Wet and Lost on Bike to Work Day

Bike to work has become a big component of “Bike Month” for the Bike League. More or less, it’s the bicycle equivalent of “drive your car to work week.” In recent years, various cities and transit agencies have gotten on the bandwagon and sponsored “Bike to Work” events. Up until this year, none of those events were remotely practical for me to attend without missing a lot of work. This year, working near a TRE station, things looked different. I laid plans to attend one of the shindigs. THIS YEAR, I'd find out what all the fuss was about.

Yesterday, DART had coffee and donuts at the Centreport TRE Station. I considered going, but the station has little of interest as a destination, and I’m not a fan of donuts, so I contented myself with watching the television new blurb with a lady standing in the dark, talking about how she couldn’t ride with the camera news van, with a token bike in the background. Today, they had a bigger event planned at the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC). What’s more, it was scheduled to last from 7 to 9 AM. Despite a forecast of rain, I got Buddy rolling ten minutes earlier than usual and caught the train into downtown Fort Worth. When I arrived at the ITC shortly after 7, it wasn’t difficult to see where they were in the early stages setting things up for “Bike to Work” celebrations. Getting into the spirit, I took photos showing good locking technique with Buddy (I actually lugged my mini U lock along for John Romeo Alpha’s benefit), and the guys from the LBS (a sponsor) complimented me on the “nice Tricross.” Talking with the “tryparkingit” lady, I got a free bag in exchange for filling out her form. Since I’ve been using their site for over two years, I wasn’t too concerned about junk email. The “clean air booth” had air pressure gages and I got one of those, too. The lady didn’t understand when I asked her if they’d work with Presta valves. Unfortunately, the air pressure gages will only work with Schrader valves and the gage only goes up to 50psi so it won’t work with any bike I ride regularly, but their hearts are in the right place.


This Pressure Gage Doesn't Work on ANY of Our Family Bikes - It Only Goes to 50psi. Odd Giveaway on Bike Day - Something Only Good for Cars

I also got a couple of cool shots showing spandex-clad people unloading bikes from the back of a pickup for the bike to work festivities (I didn’t recognize the jerseys), and of others testing the microphones at the podium for the speeches, which would take place after any actual bike commuters had departed to go to work.

Of extra interest was a locally-based company that was showing electric bikes. Both of the ones they had were rather prosaic, but the demo guy told me they were looking at a longtail cargo bike. IMO, cargo bikes are a very attractive niche for ebikes. I have no trouble riding Buddy to work over distances and speeds far beyond a regular ebike, but I have to admit that a cargo ebike would be handy to lug 100 lb home from the store.

Based in Fort Worth, Bodhi Bikes are Made in China. The Salesman Was Honest. The Bikes are 50 lb

And then I hopped back on the TRE to go to work. The formal hoopla hadn’t really gotten going by 7:45, but I still got a lot of good photos. My favorite was one of Buddy standing below a sign I think epitomizes my personal commuting motto: “speed with safety.”

My Commute Motto - With the Road Bike Instead of Buddy

After I got off the train, I discovered that I’d have been better off to leave the camera at home, because I LOST the camera. No photos at all. I called in to the lost and found number, but I’m not optimistic that anyone will turn in a compact digital camera. As I arrived at work, the rain started to fall. And then it fell all day. Hard. We need rain in North Texas right now, but my personal preference would be for it to fall on weekends, and to NOT be accompanied by lightning.

Poly Booties Worked Fine with Clipless Pedals Today.. Careful "Foot Down" Action Makes them Good for More Than One Ride

In a nutshell, I got good use out of my polyethylene booties and O2 rainwear. It was, however, raining pretty hard so I still got WET in some spots (one must be VERY careful not to ride too fast through deep puddles). And I LOST my camera so you’ll have to imagine the spandex mafia unloading bikes from the pickup. Yup – wet and lost on Bike to Work Day.

But Dear, It's DANGEROUS OUT THERE!

Parking Lot Occupancy has Fallen a LOT in Two Weeks

In Resolutions Doomed to Failure, posted a mere two weeks ago, I marveled at how crowded the gym parking lot was, with the same view as above full to overflowing. Two weeks later, things are more or less back to normal. Perhaps people are staying at home, off the road so as to not present a hazard to others. Yeah, that MUST be it. Or perhaps they have become afraid to enter parking lots in a misguided notion to mollify Rantwick's Mom, forgetting that she said it was OK to go into a parking lot if you were patronizing the establishment therein.

