Bfing

[Rana]

The worst though is when I almost hit runners or bikers who aren't wearing the proper colors. Two nights ago, I almost hit a black man on a black bike dressed in black head on because he was going the wrong way on a one way street

This cartoonist calls those guys "Bike Ninjas."

http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2008-01-26

I completely understand what you're getting at - it's not because he's African American that there's a problem - the problem is that he is dark colored and it is dark outside, so he blends in.

[orlin03]

That comic was hilarious! I just read about 6 months worth...

[Rana]

That comic was hilarious! I just read about 6 months worth...

That's exactly what I did when I first saw it.  

I admit that there is a fair amount of hard-core cycling humor that I don't entirely get, but I love the mood and the characters and the parts that I do get crack me up!

[Zyzzyx]

Woohoo!  Another Yehuda Moon fan!

I've got it on my RSS reader, its the first thing I look at when I get to the computer in the morning.

[iain]

You got me into it too! I like it as i use my bike as a commuting tool so I can relate.
I've got my cast off, but my leg is still poor and vulnerable, a while yet till I'm back to cycling. 

[Hawkeye]

You got me into it too! I like it as i use my bike as a commuting tool so I can relate.
I've got my cast off, but my leg is still poor and vulnerable, a while yet till I'm back to cycling. 

Good luck on your recovery. Just don't rush getting onto a bike so soon. Make sure you're all healed up because getting reinjured now would mean double the rehab time and it's not worth it.

I have another 2 months till I can hit some singletrack, till then I'm riding paved paths that don't have car traffic. It's somewhat safer, but now I dodge runners, walkers, kids, dogs, and killer squirrels!!! 

[iain]

getting reinjured

I shudder at the thought

[barefootartist]

Iain, hope your recovery is smooth. My daughter broke her leg crashing off the bike into a loose dog, then re-broke it the day after the cast was removed...so be careful, go slow so you can go fast later!
  In my younger days I rode bikes everywhere, did not even own a car until I was 29. I was hit twice, lost two nice bikes and had some bad road rash from those wrecks. Both times were hit and run, they never even stopped! Shortly afterwards we moved to the boonies and I switched to horses, they look out for EVERYTHING, sometimes too much, VBG! Once I was riding my horse on the side of a country road and a driver came so close his car scraped my stirrup!! Almost peed my saddle!  Now I am back to hiking, just have to dodge illegals .....but I am sticking to my feet and the mountain trails. There is an old saying about any time you are going faster than you can run, or are higher than you can jump, you are in danger. You all in civilization risk much mingling with mechanized traffic...I send white light to you brave ones...be safe, be BRIGHT and stay aware!!

[ashotis]

Speaking of lights, I really like it when runners wear lights at night.

Yeah, I agree with this. I don't ride a bike, but I was driving home one night and this runner literally popped out of no where. Scared the shit out of me!! i remember thinking to myself, "Who does that?!" It was a female, at night, in Las Vegas. She is out of her mind. I don't run at night EVER. I barely like to leave my apartment at night!! I mean, it feels better at night especially in Vegas, but it's just plain crazy.

[iain]

There is an old saying about any time you are going faster than you can run, or are higher than you can jump, you are in danger.

I like that saying! Ironically I was slower than I could run and lower than I can jump when I got hit. But I agree, modern times have many gears to be crushed under.

[barefootartist]

Great! It comes from an old horse lover who has survived many bad wrecks and 43 years of riding. For the most part when one is riding a horse, one IS going faster than one does on foot, and IS higher than one can jump. I used to teach riding safety and saddle fitting courses and this is what I told my students when they questioned wearing a helmet. Then I would take them to the tack room where I keep all my old cracked, and smashed helmets that saved my grey matter from looking like a watermelon that had been dropped off a building. That usually got the message across! A helmet costs a lot less than a brain scan.
 Back to the main subject, I am getting better at BF and VFF really help a ton here, but I am still new to it and for the most part am very careful. But as I get stronger I want to go faster! I want to play! But I still have to take it easy as I am only into my 2nd month now, but I get so excited and feel so good it's HARD to go slow, then I get a heel bruise or something and I am reminded that it will take time. Controlled exuberance! I am planning all my vacations to be at SOFT ground where I can really move out!

[iain]

I'm starting to walk on my bad leg . I can do much more with one crutch now as I have a hand free, yay.

[Hawkeye]

I'm starting to walk on my bad leg . I can do much more with one crutch now as I have a hand free, yay.

Congrats! One step at a time

[Rana]

I can do much more with one crutch now as I have a hand free, yay.

Good to hear!