Of Bikes and Roads

We have a tandem bicycle. We rarely use it. It's green and really quite a nice bike that we bought pre-kids for far more money than we would be willing to spend today. T wants to sell it. It's big and takes up a lot of space. And like I said, we rarely use it. But I don't want to sell it. It's romantic. Unless we ride the tandem, biking with T consists of me falling far behind and him turning around eventually to check on me. And I have dreams of my girls having a blast riding that thing when they are older. We never will have may toys: no pool, no hot tub, no boat, no cabin up north. Why would the neighborhood kids hang out here? The tree house and the tandem. OK, maybe that's stretching it a bit. But I still don't want to sell the tandem.

Last Sunday we all rode our bikes to church. We attached the trail-a-bike to the tandem for one very long bicycle and H rode her own bike. It's not far, less than 2 miles. It was fun. Except for the guy whose face was so red with anger I thought he might start blowing steam like in the old cartoons. He leaned out his car window and yelled, "You stupid idiots, what do you think you are teaching those kids?" What did he think he was teaching my kids by speaking that way?

I know why he was mad though. We were riding in the street, with the cars, H tucked between us and the curb. I know it sounds dangerous, but did you know in most cities in Michigan and across the country it is illegal for bicycles to ride on the sidewalk? In quiet neighborhoods they don't really enforce the law. But in busy downtown areas they do. Also, bikes are given all the same rights to use the roads as a car or motorcycle. Unlike Bozeman, where we used to live, people aren't used to seeing bicyclist on the street here. Car drivers don't like sharing with bicycles, it's inconvenient since bicycles can't usually go the speed limit. The argument for bike lanes is obvious, but in this strapped economy I don't expect more soon. So move over cars, make room.

T has been riding his bike to and from Delta (18 miles round trip) at least three times a week lately. We are saving money and he is getting a good work out. But several times a week a car driver will curse him or yell, "Use the sidewalk!" T is well within his rights. He has found that riding close to the shoulder is more dangerous than just using the lane. If he rides the shoulder, chances of slipping on gravel are greater and cars try to go around him without changing lanes. Sometimes they are not a good judge of space. By riding in the lane, he forces cars to go into the next lane and feels safer.

I am sure we shocked some drivers on our bike ride to church. Others smiled at our family outing. But we were obeying the laws, and it was Sunday evening (still light out) so they should have had time to go around.