Similarly, the bicycle population is down to a single bike. Kermit said there is NO TRUTH to the Doohickie rumor that Frankenbike has scared any potential Cervelos away. It seems, to me, however, that it takes a lot of moxie for someone that takes pride in rescuing bikes from trash bins, as Doohickie does, to snipe at a TRUE BRITISH CLASSIC. Perhaps there was just a TOUCH of the tongue in the cheek? You'll note there is not a single Schwinn at that rack. Perhaps they are all holed up with their Spandex-clad cousins. Sissy bikes!

Bike Rack is Down to a Single Occupant

Unlike Sissy Bikes, the English are Not Made of Sugar Candy

Rantwick and the “Line of Sweetness”

Rantwick made a very interesting post, here, complete with his best-ever graphic, in which he included a video of a close pass. My own comment supported Rantwick's observation that slipping left in a lane is best done slowly, so as to not surprise any following motorists. In comments, Skyers suggested that the “Line of Sourness” may have been what kept a close pass from becoming something worse. Skyers’s analysis contains an undeniable element of truth, but after careful consideration, I think it misses at a critical element. Here’s why.


IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE INCIDENT
The video contains two important elements. First, Rantwick executes a left turn, then, about seven seconds later, he gets passed very closely by a car that is going quite fast. We’ll call the driver “Speedy.” The Line of Sweetness (EXCELLENT GRAPHIC HERE) is certainly one principle involved, but it is complicated by a left turn in front of oncoming traffic, bringing “the Land Rover Rule” into play. In this case, “the Land Rover Rule” says you do not turn into the immediate path of onrushing traffic regardless of whether you are going to ride the line of sweetness, sourness, or even if your intent is to jump the curb and onto the sidewalk. You wouldn’t do it if you were driving the Land Rover, you don’t do it on the bike. If I were an official type like Mighk, I’d call it the “first come, first served” principle (see, I DO know some of the official names of this stuff for when I have to take tests).

WAS THE TURN DANGEROUS?
Did Rantwick turn too close in front of the speed demon? Well, Rantwick certainly didn’t think so, and, while it is very easy to misjudge such things if one of the cars is going really fast (also true if you are driving), the video shows Rantwick went seven full seconds before Speedy passed him while passing through an intersection. If Speedy was going twice his speed, he may have been two full blocks back when Rantwick finished his turn. This is clearly not a case of Rantwick lunging in front of a responsible driver who has to desperately swerve to avoid killing him. I’m not surprised Rantwick doesn’t recall the car too clearly prior to the turn.

THE LINE AFTER THE TURN - LIKELY SCENARIO
I try to always let my motorists have lots of time to figure out and execute the proper maneuver without requiring thought on their part. In this case, Speedy SHOULD simply move into the left lane a block or two back. It’s what any rational motorist does, regardless of anywhere in the lane Rantwick might happen to be, because motorists all KNOW that cyclists are incorrigible reprobates, prone to doing crazy things without notice. If you think I exaggerate, read the comments section of almost any newspaper when a cycling article appears. Cautious motorists move over TWO lanes if it’s an option and traffic is light. While it is certainly possible that Speedy might have come on and squished a “Line of Sweetness” Rantwick, I’ll guess he saw Rantwick off to the right, saw the SUV to his left, and decided he could split the difference between them and wind up ahead of everyone. The temporary license plate suggests he was probably not driving his own daily car. The true danger of the Line of Sourness is that Speedy might have misjudged the space by ten or twenty centimeters. We read of such incidents daily in the news. Personally, I like reading Monday Rantwick posts and would not want to read of some “terrible accident,” unless the “terrible accident” involves some sort of giant fracas associated with his music career. In such an event, I eagerly look forward to Rantwick's spin on things. Perhaps it might even be as lively as the Rawhide scene in The Blues Brothers.

