road biking and road rage

will try to spit something out about my post work ride as my boys splash in the tub
thus usually ends up with a soaked
funny enough
I did not get to finish that sentence or that thought
sure enough... grantman was pouring 32 ounces of water onto the floor from the tub at a time
older brother dean was reclining back enjoying the show
hope there is no damage
as we just had the ceiling on the floor below repaired from similar such incidents
enough on the kids
back to the saga at hand

road biking and road rage
normally I ride alone
sure it would be better for me to ride with others
challenge me
push me
help me to challenge myself
help me to push myself
but, a combination of small unknown windows of opportunity and the inability to plan ahead normally prevent me from getting out on the bike with anyone else

today was different
set some tentative things up in advance
firmed things up in late afternoon
a final conversation ahort time before my departure to verify the time
then got stood up while on my way to our point of intersection
cell phones can be handy

just as well
our route was on the Mount Vernon trail
the weather of the day and the time of year had me thinking of out to Great Falls and back
a ride I had not done in too long
the idea of heading down MacArther Blvd. to the parking lot at Great Falls alone rather than riding with my old friend was fine with me
not sure where his fitness is
not sure where my energy is

the bike was feeling fresh
the night prior the drive train got some tlc
some much needed tlc
degreased and lubed the drive train after a winter of riding
made this old machine feel next to new
a drive train I have been meaning to replace
but have yet to find the time and a nine speed crankset with a half step
gearing in the area of 38/46 as I have little need for a 52

traffic was congested
the weather was awesome
the commuter traffic seemed extra aggressive
which dictate the tone of the ride
on M Street I shamelessly scanned the sidewalks for eye candy as I split the lanes
the cars had me extra cautious for immediate lane shifts
the few quick glances at the college coeds had me thinking of a line from Breaking Away
the blocks of ended with key bridge on one side and a few bike shops and a liquor store on the other
I cut the lanes and busted a move into left turning traffic
the cars turning into the gas station and the runners on the sidewalk had me in the right hand lane

traffic on this stretch of road moves fast
too fast... consistently over the speed limit fast
rather than riding the gutter and grinding my teeth as each car passed dangerously close
I spun it fast and hard in the center of the right hand land
not even the center
still pulling a tad to the right of center
a few cars pass fast and close in my lane as they went around me
why did they not move entirely into the left hand lane?
I can not read minds... but I think some people like to buzz the cyclist in an effort to give them a message
I was feeling spry
the bike felt good and I felt good as well

ths short stretch of road ended with the traffic that had just aggressively passed me to be blocked up at a dual left hand turn lane
I continued right
attacked the hill hard
then quickly dropped to a turtle pace
cars passed fast as I tried to fade into the left hand lane for a left onto MacArther

here there is a double yellow line
I am forced to ride in the lane rather than the door zone
more cars passing fast and close
not sure of the speed limit
my guess is I am riding closer to the legal limits than the passing cars
a few drivers pass fast only to turn into the neighborhood ahead
while others get passed by me as they stop for the red light

sure I roll through the red...
no time to make that arguement of how I modify the law of the red light viewing it as a yeild sign
not unlike how a car modifies the speed limit with a standard deviation
only I think that people have over extended the parameters of what is a safe modification of the speed

I have already cursed at a few passing cars
the new favorite word is c u n t
not sure why.... but it crept up... and it has stayed
I don't like it, but it is some sort of cyclist road rage induced turrets

read more?

on the last miles MacArther in DC feeding into Maryland things move pretty smoothy
not too many cars passing me
a few
a few close
but nothing too aggressive or dangerous
just as I cross into maryland a set of cars pass me as if I am not there
I pass them on the climb as they wait for the light to change
then at the next light I drop into the hill at good speed
feeling good
going fast for me
I feel as if I am of no hinderance to the cars that I am sharing the road with
sharing the road does not mean sharing the lane

on this stretch of winding road I am moving at a pretty good clip
this road was a favorite of mine in my late teens on my motorcycle
still a favorite of mine on the bike
only the curves move by a great deal slower
sure there is a bike path just along side of the road
but the road is better for this pace
as I move along there are a few walkers headed each way and a few bikers each way
all obstacles that would force me to drop my speed
clearly more considerate for me to ride on the road at this pace rather than the path

as I get further along the road the number of cars buzzing me grows
so many fast moving commuter cars
all passing dangerously fast on blind curves over a double yellow line
even those that pass courtesously wide around me cause anxiety
there are multiple near head on collisions
never do I see brake lights
just near collisions

just before Glen Echo I pass the line of cars that just passed me
there are makes, models, and drivers that I recognize
I recall the names that I applied to the faces
most of them were just labeled c u n t
no matter the sex
my adrenalin was pumping from the ride and from the traffic

the miles towards great falls are rolling by
a very familiar stretch of road
I recognize the changes
this area is not far from the house I grew up in
much of my youth was spent in this area

