What Makes a Good Cycling Route?

If you've been reading this blog recently (thank you for visiting), you'll know I've been working on a Safety Quiz. The "It Depends" answer I got from an 11-year-old has sent ripples across the quiet pond of my thinking. How do experienced cyclists best summarize their criteria for choosing a good route is the latest quiz question.

In earlier questions, I was looking for fun, thought-provoking answers, and silliness factored into a lot of these answers. Here, I'm interested to know what other cyclists value when choosing one route over another.

Just to seed the idea garden, I've got an ironic story to share.

Last Spring, I had inadvertently posted about one of the divides between cars and cyclists that seems to be in need of repair. The post was about a Tree that Babe Ruth put a baseball in, but I came across the tree during a search for bicycle access to the 650 Ponce shopping center.

In the early 90's, before the shopping center was developed as it stands today, there were multiple ways to get in and out of the parking lot. This was particularly attractive to me because I could cross from my house in Virginia-Highland over to Midtown without having to use either Monroe/10th Street or even busier Ponce de Leon. When plans for the development included a Borders, Staples, Home Depot, and other large stores, the neighborhood asked that traffic be forced to use Ponce de Leon alone. It is now impossible to get to these stores by foot or bicycle without approaching along Ponce. Out of a fear of excessive automobile traffic, the automobile traffic is encouraged.

Even more irony: the BeltLine -- Atlanta's planned pedestrian and transit corridor -- runs directly behind the shopping center and crosses my former cut-through. We'll see if the blocked entrance is opened back up.

So, when thinking about good routes and why it's hard to find those that go where we want, just remember we can sometimes be our own worst enemy.

Let me know what makes a good route for you.

It Depends

They say you learn the most when you try to teach something. I'm learning a lot about safety while helping with a Safety Quiz for the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign.

We've been reviewing questions, getting them in front of different audiences and learning from their experience. As an example, this is one of the questions an 11-year-old pondered:



Her answer was "It Depends". In general -- statistically speaking -- the first answer is correct, but this answer isn't always correct for every rider in every situation.

It does depend.

My first reaction to this feedback was to point out that given no other information, that the first answer is generally true, but upon a moment's reflection (actually, a protracted series of several moments in my case), I realized this is exactly the thinking we want our quiz to spark.

Our 11-year-old friend understood that there are many factors that come into play. On average, looking at all streets and sidewalks, and all levels of cycling competency, and all speeds of travel, night and day, and on and on, you would ride on the street. But for an 11-year-old travelling along Moreland Avenue south of Ponce de Leon, the sidewalk looks really good. This would be illegal for an adult in the State of Georgia, but our friend is under 16 years old and is allowed to ride there.

Now, within this one question, I won't be able to reflect the complexity of analysis required to follow each and every "It Depends", but chasing down *how* it depends does provide a garden for growing further questions. Chasing the "It Depends" can expand and deepen the discussion.

So, to expand and deepen this discussion, should I strive to produce questions that promote discussion? Questions that walk the fine line between correct nearly all the time and correct most of the time? Or should the questions be black and white, no discussion required? Which ones do we learn from the best? Which ones leave the most lasting impression?

It's OK if you say, "It Depends".

Safety Quiz moves to Testing Phase

Thanks to everyone who helped supply answers/questions to the safety quiz. There's an implementation in Drupal that we're preparing for the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign. After some testing, we'll make it public.

Safety Quiz - Struck by Car

This question was inspired by today's bike ride. No injuries, but I glanced off a front bumper today on the way home.

I learned a few things that might come in handy later on whether or not this makes it into the Safety Quiz.

Question: Crossing a major road in the crosswalk serving a multi-use trail, you are glancingly struck but not injured by a motorist talking on a cell phone who encroached into the crosswalk. The motorist flees the scene but you got the tag and called 9-1-1. Which is the best statement?

• Since there are no injuries and no damages to the bike, the officer can only look for the driver. No report will be made.
  
• Because the cyclist was in the crosswalk, the motorist will be charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk.
  
• Officer will be willing to call an ambulance if you need one and is sympathetic, but does not hold out hope of finding the car's owner because you got the tag wrong.
  
• Since the driver was talking on the phone without a hands-free headset, the officer can make this charge against the driver.
  
• This just goes to show that multi-use trails are most dangerous where they intersect with traffic. Drivers don't expect cyclists in the crosswalk.
  

Safety Quiz - How much room

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Thanks for adding your own answers.

Question: When passing a cyclist, how much room should a motorist give?
A: Three feet. A little more than arm's length.

• Depends on how wobbly they ride
  
• If you are close enough to be kicked or punched, it might happen
  
• Move over to the other lane. Cars coming in the opposite direction will get off the road for you.
  
• You won't be able to pass them. Just wait until one of you turns off the road.
  
• Blowing the horn reduces the amount of room needed. The more you blow, the less room required. Tapping the horn makes it sound more friendly. Maybe you can play a nice song.
  
• Slow down until you're going almost the same speed. This allows plenty of time for the cyclist to recognize you're passing them. This reduces the cyclists' ability to avoid obstacles, but it's worth the risk.
  

Safety Quiz - Most Common Accident

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Thanks for adding your own answers.

Question: What is the most likely accident to occur when riding a bike?

• When coming to a stop, taking foot out of the pedal on one side and falling to the other side.
  
• Innocent-looking little old lady sticks her walking cane into your spokes.
  
• Orifice control when a car passes too close.
  
• Dog and pedestrian on opposite ends of a long leash.
  
• Practicing putting your water bottle back in the cage without looking.
  
• Not knowing the cyclist's hand signal for "Stopping"
  
• Not knowing the motorist's hand signal for "Get on the sidewalk"
  
• Distracted from trying to read the license tag of the motorist who just issued a hand signal.
  
