Am I being a sissy?

[redrhodie]

(3) Cars won't try to pass if there is no room- when there is oncoming traffic.

Tell that to the guy who tried to pass me last week into oncoming traffic after I had taken the lane. It was on a curve, with solid yellow lines, obvious (to me, at least) that there could possibly be cars coming. I knew he was there, knew he was annoyed that I'd taken the lane, but assumed he'd not pass because it would be dangerous, and he'd be breaking the law. Well I was wrong. He could have killed me, the oncoming drivers, and himself. Of course, being on a bike, I was the most at risk. Luckily, he braked and got back behind me in time. When he finally did pass, he yelled at me, so obviously, it was all my fault .

I will still ride on that road, but if it happens again, I may not at that time (5 pm). There are roads I just won't ride on at certain times, and I'm a pretty confident rider who isn't afraid of traffic. When there's no shoulder, cars speed, curves making for lots of blind spots, it just may not be a good bike road at rush hour. There are also roads I won't ride at times when I know the sun will be in drivers eyes. I'm cautious, but not overly so. I just take a lot into consideration when planing my routes.

edit to add: you're not a sissy!

[JLMitchell]

I don't know if I'll ever bike out of here. This afternoon I saw a sheriff on the side of a wider road. I didn't know if he was clocking cars, or what, but I decided to seize the opportunity and ask him some things. I pulled over in front of the car so he could have me in plain view, you know, to try to set the scene for a friendly encounter. He seemed polite enough, but he was discouraging as far as cycling goes. I asked him if he'd seen many cyclists back in the area where I lived. He said yes, but he sighed and shook his head like he was about to have a conversation he's had many, many times. He asked me immediately why I wanted to ride back there. I told him about my desire to commute and he just kept shaking his head. He then asked me how fast I could pedal.

They get frequent calls about riders getting clipped, often with no car information. They sometimes deal with car wrecks that happened because someone passed a biker when they should have waited for oncoming traffic to pass. And, get this, they also get calls from drivers complaining about cyclists in the road! He acted like the awareness lies solely with us, because they can't tame the drivers. He advised that I ride in a group if I could, avoid rush hour, and pedal my heart out.

I think I may try that bit every few months to see if I've gotten enough speed to get me out of there faster. The hills tend to kill me right now and any momentum I had is basically zapped halfway up. I can plug through them, but too slowly.

Mr. Silver, the roads are in Eads, TN, outside of Memphis. There are only two-lane roads in this area. Lots of different streets off of a main one, but they dead-end after a while. It's easier once I get into Germantown or Memphis itself to navigate away from trouble roads.

I've actually seen share the road signs! In different places and on more than one road. The rolling hills here are great for cycling. It's not rare to see a single rider or a small group around here, but it's not exactly common yet, either. The sheriff said that he figures the signs have been knocked down too often and people are tired of putting them back up. He told me to call the council anyway to see if they'll do it. I don't know how much the public knows about the law, but I'm willing to bet that most of them don't care anyway. They want you out of the way, period. A few months ago I was out checking the mailbox and I heard a horn off in the distance. It was a prolonged horn blast, so I looked around to see what was going on. Pretty soon I realized the horn was getting closer and I saw a cyclist and a truck coming around the bend toward me. The driver was tailgating the guy and pounding the horn. I couldn't believe it. The biker didn't look happy at all, but he was pedaling like crazy and sticking to his piece of road. I was afraid for him. They passed me at a pretty good clip and rounded another turn with the driver still following, laying on that horn. I don't know the story behind that incident; maybe the cyclist did something, maybe not. From my experience I'm willing to bet that he decided to get up that morning and ride through the country.

The responses here have been very helpful and supportive, I thank y'all. I will ask the stores and the church about parking.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

What is the speed limit on these roads? Just curious.

Where I ride it varies from 20 to 40 mph. But most people are aware. I have had some really scary moments where it appeared to me someone didn't see me or they were being a butthead and getting too close.

When I was reading your post, the only thing I can say is they need an attitude change, and you should know being in the south, you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.

So with that said, why not wear a sign on your back that says "Lower Demand on Gas=Lower Prices" or something like that. If you find some commonality with people, which everyone complains about gas, then you have a better chance of getting them to empathize with you and hey, they might even want to give riding to work. You just never know...But then you might get an argument on the whole gas thing (ha! just what you need right?). Don't give up tho. There is always a SAFE solution.

[Mr. Bloom]

Mr. Silver, the roads are in Eads, TN, outside of Memphis. There are only two-lane roads in this area. Lots of different streets off of a main one, but they dead-end after a while. It's easier once I get into Germantown or Memphis itself to navigate away from trouble roads.

We used to live in Germantown where the roads are wide (and the billboards are non-existent!)...and we loved it!

My experience is that Shelby County cops are pretty responsive...but the squeeky wheel gets the oil...

I do not think you're a 'sissy' (I hate that word) for being concerned. You should not do anything that causes you to feel unsafe. However, I also encourage you to not roll over on your rights to the road. Until you can feel safe, raise awareness by asserting yourself legally, organizing education...and I really encourage some initiative by personally funding (or raising funds) some "Share the Road" signs.

