Bits & Pieces November/December 2004
Calendar
November 13 - Club Banquet @ Cozy Restaurant Thurmont 6:30 pm (See Below)Featured Web Sites
Cycling Maps for Vermonthttp://www.voga.org/
AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/pdf/bikebook.pdf
Have a favorite website? Send it to us at clubmail@frederickpedalers.org
Frederick Pedalers Club Dinner
The Frederick Pedalers Annual Club Dinner will be held on Saturday, November 13 at 6:30 pm at the Cozy Restaurant in Thurmont.Please RSVP before Nov 8 to Bob Dollar
bob@three-dollars.org or 301-694-2328
How Can One be Safe on a Bicycle ?
from Ken Kifer's Bike Pages http://www.kenkifer.com/Printed from a collection written for cycling newsletters. Copyright 2001 Ken Kifer
At present there seem to be three safety theories that dominate discussion of how and where to ride a bicycle. The first theory is that one should operate a bicycle just like any other vehicle, that is, using the roadway and following all traffic laws just as if you were driving a car. The second is that cyclists are safe only away from motor vehicles, and the solution is the construction of bikeways everywhere. Where bikeways don't exist, the solution seems to be to ride on the sidewalk. The third is guerilla cycling: assume that everyone is trying to kill you and depend on your wits to escape, ignoring all the traffic laws.
We also have the Critical Mass theory which is that cycling on the road is safe only after reaching a certain critical mass, but I'm not sure how the members ride when no such large body of cyclists is present (after reading these remarks, one cyclist reported that Critical Mass encouraged him to ride in a vehicular fashion).
I generally ascribe to the first theory, vehicular cycling. I believe that when we are visible and use predictable behavior that we have a smaller chance of getting injured. After over 100,000 miles on the road, I can point out that motorists are not trying to kill me, that the overwhelming majority respect my right to use the roadway, and that I am safer by using vehicular methods. However, I don't adopt the extreme views of some advocates. First, I don't consider bikeways to always be more dangerous than the roadway. Dangerous bikeways crowd fast-moving cyclists with unpredictable pedestrians, parallel the roadway sidewalk fashion, or have frequent road crossings, but safe bikeways can be designed without these features. Second, I also don't consider the roadways to be always safe even for those with enough training. Some roadways have too much traffic, insufficient space, or other hazards, and some motorists drive too fast, aggressively, or recklessly. Some regions are more dangerous to ride in than other regions, due to cultural attitudes. And third, I don't consider riding down the roadway three feet away from the edge of the road and ignoring the surrounding traffic to be safe at all times. Pay attention to the vehicles around you and be prepared to act whenever someone else makes a fool mistake.
While I deplore guerilla cycling, I admit that it has one strong safety point: the rider is actively involved in his own safety and does not passively accept that others will always behave correctly. In a way, you could say that my safety method is a combination of the three: I follow the traffic laws at all time while riding on the road, as with theory #1. I avoid dangerous situations, even if that means I take a longer route or walk for a considerable distance, as with theory #2 (however, I refuse to ride a bike on a sidewalk). And I actively pay attention to traffic around me, as in theory #3: anytime someone does the wrong thing, I am prepared to jump. An underlying principle is that I have lots of time, but I have only one life. "Safety first" to me means that my safety -- and the safety of the motorists around me -- comes before any other consideration. To me, we cyclists don't have to make a choice between traveling like a motor vehicle or depending on our wits to escape harm. We can do both: travel safely, predictably, but suspiciously and warily.
For those interested in further reading, I have written a number of articles on this subject in my touring directory: http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/
In particular, see the articles on riding in traffic, avoiding accidents, and coping with fear from the rear. I also have written an article about bikeways: http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/advocacy/bikeways.htm
Another Safety Tip
From the newsletter of Different Spokes, Los Angeles, CAIf you use clipless pedals, it's important to alternate which foot you unclip when coming to a stop. Most people consistently use the same foot. If you always unclick with one foot, chances are good that you are unpracticed at unclicking with the other foot. This can be a major negative when (not if) you start to fall toward that side. Because you aren't used to unclicking that foot, you won't be able to stick your foot out to stop your fall.
Unclick with the 'opposite' foot on a regular basis to avoid the pain (and embarrassment) of falling because you can't get your feet out of your pedals.
Funny Foto of the Month
A little less convenient than a Kryptonite lock, but much more secure...
PHUKET, Thailand -- A devotee to the Chinese Shrine of Jui Tui in Phuket, Thailand, has his face pierced by a bicycle and helped by others as he takes part in the annual Vegetarian Festival. Ritual Vegetarianism in Phuket traces it roots back to the early 1800's. The festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days. Participants in the festival perform acts of body piercing as a means of shifting evil spirits from individuals onto themselves. (10/20/04 AP photo)