From a different thread, this comment struck me. It got me thinking of how different things sometimes change our outlooks on riding, temporarily or permanently.
Lots of cyclist like to try and make this a black and white issue when in reality it is not. Good example of this is myself. I am an experienced cyclist, I have been riding for years and used to race a bit, very used to riding on the roads and roads only. Then i moved to a new city. New city is not bike friendly, there are almost no other cyclist and drivers do not expect or TOLERATE cyclist on the road. In the first year I was yelled at had things thrown at me was swerved at and on at least 3 occasions had good meaning citizens pull over and attempt to tell me what i was doing was either illegal or legal but unsafe and they feared for my life, complete with the story of the loved one killed by a car while biking.
After a year of this and my blood pressure and nerves so high strung from the daily commute (I refuse to give up) I jumped on the sidewalk one day during a heavy rain that had limited driver visibility. Much to my surprise i started enjoying the ride, yeah i had to go a bit slower, and had to watch for driveways and intersections, but I no longer had the fear that everyone was out to kill me and it put the fun back in my commute. Been on the sidewalk for my commute since. There are other places I go in town where it is better to ride the road and i do and I always jump on the road anyplace else, but going to the business district i work in it is sidewalk all the way.
So...which experiences have you had while riding that changed your outlook on particular things you did or didn't do (routes, equipment, habits) before said experiences?
It could be as simple as realizing slightly wider tires made a particular path rideable, or as big as seeing someone hit, and deciding to wear a helmet/avoid a highway, etc.
Note: this is
not a thread for discussion on the pros and cons of sidewalk riding vs. road riding. I'd like more of a "personal revelations" kind of thing, like in the example above.