Share the Road

It’s peak cycling season. How do I know? Because the DVR is full of Tour de France coverage and because on any sunny evening or weekend my husband disappears on long bike rides. This happens every July, so it shouldn’t be a surprise. The big professional races start in mid-February with the Tour of California and continue right on through to September’s Vuelta a España, the biggest event being the Tour de France. But even if you don’t follow the races, you’ll know the season has started when you begin spotting local cyclists out along country roads, in packs or alone, decked out in colorful spandex and riding distances or up hills that make you doubt their sanity.

This year my husband decided to up the ante and enter one of the most difficult races out there, the Tour of the California Alps, aka the “Death Ride.” It takes place every year in the Sierra Nevada mountains between Northern California and Nevada, spanning 6 mountain passes for a total distance of 130 miles in one hot July day. My husband managed to finish this ride a couple years ago, while sick with a cold, but he decided to have another go while healthy. (See what I mean about cyclists’ sanity?)

He trained for months, grabbing any spare time he could, so he would be prepared for such a grueling day. (So grueling, in fact, that one rider had died 5 years ago during the race.) Getting ready for the race was difficult not only for my husband, but for the rest of the family, too. While he trained for hours on end, I was at home taking care of our baby daughter, our dog, the house. And every single time he was out by himself I worried. Cyclists are so vulnerable on the road; I never know how safe he really is out there.

Last weekend the big day finally came. We went up to the area a few days early so he could acclimate to the high elevation. On the morning of the race, he woke up before dawn and started on the course with 2000 other riders at 5:30am. There was no cell phone reception in the mountains, so I waited anxiously all day for him to return. He figured he’d be done by about 4pm, but by 5:00 he hadn’t come back. 6:00 and then 7:00 passed with no word. By 7:30 I had started panicking, already had called the hospitals and was preparing to drive out there and search for him, when I saw him pulling into the campground. I admit I cried from relief. He was beyond exhausted, and full of stories of people fainting, throwing up, and/or being rushed away by ambulances. I was proud of him for finishing, but mostly just thankful he made it back safely.

That may be an extreme example, but truthfully I worry every time he’s out on a ride, whether he’s with his cycling team or alone. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard of cyclists being run off the road or even hit, sometimes purposefully, by cars and trucks. My husband’s had men in trucks heckle him as they go by, drivers skim his handlebars as they pass too close, people throw trash at him from their car windows, and once a truck even hit him. Luckily he wasn’t badly hurt.

So as you come across media coverage of the Tour de France as it wraps up this week or notice cyclists on the roads taking advantage of sunny weather, please be respectful and cautious. There are some very common mistakes drivers make, so here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. When passing a cyclist, give them as much room as you can. You can go into the other lane if it’s empty. It’s even OK to allow your tires to cross the double yellow line! A rule of thumb is to allow the cyclist five feet of space as you go by.
2. Remember that cyclists are working hard, especially if they’re out on a winding country road or on an incline. They are not able to give quite as much focus to what you’re doing as you may think, so slow down and watch out for them.
3. Don’t pass on a corner. If you want to pass a cyclist, please wait till you’re on a straightaway.
4. If you want to turn into a driveway or onto a street but there’s a cyclist coming, wait for them to pass first. If you’re making a right turn, don’t speed past the cyclist and then turn right in front of them. They can’t stop that quickly and will end up crashing into your car. Think of it the same way as if they were another car.
5. Cyclists are a little bit like fast pedestrians. They can go the same speeds as cars, but are basically as vulnerable as people on foot. Please be aware of where they are and stay focused while driving near them
6. Remember they have just as much right as a car does to be on the road!

-Scooter