Of bike and man

Wow, it just struck me that I haven't blogged in over a month! What's even stranger is that I accessed my OWN blog through somebody else's blog, Badul's blog to be exact. It goes to show how often I actually visit my own blog. Practically none in the past month or so.

I went to Badul's blog to look for the link to the news about the Malaysian student in Minneapolis who died from bicycle accident recently. Yes, I did go to his blog for my news source, and trust me, the world is not coming to an end. But I digress. The tragedy, on the other hand, brings to light several important issues, namely: How safe is it to ride in an urban setting? Would wearing a helmet makes a difference between life or death? What kind of preparations a rider needs to have in order to better overcome adversities on the road?

I'm not claiming to be the Mother Theresa of urban cyclists, nor am I one of those wayward riders deluded with a sense of false invincibility. I've committed more than my fair share of traffic violations on my bike and I do have a battle scar or two to boast of my gladitorial feats on the unforgiving streets. But I like to believe that I am a relatively conscientious rider with an acute sense of my surrounding.

Back to my previously stated questions. How safe is it to be an urban rider? In the city of Madison, WI, where I'm currently at, it is fairly safe. Madison is a bike-friendly city with an extensive network of bike lanes/paths. As long as riders stay on these bike lanes, safety is almost assured unless if other vehicles on the road trespass onto these lanes, in which case, there's nothing much that a rider can do for prevention other than to wield a cat-like reflex. Most accidents, though, happen around intersections where riders approach from the motorists' blindside and get hit when the motorists make a turn. Never assume that motorists see you in their rearview or side-mirrors--they usually do not.

I guess the key survival tip of urban riding is to always be vigilant and conscious of one's surrounding. The good thing about riding a bike is that one is blessed with an almost peripheral vision. While it is always important to keep one's eyes on the road ahead, it is also equally important to cast the occasional glance to the sides and back. Always predict possible disasters to the best of one's ability and always be cynical of other road users. Yes, I am a very cynical rider and I don't trust other road users. I think some people are just too stupid and selfish to drive and definitely do not deserve to have a driver's license. Always keep a lookout for swinging car doors as a lot of people don't have enough sense to check their side-mirrors for incoming riders before they open the door. There are a lot of tips for navigating the urban streets on bike but my only advice is to ride often and get familiarize with the environment. All talk and no real-world practice is useless. Just keep your eyes wide open and leave yourself enough time to react.

As for the issue of helmet-wearing, this is where I am guilty as charged. I don't like wearing helmets, and what's worse is that I don't like it simply on the ground of it being uncool. I do respect and even envy people who wear helmets, but I am personally disinclined to put one over my thick skull--pun intended. Like urban skateboarders who don't wear pads, as an urban rider, I do see not wearing a helmet as the epitome of cool. I do own a helmet that I got for free when I purchased a bike headlight but it is of now collecting dust in my room. Maybe someday I'll get some sense knocked into my head--no pun intended, God forbid!--and I'll start wearing a helmet. Maybe ten or twenty years down the road when I will be slapped with the harsh reality that it is no longer cool to act like a teenage rebel and that it is time to be matured and act my age. Until that time arrives, I'll continue to be the unrepentant and thick-headed rebel that I am.

As to Badul, keep riding your bike with no hands and keep wishing that nothing bad will happen. Nanti kalau kau jatuh tergolek aku gelak dulu, pas tu baru tolong. Hahahaha!!!