Wow, what a commute I had this morning. Here's a little about my ride. I leave the house somewhere between 7:15 (on a good day) and 7:30. it takes me just about 1/2 hour to travel the 5.25 miles to my office and it is all street riding. Most of the way there are bike lanes and I also go through a lot of residential and a school zone.
In this school zone today, I was almost hit twice by drivers making a left turn onto the street I was on. My street is a through street, theirs, side streets. One man in a mini van had windows so fogged over, I don't know how he got out of his parking space. The other car, a sedan, had two kids in the back and one in the front who ALL saw me, but their adult driver did not. In both of these situations I stopped my bike and made eye contact with the driver before proceeding. The gentleman was genuinely shocked when he rolled down his window and saw me. The lady, well she seemed unimpressed. Let me tell you something driver: I AM RIGHT HERE. WATCH ME. I have every right to be on the road just like you do. I take precautions to keep myself safe. I look, I watch for YOU, I choose routes that aren't heavily traveled, I wear bright clothes (and believe me, I truly love black, so wearing yellow isn't fun for me.) Do me a favor and look harder, look twice, move slowly, make eye contact. USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS. I cannot guess what you are going to do. (nor can other drivers around you.)
On a much lighter note, I want to send props out to Tumbleweed Boutique in Portland, OR. I made a stop there last October to pick up some amazing over the knee socks and found, to my delight, many other items perfect for a gal like me. Over the knee (OTK) socks are a fun alternative to standard cycling socks when paired with short pants or skirts in the cooler weather. I wanted to keep my legs warm and not wear tights all of the time. the OTK sock keeps the leg and knee warm and looks stylish at the same time. Some of my favorite sock makers are Sweet Marcel and Sock It To Me. In the dead of winter you're going to need a wind stopper knee, but for fall riding, these socks ROCK! Get some! And one more smart foot tip for the bike: put a sandwich baggie oer your toes before you put your shoes on (on top of your socks.) This acts as a wind barrier and will keep you many degrees warmer without spending a boatload on booties. Of course, booties, in the dead of winter are necessary and coupled with the baggies you should stay pretty comfortable.
Until we ride again, Ciao!
Good tips. Thanks!
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