The reality is that there is a lot of commuting opportunities into Cordova/Bartlett offices. You could be the catalyst

Check out www.bikeleague.org

Good Luck! Be Safe!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You should not ride on roads where you feel unsafe.

However, one little point I will make- things may change a bit as you get more riding experience- I ride many roads now with no fear that I used to be terrified by in my first year of biking.
There are still places that give me the creeps though, road-safety wise.

Ride safe and enjoy.

[PscyclePath]

A little fear is a good thing. It's an indicator to you that you are getting outside your comfort zone, whether your motor skills or your level of experience. And that being said, the Memphis metro area is not even remotely known as a bike-friendly place.

Maybe you don't have to bike all the way in... My total commute is about 27 miles by the road network, so I drive the pickup to a commuter lot just inside town, park & lock up, off load the bike, and pedal the last 9 miles in to the office. Takes me maybe an extra 15 to 20 minutes in the morning, but I get way more than that time back in the afternoon since when I get back, my "training ride" is already done.

Some other ideas here: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/227569/

There are a couple of good LCIs in the Memphis area... you might look one of them up and see about taking the Road I and Commuter classes to help build your confidence on the streets, as well as pick up some good skills for dealing with traffic and picking a safer, less stressful ride route...

Tom

[JLMitchell]

Thanks for the reassurance, y'all. I don't feel so bad about driving a way, then biking. I will try the roads every so often, like some of you suggested, to see if my noobness has dwindled and my legs have strengthened.

[sundial]

I was thinking about your dilemma today whilst riding. I have a tendency of being a little cautious and if it were me, I'd find a less traffic heavy route, commute a short distance by car, unload the bike, and head out. I essentially do that now because to get to the area that I cycle, I have to drive a distance because of windy, curvy, roads with no shoulders and drivers who are not accustomed to seeing cyclists on the roads. If I were on a 4 wheeler, that would be acceptable around here.

[Skierchickie]

Like a lot of people have said, do NOT ride there if you don't feel safe! It isn't worth it.

You've made me very grateful to live where I do. I have similar roads, but not much traffic on those. I have the occasional driver who passes way too close, usually when they'd have not reason not to move over a foot (one just inches away today), but I can go days without encountering those.

Don't worry about feeling like you're cheating. On the days I commute I drive 2-1/2 mikes to the nearest pavement. Yes, I feel like it's cheating, but the alternative is a much longer (timewise) trip to work, with the likelihood of frequent flats. And dust, and mud, ... and sometimes terrible washboard sections, ... So I'm way more of a sissy!

Be safe!

[DrBee]

I think you're being very smart about this. The roads here in Baton Rouge are also not bike friendly. I've been trying to think of places I could park and commute in (once the knees are fixed). The only problem is the ginormous trucks that pass on the road I would end up taking after dropping off my car. It sounds like you'll be able to avoid the rough spots by driving part of the way. I would pick the church and ask permission, too. If the road by your house is dangerous, all the confidence and speed in the world will not necessarily make it safer. Like Geonz said, there's no need to increase your chances of becoming one of the stats.

Good luck, be safe, and let us know how it turns out.

[Ohio biker]

Does anyone commute home at night?? I work 330pm to midnight shift and live about 17 miles from work.. I have been thinking about that for some time, the route takes me through a couple bad neighborhoods, I have driven it but still not sure about what comes out at night.. Am I being a sissy for that???

Thanks, Ohio Biker..

[beccaB]

I have seen bike commuters on the Michigan State University campus at night, and the surrounding roadways, which are quite busy. They have lights and reflectors so they can be seen in every direction Also, some sort of light so they can see down the road. This was in heavy traffic and not in the rural areas. I guess that would take a lot of getting used to, but there aren't many places to park a car at MSU.

[BBsw]

Am I weird for going to such lengths to avoid my scenic-but-only-in-a-car death trap of a road? Can you tell I really don't want to ride it again? I feel like a cheater for driving what was supposed to be a gas-free commute.

I don't think you are. Riding along that stretch of road sounds really dangerous. Be careful. A friend of mine did something similar. Safety first! You are still driving less. Good job hanging in there, though!

Ps. I am still waiting to grow a "pair" too! lol!

[mimitabby]

The sheriff's opinion probably should not be taken as gospel, as they tend to see the worst of everything that happens on the road. They have a rather distorted view; they don't see the thousands of cyclists who did make it safely down the road without complaints or stress.

Ride where you feel safe and good luck.

[coyote]

Does anyone commute home at night?? I work 330pm to midnight shift and live about 17 miles from work.. I have been thinking about that for some time, the route takes me through a couple bad neighborhoods, I have driven it but still not sure about what comes out at night.. Am I being a sissy for that???

Thanks, Ohio Biker..

Hi Ohio biker, I used to ride thru a bad part of town too. You know, all the guys in the 'hood hanging out on the corner. There was a light on one particularly bad corner. I just didn't stop for that light. You should drive thru it at night and see what it is like. Follow your heart and head on this.