Kevin Christian has provided us with the link to many of the SLO intersections he mentioned in the seminar. Here are his comments, "Here is the horribly long url where I hide the SLO intersection arial shots for use in our local classes. As I said in class, it is nothing
elegant. It is simply a listing of the intersections with (in most
cases) an arial view. In a few cases there are shots I did from the
road. Also, I had originally included some "generic" intersections,
thinking that I could project them on the white board and save time
drawing them. They have never been used."
I know I plan to find out if we have anything like this for Hanford. Thanks Kevin.
The Savvy Cyclist
A Great Day of Riding in the Mountains
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Educator of the Year
The following story ran in my local Hanford Sentinel on July 10, 2007.
Bike Educator
By Shannon Milliken
smilliken@HanfordSentinel.com
Obey the law. That's the first rule of bicycling, according to League of American Bicyclists' "2006 Educator of the Year." He is an expert in bicycle safety.
Bruce Mackey, of Hanford, was chosen for the award for his numerous contributions to bicycle safety, including the training of more than 300 safety instructors while he was the Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Officer for the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.
Mackey recently retired to Hanford to live near his parents. He attended Hanford Union High School and is, along with his father, a member of the school's hall of fame for his military service.
The award was given to Mackey on June 27, at the cyclist league's Education Leaders Conference in Austin.
Mackey said everyone thinks the best way to stay safe while cycling is to wear a helmet. But helmets come second to traffic laws. Mackey tells people that if they wouldn't do something while driving, they shouldn't do it on a bicycle.
"Cyclists fare best when they act like and are treated as drivers of vehicles," Mackey said, borrowing a quote from cycling transportation engineer and author John Forester.
In the seven years he worked at the Nevada office, Mackey initiated several programs. Safe Pedaling Across Nevada was one such program, through which Mackey and six others cycled across Nevada. They stopped at elementary schools each morning of the 400-mile treck to deliver a message about bicycle safety.
Mackey said he was offered the chief position at the Nevada office, but he declined it.
"No," Mackey said. " I want to be the bicycle guy."
The third most important rule of bicycle safety is to take a course, Mackey says.
Mackey and other instructors from the cyclist league teach a course titled "Road One," which covers the basic principles of safety for all ages of cyclists. Later this month, he will travel to San Luis Obispo to give law enforcement officers a lesson in bicycle safety.
The cyclist league has adopted a program that encourages and helps children to safely ride bicycles. The program, Safe Routes To School, is close to Mackey's heart. Children's lack of knowledge of traffic laws is often the cause of their traffic-related accidental deaths, Mackey said.
"When you talk to a parent who has had a child die in traffic, it makes an impression," Mackey said. "I would like to do what we can do about it now."
The Safe Routes program is centered around the "Five E's:" education, enforcement, encouragement, engineering and evaluation. Through these, Mackey hopes that children will learn to safely ride their bicycles to school. A child with good pedestrian and bicycling habits will become good motorists, Mackey said.
He also believes cycling gives children opportunities they wouldn't get riding in a car, including exercise and a sense of freedom.
As the son of a military man, Mackey moved around often and had to make friends all over again each time he moved. He spent one year of high school in Romulus, New York. He remembered riding his 10-speedthrough the town and meeting everyone that he rode past. He found cycling gave him a great advantage in making new friends.
Mackey put down his bicycle in college, while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California at Berkeley. It wasn't until Mackey had entered the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, and he and his wife were expecting for the second time, that he picked it up again. His wife gave him a bicycle to help relieve his stress. His wife, Linda Mackey, said the school's postgraduate program was very intense.
"He rode that bike into the ground," Linda said. "Now he works to support his bicycle addiction."
Mackey served in the U.S. Army for 25 years, including combat tours in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.
Mackey said of his recent recogniton as "Educator of the Year" that he was humbled to be compared with those who had been awarded before him.
"When you get an award like this, you take a deep breath and say thanks a lot," Mackey said. "It makes it all worth it."
