A
California native, I’ve ridden bikes all my life, and was 12 when I saved up
enough lawn mowing money to graduate from my one-speed red boys bike to buy a
brand new metallic green Schwinn Varsity. Yes, this was quite a long time ago! OK,
I’m 56, but a YOUNG 56! Anyway, its steel frame weighed a ton, but I rode it
regularly for years until it was stolen on my college campus.
I
briefly rode a mountain bike on pavement in the 80s, rode a hybrid bike for a
few years, ran some marathons, then got into real mountain biking on trails for
about 10 years with office mates. And in the last few years I’ve gravitated to
a heavy schedule of road biking with riding buddies in Northern California. That
helped me reach a new level of fitness, losing 20 pounds and flattening what
used to be my, just a little too big, stomach.
In
Europe, bike riders and drivers have a healthy mutual respect. They yield and volunteer
friendly smiles and waves to each other. Here, bike riders and drivers are
often furious at each other over who has territorial rights to the road. And
sometimes, both drivers and bike riders make unsafe moves on a regular basis
out of hostility, ignorance and/or arrogance.
Here’s
a typical scenario:
Bike
rider thinks, sometimes out loud “You tried to run me off the road!” (Middle
finger sometimes extended.)
Driver
simultaneously thinks “Get out of the way, you’re in my lane, you stupid bozo!”
(Horn sometimes leaned on for emphasis.)
Riders
sometimes make it through close calls with cars. But sometimes they crash, and
get seriously hurt, maimed or killed. Only if a rider is very lucky does he or
she make it through a crash unscathed along with their bike.
And
while this traffic/crash scenario is sometimes unavoidable, preventive measures
by a bike rider will go a long way toward keeping clear of crashes and injury.
So
here’s to chipping away at that driver/bike rider intolerance with informative
tips to helping bike riders do their part in managing the safest riding
possible in and around vehicular traffic. And since most bike riders are also
drivers, this might also help them remember when behind the wheel to work with
riders they encounter, rather than try to scare them off the road. I’ve found
that most drivers do what they can to make room for a rider. But some seem like
they’re purposely, or are unaware of crowding a rider and the real danger it
creates.
Beyond
that, this blog is meant as a bike riding knowledge exchange with and for
interested readers. I will share riding tips I’ve accumulated over many years and
I hope readers are inspired to share theirs.
I
have a long list of various bike riding topics I’ll cover, so stay tuned. I
have found, the more I ride my bike, the more I learn and the more I enjoy it.
My hope is this blog will inspire you to ride your bike more and dial into the
fun of riding the good ride, regularly.
Til
next post, just remember, when you’re on the bike, don’t forget to wear a
helmet and do your best to keep the rubber side down!
--
Mark Eric Larson
Mark Eric Larson has written two books of essays, "The NERVE...of Some People's Kids," and "Don't Force it, Get a Bigger Hammer. To read, visit:
http://www.scribd.com/Mark%20Eric%20Larson/shelf
Mark Eric Larson has written two books of essays, "The NERVE...of Some People's Kids," and "Don't Force it, Get a Bigger Hammer. To read, visit:
http://www.scribd.com/Mark%20Eric%20Larson/shelf
