Tag Archives: Safety

Road Rage Incident in Longview

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I know I said, not long ago, that I would refrain from posting negativity here. In posting this, I hope to avoid negativity. Let me know how it works out, will ya?

An incident occurred on June 4th that has had the cycling community in KC up in arms. I’ve not mentioned it here b/c I didn’t want to talk about it before it went public. It’s in the KCStar now, complete with the same rough-around-the-edges style of commenting from both cycling supporters and detractors alike.

To be clear, I wasn’t there. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m going to try to make the court date on July 28th to show my support for Maher. My brief encounter with him at the Epic Time Trial was extremely positive, and left me with a very good impression. See, I’d ridden off to use the portapotty, and like a completely doltish noob, did so without my helmet. That’ll get you DQ’d from an official USCF event in no time flat. Fortunately for me, they knew I was a doltish noob, and instead of DQ’ing me, Maher brought me my helmet without the slightest hint of disparity.

Because I wasn’t there, I’m not qualified to speak to the events, but (understanding that I’m biased) two things from the article really stand out to me…

Former Jackson County Sports Authority Chairman John R. Bondon’s lawyer states “I’d like to see evidence that he did anything… If he really did what they’re saying, ask yourself, ‘Was he put in handcuffs? Was he taken downtown?’” I can’t comment on that without being sarcastic. Believe me, I’ve tried. I must have written and erased nearly the same thing half a dozen times. Suffice to say that police officers are always pure of heart, are never corrupt, and always take the bad guy in.

See? There it is. Sarcasm. I’m sorry…

Later, the article relays Bondon’s side a bit… “He claimed not to own a sap and said he didn’t strike Maher in the face. The only reason he tore out after the cyclists, he said, was because he thought they’d thrown a water bottle at his truck.” So… an H2, designed to be absurdly durable, allegedly under siege by *gasp* a WATER BOTTLE is obviously a clear and present danger situation. The only course of action left to this 61 year old was obviously to threaten the lives of the individuals he *thought* nearly destroyed his precious H2 with a water bottle.

Damn. There it is again. Sarcasm. I’m really sorry.

I responded to the article, and in a fit of vanity, would like to cross post it here for my own keeping…

Commutes, Injuries, Geekery and Naked Riding

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This morning’s ride was a touch on the damp side. It rained last night, and I debated swapping the ‘Relli (I’m still looking for a good name for it…) for the Kona, but decided that the dry spots in the driveway were indicative enough of rain-past vs. rain-current that I’d risk it. It wasn’t too bad. A little damper than I’d like, but the spray wasn’t bad, and the frame had only a few spots on it when I was done. A little water and some paper towels took care of it nicely.

Last night’s ride was phenomenal. A slamhammafest, I hit an average of 18 MPH on my long ride home, coming in at 51 minutes and 1 second, beating my previous best by 6 minutes and 4 seconds. Of course, that previous best was on the Kona, so I would expect a much better time on the Torelli, even laden with heavy frame bags and lighting. I was tired when I got home, but nowhere near as tired as I was when I first started this back in November ’07. I’d be so beat after riding almost 8 miles that I didn’t even feel like taking the panniers off the bike and upstairs. Hammering it solid for 50 minutes now has me tired and soaked with perspiration, but a shower and a drink and I’m ready to go.

Chalk one up in the Health->Endurance column under Benefits of Regular Exercising…

There were some interest things coming across the intarwebs this morning, so I thought I’d share some of them. I don’t plan to make linklists a regular thing, but for some reason, it felt right this morning…

Serious injury results from an allegedly improperly assembled Walmart bicycle. The family is suing the retail giant. Story here. On the first ride for the 13-year-old boy, the handlebars “detached from the steering stem, causing Plaintiff to lose control of the bicycle, flip over the handle bars, and strike the ground, hitting his right shoulder on the curb, and causing Plaintiff severe and permanent injuries.” Don’t trust department store bikes. Spend the extra money and go to your LBS. Your health and mobility is just too important.

Noah has some fantastic tips for reducing fuel consumption here. It all boils down to planning ahead, and realizing that most of what you need is within easy biking distance. The comments section on his post led me to the Twike. It ain’t cheap, but how freakishly cool! It reminds me of the go-one3.

Warren-T says he rides because it’s fun. Honestly, it’s really as simple as that, no matter what fancy frilly reasons you lay on top of it. We wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun. Someone else, isn’t having nearly as good a time. He’s mad as hell and ain’t gonna take it no mo’. Can’t say I blame him.

