I see many many folks driving their cars with cell phones stuck to their heads, kids in the back seat - this is a moving 2 ton automobile on auto pilot
No one is at the controls, and these folks are on the roads when we cyclists are on the roads. Many do not see us, many are impatient and many just do not care.
So when biking, you have to bike with the notion that unless you pay 100% attention to what you are doing, you may end up a statistic.
You have to use a rear view mirror, you HAVE to ride single file and you must have some road sense when on your bike. You are looking for potholes, gravel and any obstacles in your path.
If biking in a group, you must be aware of the other riders, do not follow close, do not stop suddenly and announce when you have a problem.
As ride leader, I take your safety personally, I want you safe when you ride with me. I want you thinking about safety and I want you to be courteous to cars and pedestrians. Car is KING, you stand no chance against the car. Remember that.
Club riders get a bad rep on the roads as road hogs, and rude to the cars. As cyclists we cannot change how car drivers view us but we change how we are seen on the roads. Stopping to let a car by goes a long ways to keeping that driver happy. Think of the next cyclist he encounters, he may be less impatient.
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