Ride Diary

Two Wheel Tales

The first time I swung a leg over a bicycle, I knew it was for me, just like the first time I rode a motorcycle. Two wheels are just a good fit. I guess like the nimbleness, the lean, the wind in the face and the fact that remaining upright takes some skill. I'm also one of these nuts who likes the mental challenge of city traffic on a bicycle. Today I went through the cherry blossom traffic snarl, lane splitting with abandon. No way I'd get caught in that mess on a motorcycle or in a cage.

Anyway, sometimes I like to move on two wheels at a slower and more athletic pace. Today I put about 40 miles on the Cannondale road bike I have. It was the first longish ride this season, by my standards at least. Great to get out and blow off some steam after grinding away the winter on a stationary bike.

Today I was thinking about the way that riding bicycles in traffic prepared me for motorcycling. A lot of the same principles apply.

No mirrors, no problem; that's why humans have heads that swivel. I learned to do constant head checks (and ear checks for that matter) to monitor traffic from riding 0 cc bikes.

Scan the road for debris and potholes. Hitting a pothole on a bicycle at 30 mph is no fun.

Accident avoidance requires constant vigilance. After riding a motorcycle all winter it takes a little getting used to, running through the city in lycra shorts, a flimsy jersey, ankle protection consisting of a device called "socks" and a dinky brain bucket they have the audacity to call a "helmet." Actually cruising along at 20-25 you're going just as fast as on a motorcycle, but you're a lot less protected. On a bicycle the rider's skill conpensates for the lack of protection.

Cover the brakes. I ride in traffic on the brake hoods, ready to give the levers an instant squeeze, should you find yourself in a dicey situation. A good habit for MCs too.

Check your rig pre-ride for mechanical problems. The worst get off I've ever had was on a bicycle where the rear derailleur froze and snapped off its mounting bracket. That locked the chain and sent me into the ditch in short order. A pre-ride check might have prevented a seriously gashed knee and a week of painful road rash.

Be assertive, but not stupid. Position yourself like you deserve to be on the road, because you do deserve to be there. But be smart enough to get out of the way if you get into an argument you're bound to lose. Same goes when you're on the "big iron."

I went out of the city on one of the routes favored by motorcyclists. It's probably the twistiest road close in to the District and it winds out into the Maryland suburbs close by the Potomac. Lots of bikes of all stripes out today in the warmest day of the year so far, including a guy on an R6 who seemed to be having a strange mechanical problem. He just couldn't keep the front tire on the pavement. Must be a defect. My ever reliable Nighthawk _never_ does that. :) I just have to remember which "bikers" to wave to. Motorcyclists just don't wave to their engineless brothers and sisters. Wave at the ones with the multicolored jerseys, not the multicolored leathers.

Whatever you ride, two wheels are the best. I'm also thinking about taking up Rollerblading, so I can ride the MC out into the country or to some of the local parks and then get some exercise. The bicycle is a little big to fit on the Nighthawk, although somewhere I have a link for a bike rack for motorcycles. Hmmmm....