I Hate Trucks
I took my new bike, an 80s Shogun 200, for a spin around the Mercer Island loop today. It was a nice ride, except for a wide, old pick-up truck that whizzed by me with 6" between my head and his right mirror. And it wasn't a narrow road--there was plenty of space for him to pass safely. I couldn't fucking believe it.
I'm noticing a pattern. It's always the gigantic cars that pass way too close. Pick-ups and SUVs are the worst. (Let me be clear: not all SUV drivers are assholes; but the assholes tend to drive SUVs.) And they're driven by suburban moms recklessly hauling kids to soccer practice or rednecks whose sense of the meaning of life is proportional to the amount of gas they can consume in a mile.
That's what happens when you make expensive gas-guzzlers as strong as tanks. The commercials make it seem like the price buys you better "safety." In practice, this just encourages a certain demographic to be less attentive, less considerate, less concerned overall about their driving, since the car takes care of it for them. After all, in a collision the 3,000 tons of metal surrounding them will ensure they'll survive. Whatever or whomever they hit will not be so lucky, but what do they care...
Anyhow, the Shogun did nicely. The handling is easier and not as squirrely as the Fuji, but the bike is not as fast either. I'm starting to get used to riding in the drops when I go down hills and against the wind. It seems to help.
I like biking in the brisk fall weather. The only bad part is getting home and feeling a bit woozy from all the wind.
I'm noticing a pattern. It's always the gigantic cars that pass way too close. Pick-ups and SUVs are the worst. (Let me be clear: not all SUV drivers are assholes; but the assholes tend to drive SUVs.) And they're driven by suburban moms recklessly hauling kids to soccer practice or rednecks whose sense of the meaning of life is proportional to the amount of gas they can consume in a mile.
That's what happens when you make expensive gas-guzzlers as strong as tanks. The commercials make it seem like the price buys you better "safety." In practice, this just encourages a certain demographic to be less attentive, less considerate, less concerned overall about their driving, since the car takes care of it for them. After all, in a collision the 3,000 tons of metal surrounding them will ensure they'll survive. Whatever or whomever they hit will not be so lucky, but what do they care...
Anyhow, the Shogun did nicely. The handling is easier and not as squirrely as the Fuji, but the bike is not as fast either. I'm starting to get used to riding in the drops when I go down hills and against the wind. It seems to help.
I like biking in the brisk fall weather. The only bad part is getting home and feeling a bit woozy from all the wind.
posted by Hacky Biker at 8:30 PM
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