Rules of the Road

This has been a really spectacular week for being outside. I was lucky enough to have Pete join me on another ride yesterday. The crazy bastard had already done a ride and a short run and thought it sounded just splendid to join me for my ride! What a guy.

We headed out to the land of Hopkins. Its a magical place west of Minneapolis. We've done this route before. Its easy to get to with minimal time on city streets and we can be on the trail in minutes. Once on the trail we can haul ass without fear of cars, however unstable Rollerbladers with headphones on can be just as dangerous. Like so many trails in the city, this one is extremely smooth, well kept and lots of people use it. There are lines separating the bike lanes from the running lanes, should people decide to pay attention to them.

It was a really great ride, despite the mass amounts of other people on the trail, we really enjoyed ourselves. With Pete drafting we worked on various speeds. Ideally I'd like to be able to cruise a bit faster and with more ease, so riding in my big ring as much as possible kept us moving at a pretty good clip. Of course Pete being a good foot taller than I am, wishes that his big ring was bigger. Wow, that could sound really dirty if your mind was in the gutter.

Here's where simple communication comes in handy and for cyclists, its crucial. If you're out riding a bike (or rollerblading) its really courteous to follow some simple guidelines for communication. If you don't because you're too cool for school, then get off the road!

Hand Signals That Don't Include the Middle Finger:
Left Turn - left arm pointing out to the side
Right Turn - left arm pointing up with the elbow at a right angle. Alternatively you can use your right arm to point to the right, however with traffic to the left of you (where it should be), its not likely to be seen
Stopping - left arm pointing down with the elbow at a right angle

Just like when driving a car, these signals aren't for you, but rather to communicate with others around you. Keep in mind that its never safe to assume people have seen or even understand what these signals mean, so use your eyes to survey your surroundings. Yes, I realize I sound like a hall monitor, but the next time you're out, you'll notice.

Some other great tips for a more enjoyable, and less bloody/broken-boned ride include:

• Wearing a helmet the right way. The right way? Oh yes. Keeler called me the other day just to tell me about another rider that she saw wearing their helmet backwards. I suppose that this is better than wearing it without the chin straps snapped, or wearing it crooked. I don't understand why people wear it crooked, I mean we all look like dorks with a helmet on - crooked or falling to one side DOES NOT make you look any cooler. If your helmet isn't on your head nice and snug and snapped - don't bother wearing one, because its not doing you any good.
• Stay to the right side of the road and traveling with the direction of traffic. The only time this doesn't apply is when you're turning left or passing a car.
• Do you know what the traffic rules are when you're driving? Well, they are the same for cyclists. This applies to stop signs and lights, flipping people off and even driving drunk. You will get a ticket if your busted riding your bike drunk.
  
• Keep your eyes open. Look at drivers. If you're wearing sunglasses nod your head to communicate. But remember, never assume other riders or vehicles around can see you. In fact assume that no one can see you. For you motorcyclists out there, you know exactly what I mean.
  
• When you're on the road with other cyclists, runners, rollerbladers or even walkers - talk to them. Pass only the left and as you're approaching say loudly "On your left". I say it as I'm approaching so that I don't scream at them when they are right next to me. I want to let them know I'm coming so that they don't swing wide and cut me off. It drives me crazy that some of the super special geared-out riders don't feel that this is necessary. They zoom by and assume that they are so fast they must be invisible.
  
• If you ride with other people, its great to talk to them too! If you're the last rider in a group you can say things like "Car back!" if a car is approaching. Or "Rider back" if another cyclist is going to pass.
• Ah yes, passing. If you are about to be overtaken by another rider, don't be a douche bag and try to speed up. This is just annoying and shows how small your penis really is. Slow down enough for the other rider to pass you.
• If you're riding in front of other people its really nice to point out crap in the road, since you're going to see it before they do. You don't have to yell out but rather point to the ground where the pot hole or patch of sand is. Riders will see you do this and its very courteous.
• Don't wear headphones and listen to your iPod while riding. Just don't.
  
• Lastly (for the moment), don't be jerk.