Watch Out for Cyclists

Hello all. With the weather improving bit by bit, my mind is wandering to getting on the bike. The thing is, I have a family at home that I'd like to come home to when the ride is over.

Any one of you who has a loved one who rides probably realizes that cyclists have as much right to be on the road as cars do. But I can tell you that during every ride, some guy/gal behind the wheel takes risks to get past me, in order to get to where they are going 30 seconds faster.

Last September I was riding in Orange, Virginia. A small town in the middle of farm and wine country in central Virginia. At a stop sign, a southern gentleman told me that "there has to be a better place for you to ride than here." I told him that I'd take my chances here over a city any day. I thanked him for his concern, and as he drove away in his jacked up 4x4, he yelled "It's not concern if you're dead!" Though his statement is unintentionally cryptic, one message is clear: MOST DRIVERS WANT CYCLISTS OFF THE ROAD. And some, run them off.

Check this out. It's a public service announcement running in the UK.