Linda attended the conference in Austin and the awards luncheon with her husband.
"It's well deserved," Linda said. "He worked very hard. I'm very proud of him."
Mackey hopes to soon teach safety courses in Hanford, but until then recommends the "ABC Quick Check" for local cyclists. It is a five-step process that Mackey still does before every bicycle ride. He checks the air in his tires, his brakes, his crank and chain, and his quick release. Finally, he takes the bicycle for a short ride to "check" everything over before he heads out.
The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3047
Bike Educator
By Shannon Milliken
smilliken@HanfordSentinel.com
Obey the law. That's the first rule of bicycling, according to League of American Bicyclists' "2006 Educator of the Year." He is an expert in bicycle safety.
Bruce Mackey, of Hanford, was chosen for the award for his numerous contributions to bicycle safety, including the training of more than 300 safety instructors while he was the Bicycle and Pedestrian Education Officer for the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.
Mackey recently retired to Hanford to live near his parents. He attended Hanford Union High School and is, along with his father, a member of the school's hall of fame for his military service.
The award was given to Mackey on June 27, at the cyclist league's Education Leaders Conference in Austin.
Mackey said everyone thinks the best way to stay safe while cycling is to wear a helmet. But helmets come second to traffic laws. Mackey tells people that if they wouldn't do something while driving, they shouldn't do it on a bicycle.
"Cyclists fare best when they act like and are treated as drivers of vehicles," Mackey said, borrowing a quote from cycling transportation engineer and author John Forester.
In the seven years he worked at the Nevada office, Mackey initiated several programs. Safe Pedaling Across Nevada was one such program, through which Mackey and six others cycled across Nevada. They stopped at elementary schools each morning of the 400-mile treck to deliver a message about bicycle safety.
Mackey said he was offered the chief position at the Nevada office, but he declined it.
"No," Mackey said. " I want to be the bicycle guy."
The third most important rule of bicycle safety is to take a course, Mackey says.
Mackey and other instructors from the cyclist league teach a course titled "Road One," which covers the basic principles of safety for all ages of cyclists. Later this month, he will travel to San Luis Obispo to give law enforcement officers a lesson in bicycle safety.
The cyclist league has adopted a program that encourages and helps children to safely ride bicycles. The program, Safe Routes To School, is close to Mackey's heart. Children's lack of knowledge of traffic laws is often the cause of their traffic-related accidental deaths, Mackey said.
"When you talk to a parent who has had a child die in traffic, it makes an impression," Mackey said. "I would like to do what we can do about it now."
The Safe Routes program is centered around the "Five E's:" education, enforcement, encouragement, engineering and evaluation. Through these, Mackey hopes that children will learn to safely ride their bicycles to school. A child with good pedestrian and bicycling habits will become good motorists, Mackey said.
He also believes cycling gives children opportunities they wouldn't get riding in a car, including exercise and a sense of freedom.
As the son of a military man, Mackey moved around often and had to make friends all over again each time he moved. He spent one year of high school in Romulus, New York. He remembered riding his 10-speedthrough the town and meeting everyone that he rode past. He found cycling gave him a great advantage in making new friends.
Mackey put down his bicycle in college, while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of California at Berkeley. It wasn't until Mackey had entered the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, and he and his wife were expecting for the second time, that he picked it up again. His wife gave him a bicycle to help relieve his stress. His wife, Linda Mackey, said the school's postgraduate program was very intense.
"He rode that bike into the ground," Linda said. "Now he works to support his bicycle addiction."
Mackey served in the U.S. Army for 25 years, including combat tours in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.
Mackey said of his recent recogniton as "Educator of the Year" that he was humbled to be compared with those who had been awarded before him.
"When you get an award like this, you take a deep breath and say thanks a lot," Mackey said. "It makes it all worth it."
Linda attended the conference in Austin and the awards luncheon with her husband.
"It's well deserved," Linda said. "He worked very hard. I'm very proud of him."
