How to Drive Around Cyclists.

http://www.bicycling.com/news/advocacy/how-drive-around-cyclists

'I guess you have a death wish or something'

Why do I hear this statement 75% of the time that I tell people I ride my bike around here?
Do you want my personal opinion of your snide comment after you get done stating this?
I don't think you do...
Do you want me to rail off stats that show that it's safer to be on a bicycle than it is in a car?
Or that I'm the same amount of safe as you getting into your car and joining the lemmings on the road with other 2-3 ton metal vehicles? In case you hadn't noticed, there are safety precautions to a car in order to protect you - A SEATBELT for example....
Shall I point out the crap that you do that would seem you have more of a death wish than I do? Such as SMOKING, or drinking enough soda and junk food while sitting at your desk your diabetic coma is just bound to sneak up on you as you age?
Maybe I'll just point out the fact that you go out in the sun and increase your chances of skin cancer daily here in our lovely sunny state of Florida.

Would you like that? To be critiqued over your decisions in life?
I don't think so. So don't critique or judge mine please. If you have a comment to say about my biking that you think is in any way, shape or form NEGATIVE.
SHUT YOUR PIE-HOLE, GET YOUR COFFEE AND DON'T TALK TO ME NEGATIVELY ABOUT SOMETHING I OBVIOUSLY ENJOY.

Thank you

Goals...

The problem with making goals - is that if you don't meet them, it can be a little disenchanting.
The problem with my goal, is that I don't want to 100% do what I have to do in order to get there:






I would kill for those legs..and that body.
However, that takes training. Hardcore training. Like, change my diet entirely and my schedule and don't even consider including photography or dancing as a past-time training (ok I might be able to do those a little bit, but not how I do them now).
It's not a matter of not being able to do it. I could totally do it. And did do it by about 90% complete-ness when I was younger and was a swimmer (the only thing I refused to give up was chocolate back then). It's a matter of getting rid of a lot of good things (that are bad for you) in order to get there.

Then again, maybe I could also see it as a 2011 New Year's goal...

Happy Father's Day

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Shamed

Thunder and lightening over here have made me chicken out and decide against riding my bike home this afternoon.
I have called my backup driver (The Greek) and he is on the way to pick me up.
It's that and the freaking ear pain I'm having right now is like..WOAH (see, possible ear infection)

But for now, I am

Mass Traffic

I am not the person to discuss new car/traffic construction with. Sadly, I noted this yesterday when my house-mate unfortunately brought up the new overpass off of Bryan Dairy that is currently being created even as we speak.
I had seen the monstrosity on the couple of occasions I have driven to the Interstate, I just honestly choose to ignore it for the most part.
Currently - from what I hear; Exit 30 on I-275 will include a new overpass that will take people right to Bryan Dairy instead of having them drive on Roosevelt.
Sure, it's great for cars commuters; but it's horrible for other method of transportation. And that's what infuriates me.

Why can't this area, instead of creating a gazillion overpasses to accomodate the sprawl - DO SOMETHING about the sprawl?? And if they can't - then why can't they look into more efficient methods of transportation...say Mass Transit or a Railway or something.
This entire AREA has become nothing but 8 lane roads (that don't need to be 8 lanes..I'm sorry, but if they had just looked into making more options to mass commute people across the bridge to Tampa, then they wouldn't have to make Ulmerton (for example), from 4 to 8 lanes. have you been on that road after rush hour? It's DEAD - hardly any of that 8 lane is fully used EXCEPT for at rush hour time).
It's bad enough that in order for me to get home SAFELY, I have to drive my car to an area PAST three entrance and exit routes of interstate. Every single road in this area people think is a freeway/highway...even when it's not. We've got four lane roads going through NEIGHBORHOODS. With kids playing in the area.
It's just not smart. We're talking over and over about the oil spill here and how we need to find alternative energy sources, yet we're still condoning that everyone in this area HAVE A CAR in order to survive..it seems almost like a wasted effort.
You wanna talk about being less dependent on gas? Then shut up and get on a bicycle. Or take a walk to the store that's 1.5 miles from your house. Sure it'll be hot - sure it'll be uncomfortable..but your body will adjust. You think I ENJOY being a hot sweaty mess when I come into work and all the cleanup I have to do when I get there so as not to offend? No I don't really. But it's SO worth it to be more fit, enjoy my time on the bike, have an alternative method of transportation, and be one less car on the road.
So no; talking to me about how cool an overpass isn't really a good idea.
The only thing I see that overpass as being right now for me?! Is a reminder - that I need to move out of this area and to more cycle friendly areas that WANT to embrace alternative options for transit.
/end soapbox.