THE LINE AFTER THE TURN – ANGRY BOY RACER SCENARIO
On the other hand, let’s assume Speedy was just discharged from his anger management class, and decided he was not about to tap on the brakes for some dorky spandex mafioso by ducking behind the van, and then speeding back up after passing Rantwick, and he decided instead to do a drag race with the SUV, followed by a quick left lane change at the last second. In such a scenario, Rantwick may indeed have a better chance of survival in the Line of Sourness, but his chances would be better yet over on the sidewalk. In reality, even angry Speedy will attempt to slow down if it is clear he won’t win the drag race and it will become clear to him earlier the further left Rantwick is riding, because the risk/reward picture will appear bleaker to him. In the worst case, Speedy has to hit the brakes 3.5 Escalade lengths back of Rantwick’s rear wheel if he is going 75kph and Rantwick is going 15kph. I have practiced panic slowing for imaginary cyclists in our Land Rover, and I was surprised at how close I could come behind the imaginary cyclist without experiencing impact. DO NOT try this if there is a car close behind you! DO NOT try this using real cyclists. A convenient following distance table may be found here.

SWERVE RIGHT YOUNG MAN!
In case there is any doubt, I do NOT advocate EVER swerving to the left, unless you KNOW there is nothing anywhere behind that can be affected at all. If you have to swerve, swerve RIGHT! Unless, of course, you live somewhere that everyone drives on the left, in which case you've already transposed everything

CLOSING THE GAP
In my bottom line opinion, I’m with Rantwick. Two blocks/several seconds is long enough for even an impaired driver to execute a full lane change – IF he decides that is what he/she needs to do instead of shooting for a marginal gap. THAT is the true beauty of the Line of Sweetness. Just don’t apply it in isolation. You want lots of space behind you in the RH lane you’re turning into so any overtaking motorists in it get bored looking at you before they make their leisurely lane change. The traffic rules are a body and you want them all. In this case, I might have waited for a bigger traffic gap before I made my left turn, but maybe not. I wasn’t there. This is not a matter of a cyclist exercising rights, or of brazenness. It is rather a defensive matter of not unintentionally enticing a motorist into a dangerous maneuver by creating the impression of space where not enough exists. THAT is the critical element that I think Skyers is missing. When you ride on the street, every action and your very placement on the road communicates things to the motorists around you. On the other hand, had Rantwick been riding in the Line of Sweetness, the world would now be missing a GREAT GRAPHIC and we’d have to wait five days until his next post.

MAKE MIGHK MAD TOO!
Mighk, as a newly minted T101 graduate, I disagree with the notion that T101 has led me towards the Line of Sourness, even if the notion comes from one rarely given to hyperbole. I didn’t notice Chandra showing sudden enthusiasm for it either. I do not recall being encouraged to ride in the right track, though the brochure art was inferior to what Forester included in his book. Without follow-up rides with experienced traffic riders, I suspect it is relatively ineffective at affecting traffic behavior either way. This could easily be a whole ‘nother post on its own, and I’d like to see Mighk’s analysis, and what I think FBA has up their collective sleeves. Hint Hint!

WHILE I’M IRRITATING EVERYONE
Aptertome, the Line of Sweetness is not so cut and dried as I make it sound. It is not something that experience alone leads you to. Initially, I think it requires an act of faith to violate everything you’ve ever been told about how to operate your bike on the road without getting killed, even though the principles are very logical and simple. It may SEEM like brazenness, but in reality, you are helping guide your own motorists to making safe choices without conflict. Think of it another way. On my current commute, I encounter well in excess of 10000 motorist passes a year. And those are just the ones I become aware of. How much experience do you think each of those motorists have passing cyclists? In the final analysis, you are not being daring, you are stepping up to the mark of guiding your flock of motorists via yet one more way of communicating with them. While cyclists may seem to be vulnerable, in reality, they are the experts in the daily interchange between motorist and cyclist. Seems a little less brazen, to my mind at least.

BE VISIBLE
BE WHERE OTHER TRAFFIC EXPECTS TO SEE THINGS
BE PREDICTABLE
BE A FRIENDLY BIKE DRIVER

Where I Ride and Why

A long time ago, in a blog far away, in a post about riding in a Texas traffic lane less than 14 feet wide, I noted that as long as I rode AT LEAST as far left as the right-hand tire track, motorists ALWAYS altered course and gave me good clearance. ChipSeal, in his blog, suggests the superior place to ride is in the LEFT tire track, though he never actually addresses my own favored lane position. He noted it was a bit rougher in many places in the exact center of the lane.