Mackey hopes to soon teach safety courses in Hanford, but until then recommends the "ABC Quick Check" for local cyclists. It is a five-step process that Mackey still does before every bicycle ride. He checks the air in his tires, his brakes, his crank and chain, and his quick release. Finally, he takes the bicycle for a short ride to "check" everything over before he heads out.
The reporter can be reached at 582-0471, ext. 3047
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
10 Bureaucratic Tricks to Marginalize Cyclists
This blog is taken from a memo from a senior bureaucratic, Mr. Screwspoke, to his assistant, Mr. Wormwheel. It seems that Wormwheel was preparing for a meeting with a new cycling advocacy group. Here is Screwspoke's guidance.
10 Bureaucratic Tricks to Marginalize Cyclists
- Get them to fight amongst themselves. Start a discussion about bike helmets, bike lanes, paths, on or off road facilities, priorities and stand back. Hopefully they will alienate one another in the subsequent fight to the extent that they will never be able to work together again.
- Present the cyclists with such an overwhelming number of bicycle “shortcomings” in the community that they will get discouraged at the sheer magnitude and give up. On the other hand, while attempting to set priorities, they’ll fight (see above).
- Ensure that each group in your community understands that their interests are diametrically opposed to the interests of every other group. Seniors vs. cyclists, motorists vs. pedestrians, this is a zero sum game. You can use this if #1 above fails. With all groups at an impasse, you can do pretty much as little as you want.
- Use jargon and denigrate those who don’t understand. Traffic is a complex and difficult subject, best left to experts. If cornered, use as many arcane terms as possible and look pained at any response from the cyclists.
- Present a huge, expensive and totally impractical bicycle engineering plan that will never be implemented. You’ll probably be long gone before ground is scheduled to be broken on phase one.
- If forced to build a “bike facility” give the project to your least experienced/motivated designer and make sure there will be cost overruns and nothing budgeted for maintenance. Nothing takes the starch out of a bike movement more than a poorly designed facility that is unusable within months due to lack of maintenance.
- Never, ever, ever allow a connection between “their” taxes and the funding you utilize. People can get pretty upset when they think you are wasting “their” money. It’s amazing that they never make the connection that, as a government bureaucrat, every penny you spend is their money. If pressed, you can always say the money came from a “grant”. “Grant” money usually translates as “free” money to most folks and you can get away with the most amazing amount of waste if you are using “grant” funds.
- Cite “lack of personnel” as the reason you can’t respond to their requests. Be vague about your job description and use statements like, “I’m not sure I’m allowed to do that.” or “I’d love to do that but I would get in a lot of trouble with my bosses.”
- If you’re forced into having a bike position on your staff, hire someone with no interest, qualifications and initiative. It’s amazing how little people expect out of their “public servants” and how quickly they will become accustomed to expecting little or nothing from the “bike person”.
- If all else fails, just be unavailable. Don’t answer your phone, or respond to email or letters. If pressed, cite “meetings” as the reason you can’t respond. It normally works. Look around, some of your colleagues have probably made a career out of dodging the public. If skilled enough, you should be able to retire on a nice pension with the knowledge that you have done little or nothing for the public in general and specifically those pesky cyclists.
There are a lot of other “tricks of the trade” to marginalize cyclists. You’re only limited by your imagination, initiative and energy. Of course, if you had any of these qualities…..
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Pictures
This is our dog, Pepper, an Aussie mix we got from the Rescue Service. She gets pretty upset when we travel without her. As you can see, she has her own way of expressing herself.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
So You Want to Be a Bike Club Member or Leader?
"Virtue is its' own reward."
