If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember this guy . . .
Now that campaign went on for a very long time. There was also this TV campaign against pollution . . .
While those were focused on the environmental effects of pollution, an overlooked effect is on cyclists and pedestrians. One of those effected me today.
I was out on a nice training bike ride at 6:30 a.m. (to avoid lots of traffic) and suddenly I felt my rear tire go flat. A puncture. As a cyclist, you know this instantly because of the loss of speed and the sound of the tire.
As I looked down, I saw that there was a ton of broken glass in the shoulder of the road labeled “BIKE ROUTE”. There were other potential culprits there too, including some shards of metal, sharp rocks, and other refuse. I couldn’t pinpoint the cause, so I had nothing to prosecute. I simply had to walk my bike home to prevent further damage. And, I use clip-in pedals, so I had to do that mile walk on my cleated bike shoes. (Probably have to replace the cleats as well as repair the tire).
Now, you might say ‘oh, big deal. It’s just a flat tire and it doesn’t cost much to repair.’ Fair enough. But it’s not the cost that’s the issue. It’s the danger that a puncture can cause to a cyclist.
- The cyclist can lose control of their bike and fall. At high speeds that can cause any number of injuries, including broken bones. (Thankfully, I wasn’t injured today).
- If you don’t have a repair kit on board (or you’ve already used it for an earlier puncture), you have to walk back home or the closest location you are safe. This makes you vulnerable to a mugger, bike thief, phone thief, or other criminal because you have your hands and body occupied by keeping the bike safe.
- Drivers of vehicles, including 5,000+ lb trucks, get very angry at cyclists in general. Aside from hurling curse words at you (I can take that; I’m from New Jersey and have thick skin), if they are not paying attention, they can hit and kill you.
So, please. Give a hoot – don’t pollute. We cyclists will thank you!