If there is one thing I have noticed since this latest gas price crunch, and you should have too, it is that there are many, many more bicyclist and motorcyclist on the roads these days. This requires extra care in looking out for them as well as for the others sharing the road. In some parts of the country where the weather is fine year round, you have probably just noticed an increase in volume, but then there are other parts of the country that have a winter and will notice that the volume of riders is affected by the seasons. There are a lot of fine weather riders who only come out on the good days, I know as I tend to be one of those kind.
Speaking of seasonality, bicyclists tend to have a strong upsurge in volume around this time of year, in part thanks to the popularity of the Tour de France bicycle race. Many a biker has been inspired by this yearly event, which can easily be seen thanks to the marvel of television, and that inspiration leads to an increase in biking activity as we try to bring out the Lance Armstrong in all of us.
The fact of the matter is there are as many different kinds of riders as there are people in this world. Everyone is represented in some form or rather from the youngest of children to the oldest of uprights. There are the ultra serious road racers training for the next big race, there the mountain bikers always hungry for that next great section of single track. There are casual cruisers that are less concerned with how long it takes than just making sure they take a ‘stroll’ around the neighborhood. There are adventures that have loaded up the packs and headed out for a major cross country tour that most would never even dream of. There are basket bikers that are looking for thrown out pop cans to put into the baskets attached to their handlebars. There are buddy riders that have the weekend jaunt out with the gang and there are the solo riders that put the miles down as they seek the quiet solitude of meditation and reflection that only a solo ride can bring. There is also the common commuter that has replaced at least some of his transportation requirements with his beloved bicycle.
That makes for a whole lot of different riding styles just as there are different driving styles you’ll see on the road around you and you need to be looking out for those differences. Good or bad, right or wrong they are all out there.
My personal preference is that a bicyclist should ride the rules of the street just as any other vehicle. This means using the road as any other would along with proper hand signals, lane choice, right of ways at intersections, and obeying stop signs. Sometimes traffic and speed differences do not allow for this to happen and adjustments must be made. Some creative riding is necessary to insure safety for all those involved. Sometimes it is easier to cross the intersection with the flow of traffic then back track and join up with traffic flowing 90 degrees the other direction than to try and cross two lanes of heavy traffic in order to use the left hand turning lane, but this is only sometimes as use of the left hand turn lane is what should happen.
You see if the biker and the motorist are using the same rules of the road they will know what to expect of each other and they can more easily play together. If one or the other does something that is unexpected, then adjustments need to be made (and sometimes quickly) or problems happen. This is true of all things that happen on the road and in all cases with our interaction with other vehicles we share the road with.
That is why it is important to teach good habits from an early age and unteach bad habits (if that is possible) in order to make things run more smoothly. One of the biggies is that bikes should ride with the flow of traffic, not against it. There is a lot of misinformed children out there who were taught to walk against the flow of traffic (so they could see and identify the car that hit them I guess although I would just as soon not know what hit me. Now that I think about it though we used to joke about what we didn’t want to get hit by or rather what we would prefer to get hit by such as a Mercedes versus a VW or a Rolls Royce versus an old Chevy pickup) and so by default they were taught to ride against the flow of traffic. Be aware that this is especially true in neighborhoods were kids have not learned or not permitted to ride great distances from home yet. In fact, in neighborhoods many kids will ride all over the streets and sidewalks and yards, they just aren’t as predictable.
Also most importantly, you do not need to sound your horn to signal a pass when approaching a bicyclist. This rule went out sometime around the turn of the 19th century and should not be reinstituted. Of course some riders bring it on themselves by riding three abreast at 15 mph on a road that cars are expecting to be doing 60.
Many of our roads out there just do not lend themselves well to bikes. Some roads have a good shoulder many have no shoulder as all. Be aware fellow motorist that just because there is a shoulder on the street you are driving, it does not mean that it is in any kind of condition to be ridden on. All that road debris and unused gravel gets pushed and blown to the side of the road and is seldom if ever swept up. Stuff that is a pain to walk on as a pedestrian is very difficult to navigate when riding a bicycle. The tires on some of your fancier road bikes as well as average everyday bikes are thin and susceptible to flats so most riders will try very hard to avoid running over things that will cause time consuming tube repairs. Also, just because the rider is on a mountain bike does not mean they wish to be riding of the pavement and in the weeds just so you can have the whole lane to yourself. Many bikers that are looking for efficiency will try to ride on the smoothest part of the road for the lowest rolling resistance. Many like to ride on the painted white stripe that defines the shoulder because the paint fills in the little valleys of rock in asphalt and provides just a little bit less friction. It is noticeable and I do it myself when I can, (especially if I am trying to keep up with someone).
Many people should take up biking, I strongly encourage it. It is good for your health, body, mind and spirit. If you are a thinking person it gives you time to think and ponder. If you are an adventurer it is a great way to explore. If you are a social person it is a great way to meet people and enjoy a common bond. If you are observant you will notice many things in your travels, things that would otherwise go unnoticed. There is a great deal of ways to enjoy things if you keep them from becoming a chore.
Now for motorcyclist I have a few things that need to be said. Some of what I say about bicyclist goes for motorcyclist as well but with some big differences. The biggest is that the power comes from the twist of a wrist rather than the twist of peddle. There is a weight difference as well as inertial mass so handling dynamics are different. The other major thing is speed. Motorcycles are not bicycles and bicycles are not motorcycles.
Because of the increase in gas prices there are a lot of new riders. If you watch closely you will notice that there are quite a few riders that are a little shaky starting off from a dead start, or don’t take the corner as smoothly as another rider might, or have a little trouble picking a line and staying on it. This is all part of the learning experience and they will get better with time.
Some riders might just be a little rusty after not having ridden for quite awhile. The price of gas is the motivator that brings their latent desires out of the storage shed and back to the street for a reawakened sense of freedom that a motorcycle can provide. It is important to remember that most motorcycles can accelerate faster and brake faster than most cars. The do not have the physical presence of a car and so they are sometimes harder to notice. Most riders with any experience are know this and are constantly on the lookout for the inattentive driver. Most accidents occur with the statement, “I just didn’t see them”. If you ever find yourself asking “Where did he come from?” then it is the first step to awareness. Take the extra time, take the second look.
A very common mistake that happens with all vehicles but especially with motorcycles and bicycles is that of someone pulling out if front of you. They may see you but that don’t take the time to truly judge just how fast you are traveling. So they decide to ‘go for it’ and this leads to frustrations because all too frequently they do not accelerate quickly enough and that means putting on the brakes and giving up momentum. That is just rude. If you discover that you have pulled in from of someone either by accident or on purpose accelerate quickly enough that they do not have to hit the brakes or even lift their foot off the throttle. Make sure that you speed up to the point that you are going at least as fast as they were or faster so that you do not become a hindrance. This is good motoring.
Every vehicle has blind spots; some have bigger blind spots than others. Be aware of what your blind spots are and what might be there. Be mindful of the blind spots in others. Try to spend as little time as possible in the blind spot of another no matter what kind of vehicle you or they are traveling in. Always be looking ahead, behind and to the sides to know what is around you and what others are doing. Some motorcycles and small sporty cars are very agile and that agility allows them to change positions very quickly and frequently which can be very convenient at times but also can catch other drivers off guard if they are not expecting you to be anywhere other than where you were when they last looked at you.
We all should be able to enjoy the road together and it really doesn’t have to be that hard. It is just a matter of being considerate of others as you would wish them to be considerate of you. It is because we are different that we come to different ways of answering our daily commuting needs. And it is exactly because we are different that the world is an interesting place to be.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
No comments:
Post a Comment