What happened to you happens to lots of cyclists when they start to cross that border from casual into serious—you rammed straight into not just a car but also the politics of cycling as an adult in the US of A. It’s not a bike-friendly place! But soldier on. It’s worth it, as I think you know. The critical e-mails you got from cyclists reflects, I think, a curious kind of self-hatred that cyclists are subject to in this country. It says something like, “In order to be accepted we have to be ultra-, super-duper righteous.” The belligerence that cyclists are subject to from the motoring majority is, unfortunately, transmitted within the cycling community as well. Don’t let it get to you. In time, we will be the majority. There are miles and miles of new bike paths in New York. They closed Broadway in Midtown Manhattan to cars! It is happening, my friend. Just be patient. I would encourage you to read a great book on the subject, Effective Cycling by John Forester.
This man will explain in clear, nonbelligerent terms why it really does make sense for you to “join the line of cars and claim [your] rightful place in the flow of traffic.” Never mind the damage you are allegedly doing to “the cycling cause” by “reinforcing the negative stereotype of the urban pedal-pusher as an anarchic force bent on subverting the auto-dominant paradigm.” These are the confused, the self-hating—the blacks who call each other nigger, if you will. I applaud your efforts and I hope you will recover from this incident and be back on your bike. But please, for your own safety, wear your helmet.
To the Editor:
Thanks for the May editorial [“The Spinning Menace”]. I’ve been on the road on bikes with cars and in cars sharing the road with bikes for about 25 years. Yes, there is a different point of view, depending on where you are sitting. As a cyclist, one has to have very focused attention all the time for an hour or two peddling. It’s a lot of exposure in a high-to-medium-risk setting. Potholes, glass, sand, gravel, construction, animal crossings, narrow shoulders, and other unpredictable road conditions. There is weather: Really hot or cold is miserable, wind creates control issues, rain creates slick conditions, early morning and evening commutes pose visual challenges.
Then there is harassment. For some reason, some drivers are just plain ticked off at cyclists. Over the years, I have had cans thrown at me from cars, soda sprayed, been shot at with a BB gun, had someone try to grab me from their car, had curses lobbed at me, parked car doors open on the traffic side, had a pickup truck try to edge me off the road, and an all-terrain vehicle try to bully me off the rail trail. I have concluded it must be jealousy.
Most cyclists are aware that they have no armor around them like a car, so they know they have to be careful. A tire struck in a street drain slot could equal a broken collarbone. Safety is a high priority with all the bicycle owners I know. Regular maintenance, tune-ups, upgrades, and tire and brake checks every time you go out is critical. A breakdown, especially [one] in the middle of nowhere, is a great inconvenience since there’s no automobile club to call. The law and common sense have cyclists wearing helmets, ringing bells, and riding with the traffic while obeying the same respectful standard road rules. Given all that, it’s still fun.
According to the study cited regarding drunk biking, I would bet that the drunk drivers with DWIs just turn into drunk cyclists. So isn’t the problem alcoholism?
As a driver I’ve become much more alert when I see a lone rider or pack. No doubt cyclists who ride three abreast while chatting or riding in the middle on what they perceive as a country road, or night riders without lights wearing the death shroud of dark, nonreflective cotton, need to Google the American Wheelman Association for a refresher in safety tips and common sense.