Biking update

There's so much crap raining down at the moment (and rain raining down, for that matter) that it seems weird to write about anything other than what's in the news. But honestly, I have nothing to add. Like most people, I was in awe of what Robin Williams could do, but I have no special insight or connection. I liked his stuff. He was a really funny guy and obviously a deeply disturbed genius. Like many of us, I've dealt with depression at times, but not in any way that can bring any light to what happened.

So on I go to other topics, like bike riding. I enjoy bike riding, a lot in fact. It's the most fun real exercise I've ever done since I stopped playing basketball regularly. During the summer I ride around 100 miles a week, sometimes more. You can go far on a bike if you're not in a huge hurry. I could ride to New York if I was willing to spend the day on it.

Today, I had several interactions with cars that highlighted to me the uneasy relationship between cars and bikes sharing the road. Cyclists are rightfully terrified of what cars can do to them (though many of us own and even drive cars as well as ride bikes) and drivers often seem clueless about how to deal bikes, probably because they're never taught how.

So here are a few hints.

1.  You are not allowed to hit someone who is riding a bicycle with your car. I might note, you're not really allowed to hit someone even if they're not riding a bike, but let's try to stay focused. This is clearly a basic, seemingly obvious kind of rule. Yet cars often seem unaware of this, based on the way they drive. For example,

2. If a bike is going straight through an intersection, don't pass them on the left and then make a right turn at that intersection. This actually happened to me today. Then the person gave me a wave. I'm not sure it that mean 'sorry' or 'thanks,' but better perhaps to wait for the 0.75 seconds it would have taken me to cross the lane and then just turn. Which leads to...

3. Think of a bicycle as just a very small, incredibly underpowered car. Kind of like a SmartCar but more so. A bike has 2 legpower, which is less than 100+ horsepower.

One really difference though is that if you're driving on local roads behind someone driving slowly, you tend to wait it out. I drove for a couple of miles yesterday behind someone stubbornly driving exactly 2 miles per hour below the speed limit. At first I was frustrated, but then I got curious about the driver and was eventually rewarded with affirmation of my hypothesis that it was a teenager, probably on a permit, driving with their mom next to them.

With a bike, though it's different. Cyclists really don't like having cars following closely behind at the same speed. It makes me jumpy because cars are not as maneuverable as bikes and can't stop very quickly. I'd really rather that you go roaring around me.

4. It's okay to yell at a cyclist who runs through a stop sign, but only if you yourself actually stop. Honestly, 4-way stops are confusing in general. On a bike, I only stop at them if there's another vehicle approaching, because momentum is important. But I've screwed up and gotten honked or cursed out, and I probably deserved it. On the other hand, when I make an effort to slow to a near stop, drivers almost always wave me though, even if I shouldn't have right of way. I guess the show of courtesy and respect gets a positive response. I should try that in the rest of my life some time.