There comes a time when we are all faced with the evidence that points to the fact that we are mistaken.
Last night's Miami Critical Mass ride proved me wrong ... in a big way. I had previously taken away a couple of stars because in principle I am opposed to guerilla style activism that may fuel polarizing views and rather than bringing all parts together towards the achievement of a common goal, it drives them apart by the actions of one of the interested parties.
Critical Mass is potentially such a thing- However, we cannot discount power of the masses so to speak and in these event the Miami Cycling community in all shapes and forms comes together to achieve what is in my view, a common goal : Awareness
The event has grown exponentially from its first years when maybe a couple dozen of people showed up. Now it is literally hundreds of riders coming together for a fun ride around urban Miami.
It is truly a powerful scene to see all those blinking lights taking to the streets and exploring the city, the neighborhoods come out to witness the throng of bikes cruising to town and we are greeted by people waiving on the side of the road, and the sights, sounds, and smells of a Friday evening in the neighborhoods.
As for the car to cyclist relationship, the scales are tilted in favor of the bike and for the most part, motorists understand and respect what they see unfolding in front of them. It is undeniable that at some point in time, many of the participants are in fact motorists as well and as we take to the streets on our bikes and to some, this is their only experience of riding on open streets with real traffic, we learn to come together and respect each other in the open area that in the end, belongs to everyone alike.
Total kudos to the organizers of these event, the routes are always a cultural travel through the streets of the Magic City and gives us all an opportunity to see our town from the ground level and interact positively with our neighbors, as they play host to Critical Mass on any given Friday evening, the are surprised when they see peloton coming through and while wondering what on earth rolled into town, they welcome the riders and cheer enthusiastically.
Note to the riders, it is not cool to litter these communities while we go through it, we noticed riders discarding Styrofoam cups in the middle of the street - we are striving to reduce our footprint and this encompasses everything - also, smoking on the ride around fellow riders completely unacceptable.
To the corkers - great job ! Not only keeping the riders safe in the intersections, but also taking the time to politely interact with motorists as the cyclists roll by and inform them about Critical Mass.
I met a fellow rider who told he had learned about the ride when he witness Critical Mass while he was waiting on a red light and in his own words "It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen" - fast forward to the next month, he is now riding his bike on this event.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Commuting is subject to natural selection
"It's illegal!" That's the response I got from an acquaintance when I told him that after a couple of weeks of commuting to and from work on my road bike, and having experienced several close calls with vehicles on the road; it was time to switch to my hybrid bike and consider riding on the sidewalk when traffic got really challenging.
Naturally, I wasn't about to take his word for it, and I did some researching of my own, to make sure that if and when it became necessary to jump the curb and ride on the sidewalk, I wouldn't be subject to tickets or fines.
To wit :
Sidewalk riding
(Section 316.2065(10) and (11), F.S.)
A person propelling a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, has all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.
So, having cleared that issue, and after duly documenting my right to ride on the sidewalk, the argument continued on for days on my facebook page, he went on to say that despite the fact that it was not illegal per Se, it should still not be allowed. Some of his fellow riders from his Tuesday night group ride chimed in to call me a wuss for not riding on the road and declared me persona non grata for the cycling community of the world.
Clearly this was a healthy exchange of some banter among members of the same demographic group with different ideas: On the one hand, not a single one of those cyclists who decided to deride my announcement of safety over peril ride their bicycles to work; so clearly, they simply cannot relate. On the other hand, they are all from the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, populated mostly by WASPs, where they enjoy some of the best bicycle trails in the midwest so how can they possible imagine what it feel like to get buzzed by east bound traffic on SW 8th street coming from the west towards Coral Gables? I am not exagerating when I say that on a given day, I get brushed at least twice by side mirrors.
Now, I give these drivers the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are too busy texting, on the phone, or applying make up, so their spatial percepetion is skewed and I refuse to believe that a human being would purposely attempt to hurt another individual simply because they can. But reality tells me that my presence on the road awakens their feelings of inadequacy and rather than trying to walk or bike a bit more, it is simply easier to try to obliterate those who do than to rise up to the challenge and improve their lives.
But I digress, I have since switched bicycles for my commute, and no longer ride my road bike, and the main purpose is: Survival. You see, on my road bike, I am not able to jump a curb if need be, or cut through parking lots, or ride on the sidewalk whenever I feel endangered by traffic. I realized that being a strong rider is quite meaningless when going up against a car, because for all my mental acquity and muscle strength and reaction, a vehicle will trump human any day of the week.
