Perilous Pedals

I am for the most part happy with my current bike. The only complaint I have is that it is too heavy. While that is not a major issue; occasionally, when I am lugging my bike up a staircase, I find myself wishing it were lighter. I guess the upside is that it is good exercise when I have to carry my bike.

A component of my bike I did change not too long after getting it, however, was its pedals. The reason I changed them was that they were far too slippery. My feet would sometimes slip right off the pedals’ smooth plastic surfaces, particularly when I was starting to pedal. And this problem was made worse when it was wet out.

For the most part, having a foot slip off a pedal is just an annoyance; it’s a bit of a surprise when you attempt to move forward when a light turns green but instead have your foot come off the pedal and smack to the road. But slippery pedals can be dangerous, too. Think of all the scenarios where failing to move your bike suddenly could be a problem.

Another issue I had with these pedals was that I would sometimes have a foot slip off while I was going up a steep hill. While this too can be dangerous, the main problem is that it is a drag to have to start biking again midhill from a complete stop.

So, I was lucky to have a friend who had a spare pair of pedals, which he offered to give to me to replace my original set. I much prefer these pedals. They are metal and toothed and so grip the soles of my shoes well. It’s possible to slip off these pedals, too, but it happens only very rarely. This is the type of pedal I recommend.

What's the Rush?

I’m cycling down a busy city street; the light ahead has turned yellow; I see an opportunity to make the light if I quickly go to the left of the car ahead of me, which is waiting to turn right; and no sooner has this thought entered my head then I dart past the car and through the intersection. I have a lot of experience biking in the city, and this manoeuvre is safe. Usually safe, anyway…

What can make it unsafe is if I do it so suddenly that I haven’t had time to adequately assess the situation around me. I’m living very dangerously by cycling so unpredictably and impulsively. Drivers should not be surprised by what I do. This is not fair to anyone on the road.

Remember, it is always difficult to predict what drivers will do. A driver may have a similar mindset as me and may also suddenly move in an effort to get across that intersection as the lights are changing from yellow to red. Two vehicle operators, of car and bike, making the same sudden decision to cross an intersection at the last moment (must … make … light!) might well collide. And we know what the likely result of any car-bike collision is.

I often have to remind myself to not make these sudden moves. Just because I think it will be safe doesn’t mean it will be. I have to resist the urge to treat cars as obstacles to be avoided as though I were playing a video game. The weird thing is that I am often tempted to bike impulsively even when I am not in a rush. It seems to be my default mode. I need to change my setting.

I’m reminded of the joke in the Seinfeld episode where Jerry talks of riding in a cab whose driver is driving like a maniac. But Jerry doesn’t feel as though he is in danger. He has the irrational belief that riding in a cab is safe no matter what the driver is doing. As a cyclist, I often have a similar irrational belief in my own safety, and I have to constantly remind myself that cycling around cars is a dangerous endeavour.