On Dec 8, 6:28 am, Duane Hébert wrote:
On 12/8/2010 12:34 AM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On Dec 7, 8:21 pm, wrote:
Frank writes:

Then you also talked about bailing out of the road entirely and riding
the sidewalk. Did I get that wrong?

Yes, you got that wrong. I said something to the effect that I would be
looking beyond the road and taking account of *all* my options. But since
you now seem to be adding a sidewalk to your scenario, it's a considerable
option.

That's what I thought. So we put you down as a sidewalk cyclist.

What don't you understand about "taking account of all my options?"
And why do you ignore the fact that he's talking about what he would
do when the truck wasn't stopping?

Only an idiot sits in the middle of the road pedaling at 20-30k with
a truck coming up behind them at speed.


Just so you know - I am... uh... "unorthodox" :-), shall we say, in my
approach to bicycling as transportation. I imagine I'm the
irredeemable heathen up river. It's well documented.

Oh, also, I don't call myself a "cyclist"; "cycling" is something my
washing machine does. I Ride Bike :-)

So anyway I'm not just talking about if the truck is coming to mow me
down. Even if he sees me and slows, I don't like the circumstances
(packed traffic lane to my left, curb to my right, more traffic being
held up behind - I am very apt to bail one way or another in that
situation anyway. There are always better routes - maybe just a shot
away through the gap over there by the bushes at 7-Eleven.

Depends on an infinity of constantly changing circumstances and my
fickle whims. I can get down with rush hour traffic, but revel in the
ability to go so many, many ways that the cars and trucks simply
cannot and get away - quite the opposite approach, as I see it, to
"vehicular cycling". It's a rush :-)

I thought that you said you studied defensive driving?

While it's great to benefit from the experience of others, there's
only one way to really learn what it takes to survive. Frank seems to
think that because I might not ride "properly", I must be ignorant and
dense as his poor imaginary buddy Fred, but more incorrigible, I
suppose. I know stuff, though (just let me know if you need any help
with more "positions" there, Frank ;-), and like anyone, learn more
every day.

Although I'm very nice to them, I suppose even those tenacious people
at the door with the booklets eventually figure I'm not worth the
effort, too.

Just so you know :-)