I started biking regularly about a year ago. People who know me now might not believe me if I told them that, I went from thinking 2 miles was ridiculously hard to not shirking when I decided biking the 15 miles for work was going to be so much faster than busing it. Not only did I NOT stop myself from biking that 15 miles, I actually revel in it, the view of the lake with the sun rising over it, or setting on the other side of the city and the wind through my helmet are all things I enjoy and actually miss every day now that I'm not biking down to the south side of the city at least once a week.
Though I now love biking and bike almost everywhere, I still remember what it felt like to be a new, out of (biking) shape biker, and when I read this article I quickly realized that many people feel the same way I felt. I wasn't sure how to ride in traffic, or what to wear, nor was I comfortable signaling. But, with more education I learned that it's actually safer to bike in the roadway than on the sidewalk, and it's not too bad to just bike in normal clothes (though.. on those really hot summer days I just wore my running shorts and a t-shirt) if you want to. Not only that, with lights and a helmet, it's not unsafe to bike on the roads really at all, as long as I am alert for the whole ride and can be ready to yell loudly if I think someone is going to hit me.
I do still need to winterise my bike (ie: fenders!) and I want to find a back rack that works on my bike, but overall I think it's important to know you CAN bike almost anywhere in my city, and I think in any city. Drivers are not out to get you (except maybe a couple of them) mostly they just need to know what you're doing and what to expect from you. I always signal, unless it's not safe for me to take one hand off of the handlebars and I usually wear my helmet, but most importantly I look at the cars around me, and make eye contact with drivers when I think they aren't sure what I'm doing, that way I know they see me, and they know that I know they see me. I also always smile and thank drivers for doing the nice and safe things on the roadway. Not all bikers are evil drivers out there to kill drivers, and if a smile at a friendly driver will help reinforce that, it doesn't hurt me to do it.
I think that bikers in many cities, new and experienced, need to learn as much as they can about safety in the city on a bike, and need to be prepared. Chicago has a lot of really wonderful resources through the Department of Transportation and through Active Transportation Alliance, but there are many blogs, articles, and forums where people discuss all the different types of safety that can be taking into account for cyclists in a city.
Get riding!
R
