To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets

Forget about what's codified and what's not, I have a simple, common sense rule when it comes to biking and roads.

Cars weigh a ton, move far faster than I do, often have clueless morons driving them, and can fuck my shit up if I get in their way, whether I have the legal right to or not.

I defer to them.

 

Cher hates cyclists.

http://twitchy.com/2012/09/30/cher-rants-about-pacific-coast-highway-bicyclists/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter

 

This has been touched on by others, but to suggest a study of "mature urban cycling environments" in European cities would have any relevance in a U-S city is comical.

Check out the cycling system in a city like Amsterdam, then see if you can name one comparable area in the U-S. There isn't one.

 

In Denmark, they build bicycle-only highways.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/world/europe/in-denmark-pedaling-to-work-on-a-superhighway.html?pagewanted=all

 

I won't be riding a bicycle until I get a new helmet. (And until the doctor gives the OK.)

I busted my old helmet when my head hit the pavement on a park trail after I locked the brakes up too much trying to avoid a collision with a couple of dogs.

I also shattered my collar and had to have surgery to plate it back together.

The new helmet will be No. 5, all the others having been broken on impact during the past three or so decades of cycling.

Any of those accidents could have been a life-changer. All but the last one happened on city streets.

Any of those accidents could have been a life-changer.

 

You appear to still be exhibiting signs of a concussion.

 

A couple of more hard hits and I'll become a Sooner fan.

 

Shhhhh. Despite our mature urban cycling environments* you're making it sound dangerous.



* pictured here

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DsH21T0AEY

 

If my knees hadn't turned into hamburgers, I'd be all for commuting by bike. As it is, I never ride anywhere without a helmet, even though it's been a couple of decades since I've had an accident on one.

Funny thing is, my 5-year-old won't even *THINK* of getting on his bike without not just his helmet, but his elbow and knee pads. He's more than a bit safety-conscious (he also yells at me if I start backing out of the driveway before he's completely buckled himself into his car seat).

 

I'll add to the point of bicycles on the sidewalk not only being illegal, but dangerous. I routinely ride 25-30 mph and on long downhills can hit close to 45. That doesn't work on a sidewalk or multi-purpose trail. There is a reason they are called "road bikes." I don't live in an urban setting, and 99 percent of the time where I ride there is no sidewalk and 100 percent of the time no bike lane, so for me it doesn't even matter.

 

The GW trail is a crazy mix of runners, slow joggers, recreational bikers and road bikers who think they're riding in the Tour de France. I like the trail and ride it when I get up to visit my mom, but you have to be real careful there. We have a trail similar to it down this way (though a bit shorter), and you just have to be careful to signal and yell at people when you're going to pass. My favorite is when you yell "ON YOUR LEFT!" at someone and their response is to turn around and gawk at you. No, dumbass, that means move!

I used to ride NoVa roads when I was a kid, but that was a long time and a lot of development ago. I used to ride Gunston Road from beginning to end a lot ... that road is still a bit of an anachronism in Fairfax County. Not much development. Fair but not overwhelming amount of traffic. Enough space that there's plenty of room for cars to get around you.