http://www.purehero.com/s.nl/sc.2/categ … A/id.92/.f

See, we have enough trouble being targets of road rage. But, when we start wearing Spider-Man jerseys on the bike, we’re pretty much asking to be clubbed like a baby seal at 35mph…

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As my boss put it, the answer to the question no one asked…

http://www.sidewaysbike.com/

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http://www.digave.com/videos/

OK, you may wonder why this robot, a cycling enthusiast, would post this link in the WRONG section. Here’s why: I’m of two minds on this.

I thought these videos were pretty amazing stuff. The dexterity of these riders is baffling, as they weave through traffic, threading between parallel cars at impressive speeds, dodging sudden obstacles with supernatural acuity. They are simply entertaining, impressive videos, and addictive to be sure.

But I posted them WRONG because, as an urban cyclist who shares the road with drivers who vary from inattentive to belligerently anti-bike, in a metropolitan city where snarled traffic combines with a well-developed confrontational battle between taxi drivers, SUV owners, and bike messengers, I see terrible, terrible things on the streets daily. I see cyclists blow through reds against traffic, nearly causing accidents or being killed, with no care to the ramifications of their actions. i’ve seen traffic backed up for blocks because of cyclists casually riding three or four deep on a narrow, one lane road. I’ve seen the entire downtown area brought to a traffic jam standstill every month de to the ‘critical mass’ movement, where the cycling commuters, messengers, and general anarchists form a massive bike parade who’s specific intent is to stop friday night rush hour traffic throughout the city, but who’s theortical intent is supposedly to promote bike awareness for the auto drivers… yielding an even more hostile confrontation between the two and educating no one. I’ve seen taxes literally DOOR passing cyclists. I’ve seen SUV’s swerve through lanes to perform freakishly illegal parking or cruising maneuvers, sending cyclists and pedestrians sprawling across the pavement. I’ve seen cyclists mow down pedestrians in crosswalks. I’ve seen messengers smash taxi windows with bike locks. And I see daily the near misses between bad drivers and commuting cyclists attempting to share the road, because the drivers refuse to acknowledge that we’re supposed to be there together. I experience it. And i believe that the relationship between cyclists and drivers is as strained as it is in large part becuase certain cyclists have made a point of fuck-youing the drivers as much as possible. Reckless, unpredictable, unlawful racing like shown in these videos gets people killed. Maybe not these guys (well, probably eventually) and maybe not right now. But the frustration, road rage and bad blood foments and percolates and eventually, someone suffers.

So, watch the videos. Have a blast. Marvel at their skills.

Just don’t try this shit at home. Please.

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