Normally, I avoid the lakefront bike path because it's just too difficult to predict when it will be jammed with people for a benefit walk or just the usual crowds heading to the beach. For anyone who has had to dodge toddlers wandering in front of your bike, you understand the issues that arise from shared spaces on the lake.Not that it should be a drag strip for bikes, but a little personal responsibility from the people wandering along the bike path in flip flops while they burn through their phone's anytime minutes would be nice.
The better option for an experienced biker is to take the surface streets. For the 9 to 5'ers, a street with wide bike lanes is a slightly better alternative, especially when cars are gridlocked.
One of the biggest plusses for me when weighing my transportation options is the predictability of my bike. Door to door, it's 40 minutes on a bike. When I add a bus to a train, there's a window of 20 to 40 minutes depending on when the bus hits our corner and whether or not it's the weekend or off-peak hours.
It's apparent that others have done this math as well.
Unfortunately, a rising number of these riders are the weekend warriors, used to empty streets and drivers who aren't fighting the clock to get to and from work. The complexion of traffic swings wildly depending on the day and time, which is something that some riders aren't taking into account.
It's not enough to pull your bike out of the basement, slam the door and bomb down the streets to work in the morning. I've seen a handful of woefully unsafe bikes - bone dry chains that wail under the stress of small rises in the streets and bike paths, wheels that swing from side to side because they are several inches out of alignment and brakes that are there to decorate handlebars - and even more oblivious riders.
This post is for them, on the off chance that they stumble across it:
Hello Fellow Rider,
So you've decided to use your bike more often, huh? Great. Whether it's gas that costs over four bucks a gallon, a desire to go green or if you're just hoping to shed a few pounds as the weather is warm, we're all glad to have you. Biking can be incredibly enjoyable, and as a friend told me when I started commuting by bike, after the saddle sore wears off, you start to crave the ride and will get antsy if major storms force you onto the trains and buses.
Still, you need to take personal safety into your own hands. While biking seems like a fairly innocent undertaking, keep in mind the fatal accidents that Chicago's streets have seen this season alone. It's all about minimizing your risks and making it easy for cars to stay out of your way and vice versa.
While the ride down to the farmers' market or park is usally a breeze, commuting means there's another set of factors to account for.
* There's the car door problem, where you need to keep track of the cars stopped in traffic as well as those parked next to the curb. The driver grabbing their dry cleaning/iced coffee/kid from day care at 5:30 p.m. is probably not thinking to check for you. Look for heads in the drivers seat and be ready to brake or dodge to keep from slamming into an opening door.
It's much better to curse someone out as you safely glide past than to question them as you're laying in the street.
* Wear a helmet. Always wear a helmet. A little helmet hair that you can fix in the restroom at work is a much nicer fashion statement than trying to hide the scar around your head after you slam your skull into a curb.
* A pair of gloves helps, too. They'll save your palms if you go over your bars in an accident, protect your knuckles a bit if your hand goes through a tail light and might help take some of the strain off your forearms in city riding.
* Make sure your bike is ready for the extra abuse. Keep your chain greased up, make sure your brakes work correctly, keep your tires inflated and bring the whole thing into the shop when problems crop up. You wouldn't drive your car without an oil change for years on end, your new commuting vehicle needs the same type of maintenance, too.
While we're on the topic, a tune up wouldn't hurt, either. This goes double if your bike has sat collecting dust since you bought it in anticipation of Y2K.
* Don't jump the lights. I'm not saying you can't coast in and try to time things to keep your momentum going, but ducking in and out of crossing cars is an awful idea. I was stopped next to another biker this weekend as we saw someone rush past us into a red light. We could only shake our heads and mentally prepare our statements for the police.
* Obey the traffic laws. In one of the biggest beefs that drivers have, bikers run lights and stop signs, bike the wrong way down one-way streets and weave in and out of cars, making it hard to keep track of who is where. I'm not saying you can't ride against traffic for a few doors to get off your street, but use a little common sense.
Chances are that if you're biking two miles against traffic, there's another street a block over going your direction with traffic. Explore a bit and try to give the cars a break from looking for oncoming bicycles.
When you come to a stop sign, make sure you're going slow enough to stop. Make eye contact with the driver and chances are that they'll flag you through anyways. Nobody would blindly walk into an intersection on foot and it's just as stupid on a bike.
* Dress for your ride. In addition to wearing clothing that is comfortable, make sure you're not wearing a flowing summer dress that is begging to get caught in your chain or spokes. For guys, learn from my mistakes and watch the inseam on your shorts. The one appealing function of bike shorts is that you won't get them caught on your seat as you swing your leg over to get on or off.
I'm not saying I'm going to wear them any time soon, but just be careful. Plus, there's nothing more embarrasing than gliding up to work on your bike and hopping along as you try to get unstuck and keep your balance while smashing a testicle all in the name of fashion.
* Check your blind spot often. In addition to approaching cars, you also have to contend with faster bikes. If they're faster than you, chances are they've been riding longer and are going to be just fine. Try to avoid the surprise factor when they fire by you by seeing them a half a block back.
* If you are't sure that your bike will fit - bars and pedals - maybe you should err on the side of caution. As much as I fantasize about running a pedal down the side of the Mercedes that is hanging into my lane, it's probably not legal to actually do it.
* Give the bus some space, too. Aside from turning cars, the city bus becomes your natural enemy with regards to blocking your bike lane. I can't see a single scenario where bus vs. bike ends well for the bike.
* Leave plenty of time when you get started. I like the rule that I commute in and race home. You'll sweat less, should get in a little earlier and have time to throw on more deodorant if you need it and have time to fix your hairdo before you start working.
Aside from that, it's a matter of getting comfortable in your bike lane with cars next to you and learning to judge the weather before you leave home. Protect your lane, assertively keep your spacing from the parked cars and don't be afraid to stop if you run out of steam and really need to.
Bottom line? The streets are not a bike path and you need to keep your end of the bargain with regards to safety, just like the cars, buses, motorcycles and scooters. While it's certainly frustrating to keep an eye out for wayward pedestrians crossing in the middle of the street, it's all better than the alternatives.
While this list if far from all-inclusive, keep one thing in mind - If you hear someone shouting "What the hell are you thinking?" more than once every few weeks, maybe that's the perfect question to be asking yourself.
(Image taken for Siberia, Minnesota)
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