The only good thing about living in suburbia; my twisty commute-route bypasses nearly every major road (except in the morning) on my way to, between and from my two jobs. Johnson County, Ks has it's share of pre-occupied and rushed drivers, and I am content to 'hide' in the residential maze that interconnects the clogged arteries of my home town. I believe in bicycle advocacy, but not enough to throw myself into a three-lane mess of soccer-mom's in mini-vans to prove a point. Until we can successfully lobby for bike lanes where they are needed, I will enjoy the backroads and the extra mileage they provide - Scenic, shady, plenty of hills to challenge my single-speed climbing prowess - it's the best post-work stress relief I've found -- five minutes after throwing my leg over the top-tube, the stress of the day is GONE.
Cycling nut-job. Tweak. Sucker for the latest go-fast gear. Mileage hog - love early season brevets! 400K, anyone? Staunch believer in obeying the traffic laws and showing the few motorists that I DO come across that I am not another lycra-clad peloton-wannabee red-light-runner. We need to get respect on the road, and we have to earn it! Not signaling, running lights/signs sends the wrong message! Local racers: are you reading this??? Blowing thru that stop-sign ain't cool -- save it for the crit! Even if you don't commute, you represent ALL of cycling when you're out on that weekend training ride. Help a brother out! Besides -- isn't that start/stop action an 'interval'?? Knowledge! Just sayin' -- we're all on the same big team. Recent steel-frame convert....it's all about that sweet ride, man...don't punish the posterior unless you're gettin' paid to ride, baby! Aluminum is for cans! :)
Nothing horrifying or spectacular (yet) My routes keep me out of the line of fire --- Occasionally, I get a thumbs-up or a wave from someone driving along - usually they have a bike rack on the roof or trunk -- wishing they were me? The police usually wave, too. I'm one less person to pull over, I guess. It's nice to have allies. Most cyclists know which routes are the friendliest, so commuting or training or just out for a spin, there are usually one or two riders to exchange waves with across the lanes --- sometimes, a two-man paceline will make it's way south on Mission Rd in the pre-dawn light, when I get caught by that guy that has Friday's off and leaves his house early for a quick 50 miles -- you know who you are, man! Thanks for the pull...
Life is short -- ride like you mean it!