Before I started riding I would have told you that Boise was indeed a bicycle friendly place. However, now that I’ve been training for Triathlons and riding on the streets and outskirts of Boise my opinion has changed.
I can still say that Boise has a large population that is into fitness but if you’re not in that community, not a lot of love exists.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been buzzed on my bike. Keep in mind I’ve only been riding on the roads for less than a year. One example is when we were training for the Spudman Triathlon in Boise. We started down at Spring Shores and road into Boise. Sure it’s a busy highway but there is plenty of shoulder so we figured that we were pretty safe, I mean there is a passing lane for crying out loud. Even on the up hill where there is plenty of room on the shoulder, and an extra lane for passing, we had trucks pulling trailers that would hug the white line. This didn’t happen like 1 or 2 times, more like 10 to 12 on a 10 mile stretch.
It seems odd to me. When I wasn’t riding I still had a fear of hitting a cyclist and always gave them plenty of room when I passed. I grew up learning that you were supposed to ride your bike on the roads and I even learned the turn signals, AS A CHILD. Where is it that people are learning that bikes are “not” supposed to be on the road and getting as close to them as possible in an auto will teach them a lesson.
I can see where drivers get irritated with some cyclists. You have some that ride on the sidewalks, some that ride in the roads and don’t follow traffic rules and some that frankly don’t give a shit and ride like idiots. However, I would think that the fear of actually hitting one of these people would override the urge to put yourself, as a driver, in a position where you could possible injure or kill this rider.
Cyclists, you are not innocent victims here. There are those riders that fall into one of the categories I listed above and there are others that have built their own. These are the riders that feel the same way about runners and pedestrians as drivers feel about the cyclists. Now this really seems odd. Riders on the greenbelt are buzzing joggers, walkers and even those out with their children on a weekend. WTF!!!
My friends and I talk about the solution and we believe that it starts with us. We have to show the drivers respect on the roads. Follow traffic laws, try and make sure we are polite to drivers, and respect the fact that pedestrians have the right of way when we are on bikes. Then again, you buzz me and I happen to pass your house when you’re outside, don’t be surprised if I stop to discuss it.