me,me,me and more me

Our Thanksgiving table discussion lead to talking about bikers and cars and who is right when it comes to using the roads.

Most thought the bikers had the right of way, deserved to be on the roads and the cars should just wait. Bikers have every right to be on the roads and if cars are behind the group, too bad, just wait to pass.

But that is where the discussion turned, cuz at that point, the car passing is now in a predicament of being in an unsafe position, being forced into the oncoming lane.

So who is right?? I was biking with my son the other day and he really kicked it up into high gear and zoomed past me. I saw first hand just how fast the elite riders can go on their bikes. I cannot imagine trying to pass a large group of these elite riders. Not only would it be difficult, it would be dangerous for the car.

It would certainly put a car at risk trying to pass this group. The bikers tend to forget this part of the problem. All I hear are bikers talking about getting buzzed and this or that damn car speeding past them.

All the talk in Philadelphia now is about ticketing bikers for riding on sidewalks, not stopping at stop signs and more. The bikers are outraged.

But is that outrage justified?? I lead a group of riders, we are not elite riders, we are what is called the C riders. Our groups are not large and I make every effort to watch for cars and do all i can to make passing us easier. I have even pulled over so cars can get around us without having to put themselves in the oncoming traffic lane.

The cyclist tends to think only in terms of himself on the road and his right to be there. But I hear little about how hard it is to pass a cyclist on the road. I think every cyclist riding in a large group should stop and think about what it takes to pass a group like this.

It is not always me, me, me and more me. Maybe it should be more of us, us, us. How to make cycling safer for the cylist and the car?