Two events on my ride to work

[BruceWright]

On my ride to work this morning (7 miles each way!) a couple of things happened of note.


While I was riding on a stretch of sidewalk, I noticed a jogger coming my way. Well before she got to me, or had to move off the pavement, I rode into the grass so that she could see she didn't even have to break pace.

As soon as I got off the pavement, a bicyclist SHOT past from behind me, going about 15mph, I had been going around 9 mph. He shot past me without an "On your left", and threaded the space between me and the jogger.

After the bicyclist went by, the jogger said "thanks" to my courtesy and we continued.

Just to illustrate, folks, there's two ways we can be out there. All bicyclists aren't the jerks this guy was, but you can bet if someone sees one rude Segwayist, we all will get tarred.


The other thing that happened today has to go in the annals of cool Segway moments. Today, on my way to work, a HELECOPTER was checking me out!!! He was just going by, but when he saw me out in the street, I waved and did a spin, and he circled around to take a look at me, then left!

You know you're on a cool ride when a HELECOPTER checks you out!

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

[bicycledriver]

I'm trying to understand the sociology and mentality of sidewalk cyclists.

1. How old was he, i.e. <18, 18-21, >21 ?

2. Was he riding (a) a road bike with road tires, or (b) a mountain bike with off-road tires?

I find that inexperienced cyclists tend to underestimate the hazards of sidewalk cycling and overestimate the hazards of roadway cycling. This weekend I witnessed two high-school-age cyclists attempting to ride on the unpaved slope of a drainage ditch beside a low-volume roadway where I regularly cycle. After one of them slipped downslope and fell, he gave up and proceeded to use the roadway. The other cyclist yelled at him "You're gonna get hit by a car!" at which point he abandoned the roadway for the drainage ditch again, where after some more difficulty he began walking his bike.

I have seen a number of adult mountain bikers, decked out in spandex and using expensive bikes, cycling at high speed on sidewalks to and from their favorite trails. Apparently their mountain biking experience has not provided them with adequate understanding of basic, safe and efficient street cycling or traffic negotiation skills on public rights of way.

-Steve Goodridge
http://humantransport.org

[BruceWright]

This cyclist had road tires, and looked to be about 25-30 years old. He wasn't decked out in spandex and wore no helmet. He was carrying a tennis racket on his back, in a case. I guess he was going to the gym.

It was certainly a situation and a location where roadway cycling would have been safer, because of his speed and his desire not to vary his speed. I saw him up ahead blast into the crosswalk without checking for right-turning cars.

He would have been much safer on the road, regardless of the pedestrian.

I was surprised how much faster he was moving on the sidewalk than I was, and he wasn't having to work hard at all. I'm amazed to think that in some jurisdictions what he was doing is legal, and what I was doing was illegal!

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

[bicycledriver]

It seems that this sidewalk user has an interest in fitness, but has not participated in regular organized roadway cycling events where he would be indoctrinated by experienced cyclists into use of roadways and avoidance of sidewalks.

I often bike places without wearing cycling-specific clothing, although I wear a helmet in case I fall. Since falls are more likely to occur on off-road and sidewalk locations than on roadways, the helmet will be more useful for sidewalk cycling than for roadway use. Unfortunately, some novice cyclists think that the helmet is more likely to be important on roadways, and so their choice to avoid helmet use in order to avoid mussing up their hair also encourages them to cycle on sidewalks.

-Steve

[Stan671]

Yes, Bruce, it is way cool when you and your Segway get checked out by a helicopter!

Stan Dobrowski