VIDEO: Bike Commuting Perks: Take the Side Streets to Avoid the Traffic
So I was just out playing around with my iPhone and I recorded this quick video for you. It’s nothing too mind blowing, but it’s just a reminder that one of the cool things about bike commuting is that you can take the side streets, backroads, urban trails, and other bike routes to avoid traffic.
If you want to find some cool bike routes in your city or town check out Google Bike Maps.
Oh yeah, riding an electric bike and recording a video is not recommended. Professionals only 🙂
Do you have a cool commute route to work? Please share below.
Thanks!
-Pete
P.S. Don’t forget to get sign up for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips! (upper right hand corner of this site)
I shiver at any attempt to minimize the bicycle as a less than legal, safe and deserving member of traffic.
As a confirmed city biker and follower of John Forester and his thoery of vehicular cycling. Ride as a vehicle, member of traffic…obey the laws and be a presence by doing the expected thing as regulation dictates.
A city like Chicago has many advantages for this style of riding most any city, town or rural area can be ridden safely and expeditiously.
As a vehicle of speeds less than top speeds if your riding secondary roads (30-35 MPH) these roads deal with slower moving traffic regularly and if 20 MPH traffic reacts as consistent, visible and logical traffic law proscribes there is rarely difficuly with auto and truck traffic. The ebb and flow of city traffic especially makes for an easy journey if all drivers (think about it…bikers DRIVE, auto users RIDE) and with good lights and better understanding of the rules of the road than auto users (hey it ain’t difficult to be a better driver than an auto user) an attentive biker can easily manuever thru a city without needing ‘bike routes’.
I know, I have to argue and cajole and pressure my friends constantly to keep them being good safe bikers but I have never been hit by a car using this method of riding.
With an e-bike you maintain better oportunities to stay in auto users sight (and mind) by your speed and grasping your ‘space’ on the street for lane changes/turns when you use hand signs and actively use eye contact and head movements to be seen by the ‘cagers’
Jeff