Comments on: How to Ride on the Road https://momentummag.com/how-to-ride-on-the-road/ smart living by bike Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:52:18 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Sara Shoemaker https://momentummag.com/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-207 Fri, 02 Nov 2012 08:52:18 +0000 http://momentummag.com/how-to/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-207 I live in a very rural MOUNTAINOUS

]]> By: Alison P. https://momentummag.com/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-142 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 09:16:38 +0000 http://momentummag.com/how-to/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-142 Great thoughts except for the part about keeping your bike off the road during a rainstorm. Living in the Pacific Northwest, my poor bike would sit in the garage 8 months of the year. I’ve found it can be safe to ride in the rain as long as you allow extra time to stop, assume every car is out to get you, and light yourself up like a Christmas tree!!!

]]> By: Todd Scott https://momentummag.com/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-974 Thu, 03 May 2012 09:56:54 +0000 http://momentummag.com/how-to/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-974 IIt’s not conscientious but rather ridiculous to ask cyclists, but especially beginner cyclists to use a stopping signal. The last thing they should do is remove a hand from the handlebar (and on most/many bikes, the brake level) while braking. Certainly in some group ride setting, a verbal signal makes perfect sense.

]]> By: Gellér Mihály https://momentummag.com/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-854 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:21:08 +0000 http://momentummag.com/how-to/how-to-ride-on-the-road/#comment-854 As a long-time bicycle commuter (and cycling tourist), I’m often a little shocked when I return from Europe to Seattle and see just how few people here ride as a means of transportation. It’s clear from our county’s (King County, WA) attitude recently regarding a highly-used paved bike thoroughfare being closed for the next year and suggesting that cyclists either put their bikes on a bus or ride a circuitous 31-turn detour including hills and sidewalk riding that the mentality is that “bikes are toys, not transportation”. This is a mentality that needs to change. We need fewer adverts/commercials telling people to mountain-bike and more telling them to enjoy their trips to and from work on a sensible and affordable bike.

In my many years of bike commuting I’ve heard a bunch of negativity from coworkers and friends suggesting that bike commuting is “dangerous” and “difficult”. In some cases some of those people feel safer WALKING miles than biking them. I think there’s two main points that need to clear some things up:

1. Bicycling is safe, the number of accidents per rider per year is LESS than driving, and reduces the demand of petrol/gas, thus reducing the price thereof, PLUS providing an excellent source of exercise

2. The best way to see if bicycle commuting is for you is to find someone you work with that does it and ask them if they’ll RIDE WITH YOU a few times. Most people seem frazzled by the experience because they’re simply unaccustomed to bike routes, rules, and rights. Having a more experienced rider meet them at home and show them a good safe and non-hilly path to work on streets they might not even know exist (because they’re accustomed to driving on the freeway) can be what changes a frazzled possible bike commuter into an avid bike commuter.

CONVERSELY, if you’re already a bike commuter, grab a sheet of paper and a permanent marker, put up a sign in a common area that has the outline of a bike and the words, “WANT A BIKE COMMUTE BUDDY? TELL {your name} WHERE YOU LIVE!” Who knows, you might not only take one less car off the road, but get a biking buddy too 🙂

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