Category Archives: Raising Awareness

FIXED GEAR –ON MY COMMUTE TODAY…SHARROWS

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Where have I been for the last couple of years?  Have I been living under a rock?  Why didn’t I know what Sharrows were until just yesterday?  I’ve seen the chevron looking markings on the road in one section of my commute but until yesterday I had no idea what they meant.  I’m a dunce!  In my defense, the markings I have seen in Oceanside haven’t been there for two years but at least 6 months!

So what are Sharrows?  Below is an image of one.  What are they used for?  Here are some examples.

The stated purposes of the shared-lane markings used in California were to:

  • Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in a shared lane with on-street parallel parking in order to reduce the chance of a bicyclist’s impacting the open door of a parked vehicle;

  • Assist bicyclists with lateral positioning in lanes that are too narrow for a motor vehicle and a bicycle to travel side by side within the same traffic lane;

  • Alert road users of the lateral location bicyclists are likely to occupy within the traveled way;

  • Encourage safe passing of bicyclists by motorists; and

  • Reduce the incidence of wrong-way bicycling.

Source

So this morning “On my Commute”  I decided to pay more attention to them as to where exactly they were located, and record a little video.  Interesting commute– It appears I’m not alone at not knowing what the chevron markings mean.  Cars honked and made nasty gestures as they passed me.  All the while I was just below the posted speed limit of 25mph going about 23mph.  Two miles/hr would be imperceptible to a motorist driving behind me at above the speed limit.
Look at this short video where I am traveling 25 mph in a 25 mph zone and the car behind me is going 34 mph (notice the flashing speed limit sign).  He then passes me and makes angry gestures pointing to the yeild to him and to get over to the right of the lane.  Oh by the way, I was loving my Fixed Gear bike this morning until this butthead.
(cue Mission Impossible theme) Your mission, shall you choose to accept it is to tell just one motorist (coworker, friend, relative) what Sharrow markings mean.  Do it as an “Oh by the way, did you know…?” Don’t bother doing it on the road — you’ll never get through to them!  I have completed my Mission — you do the same.

The video below features Tony Cruz, professional bike racer, talking about Sharrows in Long Beach!

Irvine Ride of Silence Video

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I’m happy to have done this ride. But I have mixed feelings. I’m disappointed in how little was known about this ride. By one account the turn-out was better at Irvine than it was when he attended the Long Beach and Fullerton versions in the previous years. I belong to Team Sho Air which has over 400 members and I believe there were only three members present, including Brandy and me.

On the other hand, the City of Irvine police department provide at least eight motorcycles and three cruises to escort us through our 9.7 mile Ride of Silence. I believe attendance was about 100 riders.

I have included a video below. Please make it a priority to attend this ride next year. In addition, if there are other activities that raise awareness for bicycle safety you should ATTEND and GET THE WORD OUT!!

HERE IS A VIDEO OF THE IRVINE RIDE OF SILENCE HELD ON MAY 20, 2009 SORRY NO GROOVY SOUNDTRACK THIS TIME. IT WAS A TIME OF REFLECTION. A BETTER QUALITY VIDEO CAN BE FOUND ON MY WEBSITE.

The Ride of Silence

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I apologize for the late notice but I just found out about this ride this morning. Please take action in your local area to HONOR those that have been injured or killed!

BRANDY AND I WILL BE AT THE IRVINE COMMUNITY CENTER TONIGHT! WE WILL RIDE IN HONOR OF YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES. IF YOU CARE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF THAT WOULD BE GREAT. COMMENTS OR DIRECT EMAIL IF YOU WANT TO SYNCHRONIZE SCHEDULES.

Here is an excerpt from their website:

WHY DOES THIS ORGANIZATION EXIST?

To HONOR those who have been injured or killed
To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here
To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD

THE RIDE OF SILENCE WILL NOT BE QUIET

On May 20, 2009, at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn’t aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.

In 2003, Chris Phelan organized the first Ride Of Silence in Dallas after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was hit by the mirror of a passing bus and was killed. (Read the full history here…)

The Ride Of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There is no brochure, no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during Bike Safety month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.

Please check the resources on this site. If there is a Ride Of Silence in your area, we encourage you to join them. If there is not a ride planned in your area, please consider adding your city to the ever-growing list of sites. To get information on how to organize and host a Ride of Silence, please click HERE.