on/off ramps

[LittleBigMan]

Serge, don't cry (here's a hankie.) :D

I handle those things the same. I hold my position in the lane I would normally use when driving my car. That's what motorists understand.

But I guarantee you that if I had enough close calls, I'd rethink it and to he!! with religion.

(Maybe this is a good time to talk about life after death...)

[Bruce Rosar]

Traffic avoidance, IMO is important when ever possible, ...Remember that story about the guy who was raised by wolfs? Life was tough until he figured out that he was human and should embrace people instead of trying to avoid them. Since bicycles are vehicles, a cyclist who always strives to avoid vehicular traffic is in denial about what they are.

... where I live, there are 2 very & constantly busy streets. ... It is legal, according to state, county & city laws to ride a bicycle on them. But very dangerous to do so. Got Evidence? :) In God we trust. Everybody else is suspect. (http://www.zdnetindia.com/print.html?iElementId=4632)

I ride on the city streets all the time. And I ride very defensively. I do so both defensively and assertively, as per the following advice from the "Best Practise in Bike to Work Schemes" leaflet produced by The CTC: The UK's National Cyclists Organisation (http://www.thebikezone.org.uk/cycletowork/leaflet.html)4) Ride both assertively and defensively. For example, claim your road space, ensure that you clearly indicate your intentions to other road users and avoid putting yourself into a position where a mistake by others might put you at risk. Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as vehicles. Always apply this principle and ride in a way that demands others give due recognition to your right to use the public road.

(To gain an in-depth knowledge of the principles of `vehicular cycling' and defensive riding read the Official Cycling manual `Cyclecraft' written by John Franklin ...

Bruce Rosar
"In all aspects of life a state of balance should exist between the opposing forces of Ying and Yang."

[N_C]

Remember that story about the guy who was raised by wolfs? Life was tough until he figured out that he was human and should embrace people instead of trying to avoid them. Since bicycles are vehicles, a cyclist who always strives to avoid vehicular traffic is in denial about what they are.

I don't strive to avoid traffic. Like I said I ride on the city streets all the time as a vehicular cyclist. I just avoid, as much as possible heavy traffic areas in the city. I do prefere to ride out on the county & state highways though, in fact I love it. Yes the traffic is travelling at higher speeds, but there is not as much of it at one time as there is in the city.

Got Evidence? :)

Yes I have evidence. In Iowa a cyclist can ride on any roadway that does not have a minimum posted speed limit of where otherwise posted that cyclists are prohibited. If a cyclist is prohibited from riding on a roadway & the roadway does not have a minimum posted speed limit then it is posted with some sort of signage. No where in Sioux City is there such signage stating cyclists are prohibited from riding. Keep in mind I live here in Sioux City & have driven on Hamilton Blvd & Gordong Drive & once I rode on Gordon Drive, never again did I do that. Hamilton, south of Stone Park Blvd, though it is 2 lanes in each direction, it is not safe for cyclists because of the amount of traffic.

[Bruce Rosar]

Yes I have evidence... Hamilton, south of Stone Park Blvd, though it is 2 lanes in each direction, it is not safe for cyclists because of the amount of traffic.
"not safe"? Reminds me of a line from the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy"Ah," said Arthur, "this is obviously some strange usage of the word safe that I wasn't previously aware of."
And that in turn reminds me of an article (http://www.floridabicycle.org/freedomfromfear.html) by Mighk Wilson (http://www.floridabicycle.org/messenger/msgronl0204/spring041.htm)When people talk about bike safety ... they aren't much concerned about potholes or dogs or sand on the corner or their ability to control the bike. They fear the motorist they can't see and who supposedly can't see them. This fear is based on the belief that a significant number of motorists are likely to hit bicyclists while overtaking them. Does it happen? Yes. Is it common? Not at all.

Beliefs are survival tools our brains use when we don't have sufficient direct sensory information to make a decision. Good beliefs can protect us from potential dangers. Bad beliefs mislead us into being fearless when we should be wary or fearing the wrong things...

What kinds of events contribute to our beliefs about bicycle safety? First and most common is sensory information -- observation of the motorists and bicyclists around us. Such observations often convince people that bicycling is unsafe. It only takes a few incidents of carelessness or rudeness by motorists to convince some that cycling is a dangerous activity even though most interactions with motorists are non-threatening. We humans are easily startled when something big comes rushing up from behind us. Think -- predator! Even after 25 years of cycling an overtaking car still occasionally startles me.

Second are the lies that motorists tell when they have treated cyclists poorly. Catch up to a motorist after one has nearly sideswiped you and you?ll most likely hear one of the following lies: A) "I didn't see you." B) "You belong on the sidewalk." C) "You're supposed to ride all the way to the right."

Third are stories about crashes. The media does not report "20,000 people rode their bikes today and none of them were hit by motorists." They usually report that someone has been killed while cycling and make little or no effort to explain why the crash occurred.

The fourth way is through statistical data on bicyclist-versus-motorist crashes. Here again the information is skewed toward the negative. The statistical data people receive through the media is vague and misleading.

My purpose on these pages (http://www.floridabicycle.org/freedomfromfear.html) is to show you why proper cycling on roads is quite safe and can be accomplished by normal adults. I'll be covering a few statistics (okay, a lot of statistics) my own experiences, the skills and practices necessary for safer cycling, and some reasoning about the motorist's perspective.