If I get murdered in the city

I'm often called passionate. I don't always agree with the general label but there are certain things that I AM passionate about. Mainly anything breast cancer related. After losing my best friend in 2006, all things PINK have taken over my life. I feel that wearing the Breast Cancer Awareness bracelet every day for the rest of my life keeps me close to Tina. I dye my hair pink every year and participate in insane causes like this one and this one to raise funds. I pray that one day there is a cure.

I began riding bikes with Mr. Wonderful in 2006. This was his passion that he wanted to share with me. To say I was less than thrilled is the biggest understatement of the day. After a few short months of riding, Danny drug me out to a remote area in Lascassas and decided it would be fun to climb hills all-day-long.

It's quiet in Lascassas. My eff-bombs echoed off the trees. I hated him. I hated bikes.

When I finally drug myself back to the truck... crying, bleeding, moaning, aching from head to toe - I told Danny I would never ride again. I told him to sell my bike because only FOOLS torture themselves like this, and I'm no fool. I was so angry at him for putting me through the torture that I didn't speak to him for hours.

Of course, 3-4 days later (and when the feeling in my legs came back) I forgave him for spousal abuse and decided to continue. Eventually, I truly fell in love with riding my bike and began craving that time on the road. We don't ride greenways or sidewalks. I mean, we CAN - but we don't. We leave our driveway on the bike and do loops from home or drive out to College Grove. We ride on the open road with other vehicles.

There is a smart way - and a stupid way - to do this. I certainly did it the STUPID way for the first year. I didn't much care for staying in my lane, I sprinted out too fast in the beginning and had to be carried back, thought I could ride 50 miles in one setting without eating... You know, the basic young person's issues (this is where I was called "stubborn" or "stupid" and not "passionate").

I've now been riding four years. I can honestly say that I love it. It is my most favorite way to release tension and stress in my life. I love to get out on the open road with Danny very early in the morning before it gets too hot and see the nature.

Amber - what is the point of this randomness?!

Well - there is something that I've thought about regularly for four years. What if I get hit by a car?

I've taken a few precautions to try to avoid it - such as: I now ride in my lane unless there is an open road before me without bends and turns and I can see clearly. I wear a road ID tag incase someone finds me in a ditch. I always ride with a cell-phone. I almost never ride alone. I don't ride on a busy highway with no shoulder.

There are things you can do.

Things you cannot prevent - such as idiots that find it hilarious to not give a cyclist 3 feet when they pass them - scare me to death. Seriously, you are in a car/truck/SUV/simi. I am on two thin wheels and an aluminum frame. Out of the two of us, who do you think will survive the crash?
Another thing that bugs me is when a motorist wants to pull next to you and slam on their gas. You are in a steel cage. I am protected by Styrofoam and plastic. When you jet-up next to me and slam the accelerator, it sends my heart rate through the roof. When I'm scared, I can't hang on to my bike very well and focus on keeping it in a straight line. I'm instead freaking out about not being hit - and I swerve. You will most likely hit me in this scenario.
And - while I'm on this soap-box - Why would you HONK at a cyclist? You are in a car with the air blasting and the radio up. I'm sure you can't *hear* a car behind you. But guess what... we can. We can hear you coming. Sometimes, we can hear you before you see us! The only time I've not heard a car coming was when a little Prius was behind me. That thing passed me and sounded like a whisper... I think if it hit me, I would have survived.

I really don't understand why someone wouldn't give a cyclist room on the road. Or a runner. Or a construction worker. You are in a VEHICLE. If you hit a PERSON, they will most likely suffer traumatic injuries, or die. Do you really want to kill someone? Do you want to look at a paraplegic and know you caused that?

To me - it's not just being rude... it's attempted murder. Yeah, I'm so passionate about this that when you drive up next to me and do not respect me enough as a person to allow me room to breathe - I call it attempted murder. Harsh? Maybe. Extreme? Possibly. But - no joke, save a life!

Only YOU can prevent forest fires, and only YOU can prevent vehicular manslaughter.

This song was playing in my head as we rode this morning. We ride early enough as to avoid most of the morning traffic but today - folks decided to head to work early. More motorists were passing us than we're use to and I could easily see the difference between the ones that were irritated and impatient, and the ones that had grace and patience. It takes less than two seconds to give me three feet.

Next time you see someone climbing a hill or enjoying a decent - don't ruin their day. You wouldn't want someone to bust up your favorite routine so just be respectful and give them room. Throw up a wave as you pass. We'll wave back.

Until then...