Why it’s not cool to act like a racing cyclist on the roads – an opinion piece
Road cycling is a really cool sport. Fast. Dynamic. Almost silent. It can be tough at times, too – something you don’t always see from the outside, as it just keeps rolling along regardless. That makes it even cooler somehow.
And then there are the pros. Fitted to the nines. Cool as cucumbers. Clever tacticians. They wear each other down with brutal attacks until the saliva in their mouths tastes of metal and blood. They’re constantly falling flat on their faces, getting back up, shaking themselves off briefly and insisting on carrying on even with a broken collarbone, concussion and grazes the size of a pizza. True heroes.
Just a quick note: when professional cyclists do this, it’s a race. A competition. For victories, fame and money. Lots of fame, lots of money. That doesn’t make it any more fun, but you can understand why the riders take a certain risk to achieve it. On closed-off race tracks.
It’s about – nothing
When people like us ride road bikes, it’s usually not a race. There’s nothing at stake – it’s all about personal enjoyment and physical fitness. That means you don’t have to run red lights just because you’re in such a good flow. Nor do you have to weave through the gap between two pedestrians at a zebra crossing, causing them to drop the mobile phone they were staring at in sheer fright (well, pedestrians don’t necessarily have to do that either).
You can also wait briefly at junctions for a gap in the traffic, rather than just turning in and pretending that the oncoming driver can simply carry on as normal – because, after all, you’re a cool road cyclist and you’ve got it all under control. But what the motorist doesn’t know – and so brakes to avoid endangering the cyclist – is that, in case of doubt, you’re actually in control. By the way, signalling when turning is also a cool move.
Another option is to use cycle paths. On those marked with the blue cycle path sign, you’re actually required to do so. Even road cyclists must do this, even if they feel the path isn’t suitable for their cycling ability. And pretending you’ve overlooked the sign isn’t a solution either.
What you can do – even without having to
Incidentally, you can use field paths, farm tracks and paths alongside roads, even if there isn’t a blue cycle path sign indicating that you should. Admittedly, you might have to brake briefly at the start and end of each such path, which can be a bit of a nuisance. But what’s the point? That’s right, nothing. That’s why you don’t have to race through 30-km/h zones at 30, which might be within the law, but it’s not what other people expect – they don’t expect cyclists to come hurtling past even faster than cars in a traffic-calmed zone.
Personally, I think road cyclists are cool when they ride calmly and confidently in traffic. They stick to the rules and don’t think they’re above them just because they’re road cyclists. They don’t use their skills to squeeze into gaps in traffic where there aren’t any, thereby startling people. Instead, they use them to ride cautiously and defensively.
Smart thinks ahead
I also think it’s smart to anticipate other people’s behaviour on the road – or rather, their potential mistakes. To expect that pedestrians might wander onto the road or cycle path without looking. To anticipate that the driver at the junction probably hasn’t seen you. Braking when a car pulls out of a parking space, rather than putting your foot down and heading straight into the conflict that’s about to unfold. Of course, you often see other road users breaking the rules. But what’s the point of making a fuss every single time? Isn’t it much more satisfying to have avoided stress and arguments by thinking ahead? In my view, anyone who can do that is a very good road cyclist.
Incidentally, I reckon most professional cyclists see it that way too. After all, they don’t want any stress during training. Races are there, after all, to really let the racer loose.
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Thomas Musch
Publisher
