The story behind this blog

I am a cyclist in Richmond, VA. I ride to work, I ride to train for racing, I ride to the grocery store, and I ride around the neighborhood with my wife while towing our son around in a trailer. I grew up with bikes, and have always ridden some kind of bike- from my want of a BMX bike for Christmas when I was 5 until now at 37, when I still ask for bike parts for Christmas. It's something I would never consider not doing. It's a hobby and a passion that I hope to keep doing until I just can't turn the pedals anymore.

I also have a car. I drive to work, to races, to visit family, to the grocery store, and to the park so my wife and I can play with our son.

In my role as a driver and a bicyclist, I pay a lot of attention to the way we all interact on the roads. And there is a fair amount of misunderstanding of right and wrong regarding laws (which vary by state) as they pertain to bicyclists, but also the ways in which motorists perceive bicyclists and the ways in which they act upon those perceptions.

Almost every time I ride my bike, something happens that puts my safety in jeopardy, and for a while I've been thinking about ways to make it easier for those of us on bicycles to enjoy our hobby or just get to work or school. A blog seemed like the easiest way to get started in explaining why we ride, why we ride the way we do, and what an encounter with a 3000 pound motor vehicle moving at 40mph is like for a bicyclist riding at 15mph who might weigh 200 pounds including the bike!

As bicyclists, we know we are in a unique yet dangerous position. We are unprotected from the rain, heat, and cold. We are also unprotected from impact with the ground, stationary objects, and possibly even motor vehicles. It is for this reason I feel it's important to explain as best as possible the scenarios we encounter and how we deal with them, and what the ramifications are if we're not defensive riders who are fully aware of our surroundings. Even the most aware, law-abiding, and safety-conscious bicyclist faces serious injury or death if hit by a motor vehicle, and sadly we hear these stories far too often.

My one true goal is to help the non-bicycling motorist understand that there are aspects of bicycling on public roads that are very different from most vehicles on the road. I intend to document the things I have encountered that affect the travels of any bicyclist that rides a bike, either because they want to or because they have to as their only means of affordable transportation.