Breaking news… people are immature! One of my favorite reads is the Tuscon Bike Lawyer. Today he laments about immature people responding to the natural state of the human body. Ok, maybe it’s not the natural state to be nude on a bicycle, but it is the natural state to be on a bike. Unfortunately, via Recumbum, there are no naked rides for Kansas. However, if you’re of the mind, half naked little people in Australia will pour copious amounts of booze down your gullet. Duder looks a little like a tiny Arnold.

Bike Noob has a new toy. He lost his other bike computer, and picked up one with cadence. He’s having some problems getting the magnet to register with the cadence sensor, and one of the comments has the out-of-the-box idea of putting a rare earth magnet directly in the pedal spindle. It’s tough to see, but that little nubbin sticking out along the axis of the pedal is a magnet. So simple, and yet brilliant.

Tangentially related to cycling, in that cycling makes use of terrain which can, in turn, be mapped, and which also typically takes place in some sort of weather, fans of Google Maps, Map Mashups and weather tracking may appreciate efforts put towards mapping the 2008 US storm season.

On a completely unrelated note, our lead IT tech just sent out an e’mail telling everyone that the Exchange server was down. Seriously.

Time Trial Rescheduled

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From Chris Hess: The Epic Time Trial is rescheduled for June 12, 2008 due to an unusually severe weather forecast. Kansas City weather and emergency response professionals state there is a high volume of instability in the atmosphere today, June 5. According to reports, the overall atmospheric conditions are similar to those that led to an event on June 8, 1974, when three dozen tornadoes hit the area and killed 22 people. To ensure personal and family safety, particular vigilance should be maintained between 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., then again from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, when sustained winds of 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph carry the potential for property damage due to wind and predicted hail. In other words, don’t go out riding because this event is postponed. Today’s conditions warrant aggressive measures to ensure personal and family safety.

http://www.localcycling.com/content/view/958/42/

Stop

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With no inspiration to write this morning, I set about my normal task of catching up on my daily blogs. There are the cycling blogs, the mockery blogs, the security blogs, and the comics. I came across this in my perusals, and remembered a near encounter I had (almost had?) this morning.

It was a very slow ride in, on account of having slightly too much fun yesterday for Memorial Day… at least up until the very last minute, but we’ll get to that later. As I was approaching 91st and Lowell, I noticed another commuter heading north on Lowell. He blew right through the stop sign, with cars entering the intersection from all 5 directions. He didn’t slow for the sign, and he made no signals that I could see. He just rode through as if neither the intersection nor the cars were there.

I briefly considered chasing him down, as Joe started to do, but came to the same conclusion. Going out of my way like that just wasn’t in the cards this morning.

So as he sped off heading north, surely to run more stop signs, and disregard more stop lights, scofflaw that he is, I turned south and made my way, slowly but surely, to work.

Part of the reason for the slow ride is because I’m sad. When the GF moved in, she brought her cat with her. A rag doll that looks like a little white tiger, he really is a great cat. I’ve really grown attached to him. He’s actually a dog in a cat body, which is why I like him. The best of both species, he is very affectionate and loves people, and has the agility and vocal chords of a cat. He sheds like no other animal I’ve ever known, but he’s gorgeous.

But… he pees. He uses his litter box, certainly, but he also uses the couch. And he used to use the bed before the bedroom door was kept closed. And who knows what else. The GF spent a great deal of money on a Cat Genie, hoping to make her life easier, and that a change in litter box might snap him out of it. She was also hoping the move would snap him out of it. “Stranger things,” yes? Not so much. I’m no help, b/c I’ve never had a cat before.

Last night, right before we turned in, the GF found more urine on her couch in the basement. She’d covered it in plastic, so the couch was very protected, but that was the last straw, and as surprisingly sad as it makes me, we have to find him another home. But I’ll miss the little guy, in spite of myself. He doesn’t pee a *lot* outside of the litter box, but it’s too much for us, and we don’t know how to make him stop.

Bikes Beat Cars Through Town… Safely?

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Good for them, but I have to wonder if they did so safely.

The first thing that comes to mind is how terribly unsafe (and aggravating) it is when cyclists pull up to the front of the line at red lights to the right of the cars there. I’ve always considered it the same as waiting until the very last minute to merge when a lane ends because of construction or other hazards.

I do know it can be done, however, and it’s not that hard.

On Whose Roads?

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This is a little late in coming, but the GF and I were driving to Lawrence the other day, and noticed the KCScout signs had a new message. They said something very much like “Watch for Motorcycles on Our Roads.”

