Well, I finally finished The Art of Urban Cycling earlier this week. As it turns out, I am an Urban Cyclist. But not all of the time. Just occasionally.

The book captured my attention in large part because of my recent re-entry into serious recreational riding. Hmmm, yes, I do think that there is such a thing as serious recreation, although I don't think my Grandpa Stewart would have understood. Maybe I don't understand. Anyway......

I recommend this book for anyone who rides a bike in traffic, ever. And that has to be anyone who rides a bike on pavement. So that has to be the vast majority of bike riders. It's not that the book is overly cool. But it does answer some basic questions and wresles with many more.

For example, is a bike a vehicle, or something else? For the past three decades many cycling enthusiasts have practice something called vehicular cycling. The basics of vehicular cycling are that a person rides as if he is a car, making left turns from the left turn lane, riding in a lane, stopping for stop signs, etc.

The problems with vehicular cycling are many. First, there is the problem that, unless you ride, you are a driver out on the road that doesn't feel the same way about bicycles. Since a car is so much bigger than you, getting squashed is a real possiblility. The weight difference alone makes this a very bad proposition. One mean driver can ruin a biker's whole day and much more. Then there is the issue of acceleration. A biker can beat a car off the line but can't keep up beyond the first few seconds of accelleration. Speed differentials are problematic on the open road.

So the author doesn't recommend using vehicular cycling strategies. At least not all of the time. The other alternative is to pretend you are invisible. That strategy also poses some peril to the rider. It is clear that the biker has a few built-in advantages over the automotive operator. SUVs don't often squeeze between two lanes of traffic to beat out a light. A biker can do this all day long. Unless, of course, an inattentive driver happens to open a door or change lanes just as a biker passes by. Opening door accidents can be very nasty.

Perhaps the most dangerous place for a rider to be is in any "GAP". These gaps are trouble. When negotiating a cross street it's always best to do so at the side of a car. The companion vehicle provides shelter and a certain real sense of protection. Riding through a cross street in a gap encourages bad behavior by opposing cars. Without any protection for the biker a motorist is likely to want to make a right turn, change lanes and in general perform actions that endanger the cyclist. So be careful in the gaps.

I was interested to learn that city accidents are usually different from rural accidents. On a country road it is much more likely that a biker will be hit by a car approaching from the rear. In the city, cross traffic is the real killer. And cross traffic can come from many different places such as alleys, driveways, between parked cars, from behind large vehicles and many combinations of these hazards.

So, if you must ride in traffic, be careful. The Art of Urban Cycling is an important survival tool for both the occasional urban biker and the everyday commuter..........
8:36:49 AM    comment []