay / Pine Junction / Deckers / Woodland Park / Colorado Springs several times a year as a matter of routine for many years.

As an old geezer I don't look like I have the cycling experience that I have. I've got a lot of war stories about getting around on the streets of Denver. Of course there are many stories about how I've been treated by cars. Worse than that, I've got a lot of stories about the negative treatment I often receive from other cyclists, but those stories don't matter for the moment. Two things about local cyclists really concern me. Their stupidity and their needless lack of courtesy...

Their stupidity... When I'm driving I often see a lone cyclist riding on a busy street holding car traffic up and exposing themselves to unnecessary danger. I don't care what the law says. The fact of the matter is that drivers are get irritated because the cyclists aren't going the speed of the traffic flow. The cyclists, especially the younger macho (yes, even females in this catagory) ones are getting all puffed up and irritated because of the proximity of the traffic to them in "their" lane. Get over it guys and gals. It's a volatile mix and it's not worth the waste of energy, especially because the solution is so simple... The cyclists don't seem to realize that if they were riding a couple blocks over on a mostly deserted side street, they could go almost as fast and have a lot fewer cars to deal with. I ride the side streets as a matter of routine and get through the busiest parts of Denver safely and quickly.

Their lack of courtesy... This bothers me the most, especially because it doesn't have to be like that. When I first started riding 35 years ago, cyclists were looked upon as total freaks. We were very much "outside". There weren't that many of us and we really stuck together. It was a lifestyle. Along with many other very positive facets of that lifestyle, we were routinely courteous, both to each other and to the general public. It's not like that today, but it could be if people would get past the attitude / image thing and integrate themselves into a more open and sensitive lifestyle. Sadly, these days it seems to be more of a spend the money, buy the gear, ride fast and have "the attitude" just for the image kind of thing for a lot of people...

I hate it when I'm riding on a bike path and some RocketRanger in the latest groovy and undoubtedly very expensive "bee suit" riding a very expensive road bike blasts past me going 25+ miles an hour without announcing themselves. They think they're cool, but they are actually both stupid and discourteous. It's especially to their advantage to announce themselves when they are passing me. I'm a big guy and if they hit me, even with velocity on their side, they would lose. The collision would probably result in them having to go to the hospital and their expensive bike would get broken. I would have some scuffs and scrapes, but I'd also be able to finish my ride... I say that with confidence, not with arrogance, because it's happened to me. ...And them.

As has been my habit all my adult life, I announce myself ( "On your right / left." ) every time I pass someone, bike path or street, giving them plenty of time to react. I can't tell you how sad it makes me feel to see the looks in some of the pedestrian's eyes when they turn around and look at me almost in shock, realizing that a cyclist actually announced himself in a timely manner and that I'll be courteous when I'm passing them. It's almost as if they feel they are seeing a ghost. Seeing their reaction makes me ashamed of the lack of courtesy exhibited by many Denver cyclists.

On several occasions I've stopped and talked with pedestrians who were total strangers regarding discourteous cyclists hoping to help them understand that not all cyclists are like that. These pedestrians always seem to appreciate being able to put a face and a personality to a courteous cyclist. All to often their only interaction with cyclists is as they very nervously walk a bike path questioning their safety, wondering if they'll be able to dodge the next two wheeled Mickey Macho that comes along as he tries to run them down with his brand new $5,000 road bike... It's not funny. That kind of negative behavior really diminishes the image of we cyclists as a group. It's especially unfair to those of us who aren't like that.

Cyclists of Denver, unite!!! Let's get it together folks and work towards building a better relationship with the public!!! Think about how you are riding. Sure it's often really tough getting around in traffic, but that's no reason for you to be an discourteous, egocentric bully, reeking of bicycle road rage. If you're riding like that, you might as well be driving a Hummer. If you've ridden for any time at all you know that people in cars can be depended on to do what they will do, law or no law. I'm certainly no apologist for the bad behavior of people who drive cars, but... The fact of the matter is, would you rather be right or be alive? It's up to you to protect yourself from cars by riding defensively and by retreating gracefully. You're not going to win a battle with a car. Get over it!!! A little common sense and a teeny weenie bit of courtesy will go a very long way towards giving us a better image with the public.