Absent particular situations such as Boulevards, covered here, I rarely ride in the above lane positions. Instead, I ride in "the line of sweetness." In the "honk project," I refer to it as the "LC" position. Specifically, it's at the far right side of the Left-hand tire track. More or less. This is not rocket science.

Why do I prefer riding LC? Besides smooth pavement, it's very simple. It derives from "The Land Rover Rule." When I drive the Land Rover, my eyes align directly with the LC position. Seeing and reacting to a cyclist IN that position requires me to have no peripheral vision whatsoever. Should I (IN the Land Rover, of course), be texting, or putting on makeup, or simply daydreaming, LC is the position I am MOST likely to notice. At night, I'd see the annoying cyclist a full mile back. By the time I'm a half mile back, there will be no doubt I need to make a full lane change to pass the guy. UNLIKE the full left tire track, there will be no temptation to pass on the right, and it'll be easy to give him lots of clearance without running off the road on the LH side. I don't know about YOU, but I see a LOT of motorists chatting on their cell phones. I don't know about YOU, but I think the safe place to ride is where such people are likely to see and react to me early, not where the guy in the video below rides. It calls into question my previous assertion about the safety of that RH tire track. While all motorists may alter course, some alter course less that they should.

540hvs from Bikesafer on Vimeo.

LC also accrues benefits when it comes to the more serious hazard of crossing traffic. In a more visibile position, a motorist crossing my path is much more likely to notice me when I'm where I'd be if I were driving the Land Rover. This pays dividends repeatedly, most recently on one of my last commutes of 2009, when a motorist, ahead and to my right, began to pull from a side street to make a left turn. Had I been further right, it could have turned into a close call - or worse. As it was, a simple yell from me alerted the motorist and, with extra space and time, we all avoided any unpleasantness or need for evasive maneuvers. I don't want close calls on my bike. Not ever. An occasional fall due to loss of traction might be tolerable, but nothing more serious than that.

There is also advantage with oncoming traffic. When I ride down the narrow two-lane roads around here, I occasionally encounter spandex mafia types riding the other way down the fog line. Often, they're trailed by a line of cars. I find these encounters stressful. The first thing in my mind is that if a motorist decides to pass that spandex guy, I'm at risk of death via a head-on because of the durn gutter bunny. In this situation, the advantage of LC is subtle, but very real. If I were riding at the right fog line, or even in the RH tire track, the oncoming motorists are MUCH more likely to pass, despite my oncoming presence. If I ride FURTHER LEFT, the motorists would not see me as easily as in the LC position, and I'd still be in trouble if they tried a straddle pass around the gutter bunny. Uncertainty is not something you should inflict upon the motorists YOU share the road with.

Anyway, that's where I ride, and why. So there. It seems to work, so I wonder why I have never seen anyone else (as in NEVER) along my commute route riding the same way. Mostly, I see people riding in the "cyclist pit of doom" position. My kids, here, claim I'm not completely alone, but there are a lot of people that believe in the Yeti. Few have seen one. Really, however, mostly this is a finer point (it really ISN'T rocket science!), because, unless you fall into the "Cyclist Pit of Doom," cycling really IS pretty fun and safe, despite what some might try to make us believe.

Helmet

For those that wear a helmet, questions of sizing, selection, and fit come up. You may think this trivial, but it’s not so simple. Or maybe I’m just confused.

Good Old Days and the Road to Hell
In the past, my helmets were all “large.” I’d cinch them down & adjust the dial. I invariably got them at places like Wallyworld. The roots of evil were sown last winter, when my family decided I needed a fancy new helmet with big vents. Their motives were pure, so I tried on my usual “large,” and then a “medium.” The pavement stones on the road to Hell are made of such small events. That “medium” fit pretty well. I innocently said; “get me a medium if you’re getting one of these.” A second pavement stone was laid down. Sure enough, a “medium” one showed up under the Christmas tree. The road stretched into the distance, with a strange orange flicker at the end.