Has nothing to do with biking, but I really want to share my favorite kinks song

Awesome

There's definitely something to be said for having the wind at your back, pushing you across the bridge in the afternoons.

Made it over the bridge in 45minutes thanks to that. God Bless TailWinds :)

40% chance of rain tomorrow - I think it'll still be good to ride in again...

A view of my ride in and back home everyday for those that were curious

Click on the view larger map link below to see the whole she-bang...you can also click the title of the entry as well to re-direct.



View Larger Map

HONK!! HONK!!

I don't know who determined it was ok for people to HONK at cyclists on the road, but seriously, it's not doing your case any good. I'm a cyclist..in the road, not swerving. I am aware of my surroundings. You don't think I can't HEAR you car coming up behind me? You don't think I can tell how fast you're going or which lane you're in. My job is to be on GUARD at all times so as not to get clobbered by a car. YOUR JOB IS TO PASS ME - GIVING ME THREE FEET OF SPACE BY MOVING OVER (Required by law) and to not disrupt my ride. Honking your horn while passing, only STARTLES THE CYCLISTS and thus MIGHT cause them to weave. OR definitely/for sure make them your worst enemy for giving them that scare.

Now I on the other hand, have taken a different approach - just so you jackholes don't ruin my day. I have decided that instead of honking to just either a) let me know that you're there (even though I CAN HEAR YOU COMING FROM 5 MILES BACK) or b) cause you're upset that you have to move that steering wheel over just so to give me room...I have determined that you are my cheering squad. So if you hear me yelling WOOOO YEAAAAAA GO TEAM MEEEEE!!! when you HONK and pass me - sorry if that's not what you wanted, but I'm not going to let stupidity ruin my day.

I am on top of the world when I am cycling, there is nothing you can do that can ruin how good cycling makes me feel.

When are you people going to chill the eff out?

Two cyclists stabbed after holiday ride; one in critical condition

A driver confronted a group after one yelled at him.

Posted: May 31, 2010 - 12:14pm

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3939 Roosevelt Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida

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By Matt Galnor

An annual Memorial Day bicycle ride landed three men in the hospital — two cyclists who were stabbed and the suspect who’ll be charged in the attack.

One of the cyclists was in critical condition Monday at Shands Jacksonville, said Sgt. Robert Hurst of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Police did not identify any of the three men Monday.

Hurst said police have varying accounts of what happened just before 11 a.m. in the parking lot of Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Kent Campus.

Jim Wright of Orange Park was among about 25 riders in the front group and said everything started when the cyclists finished their 60-mile route and pulled onto the service road leading into the college — the starting and finishing point for the ride.

A man driving a pickup truck brushed up against one of the cyclists and another rider started yelling at the driver, Wright said.

The driver followed the group into the parking lot, got out of his truck and moved toward one of the cyclists, Wright said.

When the driver, whom Hurst said was in his late teens or early 20s, bumped his chest against the cyclist, another rider punched the driver in the face.

The driver then stabbed the cyclist who punched, and slashed another rider who tried to break it up, Wright said.

None of the witnesses who spoke with the Times-Union saw the knife and Hurst said it was not recovered.

The man then got in his truck and took off. Robert Brown, another cyclist, chased after the truck and yelled the license plate number to someone else in the group, who saved it in his phone and called police.

Wright grabbed a spare tube for a bike tire and wrapped it around the first cyclist’s wounds to try to stop the bleeding until rescue units arrived.

“You can fix anything with a tube and a spoke,” Wright said.

The driver called his father, who went to the scene and told police where to find his son, Hurst said. He was hospitalized with injuries to his face and will be charged with aggravated battery, Hurst said.

The driver is cooperating with police and told his father he was jumped by a group of cyclists, Hurst said.

The two cyclists were among more than 100 riders in an annual Memorial Day ride sponsored by the North Florida Bicycle Club, ride director John McDowell said.

Most of the cyclists who gathered after the ride have their own horror stories about being flipped the bird or getting ice tossed on them by motorists, but that’s usually as far as it goes, McDowell said.

“We’ve had threats like that before,” McDowell said, “but never anything like this.”