Well the weather is warm and people have been hitting the streets hard on two pedal powered wheels; But I have to say I have seen some of the worst bike ridding imaginable so lets take a minute and lay some ground rules for you wet behind the ears bikers out there. This is more than calling you out on some annoying shit, this is the kind of stuff that can save your life.
5 things to consider before you bike…..after the jump!
1.Riding on the sidewalk! Unless you are like 5 yrs old this is not a good look. Chicago has plenty of bike lanes and side streets to bike on. If you are to scared to bike in the street, YOU SHOULDN’T RIDE A BIKE!
2.Riding at night with no lights! Cars can not see you. Your bike probably makes little to no noise, so you are like a ninja-invisible. You will get hit, side swiped or doored for sure.
3.Fixed Gear wanna-bes! Unless you built that shit yourself, race around a track or already have lost a few teeth to bike related accidents. GET OFF THIS SHIT YOU ARE A POSER! YOU WILL DIE!
4.Straight Up Dumb Shit! Talking on your cell phone, swerving all over the place, riding the wrong way down streets, wearing headphones, riding side by side on busy streets, riding on major streets that don’t have bike lanes. You give other bikers a bad name and put everybody in danger.
5.Most people driving cars are not paying attention! SO YOU HAVE TO. Biking in the city is like surfing in the way that you really have to feel out the conditions, foresee the way traffic and pedestrians are gonna break. Also because sometimes you gotta eat it early to avoid getting hurt by waiting for shit to truly go down. Places like Wicker park have become rubber neck Mecca’s as people come to drive and see the city, look for parking and other dumb stuff. These people coming into the city are not used to driving in a city with so many bikers and won’t even realize they hit you!
Sorry to bitch and moan but This is real talk! I’ve just seen a bunch of dumb shit recently and it gets me worried. You are on a bike if you get in an accident you will get hurt, you isn’t taking out no car trust me. And since most of you ain’t wearing helmets anyway, your risking some brain damage!
p.s. drinking and driving is dangerous on a bike too!