One of the great things about a couple of bike clubs I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of is the involvement of a significant part of the membership in bicycle activism. The first thing that struck me about the Las Vegas Valley Bike Club when I joined several years ago, was how one or more of the members seemed to be into almost everything pertaining to bikes in the area, be it trails, carriers on buses, bike rodeos for kids, international or national touring, eating, supporting local coffee shops, outreach, and the list goes on and on. It’s not just a group of folks that throw there leg over a top tube (or their butts into a sling saddle, I get dinged every time I fail to include our sisters and brothers on recumbents) but a group of activists that not only practice and love the sport, but are giving something back to it on a daily basis.
This brings me to a common dilemma that is faced by almost every great bike club, what about the rest of the membership?. You know, the people that joined to ride occasionally when it fits their schedule, the weather is nice and they remembered to get their flat tires fixed. In other words, normal people. The ones whose eyes glaze over when you talk to them about gear ratios, your last trip up the Tourmalet, or permissible slope ratios on multi-use paths.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency in some clubs, (not this one of course) for the “hard core” membership, the 5-10% that does all the work, raises all the money, plans all the rides, writes and publishes all the newsletters, to view the rest of the membership as a bunch of uncaring slackers. This is both unfortunate and unfair.
Here’s why it’s unfortunate, but first, all you hard core volunteers out there, repeat after me, “Virtue is it’s own reward.” If you don’t think that the work you are doing on behalf of cyclists (or whales, owls, the rain forest, the ozone layer) is in and of itself worthwhile, unaccompanied by the praise and adulation of the public at large, then stop doing it. Long hard experience has taught me that if I plan to put in lots of hours planning and running the rest stops for the next club century, I better plan on patting myself on the back and maybe, if I’m really lucky, getting a couple of kind words from a couple of other hard workers in the club. Mostly I’m going to hear about how the peanut butter tasted funny, the bananas were too ripe (or green) and why didn’t I do something about the weather? If you know all that going in, it helps to mellow you out during those trying times. You do the job because you know you can do it well (maybe better than anyone else) and it gives you great pleasure to contribute a job done right to a club and sport you love.
The unfair part is that the vast majority of club members, the ones that don’t work tirelessly to support the club, are doing just what they signed up to do. They want to ride their bikes on a pleasant Saturday or Sunday with other convivial people that enjoy cycling. If more was expected of them, we should amend the membership form to read, “ Dues are $20.00 (and we require you to work a minimum of 200 hours per year on projects someone else did last year and will tell you, when you are done, how you could/should have done it better)”. Last time I checked we just required members to pay their dues and follow the rules.
Which brings me, in a roundabout way, to the main thrust of this article, the rules. Some are pretty simple, “A helmet is required on every ride.” . Others, that are second nature to those of us who have been riding for a while, will be a little more unfamiliar to the newcomers. Rules like, stop at Stop signs, ride on the right, (but not too far right), point out hazards on the road to those behind you, don’t signal right and go left (a particular peeve of mine, see this scar?) and bring stuff to fix you own flat and at least make preliminary motions that you’re going to do it.
Of course the best way for new riders to get all of this basic stuff is to attend a Road I class by a qualified League of American Bicyclists Instructor (mandatory plug) followed by a gentle mentoring program by other riders. The worst way to learn (the way I was taught) is to be yelled at when they didn’t do one of the above or any of a thousand other arcane bicycle rules.
The Road I and kind mentoring approach works. I’ve seen it work many times. On a personal note, my own sweet wife never really got into cycling until we did a ride with the “Deuces Wild” group. She had attended a Road I class but it was the kindness and helpfulness of other cyclists in that group, plus the fact that she had such a great time, that sold her on tandems.
So be kind and gentle to the new rider/member. Welcome them, encourage your club to offer periodic Road I classes, don’t drop them on rides and remember that you had to learn all this once too. In doing so, you’ll be doing a lot more than just making life pleasant for them, you’ll be making it a lot safer. Studies have shown that regular club riders have a much lower rate of crashes than non-club riders. If that new rider actually enjoys riding with the club, they may start to ride regularly. Who knows, they may even want to do more and become “one of us”.