Be smart about getting around in traffic. Don't even try. Get off the main streets and get on the side streets. Let the cars have the frantic congestion of the main streets while you enjoy the cool calm collectedness of the much lower trafficked side streets. You're getting a lot more than you're giving by doing that.

Be courteous every chance you get, both with other cyclists on the road and especially when you're passing pedestrians on the many bike paths that we cyclists travel on a regular basis. Always do unto others, because it will be done to you... Accept it or deny it, the truth is that what goes around really does come around. Give some of your positivity a chance to come back to you and it will. ...So will your negativity. Respectfully, it doesn't matter if you "believe" that viewpoint. All I can say if you don't "believe" that cycle of events works that way, wait a few years. Do it right, get some experience, do it wrong, get some experiences and in a few years and after a few experiences, I'm sure you'll figure out which way works TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!!! Your choice. Place your bet, take your chances... I know I do.

I didn't intend to be so long winded, but so it goes. Thanks to Westword for giving me a forum for these comments.

HAPPY RIDING ALL!!!

Tony Davis / Denver, Colorado

Hahaha -- it's great to see all these bikers getting all bent out of shape over a cartoon. Lighten up and take a joke, people! I am a biker myself and I won't deny there is a bit of truth in this.

Well done, my good man.

I'm definitely a #1 and a self hating biker to boot. I can't stand those idiots.... When I'm in a car.

Oh Noes! you saide the trust fund word. We must never say those words. Trust fund kiddies are so sensitive. They want you to think they support themselves just by being cool, not sucking on their parental financial tits for life.

Hahahahahahs

Haha... spot on! Looks like you hit a few nerves.

@Mr. Soup: Nope. We all built our own fixies back in the day, but hereabouts most of the flatbar n00btard kidz who appropriated the subculture ride pistas or something else off the rack.

A cyclist ran in to a friend of my father's on a bike/pedestrian trail in Denver. She was elderly. She died from her injuries.
When I am on a bike, I loathe being on the road with motor vehicles and absolutely do my best to be away from their mass, speed,inattanetive drivers, noise, and fumes. I am in complete bewilderment at cyclists who apparantly revel in mixing it up with motor vehicle traffic. Arrogance and death wish are the only things that come to my mind.

Fuunny ass cartoon.
Me being an avid commuter cyclist and
part-time driver.
I like #1 distroyer and #3 Roidan

I loath those electric bikes, as the price drops, everyone who isn't disabled or a square will be on a bike.

More obstacles on the road.

As a #6, minus the barspins, I find this hilarious. Well done sir.

Can't we all just get along? For the children?

Denvermad.gif

Haha! I would probably have to be a Pathra, except I've got a rusty old bike that's older than I am by quite a few decades.

I refuse to ride on the roads after almost getting run over so many times. I ride on the sidewalk now. I'm a newbie cyclist and don't go fast enough to ride on the roads safely. If anyone complains, I just tell them "Thanks, but I'd rather live to see my next birthday." No one wants a cyclist on the road going 5 mph anyway.

LOL! Though I try to explain in my blog why cyclists might *sensibly* exhibit some of these behaviors.

Some of those are true, but at least they're making an effort - cycling is clean and it'd save you a lot of money on repairs and gas.

But it's just difficult to ride a bike for long distances..

This is not only stupid, but F***ing stupid. Why don't you just go buy more cars, at least one per every adult, and draw pictures of asthmatic kids (every tenth, on average, in the cities) trying to catch a breath of clean air. Morons.

Bicycles don't belong on roads with cars. They are slow, vulnerable and 80% of the time ridden by insufferable, entitled, utter prigs who think that because they can commute the 3 blocks to their tech jobs on a bike, they are somehow superior to people who have to crawl along behind them in cars on their way to jobs that require more than 10 minutes' pedaling. Nothing said here will change the annoyance felt driving slowly behind some guy in spandex short pants on a bike. Down with bike riders! Down, I say!

wow.... fuck this cartoonists
not saying all of us bikers are respectful or safe riders. they aren't and i have no love for bikers who put others' lives in danger.

that said, bikers are CONSTANTLY being threatened by car drivers who think that getting where they need to go 3 seconds faster is more important than the human life they nearly steal. and after nearly plowing a biker into oblivion they have the balls to call us monsters?

