OK, 9:30 pm on a cold and windy night and I just got home after ten miles on a bike, loaded down w/60 pounds of training weight. Through a lower income area of a big city, no helmet, no reflective gear, no lights on for most of it.
Basically, I dont really give a fugg what the rules are, on a bicycle my job is to get from point "A" to point "B" and not get run over.
My mindset is if I get hit its always my fault. Doesn't matter what the rules are, the rules ain't gonna save me from getting flattened. If I get hit its always my fault. This was the mindset that served me well on that 2,000 mile ride to New York State last summer.
Depending on what presents the lowest risk, I'll ride in the road, by the side of the road, with traffic, against traffic, or off of the pavement. Sidewalks are frequent too.
Some places I ride through after dark a helmet and bicycle gear would clearly spell "V I C T I M" so I prefer to go unseen.
As for trash in the gutter etc etc tire technology has increased by leaps and bounds. Expect to pay $50 - $70 per tire for the best ones. On that New York trip I ran Continental 700x35 Gatorskins and got exactly four flats in 2,000 miles.
Around here I run 26"x2.0" Schwalbe Plus Tours on my urban commuter 30-100 mile per week mt bike and cant recall the last time I had a flat.
The indispensable thing I gotta have is a good mirror or mirrors, I HAVE to be able to watch my six.
Works fer me, until such time as it doesn't I guess.
Birdwatcher
