Originally Posted by
gregjones
It does help quite a bit to leave the idiot anger on the road. I find that quite the opposite has helped. I mention when it even looks like a driver sees me, and boast about the times I'm told that my lights sure attract attention.
yeah sometimes i forget this fact and I can tell it really makes her nervous. I try to remember to not tell about the dummies out there. I do like to tell her when people respond positively to my riding, lights, etc.
Originally Posted by
joeyduck
I forgot about that. I tell her those points. Especially the first day I wore the new shirt she got me a guy pulled up and said it was great. And that thing almost glows. I did try to tell her about close calls, but I think it added fuel to the concern canon. When driving together I will comment and point out what other cyclists are doing and why I would never do that. Or why it is a good thing they are doing.
we look out for riders when driving together. I have seen them usually before she does. She has said that they are hard to see or whatever and I usually have to agree. I really do think some sort of light is effective almost all the time.
Originally Posted by
bconneraz
I commute in car crazy So Cal where we average 1 bicycle death a month, just in Orange County. This year, it's been awful; I believe that we're up to 10 already in 2014; this Sunday is yet another memorial ride for 2 recent victims.
There have been 3 ghost bikes placed at different points on my regular commute in the past 2 years. It's sobering. That said, I love riding my bike. I take as many precautions as I can by wearing hi-viz clothing and helmet, multiple rear lights including a Dinotte, front lights, flashers, and I even have a friggen air horn. I obey traffic laws, and I practice patience. I wear my Road ID every time I'm on the bike, and I use Garmin's live tracking so my wife and family know where I'm at. Despite my best efforts, I know that I'm one distracted/drunk/impatient driver away from having a really bad day. Thing is, I could be taken out in my car on the 5 freeway too; do I think about that every time I get behind the wheel? nope.
I read a great quote once; "I don't ride my bike to add years to my life, I ride my bike to add life to my years" That pretty much sums it up for me. I just love riding my damn bike. My wife gets it, and so does my son. While I know they worry, I also know that I can make them worry less by taking precautions, and being selective on talking about close calls and the many idiots I encounter on my commute; many of which are other bicyclists.
There are risks in everything we do. For me, the positive benefits of riding and commuting on a bicycle far outweigh the negative.
that is most definitely true I really think the positives outweigh the negative. [MENTION=24144]bconneraz[/MENTION] be careful out there.
I would say that I use gmaps pedometer or milermeter.com to draw the routes I usually take. Sometimes when we are driving I will drive the route. She really likes to see where I am riding and sometimes she wonders how I found this road or whatever. She saves the pictures of the routes on the computer so if she did have to go looking she would have a place to start.
Finally I usually text when I make it to work and i usually text when I am heading home.