Now don't get me wrong, I am by no means yielding or running away. I am simply adapting to my environment to survive, because in the end, my commute makes me feel good, makes me feel happy, relaxes me and keeps me in better shape, but it is not a training ride - it is simply just that.... a commute ... on a bicycle....propelled by me.... without emisions, and this is my life.
Naturally, I wasn't about to take his word for it, and I did some researching of my own, to make sure that if and when it became necessary to jump the curb and ride on the sidewalk, I wouldn't be subject to tickets or fines.
To wit :
Sidewalk riding
(Section 316.2065(10) and (11), F.S.)
A person propelling a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk, or across a roadway upon and along a crosswalk, has all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.
So, having cleared that issue, and after duly documenting my right to ride on the sidewalk, the argument continued on for days on my facebook page, he went on to say that despite the fact that it was not illegal per Se, it should still not be allowed. Some of his fellow riders from his Tuesday night group ride chimed in to call me a wuss for not riding on the road and declared me persona non grata for the cycling community of the world.
Clearly this was a healthy exchange of some banter among members of the same demographic group with different ideas: On the one hand, not a single one of those cyclists who decided to deride my announcement of safety over peril ride their bicycles to work; so clearly, they simply cannot relate. On the other hand, they are all from the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, populated mostly by WASPs, where they enjoy some of the best bicycle trails in the midwest so how can they possible imagine what it feel like to get buzzed by east bound traffic on SW 8th street coming from the west towards Coral Gables? I am not exagerating when I say that on a given day, I get brushed at least twice by side mirrors.
Now, I give these drivers the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are too busy texting, on the phone, or applying make up, so their spatial percepetion is skewed and I refuse to believe that a human being would purposely attempt to hurt another individual simply because they can. But reality tells me that my presence on the road awakens their feelings of inadequacy and rather than trying to walk or bike a bit more, it is simply easier to try to obliterate those who do than to rise up to the challenge and improve their lives.
But I digress, I have since switched bicycles for my commute, and no longer ride my road bike, and the main purpose is: Survival. You see, on my road bike, I am not able to jump a curb if need be, or cut through parking lots, or ride on the sidewalk whenever I feel endangered by traffic. I realized that being a strong rider is quite meaningless when going up against a car, because for all my mental acquity and muscle strength and reaction, a vehicle will trump human any day of the week.
Now don't get me wrong, I am by no means yielding or running away. I am simply adapting to my environment to survive, because in the end, my commute makes me feel good, makes me feel happy, relaxes me and keeps me in better shape, but it is not a training ride - it is simply just that.... a commute ... on a bicycle....propelled by me.... without emisions, and this is my life.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sales training comes in handy when spreading the message - Ride a Bike...be Happier !!!
I ride my bike to work - I repeat this message over and over as many times as I can to anyone who will listen. The message is usually received in the context of the convesation and the communication keeps flowing accordingly as a healthy exchange of ideas. More often than none, I am peppered with questions mostly dealing with logistical issues pertaining to the commute itself; for example : You ride all the way from your house ? , are you all sweaty by the time you get to work?, do you ride on the street or on the sidewalk?, sometimes I get questions that reflect the subjects misunderstandings or they reflect their insecurities, such as: Are you crazy ? or the actual statement.... Man! You ARE crazy! However, it all boils down to the main purpose of the message : AWARENESS
I ride my bike for many reasons, all equally important and in no particular order: It makes me feel good, it allows me to see the communities from a different standpoint, it saves money, it is good for the environment, it is fun; and this, is the message I strive to transmit. Always with an open mind, and with the purpose of fostering understanding.
It is very clear to me that I don't own the truth, and will not debate the issue in a confrontational manner, because: a) it is not my purpose to convince anyone and b) I do this for only positive purposes... I don't mean to sound bland, and those who know me, are fully aware that I am not one to shy away from a good argument especially in matters that I feel very strongly about, and I respectfully submit that I am very passionate about cycling; as an alternative transportation, as a sport, as therapy, as recreation. However, I have learned with age and experience that useless argument is nothing but a waste time and effort and it does nothing to forward my message.
Habit number 5 in Steven Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people says: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. It is only through a clear understanding of those who are not receptive to our message, that we can begin to get our message understood, and here is where our sales training comes in handy. One of the most important steps in closing a sale, is the objection handling part, and our effectiveness here is directly proportionate to our the techniques and skills we have developed to achieve this purpose.
