Ride Bikes Radio 31: We Circled the Wagons
Bonus show, kinda, for you guys this week. In our attempt to back on track, someone had to double up, and I picked RBR, so you have that going for you, which is nice.
In this week’s episode, I tease Brian for needing a larger saddle (and possibly a trike) after that 200 mile ride he did last month, then we both get up on the RBR soap box for a bit of ranting about professional cycling and safety. We did base these on a few stories, here are the links.
- Sammy Sanchez Doping
- Get Cops to pay attention to your ride videos
- New Belgium Brewery buys Magnolia Brewing
Plus a few (ahem) beers for us to talk about for you guys. So yea, big show this week. BIG show.
And remember gang, you can get the show as soon as it is released by making sure you are subscribed!
[iframe style=”border:none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/5656684/height/100/width/480/thumbnail/no/render-playlist/no/theme/custom/tdest_id/389313/custom-color/29495a” height=”100″ width=”480″ scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen]
Check out this episode!
2 Replies to “Ride Bikes Radio 31: We Circled the Wagons”
Leave a Reply
I’m going to have to strongly disagree with what you said about not riding on the road, but I’m not going to give you a hard time about it, because I used to think exactly the same way.
I know the laws about riding on the road vary from state to state and even city to city, but most allow riding on the road as a right to all cyclists – and in most cases – using the full lane. In my opinion, that’s the safest place to be as a cyclist.
That being said, as an League Cycling Instructor, I recommend to my students to ride where they are most comfortable and at their confidence level.
I do agree that your choice in route is probably the most important decision you can make as a cyclist. Some areas are just not ideal for cyclists.
What I DO NOT recommend is riding on the sidewalk unless it’s absolutely necessary. And when you do, it’s at pedestrian speeds. The biggest reason is because car drivers never watch out for those traveling by sidewalk – especially at driveways and intersections. Riding slower allows for you to react to that.
Bike lanes and trails are great, but not always available. My choice is usually a sub 35-40 MPH multi-lane roads, when I have to leave neighborhood streets. This allows car drivers to exit your lane when passing.
I never hug the curb, because that just invites passing cars to share your lane – which is never ideal. Taking the lane communicates that they need to exit your lane to pass.
All this being said. Assholes will be assholes on the road, and you’ve got to watch out for them. Most don’t realize that they’ll be spending more time at the next stop light than what they’ve just spent driving behind you.
Stay visible. Stay predictable. Make eye contact. Communicate. Above all, obey the laws of the road.
BTW, the only time I had a collision with a car, was back when I rode on the sidewalk.
Stay safe. Ride on. Keep the rubber side down.
I’m not going to say you are wrong, because you aren’t. But, did you see that a record cycling deaths have occurred in the US?
>I know the laws about riding on the road vary from state to state and even city to city, but most allow riding on the road as a right to all cyclists β and in most cases β using the full lane. In my opinion, thatβs the safest place to be as a cyclist.
I have to disagree with you here. Even if legal, I can drive around Phoenix and show you roads where even riding on the street is a death wish. I’m sure Brian can do the same with some Seattle streets.
Just because we can use the lane, or are allowed to use the lane, does not mean that we should. I am still a fan of safety first, and if you don’t feel safe riding on a specific street, then get up on the sidewalk if possible, or choose a different route. People are stupid when then get into cars (present company excluded) and do not think twice about using the car as a weapon or driving close enough to cyclists to scare us, which could also cause a wreck.
On this, my friend, we will have to agree to disagree. π
Thanks for the comment and, as always, listening! We appreciate it!