Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Adventures In Cycling

Record highs expected today. I'd like to know of at least one television weather person who is as uneasy with record highs as I am. I figure odds are pretty good that if such a person did exist, and this person was still allowed on TV, that they'd be in Portland, Oregon.

Today's ride to work was more adventurous than usual. I hadn’t gone two blocks before getting brushed to the side of the road by a school bus. This could be fun, the school bus has a route and the route goes by my house. I can see this bus every day if I time my departure properly. As our relationship blossoms maybe we'll both understand a few things we didn’t know before about vehicle traffic. After all, we are professionals aren't we.

A few blocks later, and not a minute after the bus and I parted ways, I got right hooked (collision type #4). No contact, but it was the worst right hook to date for me. I saw it coming a block before the driver did so I was reasonably prepared with the proper evasive action. Living in a town my size sure is great! Half the people running you over are people you’ve seen other places in the community. This one picks up his kid from school sometimes the same time I get The Boy 7. I already know from that, he’s not someone I want to mess with.

If I could wear a sign it would say this, “It is not necessary that you pass me right now. In a moment there will either be a better opportunity or your perceived need will pass.”

Speaking of communities this size, when I was out on the prairie this morning I saw a progressive. I sort of thought I’d seen him once before in the area, but there was no doubt THIS time. I didn’t even know he lived around here.

Full-face-helmet-guy and I continue to hold each other accountable in the mornings. It’s not the same ride when he’s not there. Another guy has joined the fun. I’d seen him a couple times in a row in the evening, and found him this morning too. Welcome to the fun, purple-shirt-guy!

This guy experienced the pleasure of a MinusCar sighting on Monday.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why do you say that the weather man would be in Portland? (Just curious, I live here). It rained 2.5 inches yesterday, and that's not hard to predict.

Tim said...

The Progressive wondered if he saw the light of recognition come on this morning. Minus Car man has much more gear providing anonymity than Progressive.

Poor Progressive almost got run over from behind in the same general area a week or so ago by a bicyclist -- not Minus Car man -- who evidently believed walkers should not be allowed to use the bike path, even if they do keep to the right.

Eric A. said...

Pretend your invisible,
and get the hell out of the way.
This is the only way to avoid
getting hit by a car.
While , as cyclists , we want to make our presence known.
It's not worth losing you life over.

mytzpyk said...

I mention Portland because many of the most encouraging articles I read about cycling, environment, or sometimes even religion, end up being about or authored in Portland.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I got right hooked today, too. I'll be talking about it in my entry tomorrow. The location and aftermath -- were...curious.

Ed W said...

The "pretend you're invisible" advice is some of the worst nonsense ever perpetrated on cyclists. The best way to avoid right hooks, too close passing, and flat tires, is to ride further left in the lane. Take the lane when necessary. It's your right to ride safely, and you don't have to get the hell out of the way. Read Forester's "Effective Cycling" or John Allen's "Street Smarts" (available on-line) in order to learn proper lane postioning.

This ain't rocket science. It isn't near-suicical behavior. It simply works.