One of the great things about a couple of bike clubs I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of is the involvement of a significant part of the membership in bicycle activism. The first thing that struck me about the Las Vegas Valley Bike Club when I joined several years ago, was how one or more of the members seemed to be into almost everything pertaining to bikes in the area, be it trails, carriers on buses, bike rodeos for kids, international or national touring, eating, supporting local coffee shops, outreach, and the list goes on and on. It’s not just a group of folks that throw there leg over a top tube (or their butts into a sling saddle, I get dinged every time I fail to include our sisters and brothers on recumbents) but a group of activists that not only practice and love the sport, but are giving something back to it on a daily basis.
This brings me to a common dilemma that is faced by almost every great bike club, what about the rest of the membership?. You know, the people that joined to ride occasionally when it fits their schedule, the weather is nice and they remembered to get their flat tires fixed. In other words, normal people. The ones whose eyes glaze over when you talk to them about gear ratios, your last trip up the Tourmalet, or permissible slope ratios on multi-use paths.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency in some clubs, (not this one of course) for the “hard core” membership, the 5-10% that does all the work, raises all the money, plans all the rides, writes and publishes all the newsletters, to view the rest of the membership as a bunch of uncaring slackers. This is both unfortunate and unfair.
Here’s why it’s unfortunate, but first, all you hard core volunteers out there, repeat after me, “Virtue is it’s own reward.” If you don’t think that the work you are doing on behalf of cyclists (or whales, owls, the rain forest, the ozone layer) is in and of itself worthwhile, unaccompanied by the praise and adulation of the public at large, then stop doing it. Long hard experience has taught me that if I plan to put in lots of hours planning and running the rest stops for the next club century, I better plan on patting myself on the back and maybe, if I’m really lucky, getting a couple of kind words from a couple of other hard workers in the club. Mostly I’m going to hear about how the peanut butter tasted funny, the bananas were too ripe (or green) and why didn’t I do something about the weather? If you know all that going in, it helps to mellow you out during those trying times. You do the job because you know you can do it well (maybe better than anyone else) and it gives you great pleasure to contribute a job done right to a club and sport you love.
The unfair part is that the vast majority of club members, the ones that don’t work tirelessly to support the club, are doing just what they signed up to do. They want to ride their bikes on a pleasant Saturday or Sunday with other convivial people that enjoy cycling. If more was expected of them, we should amend the membership form to read, “ Dues are $20.00 (and we require you to work a minimum of 200 hours per year on projects someone else did last year and will tell you, when you are done, how you could/should have done it better)”. Last time I checked we just required members to pay their dues and follow the rules.
Which brings me, in a roundabout way, to the main thrust of this article, the rules. Some are pretty simple, “A helmet is required on every ride.” . Others, that are second nature to those of us who have been riding for a while, will be a little more unfamiliar to the newcomers. Rules like, stop at Stop signs, ride on the right, (but not too far right), point out hazards on the road to those behind you, don’t signal right and go left (a particular peeve of mine, see this scar?) and bring stuff to fix you own flat and at least make preliminary motions that you’re going to do it.
Of course the best way for new riders to get all of this basic stuff is to attend a Road I class by a qualified League of American Bicyclists Instructor (mandatory plug) followed by a gentle mentoring program by other riders. The worst way to learn (the way I was taught) is to be yelled at when they didn’t do one of the above or any of a thousand other arcane bicycle rules.
The Road I and kind mentoring approach works. I’ve seen it work many times. On a personal note, my own sweet wife never really got into cycling until we did a ride with the “Deuces Wild” group. She had attended a Road I class but it was the kindness and helpfulness of other cyclists in that group, plus the fact that she had such a great time, that sold her on tandems.