as cars pass fast and close I hold my ground
checking my watch to get an estimate of my destination for a turn around
already talking myself out of repeating the hill multiple times
as I approach the old one lane bridge I again pass so many of the cars that passed me too fast and too close
I look to the sidewalk and then the bridge itself
there are cars just rolling off the last feet of the bridge
I am moving fast enough take the one lane bridge before the opposing traffic gets a green
half way across the bridge I see that the cars in front of me are not just getting across
the cars are lined up
stuck in the queue all the way to the stop sign half a mile ahead
opposing traffic has a green
or maybe they finally have enough room to squeeze by
either way
cars are heading towards me full speed
the first car sees me
I am riding the gutter head on
the second car comes close
I am still moving
the third is going to crush me
I take my foot out the right clip and the hard plastic slides as I tocuh the curb
the third driver corrects and smiles in a Bad Boy Club sort of way
I smile and thank him for not crushing me and apologize
but he is gone
by this time I am able to slip through the final yards and back onto the road
at this point oncoming traffic has a red
I split the frozen traffic
passing more and more cars
each car with one person... the driver

most of the cars turned left
so only a portion of the cars approach me
most of the cars are disrespectful to my right for life
by the time I get to Old Angler's Inn my heart rate has really gone up and so has my middle finger
I am not fully accustom to nearly being killed so many times
by this time there have been a few fast and close passes that had the pleasant addition of a constant holding of the horn
when I reach the peak of the hill I drop in
keep my speed down and watch for deer
okay.... hands off the brakes but not sprinting down hill

at the base I do a turn around the circle
then back up the hill
although my heart rate has been raised along with my finger
I have forgotten each car and each driver as soon as they were gone
no real specifics as holding such information would just anger me more

at the crest of the hill I watch for traffic entering the path in front of me
seeing that a kayaker is stopped at the light knowing I have the right of way I begin to accelerate on a wonderful downhill
without a glance my way
the car with the kayak on top pulls out in front of me
I scream at the top of my lungs as I skid to a near halt
avoided the point of intersection
still screaming still unseen I am not moving forward in a classic european finishline pose
this man is being served a double
no cussing
just the silent finger
in the rear view mirror I am finally seen
there is a non-vebal exchange
shoulders raise... hands go up
I hear a lame... "sorry" in my head
still no handed
still giving him the double bird

he is gone
gone from my view
gone from my head
sure there is the thought of HUMAN POWER SHOULD RESPECT HUMAN POWER
and
sure I day dream having one of those big propeller swamp boats and buzzing past him as he paddles his way to the rapids
then he is gone
as this is too good of a descent for this guy to occupy space in my head
then sure enough
back up traffic
cars are stacked behind one car waiting to turn left
I ride the center line
the first car turns left
hopefully the next car is not turning left
the timing is perfect
I am ahead of the pack
sprinting on ahead

as much as I want to take the speed to a higher level I stay in control
at Old Angler's Inn there will certainly be cars pulling in and out of the gravel lot
the two top lots are passed without conflict
then at the main enterance a kid in an SUV starst pulling out and stops
stops upon seeing me
stops without blocking my line

again the bike path is right along side of the road
but
there are cars turning into their driveways and pulling out of their driveways over the bike path
as much as I hate the cars by my side
those cars are much more safe than the potential of a t-bone

again an assortment of cars pass
some pass wide
some pass close intentionally
then there are those trying to teach lessons

a neo-scooter pulls up along side of me
he offers his rear wheel
I joke about wanting to burn some calories
he does not hear me.... so I say it again
he does not hear me... so I day it again
either he hears me or he nods to be polite
he says I am going roughly 25 mph
I thank him and he pulls away

the way back went pretty much as the way up
there were a variety of cars that did things in an effort to fuck with me
there was more than one old man in a lexus who passed fast only to try and block me out
there were a few encounters where I feared I had given the wrong person the finger
nothing like that internal debate about my safety and their intentions
then the question if I should get off this road and onto the canal to forget this mess

but I hold my ground
there is a stubbornness to this exercise
there may be a little bit of the anger fueling me
as I am competitive
perhaps part of my fast pace is to show the cars their futility in their efforts
their high speeds and aggressive driving do not get them anywhere any faster

the redneck contractors in the red truck with the ladders
the passanger in the back seat gave me a bit of tongue and pointed to the bike path
as there had already been a few flipped fingers regretted
I kept my fingers to myself
only to pass them miles later on the hill into georgetown

okay....
I could replay the ride and get more faces and more cars
more negative interactions
but that would just give me anger
anger I do not need
that anger is fine as fuel
but honestly I could do without it

it is no my job to teach lessons
nor is it anyone else's
it seems that things have gotten out of control
it may be time to try and reel things in
so much of the uncivil behavior can be tied into the behavior on the road
if I thought that toy light sabers started off fine then ended up in a fight with my children
I would either control the situation or remove the variable

well...
I think that we need to slow traffic down
speed bumps
speed humps
thinner roads
slower cars
less cars
less commuting
less car dependency

AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO EDUCATE THE WORLD THAT BICYCLES NOT ONLY ARE LEGALLY ALLOWED ON THE ROADS
but that
CYCLISTS ARE HUMAN BEINGS COMPRISED OF FLESH AND BONES



shorten things back up!