Now, at first glance, that’s a decent thing to say… on the surface it’s just telling drivers to be aware. Awareness is good, no? Look deeper. What’s this about “Our Roads?” Whose roads, exactly? The sign is clearly intended for automobile drivers. Who is seriously going to tell a motorcyclist to look out for motorcycles? Do the roads not belong to motorcyclists as well?

The signs, being on the interstate, do not mention cyclists for obvious reasons, but the same attitude evident towards motorcycles in this example is very much held towards cyclists as well. It’s been called “Car Head” by those much smarter than myself, so I’ll just stick with that.

I didn’t give this subtle but pervasive dismissal of cyclists (and our motorized two wheeled brethren) any thought until recently. Reading that article a few months back made an impression, and I’ve been noticing it more and more often, both in those around me as well as myself.

Even now, sometimes I’ll feel like I don’t belong on the road with the cars. Not because of any safety issue, but because I’m on a lowly bicycle. I waste too much time on thoughts like “They must think I’ve had a DUI…” and “They must think my car was repossessed and I have no friends…” rather than just enjoying the ride, confident in my place among the “big kids” (another example of subtle car-head).

Cars are for adults. Bicycles are for children. Everyone knows that adults make few mistakes compared to children, so when there is a wreck involving a car and a bicycle, the fault must lie with the child on the bike, right? Unless that “child” is truly a child, then the protective instinct may kick in. If that “child” is, in fact, an adult, then “…you should have known better. These are *our* roads…”

I noticed a couple of days ago that the message now reads “Watch for Motorcycles.”

Period.

I wonder if someone complained.

On Noggin Protection, Gov’t Involvement, and Parenting

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Kent has a pretty nice take on wearing a helmet, the role of the Government in our lives, and parenting.

It boils down to the idea that your rights end where mine begin. If you’re out on the streets on two wheels without a helmet… so be it, you endanger no one (except *possibly* yourself). It’s your choice. If you’re out there on four wheels driving at 200mph through neighborhoods, you endanger many, and take the choice to be safe away from others. That’s not ok.

The Government should, perhaps, enact laws giving those charged with law enforcement the power to prevent you from driving like a maniac, or spraying bullets around fast food restaurants, but they government should not enact laws that prevent you from making choices about your life that affect only you (family notwithstanding). In other words, protect me from others, but not from myself.

Finally, the parenting tip, which I found interesting b/c family is definitely in my future was as simple and basic as leading by example. Kids don’t listen, but they do observe. They may not do what you tell them to do, but they will definitely do what you do. Act accordingly.

Given the choice on wearing a helmet or not, I would much rather not. I love the feel of wind in my (lessening) hair and I don’t particularly care for how helmets feel. They’re a bit constricting. They’re not uncomfortable; they’re less comfortable. I wear one b/c I think I’d like the feeling of a broken noggin less. I can see situations where they could save a lot of pain and trouble, but I can’t see situations where they’d cause it. In the spectrum of “Safety Theater” vs. “Real Safety”, I believe helmets fall more in the “Real Safety” realm, and so I act accordingly.

Taking the Lane is About Safety over Inconvenience

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There are a couple of fantastic spots on taking the lane while riding on busy roads.

Bicycling is Better discusses the width of lanes, and how to best use them. Complete with pictures!

Cycledog refers to that spot, and adds some thoughts of his own, as well as those pulled from elsewhere. My favorite bit is the concluding sentence:

“Stop caring about impeding traffic and realize that you have a right to use the road in safety and comfort the same as any other road user.”

Amen.

I’ve been riding in streets for years (all the way back to 8th grade), and (sadly) only recently really started thinking about and acting on how to best stay in the driver’s eye. Taking the lane does feel somewhat “rude” to me, but if the alternative is being smacked up against a curb, parked car, or flung broken and floppy against a tree, I’ll be rude any day.

Quivira is where I notice the most problems, and only then in the busy afternoon rush hour. I’m going to start being a little more assertive in my lane position, but I’m also going to continue leaving that hellish artery as soon as possible.

Dave Moulton gives some thoughts on this as well.

Sidewalk Warriors, Why I’ll Never Be One

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I originally posted this as part of a debate about riding on the sidewalk vs. riding on the street. It evolved into something decent (to my mind, anyway), so I’m putting it up here as well with a few minor tweaks.

In short, riding on the sidewalk is often illegal, takes you out of the field of view of motorists, forces you to pay attention to more than you already have to, adds noticeable time to your trips, and takes more energy.

Read on for more in depth discussion if this interests you… Continue reading →