Renew

What is it? Spingtime again?

It seems like it, at times. We've had no snow to speak of and there are days when I could certainly still wear shorts for the afternoon bike ride. Right now, looking out the window it is sunny with blue skies just calling to me to get out there and into it.

And I hope to.

The nice weather has led to some great commutes overall. Yeah, we've had some rain and some chilly mornings, but for this time of year... hell, I can't complain.

However, the longer we go without snow, the more nervous I get. Any place that deals with snow knows that the first few snowfalls mean numerous accidents and near misses. I've been super lucky with my commute that I have not gotten into any accidents, apart from single bike accidents where I wasn't paying attention or whatever.

My first three miles of commute is on roadways where bikes are not the norm. These roads are also completely unlit, so even with my lights and reflectors, it is anyone's guess as to whether or not I'll be seen. I'm fond of saying that it is not if I get hit, but when. Will it be my mistake at the root or the driver's mistake? Will I have done all I can to reduce my risk?

That's the strange thing to me, though, is that people seem to assume that biking is more risky than driving is. Yes, the outcome of an accident when on a bike versus in a car are often drastically different, I would contend that the greater speeds and greater percentage of impaired and unskilled drivers makes the average drive along a busy highway much more dangerous than my daily commute. No supporting evidence to back up my claims, but... I'll stick with them.

That is all.