Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Motor Vehicles Trump Bikes

SO todays ride consisted of a few incidents, with vehicles. I was meeting Jerry at the zoo at 6, so I headed out a bit after 5 so I could get a few of my 4 minute efforts out of the way before we headed up and over emigration together. On my way out, riding on 15th east a bit north of 17th south, I ran into a opening car door with my right hand, it freaked me out, I pictured the season, my bike and my drive to ride all going out the window, thank goodness none of these thing happened, I did get a nice gash on a knuckle, if it weren’t for the mtb gloves, who knows. I blame myself more than the driver, as I was not paying attention. I say I was 65% to blame.

I mske it to the canyon and do 2 of my efforts, head down the canyon, meet Jerry, do 2 more and ride easy up and over little mtn and start up Big mtn, it was getting late, so we turned around early, traffic was light in the canyon and Jerry and I were just chatting our way down, about ½ way down the canyon I decide to get in single file a bit later a car pulls off a side street honks at me and the driver points at me yelling. Well the next chain of events is unfortunate and lucky all at the same time. I go with my first reaction, I give him the bird, I used to wave, guess I had a bad day. He slows down, pulls over and gets out asking why I gave him the bird, I asked why he yelled, he said, you were in the middle of the road, you got that bike lane (Nice rock filled, pot hole laced bike lane). I tried to say ‘I was in the bike lane!’ It came out as ‘I was in the road, no lane’ and I kept riding. In reality Jerry and I were both in the bike lane, although we don’t have to be. Poor Jerry, being in front of me, he had no idea what had happened, I turned a round a few minutes after getting past the car to talk to him and he wasn’t there. He almost got taken out by the car door, he proceeded to tell the guy that we can be on the road (even though we were in the bike lane). He finally caught up with me, we decided, besides me reacting too quickly, and being spectacularly inarticulate, that the driver was way too angry over nothing.

I’ll try and go back to the wave, but the drivers are not going to take away my rights, I ride where it is safest, sometimes that is in a bike lane, sometimes that is in the middle of the road, I think they can slow down for 1 second to get around me. Too many deaths and no consequences has me confused. This guy must not live up emigration, cause there are hundreds of bikes on that road every day.

I feel lucky, yet belligerent.

On a happier note, the F4000 has been shipped, UPS be nice to it, please.

I plan on taking it to Phoenix with me while I go recruiting at MLA, right after the Soldier Hollow race.

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