• Distracted from a bug that flew down your windpipe and is scratching around
  
• Squirrel getting caught in the spokes and splattering all over
  

Safety Quiz - How to Avoid Collision

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Thanks for adding your own answers.

Question: What is the best way to avoid a collision with a motor vehicle?
A: Follow the traffic rules for vehicles.

• Ride on streets that are closed to traffic.
  
• Whenever a car approaches, get off the road or switch to the other side.
  
• Wear a lot of thick padding.
  

Safety Quiz - Describe a Bicycle

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Thanks for adding your own answers.

Question: What is the best way to describe a bicycle?
A: An efficient means of transportation which should be operated as a vehicle.

• Butt torture device.
  
• Get away vehicle for bank robbers working their way up.
  
• Expensive toy for Lance Wannabes
  

Safety Quiz - How to handle Flats

Thanks to those who have left answers to the Safety Quiz. I hope you're having as much fun with this as my daughter and I. She also wonders why there always seems to be one hair that grows longer than the others. Mine is on the right forearm closer to the elbow and has been there since grade school.

Here are links to some of the quizzes I've been scouring.
- Safe routes to School Quiz
- Safety Poster (in PDF)
- Simon's Bike Safety Quiz
- Teaching Cycling to Children
- Bike Safety Quiz in PDF

And another question:
What should you carry with you in case of a flat tire?

• Phone number of the League of American Bicyclists
  
• Internet access
  
• Not a problem if it is only flat on the bottom
  
• A wad of duct tape and some chewing gum.
  
• Spare tube and/or patch kit, pump or CO2 cartridge, and a tire lever.
  
• Inflate your tires with lime jello mixed with a little egg white. The combination of proteins under pressure seals off a leak similar to the way a blood clot forms.
  
• Always ride in a group so someone else can take care of it
  

Safety Quiz - Making a Sharp Turn

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Please add your own answers that turn up the humor and thought-provocation knobs.

Question:
If a baby stroller pulls in front of you and you need to make a sharp left turn to avoid a collision, you should start by doing what?

• Scream loudly to fortify your nerves.
  
• Throw your body weight toward the left.
  
• Turn your front wheel to the right.
  
• Try to remember if your life insurance premiums are paid up.
  
• Try to find the softest spot to make your impact. (might be the baby's head)
  
• Aim for the adult pushing the stroller.
  

Safety Quiz - What to listen for

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Please add your own answers that turn up the humor and thought-provocation knobs.

Question: What should you listen to when riding your bike?

• Screeching tires
  
• Motorists giving you their opinion
  
• The sound of your mother's voice telling you to be back before dark
  
• Large flapping wings getting closer
  
• Van Halen
  
• If your cell phone can play MP3's, you've just about got it covered
  

Safety Quiz - What to wear

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Please add your own answers that turn up the humor and thought-provocation knobs.

Question: When riding your bike, what you should wear?

• Invisibility cloak
  
• Camouflage (try to look like a delivery truck or at least a Mini Cooper)
  
• Camouflage (try to look like street furniture: lampposts, trash cans, bike rack)
  
• Battery-powered Christmas lights
  
• Not too much because you'll just get sweaty
  
• Aviator goggles and dashing scarf (if you have a chain guard)
  
• Underwear with thick double-sewn seams
  

Safety Quiz

I've got a project that I'm looking for help with. The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign has a bicycle safety quiz that has gotten bewhiskered over the years and I thought it might be fun to spruce it up.

I'm planning a multiple choice quiz, internet-enabled with different levels by age. There are lots of good sources for questions and correct answers, but I'd like to turn up the humor and thought-provocation knobs with some of the incorrect answers.

An example will help illustrate what I'm after:

Q: When riding on a trail, what should you do when you see walkers in front of you?

The correct answer is rather dull:

A: Let them know you are behind them and then pass on their left.

Example incorrect answer:

A: Try to go between them without knocking their coffee or their cell phone.

This incorrect answer probably sounds pretty good for the 6 year old, so perhaps this would be suitable for a higher level. The following incorrect answer suggested by my daughter is easier for the younger rider to cross off the candidate list:

A: Run over them.

A few more answers:
A: Yell really loud in case they are listening to their iPod.
A: Pass in whatever open space you can find even if it means going off the trail and damaging a flower bed.

I'll be posting a few more questions and some teaser answers over the next few days. The tag "safety-quiz" ties them together.

I'm interested to hear your answers in the comments.

Safety Quiz - When to wear Helmet

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Please add your own answers that turn up the humor and thought-provocation knobs.

Question: When should the helmet be worn?
A Correct Answer: Anytime you are on the bike.
Incorrect Answers:

• Only if you're accident prone.
  
• Whenever riding through a rough neighborhood.
  
• Only at night.
  
• After the third trip to the emergency room.
  
• When it is raining and the roads are slippery.
  
• As long as it doesn't mess up your hair.
  
• Depends on whether or not everyone else is wearing theirs.
  
• Only when riding on the street.
  

Safety Quiz - Pre-ride Check

This is one of the questions for the Safety Quiz I'm looking for help with. Please add your own answers that turn up the humor and thought-provocation knobs.

Question: What should you check on every ride?

Best Answer:
Test your brakes.

Not so good answers:

• Ask if anyone else wants to come along.
  
• Check if there are any dried worms or squished bugs stuck to your wheels.
  
• Check the weather to see if it's going to rain.
  
• Throw your bike from the roof to see if anything comes loose.
  
• Put vegetable oil on the chain and then rub in some sand.
  
• Call the ice cream store to check if they'll be open when you get there.
  
• Test for leaks by adding 2 times the maximum air pressure in each tire.