New Bikers

I have been hearing everywhere how the number of bike commuters are increasing, and you can totally see it now when biking on the trails. No congestion yet, but definitely a LOT of newbie bikers out there.

Remember when I first biked to work when I was disappointed that there was no one else in the trail? Except for the one mile stretch by my place, now I see bike commuters in every single part of my ride.

I've been biking now for about 4 months, so I am still fairly new to bike commuting, but seeing that I have been biking my whole life (and when I first moved to DC I was biking 100+ miles a week for fun, which is what I do now for commuting), I'm not new to biking. So I never looked like a newbie, from day one. Sure, I am probably more comfortable now riding in the streets of DC than I was at first, but I wasn't the type where others could point out and know I haven't been bike commuting for long.

But most of the newbies now in the trail are easy to spot...

-They either have a beach cruiser or a proper "commuter" bike with fenders and the like. They sit for the most part, very upright. That is not to say that all out there with a commuter bike is a newbie, but you can totally spot the ones that are.

-They are much slower than others in the trail, so slow, that some of them can't even keep a straight line and go on a zig-zag motion (really scary when you're trying to pass them).

-In the morning, they still have that grin on their faces that shows how excited they are to be joining the world of bike commuting (I had that too, until I realized there was no one else on the trails! Not that it applies anymore...).

-The smile is so wide, that they pass you in the morning going the opposite direction they actually greet other bikers with a "good morning" -- still thinking they're joining a secret club, and that we all meet up for beers at the end of the week (but then again, that would be awesome if we did).

-They still don't know the rules of the trails... When you pass a jogger, you don't just change lanes and go. You freaking LOOK OVER YOUR LEFT to make sure the other bikers are not already passing you. Yesterday, despite my warnings of "on your left" the idiot still changed lanes on me making me slam my brakes not to hit her. I should say that you wouldn't drive like that without looking, but then again, if you read my post on DC drivers, that doesn't apply either...

-A lot of couples are doing it together. Both slow. They either ride side by side, or if they are behind each other, they're still both zig-zagging along.

-They carry way too much stuff with them, using huge panniers and backpacks, and haven't yet figured out how to slim it down (the heavier the bike, the slower you'll be...).

-They get tired, decide to take a water break, whatever, and come to a complete stop. In the middle of the trail. With no warning. Need to stop? Move over to the grass and then stop.

-They don't signal things like left turns.

-They miscalculate their shifting and sometimes need to come to a complete stop. Going uphill. While you're right behind them! (And yes, if the hill is steep enough and you're forced to come to a complete stop because of the idiot in front of you, you probably will have to walk your bike to the top too, as you totally lose momentum.)

-And yesterday I saw the grand prize... On Mt. Vernon trail, there are some street crossings that say "STOP - Dismount Bike" This guy actually got out of his bike, then ran across the crossing holding his bike... Now before people stop complaining how bikers ignore signs, all the other bikers slow down, make sure no one is coming then go. Usually cars yield for us -- thanks guys!! -- when they don't, we come to a complete stop. But we never, ever, dismount the bike. And I find this sign to be completely idiotic for one simple fact: crossing a road (it's a one lane exit, so you're crossing like 15 ft) on a bike is MUCH faster than crossing it running (probably takes 1 to 2 seconds, tops). When running, you're still much faster than if you're running carrying the bike with you. How is it that crossing an exit with cars coming downhill at a fast speed carrying your bike is the recommended mode??

If you too ever decide to be a newbie to bike commuting, ignore my bitchiness, I am more than happy to help!