Moving Upscale
I started wearing the thing regularly in July. It fit well. It did not precipitate a heat stroke, (my other helmets hadn’t caused heat stroke, either). When I got back from the HH100, I noticed an odd tan pattern on my head. I already had enough odd tan patterns; I didn’t want my head to look like it had leopard spots/zebra stripes. Heeding a suggestion from Keri Caffrey, I purchased a “Headsweat Do Rag” and wore the combination to bicycle school. I was a cycling fashion statement! Whareagle noted the medium was borderline with the wrap. In truth, many advise removing helmet sizing pads when wearing a Do Rag or other headgear with a helmet. This was starting to sound like a PIA. Wearing a helmet was one thing. Reconstructing it to fit Texas daily weather patterns seemed ridiculous.

Into the Closet

Winter will be here soon, and I’m SURE that my balaclava won’t work without helmet sizing pad removal. ON THE OTHER HAND, I’ve still got my “Schwinn” “large” helmet. In reality, “aero” vents are less appealing when the temperature is dropping toward freezing. I start thinking “wind chill.” What’s more, I’ve seen credible claims the vents compromise protection should a collision occur. Comparing the $20 helmet to the $200 one, the $20 helmet protects the same (maybe better), allows supplemental headgear without construction activity, cuts down on wind chill, and I can keep the fancy helmet in a dark closet (away from harmful UV damage) until I actually WANT wind tunnels on my head next summer. The only downside to the $20 helmet is I get sneered at by every spandex mafioso I pass. I can live with that. I can always dig out fancier duds, but they’ll still be slow – with cold heads. I guess, what I'm saying is almost all the direct opposite of what you'd read here. I guess that author doesn't get a cold head in the winter and hasn't read about the downside of vents.

“Yes, dear, I LOVE my new helmet. I’m saving it for those special times when only the best is good enough.” If they want to get me a helmet THIS Christmas, I’m asking for a "Bern Helmet" like Dottie has. Earmuffs and polka dots sound good…

POLKA DOT UPDATE - Saturday Morning
Chandra makes an astute observation in his comment. The helmet to which I refer IS, in fact a Starburst by Nutcase helmet, as Dottie explains here. I was unable to find the related "duct tape" version in a cycle helmet, only the "snow classic." Dottie also has a black Bern helmet, seen here, with a tantalizingly brief mention about the cold weather insert here. At the moment, I'm unable to find the reference in which she mentions that one or the other includes earmuffs which sound WONDERFUL for those really cold days. Actually, the earmuffs seem more important than either the brand or helmet decorative scheme at the moment. See, all this helmet stuff really IS complicated. Perhaps Dottie will clarify it all for us over on Let's Go Ride a Bike. Earmuffs and winter inserts and all. She's mentioned bits & pieces several times, but I can't find all the relevant bits when I want them.

Steve Does Principles

This blog is not about the proper role of cycling in society, nor about whether we’d be better off with bike lanes or bike freeways, banning cars or whatever, nor about the finer points of cycling “culture.” If I write about Seattle, it’s when I GO there and ride. It isn’t about cycling law, except how it affects my riding in a given situation. There are lots of blogs that talk about these topics. This blog is here to talk about the practical and fun aspects of riding around, from point-to-point. At the risk of getting onto a slippery slope, I’m making a temporary exception today. Stay away or read on depending on your feelings on the subject.

People on bikes routinely get away with running traffic signs & signals, riding the wrong way, scaring pedestrians on sidewalks, and so on. It hurts me to see it. Motorists doing the same would be quickly brought to account. Motorists are keenly aware and resentful of this bike scofflawery. It fosters a mindset that even lawfully operated bikes don’t belong on the road as part of traffic, that statutory exceptions to “Far to the Right” law don’t count, that roads are "for cars," and that bikes are only for recreation, for play, and for children. Prosecutions for lawful bike operation are very serious when viewed from a cycling standpoint, but are often regarded as “more spandex whining” by the general public.

This is illustrated by an anonymous commenter on ChipSeal’s blog, I wasn’t in Ennis. I’ve never seen ChipSeal ride, I don’t have “Judge” in front of my name, but I HAVE had polite police invent imaginary laws to get me “out of the way,” so I’m not inclined to conclude Chip was actually doing anything wrong. I believe the police officer was acting in good faith, but he’s probably had little or no specialized training about bike law, safety, duties & rights. It’s doubly unlikely he ever had formal education on how to safely ride a bike on the road. Had Chip been riding at night without lights or running a stoplight, it’d be totally different – at least in my mind. Those don’t touch on fundamental cycling rights, the way a case like Chip’s might. Fred_dot_u had a similar situation he reported on CommuteOrlando. Fortunately, Fred won his case. Other cases appear from time to time. Cyclists do NOT win all of them. It’s why cycling is illegal on the road in Hunter’s Creek Village Texas.