I have a suggestion to everyone who finds this cartoon funny: try riding a bicycle in the city. its not only frightening, but life threatening.

if car drivers were to give more respect to bikers, perhaps we wouldn't flip you off or insult you.

Please don't encourage cyclists not to "take the lane" as needed. Pretending like there's room for cars to pass when there isn't is a novice cycling mistake that gets people killed.

Yeah, it's sad that cyclists have to be assertive on the road. Most motorists are pretty cool and don't deserve to see aggressive cyclist behavior. But about 1 in 20 motorists want to play "chicken".

I guess it wouldn't be very funny if you made a comic about how cyclists were cagey with everyone because a few motorists are complete assholes.

It's also a bit ironic that, technically, in most parts of the country, trucks over 3,500 pounds are banned from using local roads are thru roads, but the same trucks -- SUVs -- tend to be the ones to honk at, race by, and barely miss cyclists.

Dunno. Cyclists are trying really hard not to die and you're trying to use it as a joke. I want to find the characterizations of hipsters and commuters etc funny, but there's some baggage there... kind of reminds me of women's lib movement when women started to stand up for themselves and got made fun of because of that.

-scott

love to see whoever made this t-boned by a bus at a busy intersection. that would make a great youtube video.

Funny cartoon, though I think there's a few types missing, notably: (a)Accidental cyclist: the dudes riding the wrong way down Lincoln, in the street, during rush hour, with a way-too-small mountain bike and no helmet; (b)Cute Commuters: guys (more so than gals) on very cozy mountain bikes with back racks and panniers, going a safe and prudent speed while wearing business attire. (They are often found on the light rail during the winter); and (c)Boy Scout Cyclist: cyclists with alllll the gear to ride in any season, WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES, in addition to sixteen lights between the helmet, bag, and bike itself.

Jokes aside, though, Denver is the friendliest city I've ever biked in - better than (gasp) even Boulder. Like any place where people actually do ride bikes for transportation and not just exercise, there can be some conflicts between the cars and the bikes.

I've been riding in Denver for two years; I started out as a #2, but quickly graduated to some hybrid of #3 and #6. I only started down the path to become an aggressive rider after several near misses with cars that failed to stop at two-way stop signs, yield to oncoming traffic when making turns at red lights, or pay any attention whatsoever to cyclists (or pedestrians, for that matter) who are using sidewalks that are part of designated bike routes.

My real rise in aggressive cycling, however, came after I was picked off by a van whose driver did not seem to understand that vehicles turning left on a green light do not automatically have the right of way. (The worst part was that he was mad at ME for scratching his bumper; I sat in an ambulance hyperventilating while the cop issued him a really nasty ticket.) The injuries were minor - a few broken ribs, and I couldn't sit down for a week - but it was enough to make me reconsider my approach to cycling.

As I see it, so many of us cyclists become scofflaws as a matter of personal safety. It's safer to breeze through a big intersection like Broadway or Lincoln on a red light when the traffic is clear, rather than take a chance that a turning vehicle might not - as is often the case - recognize that a bike moving straight across the intersection has the right of way. I'm fairly convinced that turn signals no longer come standard in motor vehicles, given the number of times that I've nearly lost my life because of a car that failed to make its intentions known. Even worse, a lot of drivers are so distracted by talking on phones, changing movies for the kids in the back seat, and eating lunch that they don't have the time to pay attention to something inconsequential like a cyclist. One might argue that cyclists could avoid all these problems by sticking to the designated bike routes; but even these, when available, are not necessarily safe, especially since non-cyclists probably don't care whether or not a street is a bike route.

This is not to say that all drivers are bad, and that all cyclists who break the law do so out of a concern for personal safety. There are certainly enough a**holes on both sides, and the result is that cyclists hate all drivers and drivers hate all cyclists. If both sides of the issue can just be a bit more considerate, by obeying traffic laws, signaling turns appropriately, knowing and abiding by Denver's laws about right of way, and in general, paying attention to cars, bikes, and pedestrians, Denver could be the coolest cycling city ever.

