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energy is real

Energy Is Real

March 21, 2018/11 Comments/in The Savvy Cyclist /by Karen Karabell

I’m shocked when motorists are rude to me. Here in St. Louis or anywhere I ride, it just doesn’t happen.

The driver’s anger poisoned the energy of the other drivers on the road. Everyone started honking.

riding a bike on a freeway-like surface street

Google Maps view of Forest Park Parkway

OK, I’m exaggerating. Last year one driver was obnoxious.

He or she apparently could not buh-lieve I’d ride a bicycle on that road.

I was riding on Forest Park Parkway, a road similar in design to a freeway. People on this section are typically zooming through to get somewhere else.

On a fateful afternoon last fall, a driver of a black Audi either stayed or got stuck behind me — I’m not sure which — and honked for what seemed like an eternity.

Here’s What’s Fascinating

The driver’s anger poisoned the energy of the other drivers on the road. Everyone started honking. I waved to acknowledge their annoyance, and my humanity.

What could I do? I was on a section where I couldn’t escape. I simply had to endure, until I got to my destination at the other end of this canyon-like stretch of road.

forest park parkway in saint louis

Forest Park Parkway between Skinker and Big Bend boulevards in St. Louis

On the rare occasions that I have problems, I don’t blame “stupid” motorists. I analyze what happened. What could I have done differently so it wouldn’t happen again?

Energy Is Real

A big reason I have such good experiences is because I expect to.

Attitude elevates your ride. Courtesy and cooperation are the twin pillars of every great ride.

Attitude elevates your ride. It’s important to understand the dynamics of truly dangerous situations, and how to avoid them. Once you’ve got that down, courtesy and cooperation are the twin pillars of every great ride.

If you’re a mensch, you have every reason to expect other drivers to be mensches, too.

Ever since my honking takedown, I’ve wanted to revisit the scene, and see if I could control the energy around me this time. I’d be more careful to actively communicate with the motorists who would most assuredly be on the road with me.

I finally rode it again last Friday. You can see what happened below.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/energy-is-real.png 226 400 Karen Karabell https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.png Karen Karabell2018-03-21 11:30:012018-08-23 17:12:11Energy Is Real
cycling right on green

How To Get A “Scary” Road All To Yourself

September 13, 2017/6 Comments/in The Savvy Cyclist /by Karen Karabell

My bank is on the corner of a major St. Louis intersection. Before I started using a marvelous CyclingSavvy strategy, I dreaded going to this bank.

If I rode, I added at least half a mile to my trip to avoid biking on the major arterial road on which the bank sits. :(

If I drove, I felt guilty using my two-ton land missile to process pieces of paper. :(

Then I learned about turning right on green. Motorists, of course, turn right on red if they can.

BMO Harris Bank on the corner of Kingshighway & Southwest In St. Louis.

My bank, at the intersection of major arterial roads in St. Louis

But I learned through CyclingSavvy that if I wait for a green light to turn right onto major arterial roads, I typically get the road all to myself for the amount of time I need to be on it.

Game Changer

Why is this such a big deal?

Because the red light shuts down the pipe. The motorists on that road are waiting at a red light. While they just sit there, I can get where I need to be. On my bicycle!

You’ll see above how I use Kingshighway–a massive St. Louis stroad–for the three blocks I need to get to my bank.

Magnolia Avenue at Kingshighway in St. Louis

Wait until the light is green on the “smaller” road to turn onto the “big” road

In the video I’m turning right on yellow. I would have preferred to show you a “pure” right-on-green maneuver. But at some point I needed to quit taping and get back to my day job. This is Take #2 of 5. The other takes were also totally uneventful. Here’s the first take, if you’re a junkie for this stuff.

Right-on-green works like a charm. Over the years I’ve used this strategy hundreds of times. I can’t recall a bit of trouble anywhere I’ve used it.

If you try right-on-green, it’ll seem weird at first, being out there all by yourself on your bicycle.

Another tip: Go immediately into the lane that best serves your destination. If you’re making a left up ahead, use right-on-green to go directly into the left lane. Position yourself early, and you won’t need to negotiate with fast-moving traffic, which is hard to do.

What if the light turns green while you’re riding your bike on that big scary road? Motorists who come up behind you will see you from a long way back. They see that you’re on a bicycle. They’ll assume you’re slow, even if you’re not. They’ll either slow down, or choose whatever lane you’re not in to pass you.

Any motorist turning right on green with you at the intersection will quickly leave you in the dust. They don’t want to be behind you. On multi-lane roads they’ll choose a lane you’re not in to pass you.

Often, you’ll roll right up behind them at the next red light.

If they’re surprised to see you, just smile and wave. :)

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/right-on-green.jpeg 331 400 Karen Karabell https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.png Karen Karabell2017-09-13 11:30:252018-08-27 21:13:24How To Get A "Scary" Road All To Yourself

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