Don't come near me or I'll kick you

Sometimes when drivers get really, uncomfortably close to me I think about different techniques that could prevent this closeness. I have heard theories about who drives closest to whom. How if you are a woman or wearing bike gear that can affect how people treat you on the road. I am a woman and I wear the bike gear but I have experienced all types of situations. I think it depends more on what road I am on and where I am riding. On roads that have more room or an extra turn lane, I usually get more space, but not always! Maybe the time of day plays a role in all this.

Whatever the case, I have a strategy that I would like to test out. This is partially inspired by those drivers who will honk at me when I am riding politely along the side of the road (or also when I am drifting towards the center). I think that if I ride erratically - swerving and swaying and darting this way and that - that will scare people enough to stay away from me and give me space. If they think I am a crazy, bad cyclist then maybe they will want to keep as far away from me as possible because they do not know which way I will swerve next! I think it just might work, or get me killed.

I am not gone

I am still cycling. Just haven't had enough time or motivation to blog about it. Nothing terribly exciting or annoying has happened on the road. Well except for the ridiculous marathon in training fools who run on the bike path on Saturdays. The folks are crazy... They basically take over the path and will not move. I guess they are better then the high school freaks who do not seem to understand the english language. On your left is a polite way of saying "get the fuck out of my way you whorish children!" I am just being polite. But when they still do not move what am I do to? Start yelling? Maybe if I had a bell. But that seems sort of sissy-like. I think I should just take up yelling. But you need to start hundreds of feet away from these people. I tell ya, they do not want to move. But need I remind them that the path is called a BIKE PATH! OY!

I did get new bike shoes a few weeks ago. They are Sidi and red. So cool! I am still getting used to the fact that it takes some force to get my foot in and out of the pedal. It has been awhile since I had new shoes - something like 10 years. So I am used to the worn out type of bike shoes.

Time: 1:30
Miles: 22
Avg: 16.7 mph
Route: Hayden Run

Time: 1:00
Miles: 16
Avg: 15 mph
Route: Bike path

Time: 1:30
Miles: 23
Avg: 16.5 mph
Route: Hayden Run Rd

Time: 1:15
Miles: 15.7
Avg: 17 mph
Route: Dublin Rd

Time: 1:30
Miles: 22
Avg: 15 mph
Route: Olentangy Bike Path

Time: 1:30
Miles: 22
Avg: 16.9 mph
Route: Hayden Run

Time: 0:55
Miles: 10
Route: Mountview

Road Closed... NOT!

Time: 1:30
Miles: 22
Avg: 15 mph
Route: Olentangy Bike Path

The best thing about riding a bike is that I get to break all sorts of traffic laws. If you know me, then you know that I am opposed to several traffic laws - red lights, stop signs, one way streets, parking 5 feet from corners, etc. Being on a bike gives me the freedom to break these laws day after day and I love it!

One my ride this morning, I rode over to the Olentangy Bike Path. The bridge to connect to the path that crosses 315 and the river had a road closed sign blocking it. At first I thought, great, now I am going to have to cut this trip short and have a short, boring ride. Then I thought, fuck it!, I will just ride over and see what is happening. Lots of times I come across construction areas before the construction has started constructing and I can squeeze through. Well there were two men with power tools doing god knows what. Drilling holes perhaps!? I ducked under their yellow tape and rode right past.

I think they could have been more respectful of people morning routines and kept their drilling off the trail, but then again they are men.

So once again I stuck it to the man, broke traffic laws, and no one got hurt!

Wed Ride

Time: 1:25
Miles: 23
Avg: 16.5
Route: Hayden Run

Those days

Then there are those days that I ride 23 miles and hardly remember where I have been. It is fun to daydream, great for the mind and to pass the hours. But is it safe to do while riding a bicycle? Maybe it only happens once you have ridden a route so many times that you have each turn memorized without scribbling the road name on your arm or it could also be the two drinks the boss bought for everyone the night before. Sometimes those are the best rides because they go by fast and you hardly realize that you are averaging at 16.9 mph. Or maybe that's just me...

Cyclists against soccer moms

I think I will start a new organization - CASM. It has a nice ring to it.

You see, the thing is, soccer moms in their mini vans are the worst! You expect them to be cautious because, after all, didn't they buy the gaudy mini van to drive around their precious children. But they wait at the stop sign for several seconds like they are going to let me through and then at the last second they speed around the corner in from of me. I need to start carrying things to throw or shoot at these drivers! I can only yell so loud.

I am riding a bike, not blind

I think I will turn this into a cycling blog. My experiences on the road.

I used to live in the country and mostly had to worry about getting too bored with the scene. Now that I live in the city (not THE city, but a city) things are a bit different. People yell, honk, cut me off, swerve, and basically make me fear for my life. There are, luckily, those drivers who are courteous and friendly and give me plenty of room when they pass. But, of course, it is those others that stick in my mind. This blog will be dedicated to my cycling experiences - good and bad.

new projects

I am going to be working full time with WM and we have some fun projects coming up! I am still with UW for another week so I still can't focus completely on WM but a few hours a week. I need do to some research into buzz marketing in general and also into blogging and different blogging software and tools to use. I am excited to get started!

This is new

Throughout the years I have remained faithful to livejournal but I am going to dabble with blogspot. It seems simple. I have just gotten used to lj and it seems maybe more customizable but maybe not. I will have to see where this goes!