Riding your bicycle like a girl could get you killed
Nobody has ever accused me of being a good example for bicyclists. I run stop signs, and red lights when nothing's coming. I split lanes and cut off cars when the bike lane is blocked. I fly down hills faster than some cars, and after a few long distance tours where bike lanes don't exist, I'm not at all shy about riding in the very middle of the lane if I have to. If I don't piss off the motorists that are forced to share the road I at least make them nervous. But an article titled "Are women cyclists in more danger than men?" suggests that my aggressive riding style might actually make me safer than people who ride like wimps.
"In 2007, an internal report for Transport for London concluded women cyclists are far more likely to be killed by lorries because, unlike men, they tend to obey red lights and wait at junctions in the driver's blind spot."
Now I'm not so quick to generalize about women cyclists. I've riden with some VERY aggressive female cyclists, and I've seen some men who ride like they are sorry they exist. But this study doesn't surprise me at all. I keep an eye over my shoulder and if I see a car coming up fast, I swerve erratically just to let them know what I'm gonna be doing if a door were to open in front of me. The thing is; if I make you mad at least you know I exist. I'm not nearly as afraid of an angry driver as I am of an ignorant one.
I don't apologize for slowing down a gas burner. If anything they should apologize to me for farting fumes into the air and roaring past me in their death cages. The obligation for politeness is theirs since their vehicle can do a lot more damage than mine. So if they don't give you the respect you deserve you have to take it. If a car crowds you and zooms by just to get to the next red light you get RIGHT in front of them, glare in the windshield and take off in your own sweet time.
However, in my opinion it's just as important that you ride fast. That's how all traffic works, you try to stay out of everyone's way by going as fast as they want to go. Bicyclists are at a disadvantage on the open road, but in the City I actually end up getting places before my petroleum fueled competitors. This is partially due to how fast I ride, but also because I get a head start at the red lights I run. By the time the rest of traffic has caught me, I'm going as fast as they are.
I'd like to hear the opinions of my biking sisters on this story. Give it a read. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8296971.stm