So be kind and gentle to the new rider/member. Welcome them, encourage your club to offer periodic Road I classes, don’t drop them on rides and remember that you had to learn all this once too. In doing so, you’ll be doing a lot more than just making life pleasant for them, you’ll be making it a lot safer. Studies have shown that regular club riders have a much lower rate of crashes than non-club riders. If that new rider actually enjoys riding with the club, they may start to ride regularly. Who knows, they may even want to do more and become “one of us”.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Dust Off the Bikes after a Long Cold Winter
"There are only two seasons, winter and Bicycling."
mangled from a quote by Bill Veeck, (sorry Bill)
Spring is a great time to get everyone out of the house and back to the great outdoors. One of the best ways of enjoying the outdoors is to get back into bicycling. Sometimes, after a long, cold winter, those bikes need a little maintenance before they hit the road.
The simplest way of getting you bikes into shape is to load them into the car and take them down to your friendly, neighborhood bike shop and let them put the bikes into first class shape. Bike shops have the tools and expertise to check and fix problems that you might miss. On the other hand, you need to be able to trust your bike shop to make sure they don’t try to sell parts or labor you don’t need. If you aren’t familiar with bike shops in your area, ask around for a reliable shop with a good reputation.
The major areas you need to check for safe operation of a bike can be summed up in, “ABC Quick Check”. I’ve taught hundreds of kids, (and adults) this quick way to check over a bike and it also applies to getting it back into shape.
A is for air
Inflate tires to rated pressure as listed on the sidewall of the tire
Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure
Check for damage to tire tread and sidewall; replace if damaged
B is for brakes
Inspect pads for wear; replace is there is less than ¼" of pad left
Check pad adjustment; make sure they do not rub tire or dive into spokes
Check brake level travel; at least 1" between bar and lever when applied
C is for cranks, chain and cassette
Make sure that your crank bolts are tight; lube the threads only, nothing else
Check your chain for wear; 12 links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches
If your chain skips on your cassette, you might need a new one or just an adjustment
Quick is for quick releases
Hubs need to be tight in the frame; your quick release should engage at 90°
Your hub quick release should point back to insure that nothing catches on it
Inspect brake quick releases to insure that they have been re-engaged
Check is for check it over
Take a quick ride to check if derailleurs and brakes are working properly
Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts; tighten, replace or fix them
Pay extra attention to your bike during the first few miles of the ride
Before you let your child out for their first ride, check their helmet. Make sure the helmet is in good shape, then check the fit. The new way to do this easily is to remember, “Eyes, Ears and Mouth”. The child should be able to see the front brim of the helmet when they look up, (Eyes). The two straps from the helmet should join just below the ears (Ears). When your child opens his or her mouth, the helmet should tighten on their head. Make sure they have a Medical Information Carrier System™ in their helmet so they can be identified in case of a medical emergency.
Before you unleash them, there is one more step, perhaps the most important. Take time to review the rules of the road with them. A good time to do this is when you’re driving in your car. Ask them, “If you were on your bike, what would you do in a specific situation?” You might be surprised at what they think the rules of the road are for bikes. Be sure to include any special rules you might have on how far they can ride, when they can ride and the rules on telling you where they are going. Run through a couple of emergency scenarios such as what they should do if they are approached by a stranger.
Of course, the best way to teach you children safe bicycling is to bicycle with them and lead by example.
mangled from a quote by Bill Veeck, (sorry Bill)
Spring is a great time to get everyone out of the house and back to the great outdoors. One of the best ways of enjoying the outdoors is to get back into bicycling. Sometimes, after a long, cold winter, those bikes need a little maintenance before they hit the road.
The simplest way of getting you bikes into shape is to load them into the car and take them down to your friendly, neighborhood bike shop and let them put the bikes into first class shape. Bike shops have the tools and expertise to check and fix problems that you might miss. On the other hand, you need to be able to trust your bike shop to make sure they don’t try to sell parts or labor you don’t need. If you aren’t familiar with bike shops in your area, ask around for a reliable shop with a good reputation.
The major areas you need to check for safe operation of a bike can be summed up in, “ABC Quick Check”. I’ve taught hundreds of kids, (and adults) this quick way to check over a bike and it also applies to getting it back into shape.
