Let's set the background on this diatribe - I like riding my bike for the enjoyment of making myself fitter and in better health. These values are much the same as why a runner runs, or a skier skis, or an ATV rider rides, why men play hockey and softball above the age of 40. I don't ride to save the world or to try to make a small statement that I'm making the world a better place. On the contrary, I'm a Forester so I'm really behind the 8-ball on that goal. However, the one thing that puts me into the fray of taking my life into my own hands, is sharing my sport on roads used by cars with almost mutually exclusive uses (drivers don't drive to keep fit...). So, due to the cycling advocacy groups, our local government and the Ministry of Highways have been diligently making bike lanes (paving an additional 1-2m wide sections) on the highway and rural roads effectively making them wider. For the general public, its viewed as an extrinsic thing to do to make our roads safer - right? I'm starting to think not....but how?
Flashback to mid 1990's - No lanes were in on most highways and rural roads, except for a small 1m section of the extreme right of the road, was available to ride a bike. Bikes therefore had to ride on the road and cars must "share" the road in the strictest sense of the word. Drivers actually respected the space of riders, possibly crossing the line to provide the ultimate respectful regard. Drivers that didn't respect this space were considered "assholes" and "got fingered".
Forward to 2011 - Majority of the highway's have wide areas or bike lanes for riding on the right-hand most part of the road. This inherently separates the responsibility of the driver to consider the cyclist as an entity to avoid. My recent and dare I say, anecdotal experiences, seems that drivers almost don't see, or ignore the cyclist riding in these bike lanes. Often when riding in the lanes, drivers are hugging the white lines which begs the question "do they see me at all?". So, I ride to closer to traffic -often riding on the white line in order to be safer not only from traffic, but often the bike lanes are not cleaned of dirt, glass, or sharp rocks that eats tubes like you wouldn't believe. Do I get the respect applying my rebel cause tactics? - yes so far. I'm sure that it pisses off drivers that will be inconvenience to go around a cyclist, but that how it is. Do I feel safer in bike lanes? I must say that I like to think so, but when most drivers don't even slightly give space to bikers on bike lanes, what will happen when I come to that section of road that there is no bike lane and roads need to be shared? I don't like to think about it, cause in an effort to become safer, the respect is gone and therefore the road is that much more dangerous for us to ride on.
----WAB1234----
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