Old 01-01-06, 07:30 PM
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chipcom 
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Bikes: Surly Big Dummy, Fuji World, 80ish Bianchi

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Originally Posted by Roody
I try to convince people mainly by showing them the way I ride. Every day thousands of cagers see me ride safely and responsibly. (Hopefully only a couple see me when I'm really having fun ) People in the grocery store see me efficiently packing my stuff in my back pack, putting on my cool lights, and riding away before carryout even brings them their groceries. Friends see how much weight I've lost and hear how much fun I have.

BTW, far more often, people say they worry about me getting too cold or wet, rather than worrying about my safety in traffic. Is this what you have found too?
True, they usually ask if I'm cold, how I keep dry, what great shape I must be in, how much I must save in gas, etc., but when I take a converstation farther than just a few passing words, I often get ' you aren't one of those crazy people who ride in the street, are you?'. I don't think our example is enough, important as it is. More of us doing it would go a long way to making it seem safer, but until they can feel safer on the roads themselves, in their automobiles, odds are they will never feel safe enough to ride a bike on those roads. I think that is our biggest challenge, which is why a speed demon like me (in a cage) has come to the conclusion that an important first-step towards making the roads safer for everyone is stricter, active enforcement of the speed limits.
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