Human Behavior from the Bike Seat

Image: Sailboat passing through the lift of the Burnside Bridge, Steel Bridge in the background.

I have to say, I am getting spoiled with this warmer and so, so much drier weather we have been having here in Portland! I do not have to carry so much extra gear and I feel like I can actually slow down a bit and enjoy the ride rather than getting from A to B with the least amount of wetness. I think people seem to be in cheerier spirits as well, since we can finally get out and enjoy a jog, walk, or just plain sitting out in the open, fresh air. On my usual morning route, I slow along the Eastbank Esplanade for two main reasons, 1) to cool down so I am not so sweaty arriving at work; and 2) it is nice along the river, peaceful, mostly quiet and a wonderful view.

I am now at 1700 miles of commuting and, at times, feel overly in a rut, route wise. So, I now occassionally change my route home, to see other parts of inner southeast Portland and to break up the commuting monotony so it does not become boring or I forget to enjoy the journey. Plus it is probably good to have different terrain to ride on.

I think I have actually adjusted my new Time ATAC cleats to where it is feeling both neutral and comfortable for me feet and knees. Oh, speaking of knees, the last few days I have had to stay in lower gears as I mildly injured the right knee and pushing too  hard kind of hurts. Other than that, I like the Time pedals and the fact the float is in the pedal and I have less adjustment considerations for the cleats.

Being on a bike allows for much better people (life?) watching than when I was in a car every day. I read a lot about the bike-car-pedestrian issues, the struggle for domination and "rightness". Human behavior being what it is and believing that "my" group is the right one, my observations seem to be that mode of transportation, as I have said in the past, has nothing to do with who is right or wrong. Maybe it goes back to the judge the act, not the person philosophy?

Cars do not like cyclists because they make them go slower, so sometimes drivers make poor choices. We know about these and hear stories all the time. I wonder, though, what pedestrians would write about? I see some cyclists ride like some drivers - in their own world, expecting everyone else to watch out for them and get out of their way. This group typically never even slow at controlled intersections, rush to pass through before the pedestrians steps off the sidewalk and, sometimes, plain scare the bejeebers out of me. I recently saw two cyclists who were crossing a bride on the shared bike-ped walkway lift their bikes over the safetly railing and ride on the roadway. While probably legal, in their goal to not be slowed down by pedestrian traffic, they themselves slowed several cars.

I try to ride not with a focus on right or wrong, legal or illegal, but on courtesy, consideration and respect. I have come to not like the idea of "sharing" the road, because that denotes someone or some group has ownership, you know, like when we were kids and were told to share our toys. How can we share what is is everyone's? It has been fun to have a pedestrian thank me for stopping to let them cross, even when there is no other traffic around and we both saw each other and the person would have been just fine waiting until I passed.

While someone watching from the outside might not think so, I also think it has been funny a few times as I am waving a driver at an intersection and they are waving me - I have done this in a car, as well. So, yeah, I ride with a different focus, one that sees all the spaces as MUPs, since the reality is they truly are and no one mode of transportation has any more right to the space than another, because it is not about the things we use, but about people themselves.

I hope you all are enjoying your riding and are getting out there.