Road Bike

I've clearly slacked off considerably with writing these entries, and am sorry to my loyal readers for doing so. It's been a funny few weeks for me, as I'm going through a big life change in finally moving out of my parents' house. It's been a long time coming, and isn't the most prudent financial decision, but you can't place a proper price on growing up. I've been sheltered from reality in some ways by escaping the serfdom of bills, and that has allowed me to establish habits that are counter to personal growth. Living with two other dudes will bring its own brand of madness, but I'm looking forward to a stimulating change. I have this feeling that I really need this, and I've resolved to trust my gut feelings more than I have in the past.

Bicycling has been on my mind lately, and I'm seriously considering treating myself to a proper road bike. My biggest reservation is that I don't want to be confused with those douche bag bike couriers and the rest of the holier-than-thou crowd who feel entitled to be an asshole because they choose to ride a bike and not drive a car. The infrastructure for cycling in this city is quite lacking, and that causes a lot of friction between riders and drivers, but to lash out at honest drivers without taking responsibility for your own actions is shamefully rude.

Cyclists generally feel that drivers don't share the road with them. This is often true, but while saying that it must be acknowledged that a good majority of cyclists feel entitled to follow a different set of rules of the road. Going the wrong way down a one way street, swerving unpredictably, not wearing proper safety gear, not using front and back lights, blowing through stop signs and red lights are all examples of things cyclists typically do and then flip out on drivers who have close encounters with them.

I play for both sides and understand how it feels to be on either side of these situations. I strongly support the idea of licensing cycling in order to require a basic knowledge and respect of road rules and safety. That is not to say that I expect quite the same standard between a cyclist and a motorist, as rolling stops are permissible in my opinion (if the way proves clear...). But we could all benefit from a little compromise from the current situation. It seems that right now most people are firmly in one camp or the other, and are unreasonably firm in their stance on road ownership. A shitsack mayor doesn't help, and the physical infrastructure needs a lot of work, but lives could be saved and peace could be made if members from both sides came to the table and worked out a systemic change. Here's hoping. My biggest reservation is that given the current political climate, this whole idea could hugely backfire if enacted in a way that is unbalanced in its execution.