The last month has been full of traveling in the Old South, visiting family and cycling up hills.
Oh, and I saw a rocket launch. Heavens, I mustn't forget the rocket.
A couple of weeks ago, I drove to my cousin's house in Savannah, GA, for some family time. We also managed to go for a little ride with the local cycling club.
And now, I'm back in school. I just finished my first week of school, and I must say there's a lot of aggression on the road in Gainesville right now. On Friday, I was yelled and honked at more than I've ever been audibly attacked in Gainesville before.
Don't worry, I'm not deterred. I plan on riding a lot within the coming weeks, not only as a cycling advocate trying to spread peace between bicycles and cars, but also as an athlete in training. Yes, you read correctly. I'm doing the Six Gap Century in Georgia at the end of September. I better get my behind in the saddle and start rackin' up the miles if I plan to finish..
Grandpa is not alone....
ReplyDeleteTry not to let the assholes rattle your cage. As I'm sure you know, sometimes you can ride for months without encountering some power tripping prick in a car (what is it about cars that turns people into assholes? If you met those people at a dinner party they may actually seem nice...obviously a ruse in some cases).
ReplyDeleteThe best thing to do is not get into an argument with an idiot. As the saying goes,'They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience'.
Join a local cycling advocacy group, or start one yourself. (I'm not talking about Critical Mass rides here, all they seem to do is piss off more people, and often attract police crackdowns on cyclists. Been there, done that.)
Getting organised is the best way to get heard, by local governments and the media and thus getting the message out to drivers.
Do some research. John Forester is a good starting point. http://www.johnforester.com/
He has a book, that may be in your local library, entitled Effective Cycling. While many argue against his 'vehicular cycling' approach in favour of segregation, the reality is roads are everywhere, cycling infrastructure is not. Read up and make your own choice.
Cheers
Hi.
ReplyDeleteNice photos, you seem to have had quite an adventuresome summer.
Hang in there on the bike. I ride around Orlando, sometimes in town and sometimes towards Clermont. I get harassed on occasion but most people are fairly polite, especially towards Clermont since there's so little traffic on weekdays.
I have noticed that Saturdays are the absolute worst days to ride. Everyone's out doing errands and gettin' beer and everyone wants to get there and back as quick as possible. If I ride on Saturdays now I stay on the trail.
The best advice I ever heard about bikes and cars was from an old guy that was a former hard core roadie: "Be totally subservient to cars. Its like rubbing a dog's belly...they just love it!"
Hey .. there are many grandpas liking cycling & photography in Europe!
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