A is for air
Inflate tires to rated pressure as listed on the sidewall of the tire
Use a pressure gauge to insure proper pressure
Check for damage to tire tread and sidewall; replace if damaged
B is for brakes
Inspect pads for wear; replace is there is less than ¼" of pad left
Check pad adjustment; make sure they do not rub tire or dive into spokes
Check brake level travel; at least 1" between bar and lever when applied
C is for cranks, chain and cassette
Make sure that your crank bolts are tight; lube the threads only, nothing else
Check your chain for wear; 12 links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches
If your chain skips on your cassette, you might need a new one or just an adjustment
Quick is for quick releases
Hubs need to be tight in the frame; your quick release should engage at 90°
Your hub quick release should point back to insure that nothing catches on it
Inspect brake quick releases to insure that they have been re-engaged
Check is for check it over
Take a quick ride to check if derailleurs and brakes are working properly
Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts; tighten, replace or fix them
Pay extra attention to your bike during the first few miles of the ride
Before you let your child out for their first ride, check their helmet. Make sure the helmet is in good shape, then check the fit. The new way to do this easily is to remember, “Eyes, Ears and Mouth”. The child should be able to see the front brim of the helmet when they look up, (Eyes). The two straps from the helmet should join just below the ears (Ears). When your child opens his or her mouth, the helmet should tighten on their head. Make sure they have a Medical Information Carrier System™ in their helmet so they can be identified in case of a medical emergency.
Before you unleash them, there is one more step, perhaps the most important. Take time to review the rules of the road with them. A good time to do this is when you’re driving in your car. Ask them, “If you were on your bike, what would you do in a specific situation?” You might be surprised at what they think the rules of the road are for bikes. Be sure to include any special rules you might have on how far they can ride, when they can ride and the rules on telling you where they are going. Run through a couple of emergency scenarios such as what they should do if they are approached by a stranger.
Of course, the best way to teach you children safe bicycling is to bicycle with them and lead by example.
Cyclists’ Responsibilities
Bicycling in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of carelessness, incapacity, or neglect.
Mangled from a quote by Anonymous on Aviation
It’s a great honor to be the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Officer for the State of Nevada. I love the job and try to fight hard for all of you, my fellow cyclists throughout the state. However, (this word generally denotes the author is going to get preachy) every once in a while you folks can be a pain in the rear, and I don’t mean the good kind you get after a long satisfying ride.
Right from the get-go, there are some folks that shouldn’t read this column. Those of you that see yourself as an oppressed minority and therefore entitled to do almost anything in traffic, stop reading right now. For those of you that believe, “It’s just a bike, traffic rules are for cars” move on. You folks that believe, since you are riding for exercise and therefore doing something good for yourself and the environment so the petty rules of traffic don’t apply, tune out. Or maybe you are the people that should be reading. For the rest of you (us), find one of the above, sit on him or her and read this to them.
We’re burying too many cyclists this year. Way too many. Thus far this year we’ve had six cyclist fatalities. Last year we had four. One is one too many. From a quick review of the crash reports, the crashes were overwhelmingly, the fault of the cyclists. They violated some pretty basic rules of traffic and, unfortunately, paid the ultimate price. If a random sampling of cyclist behavior that I’ve seen and other cyclist friends, such as your President, have reported to me is anything to go on, it’s getting worse. I just finished talking to Eric Glick, our State Bike/Ped Coordinator about this and he thinks so too.
Here’s a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious) we all need to remember. “Cyclists fare best when they act like, and are treated as drivers of vehicles.” No joke. The fact that cyclists are about a thousand times more vulnerable than motor vehicles only adds to the reality of this quote.
When someone asks me what to do in a specific cycling situation, I always ask, “What would you do if you were driving?” Nine out of ten times or more, the person asking comes up with the right answer. It’s not a knowledge deficiency we’re dealing with here, it’s and attitude problem.
