I am new to the whole commuter bicycling thing.
I have long been a partially comatose morning commuter sitting in the tram watching poor cyclists flog their guts out getting up the Swanston Street hill. But now it is me on the bike getting hot a sweaty while pedestrians and tram goers look on in sympathy.
I still have the L-plates on, but I am quickly learning the road rules from a cyclists perspective.
Road Rule 1
Bike lanes are more like guidelines rather actual rules. Drivers can feel free to pull up in the bike lane during peak hour – particularly if they are a taxi.
Road Rule 2
Councils are under absolutely no obligation to maintain the road in the bike lane. Terrible patch up jobs, half done maintenance work and potholes are perfectly acceptable terrain for cyclists.
Road Rule 3
When a driver parks and gets out of their car they are required to pretend cyclists do not exist. They must appear shocked and annoyed when a cyclist almost kills themselves trying not to run into said driver.
Road Rule 4
If you are riding in a pack after a bunch up at the lights, road rules no longer apply.
Road Rule 5
If you wear spandex shorts and your lower legs look like two football socks full of cricket balls you do not have to stop for red lights. In fact, you can pretty much pick and choose which road rules you would like to obey.
I seem to be getting the hang of it, I think. Am I missing anything?
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2 comments:
Ooh.
When approaching a roundabout, cyclists become invisible and motorists see it as the ideal opportunity to attempt an overtaking maneuver.
I LOVE it when that happens.
Ditto to all above rules.
And lest we forget the cardinal rule of commuting; if another rider is clearly faster than you, you should attempt to pull up in front of them at any set of lights you both encounter, requiring them to get stuck behind you for some time until they manage to overtake, by which time they've missed the next green light.
On a more positive note, I had a nice moment the other day where a Tarago edged itself away from the curb to allow me to nuzzle through.
Thank you Tarago Driver, wherever you may be.
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