Easy Rider

Back in March, I came up with the idea of biking every day during Lent. Don't ask me why I landed on biking, I was just looking for something that would be easier than giving up all chocolate for a second straight year. Anyway, every day during Lent I would hop on the exercise bike, do 10 minutes and then finish out the closest mile distance, because I happen to enjoy round numbers. The weird thing is that I have kept this up way beyond Easter's arrival. In fact, I've only skipped five days since starting this and those were only because I was somewhere that didn't have an exercise bike. I'm now doing six miles a day, just for fun, which is a weird thing to say because riding an exercise bike is inherently not a fun activity. (If I didn't put the bike in front of the TV it would be downright boring.) Not that there haven't been some positives. (Seriously, if you thought I had nice calves before you should see them now.) The point is, I can understand the benefits that come with riding a bike.

The thing is, at least I have the common courtesy to stay out of every one's way when I do. One of the numbers the bike shows me is mph. Typically, I pedal at around 24 mph. I don't know how fast that is in relation to other bikers, but I do know this: it is not as fast as people can drive their cars. In fact, if my car is only going 24 mph I'm probably freaking out because I think something is wrong with it. Over the weekend I was doing various running around and because it was a nice day the bike-riders were out in force. Now, when I was growing up I was always taught to ride my bike on the sidewalk, since that was the safest place. I was only to go onto the street if someone was walking down the sidewalk. But, at some point in the last few years that has changed. Now bike-riders essentially refuse to go up onto the sidewalk, as if it is a sign of weakness. Worse yet, they seem to be getting bolder and riding farther and farther into the street.

At one point I came to an intersection with a rider coming down the cross street. Now if he were in a car he would have had the right-of-way, but I thought since he was on an aluminum-framed bike and I was in an SUV he would wait to see what I was doing. Nope. He rolled right through the intersection without so much as glancing in my direction. "Fine" I thought. "A bit presumptuous, but no harm done." So, I turned the corner and headed down the same street, passing him in about 4 seconds because, again, car with V8 engine vs pudgy guy on bike is not really a contest. At the end of the street was a red light. I stopped and glanced in my mirror. It was at this point I saw that the guy on his bike was not only still in the street, but had pulled up and was occupying the space behind the car ahead him, patiently waiting for the light like any other driver.

This guy could have ridden up onto the sidewalk, gotten to the light and proceeded down the street without hearing a peep from anyone, but he was determined to wait it out. I was half-tempted to roll down the window and ask this gentleman if he knew he wasn't actually in a car. (I happen to know from my childhood experience that just because you make motorcycle noises while riding your bike that doesn't really turn your bike into one.) I assume the people behind him were getting really annoyed because unless he started pedaling like Lance Armstrong, he was going to slow everyone in his turning lane way down once the light turned. I was just thankful he was behind me and I went on my merry way.

Anyway, I want this blog post to serve as a message for everyone out there who rides a bike for any reason: get off the street. Using the sidewalk is not a sign of weakness, but instead a sign that you aren't such a self-absorbed prick you have no qualms about inconveniencing everyone else you share the road with just to act out some Tour de France fantasy. You say you have just as much right to the road as anyone else and you want bikes and cars to be treated as equals. Well, if that is true then that equality should extend to the common courtesies that other drivers give to one another during our time on the streets. You simply can't have it both ways. I understand you may need the exercise, but I don't need the annoyance. Either move out of the way and use the sidewalks, or start pedaling faster.