Some musings and thoughts, not necessarily totally cogent. Hey, it has been a LONG day.!!

My wife and I have been in a couple of serious car crashes the past 2 years. My wife had some serious knee and back damage. It took her a year of PT to get back. But, we never thought of never driving a car again.

I guess I would examine what I wanted to get out of biking.

The research clearly shows that

1. More accidents occur on bike paths, BUT

2. More critical accidents and accidents causing deaths occur on the highway. In fact, about 90% of cycling deaths are attritutable to car/bike crashes.

However, given the above, biking is still a safe activity, compared to many other activities. I.e., we had about 13 skiiers killed in Colorado this year, and many more serious injuries.

My wife and I have chosen, given our circumstances, to take the higher risk of an accident on a bike path rather than the higher chance of death or critical injury riding on a roadway.

That does not mean I never ride on a roadway - I do ride on them. But, I am quite particular when, how and where I ride, and there are certain streets I will not go on.

So, I think you look at the risks, and figure out your action. Everything you do has risks. If you sit in the living room never venturing out, you have a sharply increased risk of obesity, strokes and heart problems, among others.

If you drive a car to the market, there is a definite risk. If you walk, there is a risk of falling or getting hit.

Personally, I would get back into biking. The potential benefits are far greater than the potential risks. I would do everything I could do to minimize a catastrophic injury, however.

And, there will be lots of disagreement with what I just wrote. So, read on for others viewpoints.