Obey traffic rules. Stop at Stop signs and red lights. Get into the proper lane before you make a turn or, if you can’t get over to make a left turn at an intersection, get off your bike and cross as a pedestrian. Ride on the right where we all look for you and where you are supposed to be by law.
We have a great set of bicycle laws here in Nevada. If you’re unfamiliar with them, I’ll be glad to send you a copy. We distribute about 10,000 a year to the public. The laws are there to keep you alive. They haven’t failed and aren’t the reason we’re loosing so many cyclists.
I read all the fatality reports on every cyclist and pedestrian killed in Nevada. I’ve got too much reading material this year, way too much. For every death there is usually a grieving family, a shocked and distraught motorist, a law enforcement officer that has to investigate the crash and medical personnel that respond to the scene and do their best to save the victims. These tragedies take a toll on everyone they touch. That toll is preventable. Don’t violate the law and don’t tolerate others that do. Report them to the police and demand that action be taken, it might just save that cyclists’ life down the road.
Remember, we don’t call them accidents, accidents just happen, crashes are always preventable.
(October 2002)
Mangled from a quote by Anonymous on Aviation
It’s a great honor to be the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Officer for the State of Nevada. I love the job and try to fight hard for all of you, my fellow cyclists throughout the state. However, (this word generally denotes the author is going to get preachy) every once in a while you folks can be a pain in the rear, and I don’t mean the good kind you get after a long satisfying ride.
Right from the get-go, there are some folks that shouldn’t read this column. Those of you that see yourself as an oppressed minority and therefore entitled to do almost anything in traffic, stop reading right now. For those of you that believe, “It’s just a bike, traffic rules are for cars” move on. You folks that believe, since you are riding for exercise and therefore doing something good for yourself and the environment so the petty rules of traffic don’t apply, tune out. Or maybe you are the people that should be reading. For the rest of you (us), find one of the above, sit on him or her and read this to them.
We’re burying too many cyclists this year. Way too many. Thus far this year we’ve had six cyclist fatalities. Last year we had four. One is one too many. From a quick review of the crash reports, the crashes were overwhelmingly, the fault of the cyclists. They violated some pretty basic rules of traffic and, unfortunately, paid the ultimate price. If a random sampling of cyclist behavior that I’ve seen and other cyclist friends, such as your President, have reported to me is anything to go on, it’s getting worse. I just finished talking to Eric Glick, our State Bike/Ped Coordinator about this and he thinks so too.
Here’s a BFO (Blinding Flash of the Obvious) we all need to remember. “Cyclists fare best when they act like, and are treated as drivers of vehicles.” No joke. The fact that cyclists are about a thousand times more vulnerable than motor vehicles only adds to the reality of this quote.
When someone asks me what to do in a specific cycling situation, I always ask, “What would you do if you were driving?” Nine out of ten times or more, the person asking comes up with the right answer. It’s not a knowledge deficiency we’re dealing with here, it’s and attitude problem.
Obey traffic rules. Stop at Stop signs and red lights. Get into the proper lane before you make a turn or, if you can’t get over to make a left turn at an intersection, get off your bike and cross as a pedestrian. Ride on the right where we all look for you and where you are supposed to be by law.
We have a great set of bicycle laws here in Nevada. If you’re unfamiliar with them, I’ll be glad to send you a copy. We distribute about 10,000 a year to the public. The laws are there to keep you alive. They haven’t failed and aren’t the reason we’re loosing so many cyclists.
I read all the fatality reports on every cyclist and pedestrian killed in Nevada. I’ve got too much reading material this year, way too much. For every death there is usually a grieving family, a shocked and distraught motorist, a law enforcement officer that has to investigate the crash and medical personnel that respond to the scene and do their best to save the victims. These tragedies take a toll on everyone they touch. That toll is preventable. Don’t violate the law and don’t tolerate others that do. Report them to the police and demand that action be taken, it might just save that cyclists’ life down the road.
Remember, we don’t call them accidents, accidents just happen, crashes are always preventable.
(October 2002)
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