🚀 go-pugleaf

David Chase writes:

>1) Collisions with cars can kill you

Safe street-riding principles remove much of this risk.  This is why the
accident and fatality stats for club riders are far lower than for your
average adult cyclist who assumes that the rules of the road don't apply
to bikes.  They do -- see the California Vehicle Code, section 21200.

The most feared collision, being hit from the rear, turns out to be a 
*very* small fraction of bike/car incidents -- mostly rural, often poor 
visibility (dark clothing, turns or hills), and often involving a drunk 
motorist.  Most urban/suburban bike/car accidents happen at intersections,
and can be prevented by a little knowledge, which takes hours (rather
than years) to learn.

Get "Street Smarts", a 40-page booklet from Bicycling Magazine, and learn
the principles (destination positioning, speed positioning, lane usage,
lane changing, turns, looking back while riding straighe).  I just gave 
the Palo Alto city library several copies, though they may not be in 
circulation yet.  I plan, through SCVBA, to make Street Smarts available 
through all Santa Clara County city libraries.  Until then you can get 
your own copy from Bicycling (Rodale Press) at 1-800-441-7761.  Ask for 
the Street Smarts department.

>2) Six miles is a little much for someone who hasn't ridden a bicycle
>   in years.

You're right.  Start by riding one day a week, then two, etc.  Give your
body -- and habits -- time to adjust.  I worked up to a 2 day-a-week, 
13 mile (each way) commute by alternating bike with car (also using
a bike carrier on the car).

>3) Theft -- a bicycle has no secure place to put valuables.  In fact,
>   the bicycle itself is easily stolen.

Park inside if possible, or lock it in the most visible, high-traffic
area outside if not.  Many companies have a "de facto" policy allowing 
bikes in your office or cube, as long as you don't create a safety 
(evacuation) hazard.  Choose lights that clip on and off easily.  I use 
a briefcase that clips on the rear rack (Nashbar, $36) and also has a 
shoulder strap.  The better grocery-bag carriers also have carry handles.

>4) If the air is very bad, or (worse) if the fennel is blooming, I get
>   a noseful of of garbage that I may regret.  (In Houston, the
>   problem was juniper).

Good point.  I vary my route to avoid the frontage road next to 101 for 
this reason.  There are inexpensive masks (Greenscreen) which keep out
particulates (presumably including pollen) -- Garner's in Palo Alto has
them.  The air is better earlier in the day.

>5) For really long journeys, the speed is inadequate.

Nobody said bikes (or any non-car mode) must do *every* trip to be useful. 
For really long journeys, either use a car, or combine a bike with transit.
Caltrain accepts "folders" (both the miniature ones and the newer full-size
folding mountain bikes from Schwinn/Montague and DaHon, both in the $350
range, plus the bag, which is required to bring it on board).  

-- 
John Ciccarelli                                               | BIKE    ,_C
jciccare@adobe.com, {sun|decwrl}!adobe!jciccare, 415-962-6677 |  TO   _=\_<,
Adobe Systems, 1585 Charleston, Mt View, CA, USA 94039-7900   | WORK (*)/'(*)