A good portion of my cycling is through villages very similar to the one shown here. It can be a pretty intense experience. The streets through these towns are narrow to begin with, and then they are made narrower by parked cars. Pretty much every corner is a blind one. Buildings are right on top of the road and there's just a wee strip of sidewalk. There are intersections that are a free for all, meaning there is no indication of who has right of way. There's this road furniture designed to slow down traffic. Really, it just serves to make things more difficult. And, guys, cobbles are really, really common. Every single town center is paved in cobbles, some new and smooth, others at least 100 years old and just as gnarly as the one's you see in the Classics. Hate to burst bubbles here, but there is nothing pleasant about riding over cobbles. Then, there are people. People live in the villages, towns, and cities of Europe, believe it or not. Even the smallest village has people walking around during the day. Some of these people step out into the street without looking, walk out from between cars, blindly open car doors, let their dogs and children run willy nilly into the streets. The cars, of course, can be an issue too. There are four rush hours- morning, before lunch, after lunch, and the evening. In some regions there is only one road connecting all the communities so traffic can get pretty backed up even in the little one horse towns. Speed limits are higher. ATVs are street legal. Tractors are street legal. Vehicles I can't even identify are street legal. It can get pretty wild on these roads. All these everyday things can combine to create situations that would make your average American cycling advocate soil themselves.
Of course, yes, cycle paths and on road infrastructure are more common. But, cycle paths aren't designed for sporting cyclists. They can be used for training, but they can get just as congested with commuters and folks out for a leisure ride as the roads are with cars after lunch. On-road lanes are common in large cities, but in smaller cities and towns they are as rare as they are in America. Some of them are routed in inexplicable ways which confound those who have never followed them before. Oh, and people park their cars in the lanes over here too. The systems of Belgium, The Netherlands, and Denmark are not the norm.
So, if people want to ride the epic roads seen in the calendars, blogs, and magazines they have to throw the bike on the car and drive to them just like you do when you want to ride epic roads in America. For the most part, European cyclists have the same challenges American cyclists do. It's not the Promised Land (ok, Belgium is the Promised Land). Before you start freaking out and labeling me as negative, don't panic. Bare with me here. Riding a bike in the majority of Europe is better than it is in a good portion of the States, but not for the reasons you may think.
The secret to happy cycling is not in lanes, lights, sharrows, paths, or boxes. The secret to happy cycling is attitude. Jerks and morons are everywhere, and that's not going to change anytime soon. But, there is a prevailing attitude from cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians that bicycles belong on European roads. For the most part, drivers aren't surprised or miffed when a bicycle appears in their path. Well, if they are they keep it to themselves. Pedestrians are still oblivious, but they don't go ballistic when you gently bring them back to reality with the ding of a bell. Other cyclists still do stupid things, but those guys are in the minority and generally live in cities. Close calls still happen, but they aren't rooted in hatred and ignorance. They happen because the situation was just sketchy. They happen because city planners come up with some wacky designs. They happen because people get distracted and don't pay attention.
So, you know what, America? You have the potential to become the greatest place in the world to ride a bike. No, you don't have roads with the heritage, you don't have the storied legacy and rich cycling culture. But, you have wide roads and open ones. You don't have to go through busy city centers unless you want to. You have intersections that make sense and standardized traffic laws. The odds of getting plowed over by a thresher are slim to none. You have endless cycling possibilities. All you need to do is to change your attitudes. Drivers, stop thinking the roads are your's to own. Stop believing you're the dominate form of life. Cyclists, stop believing that drivers supersede you on the totem pole. Ride like you belong there, deliberately and legally. Pedestrians, while I realize you're few and far between, just try to remember that there are other people in the world and they really don't want to run into you. Law makers and enforcers, start enforcing traffic laws and seriously prosecuting violators. If drivers aren't held accountable when they endanger the lives of others, their attitudes won't change. While you're at it, go after cyclists when they are on sidewalks or riding the wrong way. If our attitudes change to being more mindful of others and accepting of all transportation methods as equals, we can revolutionize American cycling.
It really could be that easy. If people can ride their bikes in Europe in far more intimidating and challenging situations and not hate every kilometer or get creamed as soon they clip in, then American cyclists definitely can too. There really is no excuse.
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