Comments on: You Deserve To Be Out There

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:34:00 +0000

Great comments, Justin. Thanks for putting this up and thanks also for your work as a League Cycling Instructor. Still hope to meet up with you for a ride one of these days.

By: Justin Moore

Justin Moore — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:56:00 +0000

Cyclists DO deserve to be out there. History tells us that it was cyclists that advocated for the first paved roads (that is, before cars even existed!) so yes, you do need to ride with confidence on the road because history and the legal system says you can. Unfortunately, many riders are not taught that their best position on the road is actually IN THE LANE. Why? Legally, in Texas, if the lane is less than 14 feet wide the law says “It’s not shareable”. But more importantly, being in the middle of a narrow lane makes you much more conspicuous. Drivers have a better chance to a) detect something ahead of them and b) recognize that it is a cyclist ahead. In thousands of miles of riding, taking the lane has proven to me that this is so much less about evil motorists trying to run us all over and so much more about cyclists that need to take command of the road, give drivers plenty of time to see them and when it is safe to do so yield a little of that space to help motorists safely pass. I love being a League Cycling Instructor because my students leave the class completely changed…they leave feeling empowered and confident about their ability to ride their bikes in traffic. Sadly, we struggle to fill these classes because most cyclists don’t understand why they’re need “bicycle riding education”…they know how to balance on their bikes…they have hundreds or thousands of miles…they know better! Yet…these are the cyclists far over to the right side of the lane, hugging the curb with no escape route…and actually plastering a big virtual sign on their backs that says “PLEASE SQUEEZE BY ME” to motorists.

*** long sigh ***

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:42:00 +0000

Good point. It’s too bad all of our cities couldn’t provide roads that are just for cycling….that would be heaven wouldn’t it? Yeah, unfortunately we can’t control how people drive or how much attention they are going to give us……they need to know that we deserve to be out there as well.

By: iamnotacyclist

iamnotacyclist — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:17:00 +0000

I definitely feel that I deserve to be there. What I am afraid of are the people who disagree and are driving a machine able to kill me, or those who don’t pay enough attention.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Their points are very similar to the Cyclist VIP program put out by Please BE KIND to Cyclists.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:13:00 +0000

You share some good points, Clive. I like what you said about doing “everyone’s thinking for them”. Good advice.

By: Clive Chapman

Clive Chapman — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 08:14:00 +0000

This is something I never understand. Ok, I’m no country Bumpkin, I was born and bred right in the middle of England’s second City. That of Birmingham where as a kid I was always pedalling amongst traffic. So I guess you could say I’ve always been used to it. But the roads are as safe or as dangerous as your own head makes it. Stay confident, own your lane and do everyone’s thinking for them.

That obviously can’t legislate for the one off looney doing something totally unpredictable, but that’s the same in every walk of life and activity.

My view is don’t be a victim, keep your wits about and just get out there. The more of us the better!

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Hi Gena, thanks for sharing your feelings. There are a lot of great tips in the Cycling 360 podcast that I provided the link to in this post. Be sure to have a listen and see which tips can help you out. Probably the best tip for you would be to slowly progress towards getting back on the road. Start off somewhere you feel safe and then slowly start moving into more traffic and busier roads for short periods of time. Be patient with yourself and build your confidence back up.

Let me know if there’s anything else we can do to help you out.

By: Darryl is Loving the Bike

Darryl is Loving the Bike — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:17:00 +0000

Sweet….nice post. Thanks for letting me know about it. We’re all in this together.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:12:00 +0000

Coincidence! My post today blasting biking myths in general, and definitely the safety one. http://bit.ly/oywbsv

Good job working to make streets safer for everyone!