More Bike Commuting

I'm doing my bike commute again today. It's about 7 miles each way from where I park my car. Most of the ride is pretty easy. The traffic isn't too bad, just a few spots that are tricky. Sometimes I can go around them, but sometimes I just have to deal with them.

This morning as I rode in there was another rider a little ways ahead of me. As we approached an intersection he decided to cut through a gas station. I guess he took the turn too fast because the next thing I knew he was on the ground. I slowed down and asked if he was OK and he just looked at me, got on his bike, and went on his way. I'm guessing he was a bit embarrassed.

But that incident got me to thinking about the risks I take when I ride and how prepared I am to deal with them. All of the so-called experts tell you that riding on the side of the road is the safest way to go. By law, a bike is to be treated like a slow-moving car (or like the slow tractors that we so often see clogging up traffic.) I don't think most car drivers see bikes that way. I think they see them as a nuisance that have no business being there.

I always tend to ride pretty defensively, but I'm pretty aggressive about establishing my position and being sure that cars can see me. I don't do stupid stuff, and I'm not about to yell at the driver of a car or bang on one of their quarter-panels when they cut me off (I've seen that a few times!)

Making sure I have the right equipment is always a bit of a challenge for me. I have to be sure I have a bike pump, tire levers and a patch kit. I also have a multi-tool that I carry with some hex wrenches in case I have to make a major repair. If I have a major malfunction then I'm basically stuck with walking and being late for work. I can fix a flat or replace a tube in about 5 minutes so that's not a big deal.

I'm going to try a slightly different route on the way home tonight. Hopefully it won't be too windy or smoky!