Race and Cycling

This post on bikeforums.net really pissed me off.

It's about an incident that occurred between a driver and some road cyclists in Australia. According to news media, the driver almost collided with the cyclists, who then called him an "effing idiot dingo"; the driver responded angrily by speeding up and changing into their lane at a unsafe distance.

Almost all the posts on the forum show unconditional support for the cyclists. That's not surprising, since cyclists are often frustrated at the dangerous things drivers do. Only one person pointed out that "dingo" is a racial slur. I wondered: if the incident had occured in the U.S., and the cyclists had shouted "effing idiot chink!" or "nigger!" or "wetback!" would the forum response be the same?

Actually, I think so.

Road cyclists tend to be white and at the upper ends of "middle class." Their self-righteousness about using the road is backed by the positive popular image of cycling as a healthy sport and an environmentally sound alternative to driving. The worst crime in the eyes of cyclists is to be a dangerous driver--in fact, it's so bad that racist speech is justified.

I'm not supporting the stupid driver, obviously. I'm trying to point out that the politics of "sharing the road" is not necessarily as egalitarian as it seems, if the people in the cycling community cannot even recognize the blatant racism in such a news story. I thought about replying, but then, what's the point? I can already imagine the dogmatic responses.

Almost got run over this evening

Not while riding my bike, but just crossing the street on foot. It's one of the smaller ones that intersect the busy stretch of E John St as it slopes from Broadway to downtown Seattle. Some asshole in a BMW made a turn at an insane speed. If I hadn't quickly jogged a few paces when I saw him coming at me, I might be missing a leg or two right now.

I just glared. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to curse at him or something.

There's just too many goddamn cars in this city. I've spent as much as an hour driving around looking for street parking in Capitol Hill. Lately, I've been thinking of getting rid of my car altogether. Bike lanes help out a bit to get around in congestation, but there's not nearly enough of them.

And drivers are fucking insane. The worst are the SUVs who will do anything to shave 20 precious seconds from their trip. I am absolutely convinced SUVs encourage people to be oblivious to what happens around them. That's what happens when you have the security of a tank. I mean, in an accident, it's someone else who will probably get hurt, not them. And it's not just bikes who are put in danger but pedestrians also.

I always seem to read that Seattle is great for getting around on a bike. But it's all relative. That may be true compared to say, Manhattan or Los Angeles, but it pales in comparison to places like Portland or Bellingham.

Test Run: Capitol Hill to Mercer Island

I took my road bike around Mercer Island today--it's a route I've done on my mountain bike before. This time I studied the map a little bit to figure out the best way to get there from Capitol Hill, where I live. This is what I came up with:

- Go S on 12th Ave
- Go E on S Jackson St
- Go S on 20th Ave S
- Head E on the bike trails in the little parks that run alongside I-90 (Judkins and Sam Smith were two of the park names I saw)
- Go through the tunnel
- Take the I-90 trail across Lake Washington

I find the I-90 trail a bit intimidating as it's not terribly wide and I have an irrational fear of falling into the water. But it's really fine, especially if you take it slow. There are roads that go around the entire perimeter of Mercer Island. There's very little traffic, lots of trees, some public beaches, parks on the north end, and some very cool views.

The bike did very nicely on the 20 miles. Some notes:

- I didn't push the speed since the island has some sharp turns and I didn't feel comfortable cornering them fast. Still, the bike felt pleasingly fast. Even with my little homemade trunk bag carrying snacks, windbreaker, etc.
- The rear wheel has a squeak somewhere. Needs a drop of oil.
- I wonder if the tires could use a bit more air. They say 85 psi max; I filled them to about 60, I think.
- Getting used to the increased braking time is tricky. I'm accustomed to being able to stop on a dime.
- My biggest problem was quickly getting in and out of the toe clips. I had a few embarassingly clumsy dismounts at traffic lights but luckily I didn't fall or crash.

They don't make 'em like they used to

On Tuesday, I bought a used road bike! Very exciting. So exciting, in fact, that I decided to start this exciting new blog about biking. How exciting for you!

Anyway... since Tuesday, I've been cleaning up the bike, riding it, and scouring the web for information about the frame and parts. The Vintage Trek website has a page on "Date of Manufacture for Bicycle Components," which has been particularly helpful.

I've concluded that it's probably a 1984 Fuji League. For a 22 year old bike, it is in amazing shape, well worth the $175.


What I've figured out so far:
Frame: 56cm; decal says "VALite 1769 Quad-Butted"; badge says "Made in Japan"
Tires: new Vittoria Randonneur 700x28
Crankset: Sugino RT 42T,52T
Cassette: SunTour 6-speed (13T-26T)
Rims: Ukai 700x25 (rear), Araya (front)
Derailleurs: SunTour LePree
Brakes: Dia-compe side-pull
Handlebars: Nitto Oympiade
Saddle: Avocet RII
Pedals: MKS Sylvan with "Mira" steel toeclips