There's a lot of hatred for cyclists coming across there.

This is hilarious! There's no better cartoonist anywhere in the country than Kenny Be!
It's funny when people think a cartoonist's should only make "sweet" commentary (go read that "family circus" crap!) and revealing when people assume that humor must come from some deep hatred for a subject...he's been paid for decades to be FUNNY and he has always done it in a clever and edgy way.
If Kenny did a psychoanalysis of the stress cyclist are under, or some saccharine BS about "hero" cyclist (like some here are sugesting)...then who the f*k would read it?! It sure wouldn't be worth drawing.
KEEP ROCKIN KENNY!!!

laugh, you bastards, LAUGH!

it's a fucking joke...
i ride my bike on a daily basis and i think this shit is funny.
my bicycle is my only form of transportation and i have no problem laughing at myself.
get off your high horse...i mean your fixie.

I ride my bike a lot, including commuting to work often, but I drive a car as well. The comic strip is funny, but the vast majority of cyclists and motorists I encounter are courteous and aware of other road and sidewalk users.

This is completely idiotic. Why don't you draw cartoons of a kid choking in an asthma attack (6.8 million US children under 18) or a kid shooting himself up with insulin because he has diabetes (20.8 million children and adults in the USA). Both of these ailments are directly related to inactivity and pollution.

A couple extras missed:

* DUIsaurus: Rider who is only riding because he can't drive, takes same route to work he did when driving: Colo Blvd to 13th Ave to Lincoln. Is unaware of leafy bike routes 1 block over.

* Recumbentis: Lavish flag on back used to attract mate, or other recumbentises to discuss the superiority of their oddball rigs.

Brilliant, Kenny Be, you magnificent bastard.

I thought the cartoons were pretty accurate.
Some cyclists are jerks, some walkers are jerks, and some motorists are jerks: it's the world we live in.........

Very spot on and funny. And people who are so grossly offended by this need to lighten up a little, it's a joke. A joke that made some very accurate points.
I'm all for biking, and think every major street around here needs to have bike lanes. I also think that cars should have to yield to bikers as well. I gave up my car about 5 years ago when i moved from glendale up here to cap hill. Personally, i walk everywhere, or else take a cab or bus, but i must admit it's a pain when i wanna get out of the city and up to the mountains. Riding a bike is a selfless and conscious descision people make to better themselves and the community financially, physically and environmentally that we should all be proud of.
That being said, keep them off the damn sidewalks! But as Tony said, courtesy is key. I have no problem with people who are respectful to pedestrians and get off their bike when navigating through a crowded sidewalk, but the riders who think pedestrians should part like the sea for them, can take their chances in colfax for all i care. And if a pedestrian sees a rider coming at them, do the courteous thing and let them through, granted it's not a crowded sidewalk. I live and work on colfax, cap hill. day in and out, i see countless bikers flying through the sidewalks, barking commands at pedestrians to get the f**k out of their way. MOVE! MOVE! All the time. I have seen riders clip people walking on the sidewalk, and have also taken a few misplaced sets of keys of bikers from said collisions on the sidewalks and tossed them in the storm drains as well. Literally every other block on colfax there are huge signs stating no bikes on the sidewalks (one block north on 16th there are big beautiful bike lanes on both sides of the street!). I have also seen cops writing plenty of tickets, too, but it's usually drunks and homeless people, at 3 in the morning. kind of counter-productive i think, as far as resolving the problem goes (because at that hour the streets are practically bare and the tickets will probably never get paid anyhow). It would be nice if bikes outnumbered cars in the city, but that just isn't the case. I vote to get rid of street parking in all non-residential zones, and turn them into bike lanes. Denver has enough great public transportation options, that you don't need to get in a car everywhere you go.

This is funny stuff and really should be read as funny. it's good to laugh at ourselves once in a while. take it easy folks and realize when a joke is being made.

What is it about riding that upsets people? Is it jealousy over the money that is spent on the sport? The partying that is attached to the sport? The free time to ride when others are going to and from work? Do riders come across as having an elitist attitude? Are they somehow rude? After they get rid of the smokers are riders next?