79pmooney

To my way of thinking, living life and approaching it in that light, to celebrate each day like it was my last is simply a good way to live. (And for it to be a good day to die, I first have to make it a good day.)

Ben

Chris0516

I didn't see it mentioned in the original article.

indyfabz

Yes you do.

Chris0516

No I don't. But like anyone else, people find evidence to prove a point. That isn't 'dredging up' anything.

JoeyBike

I am not obsessed with the thought of dying on my bike but I do remind myself that "today could be the day" every time I throw my leg over a top tube. It sets my focus to a higher level during the ride. I always have at least a small bit of camo up front where I can see it - like handlebar tape, a sticker, bandana, whatever to remind me during the ride that I should be 100% attentive, even though after all these years I likely do not need a reminder.

I have never been in the military so I have no point of reference for doing something while hostile forces are actively trying to kill me. I do feel like I am entering the lion's den or the shark tank while cycling in my city for a number or reasons and not all of them are motorized.

FBinNY 

The reality is that it's not a sad reality at all. The sad part is that you believe it to be. The undue part is that you don't have to think this way, and do so only because you've listened to the negative projections of others.

However, I suspect that those who think of bicycling of being like in a war zone, first of all have never seen a war zone, and secondly don't actually think that. If they did, they wouldn't ride in the first place. You CHOOSE to ride, and do so because you believe it to be enjoyable and relatively safe and healthful. If you didn't, you wouldn't choose to do so.

I'm not dialed into whether any individual cyclist thinks its dangerous to ride in traffic. But I am concerned over that notion poliferating. Too many people are being told that it's dangerous and limiting themselves to offroad riding. At the same time self proclaimed bicycle advocates are saying roads are too dangerous, and even painted lanes are inadequate, and the only safe approach is segregated infrastructure. We have to consider that the logical consequence of that attitude is for the government to build those segregated cycle tracks, which is OK, but then the next step would be to ban bicycles from most other roads for our own safety.

IMO anyone who claims that bicycling in traffic is inherently dangerous is not a bicycle advocate.

JoeyBike

I am not a bicycle advocate. I am a bicyclist advocate.

I believe that every cyclist should be alerted to all of the pros and cons of cycling among motor vehicles. Matching a difficult to see relatively small, slow vehicle against large, heavy, wide, powerful, fast vehicles is inherently dangerous to the smaller, vulnerable road user. This is why the A&S Forum is littered with death notices of cyclists killed by cars, not motorists killed by cyclists.

I believe it is irresponsible to send someone out on a busy highway or a lonely county road without the proper mental tools to A. Make and intelligent decision to go or not to go, and B. some practical knowledge on how to stay alive if they decide to go anyway.

genec

About here is where we usually get into the statistical argument about cycling safety... mentioning hours in a car, vrs hours on a bike, while ignoring miled in a car vrs those same distances on a bike.

Lets face it, roads fill with cars are not the safest places for cyclists.

DeadGrandpa

I bicycle on rural roads which intermittently have a little traffic but for the most part I choose the roads and time of day on those roads so as to minimize my risk. It would only take one driver's momentary inattention to end my time here. Still, I can't allow fear to rule my life. I frequently start my rides by looking at the sky, and I say, "It's a good day to die." It has nothing to do with battle. It is a technique to focus the spirit. YMMV.

mconlonx

Not to mention... those who cycle more, crash less.

mconlonx

If we posted all the stories of bicycle rides which did not end in death or injury, to put a positive spin on Advocacy & Safety, we'd have pages and pages of pleasantly boring threads, and only occasional threads like this...

CB HI

Many military veterans including myself, think of it a little differently. 'It is a good day for the enemy to die.'

CB HI

And yet, you, FBinNY and I have been cycling for many decades and we are still around.

Jarrett2

Thanks for posting that. Always wear your helmet seems to be what we learned from this.

jeichelberg87

You would think, right?

Funny thing, this year, three dues-paying members, including me, of my club all had falls. We three had the most miles in of all the members, the other two routinely riding well over 10,000 miles every year and me with over 6000 this year. Plus, I was struck by a van while riding earlier this year. So two incidents for me. The other two riders suffered fractures in their falls so I am lucky.

FBinNY 

That actually dovetails pretty well with the averages. Over 2/3rds of injuries from bicycle crashes don' involve motor vehicles.

While I also believe that experience is a factor in the incidence of crashes, it doesn't drive the process. Experience and street wisdom help, but how you ride is what matters, and after a point more experience doesn't necessarily change that. It's more a question of personal attitude. IME crashes aren't distributed uniformly, some people rarely crash, others not so rarely.

genec

I've been hit three times... all three the fault of some motorist, and paid for by them.

I just haven't died yet... And I tend to ride in isolated areas these days... I have eyes, I see drivers not actually driving... mama didn't raise no fool.

The "sport" of commuting in heavy fast traffic is for a younger crowd... Even JoeyBike has tempered his style a bit these days.

BTW, whatever happened to ole Chipcom? What about Ken Kifer... who probably logged well more miles than any of us? Do they just fade away or what?

CB HI

That is an extremely low number compared to folks I know that died from stroke, heart attack, cancer and as motorist. Each of those individual categories has a higher count of people I know compared to cycling.

Chris0516

Your welcome. Yes, Always wear a helmet.

FBinNY 

OTOH the takeaway might be to respect cross traffic, especially when passing stop signs.

I-Like-To-Bike

Did something happen to Chipcom?

Miele Man

General Patton: "Wars are not won by you dying for your country but by you making the other poor SOB die for his country".

However in defensive riding as in defensive driving it's good to be prepared for the mistakes/recklessness of others so that you can take evasive action.

Cheers

genec

I donno... seen him lately? Is he still cycling?

genec

Oh, I'll give you that... we as a nation should all exercise more. But that doesn't make cycling any safer out on the roadways. And that IS the discussion at hand.

I-Like-To-Bike

Maybe he got tired of reading and/or responding to the same old, same old rants and accident/crash Internet dredging from the same old, same old hysterical Henny Pennys.

Hopefully he is enjoying Ohio State's football success.