The first rule to handle an objection is to isolate it, so therein lies the answer: it is imperative to clearly understand the reasons why we are misunderstood, and without judgement or preconceived notions understand that sometimes we (cyclists) are not without fault. I hear things like: "I hate to get stuck behind a cyclist when I'm in a hury to get to work", or "you cyclists think the laws don't apply to you", all of these and many more are validated by the experiences of the subject, but as we isolate them and understand we can then move ahead to the next step and debunk them.
In the end, I am not trying to convince anyone, albeit, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that cycling to work is good for me and my community and if we can inspire others to follow suit, our cities will become better places to live. I've got it figured out, and my life is so much better with my bicycle in it, and I have a pretty full life and a beautiful family and it makes me very happy when I pass those commuters, or recreational cyclists, or hard core cyclists on the road, because together we can make this a better place.
I ride my bike for many reasons, all equally important and in no particular order: It makes me feel good, it allows me to see the communities from a different standpoint, it saves money, it is good for the environment, it is fun; and this, is the message I strive to transmit. Always with an open mind, and with the purpose of fostering understanding.
It is very clear to me that I don't own the truth, and will not debate the issue in a confrontational manner, because: a) it is not my purpose to convince anyone and b) I do this for only positive purposes... I don't mean to sound bland, and those who know me, are fully aware that I am not one to shy away from a good argument especially in matters that I feel very strongly about, and I respectfully submit that I am very passionate about cycling; as an alternative transportation, as a sport, as therapy, as recreation. However, I have learned with age and experience that useless argument is nothing but a waste time and effort and it does nothing to forward my message.
Habit number 5 in Steven Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people says: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. It is only through a clear understanding of those who are not receptive to our message, that we can begin to get our message understood, and here is where our sales training comes in handy. One of the most important steps in closing a sale, is the objection handling part, and our effectiveness here is directly proportionate to our the techniques and skills we have developed to achieve this purpose.
The first rule to handle an objection is to isolate it, so therein lies the answer: it is imperative to clearly understand the reasons why we are misunderstood, and without judgement or preconceived notions understand that sometimes we (cyclists) are not without fault. I hear things like: "I hate to get stuck behind a cyclist when I'm in a hury to get to work", or "you cyclists think the laws don't apply to you", all of these and many more are validated by the experiences of the subject, but as we isolate them and understand we can then move ahead to the next step and debunk them.
In the end, I am not trying to convince anyone, albeit, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that cycling to work is good for me and my community and if we can inspire others to follow suit, our cities will become better places to live. I've got it figured out, and my life is so much better with my bicycle in it, and I have a pretty full life and a beautiful family and it makes me very happy when I pass those commuters, or recreational cyclists, or hard core cyclists on the road, because together we can make this a better place.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
National Bike to Work Month
As we celebrate the national bike to work month, I want to take a pause and reflect what a year of commuting to work on bicycle has accomplished. What a fantastic year it has been, for starters I was one of the lucky recipients of a Jamis Commuter Bike from Bicycling magazine as a result of my essay on "how riding a bike could change my life" being on of the selected ones for the award. I have since, modified the bicycle to make it more suitable to my commute, with a new set of halogen lights for those winter nights, an air horn to alert cars of my presence, fenders to prevent splashing water all over me when it rains, and a pannier that can carry my suit and shirt across the rear rack securely.
One of the biggest accomplishments this year is to celebrate this month and the anniversary by very proudly declaring that I made it through unscathed, injury free, and was never hit by a car; although I have experienced some close calls. However, it is a resoundingly positive balance, I became stronger, more energetic and believe or not... more motivated. I have been able to see neighborhoods from a completely different stand point, occasionally I relish a good dog chase and am proud to report that so far, I have always outsprint them.
Unfortunately, there are days that I cannot ride because my job will require that I drive all over town for meetings and other engagements, usually returning to my office to finish up the day. On those days when I must get behind the wheel and drive, going home is always an unwelcomed event, knowing that no matter what time, I will have to waste a good deal of my life encased in a metal box trying to get home. On the other hand, when I ride, I look forward to the trek home; there is no set route or time limit, just a good old bike ride where the reward is reaching the humble abode in time for dinner with the family.
