Helmet-Head

Yes, when you first learn about it it definitely sounds like common sense and like you more-or-less already do most of it. At least that's the way it was for me.

Even as I was reading Effective Cycling, I wasn't very impressed. That's because I was already basically doing what Forester was advocating. Or so I thought.

What I still can't get over is how significant are the small seemingly insignficant things:

• Riding a little bit further to the left than most cyclists.
• Not waiting for a gap, but creating one when you need one.
• Starting your left turn merge earlier.
• Treating the bike lane as a temporary "pull-over" passing zone (not something Forester explicitly advocates, but I think falls out logically from the VC principle).
• The body language/communication effect of looking back over your shoulder behind you.
• Obeying "first come; first served" by waiting in your place in line.

That's off the top of my head. It's hard to explain. But in the end all these subtle changes add up to a complete mindset change, and that's the most important part: it's about seeing yourself as an equal user of the roadway, not a second-class citizen, and riding your bicycle accordingly.

There's a self-esteem component to it. Have you heard of general self-esteem and specialized self-esteem? Somone might have high specialized self-esteem at work, but not in social situations, etc. Learning vehicular cycling helps with your cycling specialized self-esteem, if you will, especially riding in traffic. It helps you learn to feel "appropriate" in traffic among other vehicle drivers, not like an outsider borrowing whatever pavement the "legitimate" users happen to not be using. Even if you don't recognize that's how you look at it, most cyclists ride as if they do, and are treated accordingly. And, just like in any other area, achieving high self-esteem has a liberating effect.

That's enough for now...

Others?