There was a time when the world was painted in hues of black and white. Right and Wrong were separated by lines painted in such a thick, heavy paint that even to wander close was to already alter your very nature. The Elders taught us on which side we were to dwell and what evils would descend upon us if we were to transcend into the void. Little was known of what dwelt on the other side; the mind imagines the most horrific beasts in the unknown.
As Cyclists, we dwell in the space between black and white; everything we know is confined within the shades of gray that exist between two absolutes. Nowhere is this more true than when we subject ourselves to the roads to ply our craft at the mercy of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and the department of transportation’s ability to place potholes and manhole covers in the most inopportune locations. A moment’s inattention and our fortunes could shift dramatically.
The bike lane is shrouded in an air of false security. The white line painted a few meters from the edge of the road offers little by way of providing a barrier or any other kind of physical protection. Nevertheless, we wrap ourselves in a blanket of wishful thinking and pedal merrily along our way. The biggest problem with the bike lane is the total disregard that people, traffic, and road crews have for how few options we have outside of our narrow strip of tarmac in the event that the way is blocked, often unaware of the dangers their behaviors impose upon us. These are normally not intended as threats; it is simply a lack of exposure and appreciation of the risks we as Cyclists endure. In the spirit of Rule #3, I will outline some of the greatest risks.
Too many Cyclists are being killed doing what they love. We all understand what we risk and accept those rather than not ride our bikes, but I think I speak for all of us when I say I’d rather live to ride again tomorrow. We all have to come together with our fellow motorists to understand how best to work together. But most of all: be careful and diligent, my fellow Cyclists.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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My fave so far is the once beautiful bike lane in Surrey, BC (not the lovely english one, the sketchy canadian one) that was dug up for some kind of service work and poorly recovered for almost 2km. The roadway - pristine, the parking lane - pristine, the sidewalk - fully intact, the bike lane - turned into a goddam goat track.
A NYC bike lane
In Bath there are a few metres of bike lane on one of the busiest stretches of road , the bit used by lorries passing through , once in the bike lane the biggest problem is you have to soon re enter the main part of the road either by coming to a complete stop and waiting for a gap or attempting to keep up with traffic flow and slide out amongst the cars lorries etc , after a while you realise they are best avoided altogether.
I have had several near misses with peds on my fixed gear because it's well maintained and pretty much silent except for the tires and the (insanely stupidly heavy fashion statement 43mm deep) rims singing. Maybe the squeaky MTB commuters have something going for them in the form of a sonic warning device? Now if people would just LOOK before stepping out....
@Gianni you must mean wild wild east. Don't lump us westerners in with those clown-car abode dwellers.
My favorite part about bike lanes is how they often suddenly and mysteriously disappear for 50 meters or so, seemingly just to cause me to careen out into traffic right when it is most dangerous.
Excellent, Frank! I commend you for always having such a nice balance of writing about the PROs, the spirit of cycling, and this piece on the dangers. Really great!
My city is booming as I write. Five high rise condos are going up within spitting distance of where I live. Life is about to get much more dangerous for cyclists. Adding to the problem is that many folks are moving from bigger, more established U.S. cities and think they'll get similar respect (I use that lightly!) from drivers. Ugh uh. I see more and more cyclists daily, but most of them are helmetless, wearing ear buds, and pedaling a creaky bike in flip flops.
I'm actually part of a local cycling advocacy group but I find myself torn. Do I encourage new cyclists when I see so many dangerous cyclists? Heck, even a fellow board member rides without lights, choses the worst/busiest roads, has awful handling skills...and has already been hit!
One interesting development to note: the entire state of Delaware has replaced "Share the Road" signs with "Cyclists My Take Full Lane." They've conducted studies that the "Share" signs tell drivers, "Right, you fucking douche in Lycra, outta my way."
Will be interesting to see how many states follow. I've always tried to share with drivers. But yep, this doesn't seem to work that well. Lately I've been taking the lane more and more, or taking up enough when in the country that drivers MUST cross the center double yellow (why don't more drivers understand what a double yellow means?!) and it seems to have been working. I've been buzzed a lot less.
Defensively aggressive is definitely the way to go. Ride safely and definitely assert your right to be on those roads. I've found it works better than trying to be overly courteous.
Hate being obvious, but will the rider in the photo get both hands on the bars and put the frigging phone away?
Owen - Yup, gotta love the disappearing lanes. "So, do I just call the boss and tell them my commute is finished...here?" I also do not like the lanes between the driving and turning lanes at all. Makes me very, very uncomfortable. I don't trust drivers on one side, much less both.
I also have been aging in dog years in terms of cycling lately. Not that long ago I didn't mind screaming it out with drivers. Now, I can't be goddamn bothered. I ride loops with the lowest amount of traffic, the biggest shoulders, and go at times when traffic is light. If I can't road ride at a good time, I hit the woods or park on the cx bike. Most Saturdays and Sundays I'm heading in when I see groups just heading out, to deal with the late-yet-early weekend go-getters or the church goers. The dogs get me up early anyway, so I just head out at 6 or 7, beat the heat, beat the crazy drivers.
And us Followers are like PROs in at least one other way - one second of inattention can spell doom. No matter how skilled or how long you've been at it, you have to assume the worst and be prepared.
And, I always remember what Turtle told Rick Kane when I see a driver or bus driver thinking about right hooking me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6spBu2XAk4A
"When the bus driver abruptly pulls over/turns here, don't be there."