I was brought up to believe one should oppose injustice, whether big or small, and that the accused are presumed innocent until found guilty. “Anonymous” might do well to remember those principles. They’re foundations that distinguish our country from a banana republic. It’s not “use the law against those that are irritating or inconvenient, even if you have to twist it around or ignore parts of it to do so.” It’s the RULE OF LAW. You don’t like the law, get it changed. With the proper steps, bicycles could be made more illegal in the US than Afghan heroin. Our State and Federal Constitutions govern those steps, and they’re not documents to be arbitrarily twisted either.

As a transportation cyclist, I prefer laws that don’t restrict me from traveling according to the rules of the road. All evidence is that's the safest way to ride. That biases me towards ChipSeal. I don’t need special protection. I need the RULE OF LAW. I’d prefer laws that don’t actively discriminate against me, but what we’ve got works. I don’t want motorists excused for running down cyclists after failing to exercise due care. I don’t want cyclists given a pass as if they were overgrown children. BEHAVE AS A VEHICLE AND GET TREATED LIKE A VEHICLE.

Now, back to our regular programming. Once in a rare while, all of us feel a need for a rant.

PS: You're right - I drove to work today so I'm moving towards "bike culture" instead of "Star Wars on bikes." This rain has got to let up. I've only ridden to work once this whole week...

Priceless...

Today was an exceptional commute day, so exceptional that I'm going to defer my planned "Experimental Cycling" post. First off, the weather was great! Second off, traffic seemed light today. I got all the way to Highway 26 before the first traffic interaction, which is very unusual. But the real treats were saved for the trip home; normally a lot less fun than the ride in.

Before you ride any further into the post, pass your mouse over the embedded Google Streetview and observe where the line falls on the road. Don't go clicking now!


View Larger Map

No, it wasn't me, y'all ought to know better, even after such a brief intro. I actually saw a guy, dressed up in cycling duds, on a road bike, on MY road, on a WEEKDAY, at GOING HOME TIME! This has never happened before. But it gets even better. As I came up to the stop sign on Coffeetree, whoosh he goes by, headed south on Katy Road. Katy's the road in the Streetview. I like it because the cement truck drivers and I wave at each other each morning as they head south and I head north. It's also got a pretty good surface. If you now click on the Streetview arrow going south, you can see how much room a UPS Truck takes up.

After I made my turn to Katy, the guy was a couple of hundred feet ahead and I had a grandstand view. He seemed to be doing pretty well, and he certainly kept a pretty straight course along that white line, but I was interested in how the motorists would behave. About a half dozen cars passed us. Four of them made complete lane changes to pass him. The other two were a bit cozy for my taste, but they still probably gave him at least three feet.

But it got better. Oh, LUCKY DAY! I caught up to the guy at the Keller Hicks four-way stop, which is where I usually turn left before turning right onto Hwy 377. I stopped behind him (I'm in full anthropologist mode by now). When my turn came, I made my left; up ahead, he seemed a little perplexed about the traffic waiting to turn right onto Hwy 377. Then he shot into the parking lot and down a few stores, looking to turn left. I made my right with my motorist buds when the light changed, set up to move left for the left turn and then, due to northbound traffic, elected to take my "failsafe left" instead. As I completed the turn, I did a gratuitous head check - he was still stranded back in the parking lot with Hwy 377 traffic passing both ways. I felt like a Peeping Tom. I do hope he made it home safe.

Later, I saw another spandex guy riding north on the "wrong side" sidewalk as I waited to cross Precinct Line. Not really worth observing.

However, the very best was yet to come. Almost home and, what do you know, but a big, mean looking dog decided he needed exercise. Having a recent ChipSeal Post in mind, I decided to step things up a notch, & then another notch. He did likewise. Turned out he was a spiritual cousin of Bud's. Priceless way to finish the day and I'll bet I made that dog's whole day...