Possibly the last cycling post of the day
Sep. 7th, 2012 03:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desperance(...and it's only 3.30! *imposes moderation on self*)
Phew. I need to go around the corner to the grocery store. I was just getting ready to step out of the door when I thought, "I could go on the bike!"
And then, "Of course I should go on the bike! Any sensible person would!" and like that.
But I really didn't want to. Grocery store is on the big main road, and the more I spin around the neighbourhood the more glad I am that there's hardly any traffic. I gave way to another cyclist this morning, and was overtaken by a car, and didn't die on either occasion. Surely that's enough traffic for one day? And I suppose I could ride on the sidewalk - I did check, and it is legal in CA, except where mandated otherwise by the city - but I have spent decades hating adults who do that and I don't intend to change my stance, let alone become one of them; and I don't have a helmet, and, and, and...
I might've been losing that argument, before I remembered that I don't have a lock either yet. I don't even know if there's a bike rack outside Lucky's. I shall look! That's enough bike-related research for one day. And I'm certainly not leaving the lovely thing unlocked in that parking-lot. Or anywhere else, come to that. (Tho' I'm kind of reluctant to get into the mindset that detaches wheels and removes saddles and so forth. Everything has quick-release mechanisms, so that technically I could - but I really don't want to, and am just hoping that around here is all so low-crime that it isn't really needful. One serious cyclist at SETI this week had brought her wheel in with her as a matter of course, but I'm hopeful that she's simply over-anxious.)
In other related news, I have been around my little local lap three times today - that's three separate occasions, not one course of three laps - and it's starting to feel like not quite enough, as my legs loosen up and get used to this. But I am still spooked by the big bad roads. They have trucks and everything. And left turns! I've been practising one-handed for the purposes of signalling, and if I signal left-handed on the move apparently I veer to the right, which doesn't seem optimal. Is that normal...? (Hee. I told you: obsessional. But I've written three pages, that too. One page, one ride. I've always liked incentives. It has to end soon, though; apparently the drink-driving laws are the same for cyclists as for drivers*, and we're moving towards my drinking-window. One last ride, perhaps, before the first beer, and we'll call it quits for the day.)
*This could actually be a problem, if I wanted to use the bike to go visit friends. The notion of visiting friends and not drinking? Is not acceptable to me, much. Hmmph. I need to think this through...
Phew. I need to go around the corner to the grocery store. I was just getting ready to step out of the door when I thought, "I could go on the bike!"
And then, "Of course I should go on the bike! Any sensible person would!" and like that.
But I really didn't want to. Grocery store is on the big main road, and the more I spin around the neighbourhood the more glad I am that there's hardly any traffic. I gave way to another cyclist this morning, and was overtaken by a car, and didn't die on either occasion. Surely that's enough traffic for one day? And I suppose I could ride on the sidewalk - I did check, and it is legal in CA, except where mandated otherwise by the city - but I have spent decades hating adults who do that and I don't intend to change my stance, let alone become one of them; and I don't have a helmet, and, and, and...
I might've been losing that argument, before I remembered that I don't have a lock either yet. I don't even know if there's a bike rack outside Lucky's. I shall look! That's enough bike-related research for one day. And I'm certainly not leaving the lovely thing unlocked in that parking-lot. Or anywhere else, come to that. (Tho' I'm kind of reluctant to get into the mindset that detaches wheels and removes saddles and so forth. Everything has quick-release mechanisms, so that technically I could - but I really don't want to, and am just hoping that around here is all so low-crime that it isn't really needful. One serious cyclist at SETI this week had brought her wheel in with her as a matter of course, but I'm hopeful that she's simply over-anxious.)
In other related news, I have been around my little local lap three times today - that's three separate occasions, not one course of three laps - and it's starting to feel like not quite enough, as my legs loosen up and get used to this. But I am still spooked by the big bad roads. They have trucks and everything. And left turns! I've been practising one-handed for the purposes of signalling, and if I signal left-handed on the move apparently I veer to the right, which doesn't seem optimal. Is that normal...? (Hee. I told you: obsessional. But I've written three pages, that too. One page, one ride. I've always liked incentives. It has to end soon, though; apparently the drink-driving laws are the same for cyclists as for drivers*, and we're moving towards my drinking-window. One last ride, perhaps, before the first beer, and we'll call it quits for the day.)
*This could actually be a problem, if I wanted to use the bike to go visit friends. The notion of visiting friends and not drinking? Is not acceptable to me, much. Hmmph. I need to think this through...
(no subject)
Date: 2012-09-07 11:01 pm (UTC)You can walk your bike on a sidewalk, but if you are riding and roll off the sidewalk to cross a street and a car hits you coming round the corner, you will most likely be deemed to be in the wrong. [Actually happened to someone I know, a couple years ago.] Ride on the street. It's easier and the rules are clearer. Even if it's a busy street. Claim a lane; don't ride so close to parked cars that you're endangered by sudden movements from motorists not looking for you.
Your rule of thumb for riding a bicycle is: You ARE a vehicle, you ARE traffic. The California motor vehicle code applies and has special call-outs for cyclists.
You live in one of the most cycle-friendly areas of the country, so enjoy it. Motorists are going to be slightly more cycle-aware in your town than they are in many other places (and less hostile).
Watch out if you start doing longer rides, by the way, and always stop at the stop signs at the bottom of the hills, even if you've got a great head of steam, even if you've been coasting for a couple of miles. There have been a few nasty incidents of cops ticketing cyclists for stop sign and red light running, most recent I heard of was in Woodside (which is kind of a main road for cyclists).
And finally, yes, detach and lock the front wheel separately, the guys at the bike shop will show you the right way to lock (THROUGH the frame and THROUGH the rear wheel and THROUGH the front wheel), because wheels are expensive and easy to fence, and it's called a quick release for a reason. Don't leave anything on your bike you care about. Pop off any lights too (the red flicker safety lights are usually safe to leave on). It does NOT take any more time to lock it up this way. Bike theft is a huge business, not a rarity.