When I logged into my Hotmail account a few minutes ago, this article, "Bikes or Cars-Who Rules the Road," caught my eye. I was a bit worried that when I clicked on the link, I'd read all about how cyclists cause all the accidents, or how irresponsible cyclists are on the road. I guess I'd been living in Marin for too long.
What's cool is that the article cites how many more people are commuting via bikes around the country, and how public transportation and other resources (such as bike racks on buses and lack bike lanes) are strained due to the increase in cycling traffic. It's nice to see that so many people are getting on bikes.
The article also does a good job of highlighting how newer riders tend to cause many of the issues on road, simply because they lack skill and experience. Often when articles come out about riders and cars, the fact that it's difficult to learn how to ride safely on the road is overlooked. Proficient riders can easily avoid slower riders, negotiate stoplights, and pay attention to what's in front of them as well as what's going on in their periphery. That's all pretty overwhelming for newer riders.
Sure, this article doesn't have much to do with freeriding, but wouldn't it be cool if all of these people who are learning to ride on the road looked into taking some skills clinics on dirt or started a lifetime of exploring their surroundings by bike? I imagine that newer riders who learn to bunny hop, take a drop, or rail a berm on dirt would be much safer riders on the road.
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