Usually, however, my primitive brain takes control of the ride and it becomes a pseudo time trial where I try to beat the best time ever, this changes everything … street lights become sprint opportunities, gas stations are short cuts and curbs are meant to be jumped, in the end, it all boils down to the fact that I become a teenager again and the ride rules my world and a world ruled by rides is a much better world.
The travel to work on the bike is a completely different dynamic, contrary to the evening commute, there is a time limit. Although I am not driven by a time clock and I can arrive at work pretty much a whatever reasonable time I please, there is always the underlined desire and effort to set an example for the rest of the team and this drives me to maintain high standard to which I must hold myself so I can expect others to follow suit.
May 21st will be the official Bike to work day, and under the motto of one less car on the road, it is incumbent upon everyone to find a way to leave their vehicles behind that day and ride their bikes in to work. I am expecting to hear all the excuses in the book as to why this is not possible, and frankly, I don’t care, there is only one way this can happen and I can only do my part. In the wake of the terrible oil spill in the Gulf, I have seen a large number of postings of people who claim to want to do something to help and make a difference.
This is our opportunity, throw that leg over the top tube of that bike, and hit the road, your bike powered by your own effort, will take you places that you will never otherwise see.
See you on the road!!! And if you must drive, remember: 3 feet please, it’s the law!!!
One of the biggest accomplishments this year is to celebrate this month and the anniversary by very proudly declaring that I made it through unscathed, injury free, and was never hit by a car; although I have experienced some close calls. However, it is a resoundingly positive balance, I became stronger, more energetic and believe or not... more motivated. I have been able to see neighborhoods from a completely different stand point, occasionally I relish a good dog chase and am proud to report that so far, I have always outsprint them.
Unfortunately, there are days that I cannot ride because my job will require that I drive all over town for meetings and other engagements, usually returning to my office to finish up the day. On those days when I must get behind the wheel and drive, going home is always an unwelcomed event, knowing that no matter what time, I will have to waste a good deal of my life encased in a metal box trying to get home. On the other hand, when I ride, I look forward to the trek home; there is no set route or time limit, just a good old bike ride where the reward is reaching the humble abode in time for dinner with the family.
Usually, however, my primitive brain takes control of the ride and it becomes a pseudo time trial where I try to beat the best time ever, this changes everything … street lights become sprint opportunities, gas stations are short cuts and curbs are meant to be jumped, in the end, it all boils down to the fact that I become a teenager again and the ride rules my world and a world ruled by rides is a much better world.
The travel to work on the bike is a completely different dynamic, contrary to the evening commute, there is a time limit. Although I am not driven by a time clock and I can arrive at work pretty much a whatever reasonable time I please, there is always the underlined desire and effort to set an example for the rest of the team and this drives me to maintain high standard to which I must hold myself so I can expect others to follow suit.
May 21st will be the official Bike to work day, and under the motto of one less car on the road, it is incumbent upon everyone to find a way to leave their vehicles behind that day and ride their bikes in to work. I am expecting to hear all the excuses in the book as to why this is not possible, and frankly, I don’t care, there is only one way this can happen and I can only do my part. In the wake of the terrible oil spill in the Gulf, I have seen a large number of postings of people who claim to want to do something to help and make a difference.
This is our opportunity, throw that leg over the top tube of that bike, and hit the road, your bike powered by your own effort, will take you places that you will never otherwise see.
See you on the road!!! And if you must drive, remember: 3 feet please, it’s the law!!!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Cyclist Killed on the Rickenbacker Causeway
A full week has passed since Mr. Christophe Le Canne was killed by a drunk driver on the Bear Cut Bridge while on a training ride near Key Biscayne.
After a week of pondering and going through a whole spectrum of feelings such as anger, sorrow, and mourning, I have finally come to grips as to how to best express myself in the wake of this tragedy.
During the week, the Cyclist community in Miami has spoken, loudly with both actions and words, we have attended council meetings, written to our local politicians and kept the attention front and center to make sure something like this does not happen again.
A lot has been said about the person who killed Mr. Le Canne and fled the scene with the bike still lodged under his car for miles, the inadequate response from rescue mainly due to the actions of the 911 dispatcher who called a rescue unit from miles away, the budget cuts that have resulted in less emergency services in the area and more.
This morning thousands of riders answered the call and made a pilgrimage ride to site of the tragedy, a plaque has been placed along with flowers and a "ghost bike" and even though this may somehow soothe our mourning feelings, the fact still remains that Mr. Le Canne met an untimely passing and his wife is now a widow and his daughter has no father.
