On the subject of safety and etiquette: A few weeks back I came across a curious rant in the “Rants & Raves” section of the Peninsula Daily News. It was, as the author noted, a rant on himself — a cyclist. He was recounting an incident in which he, as a seasoned cyclist made a potentially serious mistake and subsequently apologized to the driver of the vehicle that (we’re led to infer) came close to hitting him. The cyclist apologized because he’d been at fault.
That brought to mind an experience I had several months ago, riding on the shoulder of US Highway 101 into Blyn. An RV passed rather closely — not quite the 3-foot safety margin prescribed by Washington State law.
Now, there was still adequate space, I didn’t have to swerve off the shoulder (which would’ve hurt since I was doing around 35 miles per hour myself at the time) or brake suddenly, and I wasn’t buffeted by the air currents generated as he passed, so it really wasn’t something to get all bent out of shape over. I pulled off a short distance later at the Longhouse Market and Deli in Blyn, thinking nothing more of it.
But as I was in line waiting to pay for my coffee, a gentleman came up and said, “Hey, I just wanted to apologize for not giving you enough room out there. I didn’t realize until I was actually passing you how close I was.” This driver apologized because he’d been at fault.
I thanked him for his apology, said not to worry, and we went our separate ways with him promising to be more careful.
And you know, that’s the way it ought to be. When we mess up, either as cyclists or motor vehicle operators, we should hold ourselves accountable and, if the opportunity is there, apologize for our mistake — whether it’s an error in judgment or being inconsiderate or rude.
When we’re on the receiving end of such things, it’s best to give the other party the benefit of the doubt — to assume they either made an “honest” (i.e., unintentional) mistake, or that their poor behavior was a reflection of some other stress in their life as opposed to them just being a jerk. We should be willing to cut the “offending party” some slack.
In either case, we know that at some point the roles will be reversed and we’d like to be treated with respect, regardless of which one we happen to be filling. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the courteous thing to do.
This kind of mutual respect among those using the road is also the essence of making our roads safer for all who use them. It’s really how we make “Share the Road” more than just a slogan.
The winter of our content
The other day I almost didn’t go out for a ride. It was after all in the middle of winter and we’re in the Pacific Northwest! I took one look outside and thought, “I don’t know … it’s awfully bright out there, and most likely the roads are nearly dry in a lot of places!” I just wasn’t sure I could handle such conditions!
But I geared up and headed out anyway. Turns out I hadn’t lost the knack for riding in sunshine on dry pavement.
The great thing about cycling in Sequim is that it is truly something you can do year ‘round. Donning a couple of layers topped with rain gear, a good bright set of lights front and rear, fenders on your wheels to keep the spray down (for you as well as those riding behind), and you can go as far as you want, remaining comfortable.
A fair number of Sequim-area cyclists do exactly this even when it’s really raining — I mean as in pouring down buckets raining. But the truth is that that kind of rain is pretty rare here in the “Blue Hole,” so the number of days we can ride in decent, dry conditions from November through March is exponentially greater than those available to those just a short distance away, let alone east of Puget Sound.
Yes, the days are short; most are dismally, oppressively gray, and mist — or “sprinklets” — are responsible for almost perpetually damp or wet roads and muddy trails. You’ll more often than not play a weird game of dodge-ball with the ubiquitous “showers” in the forecast, but on many days the “showers” gracing the weather forecast are somewhere off in the distance and kindly allow you to get home just before they let loose.
But the air is still sweet as can be, and the pale winter sun dodging among clouds drifting among the peaks and valleys of the Olympics still makes for some spectacularly scenic rides.
As you get into a ride, the effort you exert will generally overcome the damp chill and that old feeling you had as a kid outside playing outside in the depths of winter comes back: Cold? What cold? This is fun!
Tour de Lavender 2019
Mark your calendars: Online registration for the seventh-annual Tour de Lavender opens on Feb.1. We’re also limiting the number of riders this year, as only the first 1,000 to register will get to tour the lavender farms of “America’s Provence.”
So reserve your spot early … ’cause this year’s event is gonna be the best ever! Just go to www.tourdelavender.com.
In next month’s column we’ll cover the other signature cycling events here on the Olympic Peninsula, including the Tour de Dungeness road race series, the Northwest Cup mountain bike races and BMX competitions at Lincoln Park in Port Angeles, Ride the Hurricane and the Tour de Forts, to name just a few.
See you down the road! Ride safe out there!
Ken Stringer is President of the Olympic Peninsula Bicycle Alliance. For more information on cycling in the area, go to www.olympic peninsulacycling.com or contact the author at op cycling@gmail.com.
