Pledge to not get hit by a vehicle - a father and sons promise.
May is national bike safety month. But I’m getting into the topic earlier than that. Yesterday’s eclipse brought summer to Michigan and people are riding their bikes again. So, let’s talk safety.
Both of my sons, Eller and Owen, have ridden stages of Tour Da Yoop, eh. They showed up the first year of TDY in 2018. And as soon as Eller turned 16, he’s been helping the riders driving SAG all over the U.P. Owen turned into a biker and wears White Plaid – going for Purple this year.
When Owen started training for his Red Plaid we made a commitment to each other – that we would not get hit by a vehicle. It scares the living S**T out of me that I might introduce my boy to a sport that could seriously injure or kill him. It’s not the TDY ride itself that I’m worried about, but the hundreds of miles of training that happen before then. Last week I made the same commitment with one of Owen’s best buddies, Cole Heydenburg, 2023 SAG driver turned 2024 “Chasing Plaid” biker.
We acknowledge that we don’t have perfect control over having an accident with a vehicle. But we have a tremendous amount of influence. By making this commitment, we are determined to behave in a manner that gives us the optimal opportunity to train and enjoy our biking safely.
This is our pledge –
Be modest.
Strava times don’t matter. This is a really big deal. Most of my previous close calls happened because I was “racing” somewhere. I used to have a 20-mile ride from my house that I called “20 in 20”. Meaning, I maintained at least 20 mph during the 20-mile ride. That was quite challenging because there were multiple turns, stop signs, traffic lights, crossing roads, and hundreds of cars. Since my commitment to Owen, I don’t do that ride anymore. If I get back to my home and Strava says my average was 15 mph – so be it. I could care less. I’ve learned that consistently training is much more important than training fast anyway. Owen and I enjoy racing to town street signs. But we call that off if riding on a busy road, or in an environment that could make it difficult to know it’s safe to race. Basically, we only race to street signs in rural areas.
Be Seen.
Front and back lights. We always charge them and use them. Both are bright and flashing.
Stand tall. Intersections, driveways, parking lots, and other places where cars are pulling out. We sit up on our bikes, flare our elbows, wave a hand in the air, make eye contact with drivers – we are making sure that we see them, and they see us. Sometimes we get into the center of the lane so a car sees us, but never before looking over our shoulder for oncoming traffic.
We ride defensively and friendly.
Riding defensively. We share the road with vehicles, and sometimes it slows them down from wherever they are going. We don’t take for granted that we are in their way. We ride defensively – along the lines of being seen. But also assuming our right to the road. For example, at a red light, we will be in the center of the lane, in the line of vehicles – awaiting our turn to go. We are in the easiest gear, and when the light turns green, start pedaling along with traffic. As we move through the intersection we begin to slide right and assume our position on the shoulder or edge of the road.
Riding friendly. Some vehicle drivers wish we were on a sidewalk, or not biking at all. Some don’t mind too much, but they might be nervous seeing us and are being careful not to hit us. Some drivers are also bikers, and wish they were riding as well. There are all kinds out there. We smile and gesture friendly to everyone. We never lose our temper. Hot-headedness can cause really stupid decisions and put people in danger. It does not make a situation safer. I’ve had conversations with drivers, and I’ve often learned something from their perspective that was helpful.
Be aware.
We don’t ride with headphones or distractions. Training in the outside world is not a passive sport. We listen, look, feel, and even smell our surroundings. We use all our senses to get a heads up. We listen for the changes in sound of vehicles. Are they speeding up or slowing down. We even feel temperature changes and smells – is there a wet spot ahead.
We ride with our heads up and alert. We don’t ride head to the ground pushing with all our might only to run into something or someone. We watch the front of a car at a stop sign. Is the front end dropping, indicating it’s coming to a stop. Or is the front end lifting indicating it’s going to make a run for it.
We communicate. Car back, gravel, stopping, jogger, walker, road conditions, turns, and all kinds of signals to communicate with other bikers. We practice both verbal and visual cues. That’s important because sometimes bikers aren't looking in your direction and won’t see the “slowing” signal.
We check in with each other to make sure we are in a good state of mind. Are we hydrated, do we need a break, or need some food. You can't stay mentally sharp if you hit a wall.
Owen and I began training again and are having a blast. Until he broke his leg. Not biking - on a rock climbing wall. Sounds like I might have to make a safety climbing wall pledge with him. He'll be back on the bike in a month and probably still be in better shape than me. The wonders of youth!
I can’t wait to ride my bike in the safety of the U.P. Until then, we’ll train in the safest way we can – so that we get to ride this summer on TDY’s 7th time around the Yoop. Our annual event starts, as always, the last Friday of July in my hometown of Manistique Michigan. Hope to see you for 1, 3, 5, or even all 10 days of the ride. We’d love to ride with you in Michigan’s biking paradise – the Upper Peninsula.
Thanks for reading, enjoy your riding, and I encourage you to make a safety pledge with a biker you love.
James -