In the face of these unfortunate events, true character rises, for starters Mr. Le Canne's family in the wake of such an immense loss, still display and their wonderful humanity and place the spotlight on the people of Haiti by requesting that all and any donations be made in the name of Christopher Le Canne to the Read Cross towards the tragedy in Haiti.
So two stories emerge from this: On the one hand, a pampered, sheltered brat, gets behind the wheel of his car after drinking for hours and on his way home veers out of his lane into the Bicycle lane and hits a cyclist with his car.
A choice needs to be made: One that requires character and true moral fiber, stay and help the person he just hit with the car or show absolutely no respect towards a fellow human and flee the scene without even hesitating, the story has been written already.
This individual made the choice that was instilled in him by his upbringing and carried on to the shelter of the place that created him: His Home.
Once there however, Police caught up with him and once again his true arrogance came to light by not only resisting arrest but refusing to own up to his actions and refusing to give a blood sample that clearly showed he was intoxicated beyond the legal limit for a driver. The rest of the story will be written by our legal system and this person will get what he deserves.
However, he has already set in motion some even more powerful forces that in some Asian beliefs call Karma and that is inescapable.
Mr. Le Canne is no longer with us, but his wife and daughter are and despite the fact that they will have to carry on with the unimaginable pain of having lost him in an untimely fashion, they will also honor his memory by living an honorable life, and here is where the big difference lies. By living a good life, Mr. Le Canne left this world a better place than how he encountered it, and for that Sir; I honor your memory -
A lot of good will come out this event, we owe it to Christophe Le Canne, to those who will come after us, to the cycling community, and to our city. As long as we keep the focus and direction of our actions towards the common good, Mr Le Canne will still live within us.
Rest in Peace Christophe Le Canne, we'll take it from where you left off and carry on !
After a week of pondering and going through a whole spectrum of feelings such as anger, sorrow, and mourning, I have finally come to grips as to how to best express myself in the wake of this tragedy.
During the week, the Cyclist community in Miami has spoken, loudly with both actions and words, we have attended council meetings, written to our local politicians and kept the attention front and center to make sure something like this does not happen again.
A lot has been said about the person who killed Mr. Le Canne and fled the scene with the bike still lodged under his car for miles, the inadequate response from rescue mainly due to the actions of the 911 dispatcher who called a rescue unit from miles away, the budget cuts that have resulted in less emergency services in the area and more.
This morning thousands of riders answered the call and made a pilgrimage ride to site of the tragedy, a plaque has been placed along with flowers and a "ghost bike" and even though this may somehow soothe our mourning feelings, the fact still remains that Mr. Le Canne met an untimely passing and his wife is now a widow and his daughter has no father.
In the face of these unfortunate events, true character rises, for starters Mr. Le Canne's family in the wake of such an immense loss, still display and their wonderful humanity and place the spotlight on the people of Haiti by requesting that all and any donations be made in the name of Christopher Le Canne to the Read Cross towards the tragedy in Haiti.
So two stories emerge from this: On the one hand, a pampered, sheltered brat, gets behind the wheel of his car after drinking for hours and on his way home veers out of his lane into the Bicycle lane and hits a cyclist with his car.
A choice needs to be made: One that requires character and true moral fiber, stay and help the person he just hit with the car or show absolutely no respect towards a fellow human and flee the scene without even hesitating, the story has been written already.
This individual made the choice that was instilled in him by his upbringing and carried on to the shelter of the place that created him: His Home.
Once there however, Police caught up with him and once again his true arrogance came to light by not only resisting arrest but refusing to own up to his actions and refusing to give a blood sample that clearly showed he was intoxicated beyond the legal limit for a driver. The rest of the story will be written by our legal system and this person will get what he deserves.
However, he has already set in motion some even more powerful forces that in some Asian beliefs call Karma and that is inescapable.
Mr. Le Canne is no longer with us, but his wife and daughter are and despite the fact that they will have to carry on with the unimaginable pain of having lost him in an untimely fashion, they will also honor his memory by living an honorable life, and here is where the big difference lies. By living a good life, Mr. Le Canne left this world a better place than how he encountered it, and for that Sir; I honor your memory -
A lot of good will come out this event, we owe it to Christophe Le Canne, to those who will come after us, to the cycling community, and to our city. As long as we keep the focus and direction of our actions towards the common good, Mr Le Canne will still live within us.
Rest in Peace Christophe Le Canne, we'll take it from where you left off and carry on !
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