A Bicyclist At Risk Tonight
I was appalled by a cyclist tonight.
The road is a four lane arterial. Two lanes each direction, minimum width. No parking lane, no shoulder, no bike lane. If you step off the sidewalk, you're directly in the flow of traffic. Lights synchronized. Typical speed 45 mph. Heavy traffic at most hours.
I have - very occasionally - ridden my bike on this road, for a few blocks at a time, and I'm pedaling as fast as I can, 25+ mph, until I turn off to a quieter street. I'm the rare exception. Hardly anyone rides a bike on this road.
Until tonight. I'm driving along, in thick traffic, 45 mph in the curbside lane, inches from the curb on my right and the SUV on my left, when I see a woman riding an upright city bike in the lane ahead of me. She is not riding fast. Actually she is doodling along, coasting as often as pedaling, maybe 10 mph. She is hugging the curb and cars are passing her at 30+ mph, so closely it makes me wince.
By the way, it is night and very dark. She has a red blinky on her seatpost. No reflectives. No helmet.
I'm boggled that someone is doing this. Instead of passing her, I slow and follow her at 10 mph, figuring that for the half mile I'm on the road, I'll at least protect her a bit. When I turn off, she's still puttering along, and cars are starting to buzz her again.
Comments? Yes I realize she is technically "within her rights" to ride there. Should she be?