Redlight - Greenlight
It is an easy concept. Nothing too hard to grasp, no higher math or deep moral dilemmas. One light is red, the other is green and in-between is a tricky yellow one. We are talking about a traffic light if you haven’t caught on yet. If you really are clueless at this point please lock yourself inside your house and never come out again.
Lets talk physics. I have no college degree and am mostly clueless but if a 7000 pound Suburban, going 20 MPH, hits a cyclist going any speed what so ever, the cyclist is jello. So, stick with me here this is tough to grasp, If a cyclist runs a red light and a vehicle hits him, it's bummer Batman.
Bummer Batman? how retro flippant. Dead is dead, there really is no cure. One rider today said there was a cure, eternal life. Wonderful, who’s going to explain that to his kids? Not even God suffers fools.
Let’s readdress the redlight greenlight issue. Red means stop and Green means go. Did I actually have to say that? Apparently yes. Some people are still unclear on the concept. Yellow we will save for a different discourse but the red and green are fundamentally very clear. Green means look both ways to make sure some yahoo is not running the red light and go man go. Red means stop, cars are allowed to whack your ass, open season, drivers get out of jail free.
There are times when you can run a redlight. Whoa! What’s this? A paradox? Sometimes a light will not be tripped by a bike. Buying a steel frame will usually cure this but otherwise coming to a full stop, waiting to see if the light changes, checking for a total absence of traffic, and then rolling through cautiously will work. If there is a group everyone should come to a stop and proceed through the light as a group, or even better just grab a gel pack, have a sip and consider it a feed zone. Someone could be a good chap and go over and push the pedestrian crossing button.
Now for the crux of the issue. There is a fundamental difference between a training ride and a race. A race is held on a full to semi-closed course with a relaxation of traffic laws and the presence of Traffic Officers. A training ride is on open roads, subject to the full spectrum of traffic laws and more importantly, just a scrimmage, a game with the prize going not to the first finisher, but to the best rider. So you are the first one to the light, itÂ’s red, and everyone catches up. Big deal, rest up in the back and attack again later. In fact form a group and practice team skills. You win by showing an ability to benefit the team, or from consistency week after week.
The bottom line? Car impacts cyclist, bad. Cyclist goes through green light car not there. Cyclist goes through redlight ouch! Dead is dead, only those you leave behind suffer. Cyclists are killed everyday while riding smart. Why be stupid?
Ride safe people, it’s better to be dropped than dead.
Lets talk physics. I have no college degree and am mostly clueless but if a 7000 pound Suburban, going 20 MPH, hits a cyclist going any speed what so ever, the cyclist is jello. So, stick with me here this is tough to grasp, If a cyclist runs a red light and a vehicle hits him, it's bummer Batman.
Bummer Batman? how retro flippant. Dead is dead, there really is no cure. One rider today said there was a cure, eternal life. Wonderful, who’s going to explain that to his kids? Not even God suffers fools.
Let’s readdress the redlight greenlight issue. Red means stop and Green means go. Did I actually have to say that? Apparently yes. Some people are still unclear on the concept. Yellow we will save for a different discourse but the red and green are fundamentally very clear. Green means look both ways to make sure some yahoo is not running the red light and go man go. Red means stop, cars are allowed to whack your ass, open season, drivers get out of jail free.
There are times when you can run a redlight. Whoa! What’s this? A paradox? Sometimes a light will not be tripped by a bike. Buying a steel frame will usually cure this but otherwise coming to a full stop, waiting to see if the light changes, checking for a total absence of traffic, and then rolling through cautiously will work. If there is a group everyone should come to a stop and proceed through the light as a group, or even better just grab a gel pack, have a sip and consider it a feed zone. Someone could be a good chap and go over and push the pedestrian crossing button.
Now for the crux of the issue. There is a fundamental difference between a training ride and a race. A race is held on a full to semi-closed course with a relaxation of traffic laws and the presence of Traffic Officers. A training ride is on open roads, subject to the full spectrum of traffic laws and more importantly, just a scrimmage, a game with the prize going not to the first finisher, but to the best rider. So you are the first one to the light, itÂ’s red, and everyone catches up. Big deal, rest up in the back and attack again later. In fact form a group and practice team skills. You win by showing an ability to benefit the team, or from consistency week after week.
The bottom line? Car impacts cyclist, bad. Cyclist goes through green light car not there. Cyclist goes through redlight ouch! Dead is dead, only those you leave behind suffer. Cyclists are killed everyday while riding smart. Why be stupid?
Ride safe people, it’s better to be dropped than dead.
posted by Speedo at 11:37 PM
3 Comments:
totally agree speedo, i never understood why certain people think that training rides are "races" hehehe, i suppose those who have never attempted a real race would learn real quick just how much harder it is.
It is a shame that some must learn in the "school of hard knocks." They will not see the logic of your argument until they experience the regretfull results. Peer pressure can have a powerful effect. The first rider(s) in a group that chooses to flirt with disaster is asked not to rejoin the group. Simple yet effective.
Since redlight runners are the minority on most rides the majority should shun this behavior and ask the violators not to ride in their paceline. If this mindset and peer pressure were maintained I predict the number of offenses would drop to almost zero.
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