Monday, October 3, 2011

Better Cyclists? Am I Crazy?

Or are there more cyclists out there doing it "right"? I don't really care to get into a debate about what "right" is... in this case I mean 1) riding on the street rather than the sidewalk 2) riding predictably and 3) using hand signals.

I still see lots of sidewalk riders, salmon, and other reckless riders, but I also see what seems to be a real increase in "good" cycling. Does it seem that way where you live too?

While cycling instruction is available if you look hard enough, I seriously doubt that most of these cyclists I enjoy spotting so much ever had any. I'm betting that many of them are like me, people who were pretty good to begin with but who in the course of googling stuff because they were getting more serious about commuting learned a whole lot more.

The Internet can be a really great thing, especially with very helpful and informative sites like Commute Orlando among many others. For all of you who take the time to instruct, online or in person, thank you very much. I'm all for "butts on bikes" advocacy in some ways, but what you do reduces the number of "buttheads on bikes", which is good for everybody, two-wheeled or four, period.

Hey, if you stumble across this post and have good information to share on where people can go for in-person training, especially in Canada, let me know and I'll add it to my sidebar. I confess I haven't looked very hard, but I'll bet there are some good resources here in Ontario and Canada that I should be promoting in my own small way. Who knows, maybe I'll show up for a little schoolin' myself. I would like to learn that emergency "snap turn" thing people sometimes refer to...

Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K

4 comments:

Steve A said...

Can Bike

http://www.canadian-cycling.com/cca/education/canbike.shtml

Paddyanne has taken their course. Her instructor was Mary.

Trust me. Salmon on bikes are much nicer than salmon in cars.

Steve A said...

In the UK, aren't they supposed to do it left?

;-)

RANTWICK said...

Steve - Thanks for the link... I'm a little bummed to see that in Ontario it appears to be available in Toronto only.

Anyway, to the sidebar it goes!

Apertome said...

I wish I could say I have noticed an improvement, but I haven't. So yes, you're crazy, but we knew that anyway.

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