Riding bikes is - by itself - an extremely safe activity.
It's the cars that are dangerous.
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In fairness, riding a bike is extremely dangerous for me. It turns out that you CAN forget how to do it. And at my age, falling off a bike is pretty dangerous!
@gabrielesvelto we need different words
Best I can come up with :
Unicycling across the Alps is risky
SUVs are dangerous
We tend not to differentiate linguistically whether the danger is to the person taking the risk (unicycle) or imposed on a third party (SUV).
@gabrielesvelto
Car drivers I think you mean! You’re welcome. 😉
@gabrielesvelto @trendytoots We want bikes to traverse #Denver, but the lack
Of traffic enforcement and the fact that I’m not even certain these folks have attended driving
Schools of any substance. Our son’s best friend almost died riding a scooter in the bike lane, hit by a driver going 10 over. He spent his entire summer in the hospital. Good portion in a coma while they drained blood from his brain.
@douchekowski indeed, unprotected bike lanes are insufficient because many drivers don't respect even the most basic rules of the road. Nothing short of a physical barrier works.
@gabrielesvelto @trending_bot the steel pins in my leg and elbow beg to differ, no cars involved!
(Totally self-inflicted, though 😂)
@WiteWulf I hurt myself a couple of times too, but in both cases it was also totally my fault and after so many years biking I should have known better.
On a similar note I've heard people say "bike lanes are car infrastructure"
@gabrielesvelto PS I don't consider the so-called "safety bike" design very safe. Too easy to hit something, go head over the handlebars, and land with a broken neck. I prefer reclining bikes.
@gabrielesvelto Well, other dangers to cyclists:
* Rocks and cracks in surfaces aren't very friendly to narrow bicycle tires
* Cyclist behavior - I've seen way too many cyclists that simply don't follow the rules of the road. For example, stopping at stop signs and traffic lights!
A note for anyone (cyclist or car) on the road:
If you want others to respect you, then respect the rules!
@gabrielesvelto
Yeah. An example from the Netherlands: in the 30+ years I’m riding a bike I had 3 crashes:
1) during my early teens by brake failure. My mom was angry on my dad because I was complaining for weeks.
2) There was black ice so I fell, it happens *shrug*
3) someone was not paying attention and stepped on the bike path and I could not stop. I was fine, the other one….
Though the times I had to slam the brakes to avoid cars……
@gabrielesvelto Although watch out for steep downhill runs with sharp turns or bridges that can have high winds…careful braking may be needed!
Yes, and the cars don't even need to hit you to make the road unsafe. Just sitting there makes the whole street feel like a hazard zone.
@gabrielesvelto I would gladly use a bike when I'm well enough. Assuming I could save up for one obv, but that's probably not that big an ask esp if I asked around for a second hand one or whatever
But there is no fucking way it will ever happen as long as you have to be around cars. And worse: drivers
@gabrielesvelto I don't even trust those motherfuckers when I'm on foot. never mind the weird frothing sexual hatred that the top gear kind of wankers have for cyclists
@sinvega yes, I also absolutely hate it. Having started cycling in a city with no bike infrastructure and completely motor-brained people I developed a number of survival strategies, but it's still not a pleasant experience. Amsterdam is, however, a different story.
@gabrielesvelto I've been hit by them four times and have had about double the number of narrow misses, all while a bicyclist or pedestrian. They stop being stupid when you brandish a heavy metal U-lock at them though! (I don't like to think about the implications of that)