i hate that section of beacon st. too.

When I ride I follow the laws and the spirit of transportation on a shared resource. I endear myself to improve the image of cyclists as I know there are many who ride with less concern for others or the environment they ride in. Because of this every time I ride I am at an immediate disadvantage: I have to fight the image of ignorant cyclists who ride in a dominating way in areas that require more sensitive habits, such as where you live; I have to fight the image of self-centered cyclists who break laws when charging through Boston streets; every time I ride I do so with the knowledge that through no fault of my own I bare the faults of other people who may share little of my values. I am rarely taken as an individual, and this I think is unfortunate.

When I ride I try to be both courteous and gentle. This is me, this is a representation of my character, and my behavior is the same both on and off of my bike. This is true for other cyclists – taken as individuals they will behave the same on or off their wheels. This is true for drivers, they are nice or not so nice when they are behind the wheel or standing next to you in line at the grocery store. I am not “you people”, I am Dan, and I appreciate being addressed as an individual as this is a kindness and as I learned it the only appropriate way to talk to someone. I try to be a positive representitive for whatever group I may find myself being recognized as a part of, but my actions should be taken as those of an individual when making an argument about my behavior. When I travel abroad I do not act loudly or imposingly as I do not want to make a poor impression of Americans on foreign soil, and know full well others who have been there before me may have made my visit easier or harder due to their behavior; even with this group image I can only truly represent myself.

I am not one to hog the road, and I too do not appreciate the disregard some show for other travelers when using a shared resource (regardless of their means of transportation: walking, cycling, driving, rollerblading, etc.) The issue as I see it affects me, too. I hold several pet peeves with other cyclists, and when I drive I find myself amazed at the disdain other drivers show to each other, the issue is one of human character and not the means of transportation. I hope you, and other readers, acknowledge that.

The areas outside of Boston are precious and generally quite calm, and should remain so. There are times and places where the conditions are not conducive to being completely passive on the road, and to ignore that sacrifices my safety. It is rare that I have to impose myself in a way that forces other people to change their behavior on the road, and I am quick to pull to the side to allow cars to pass as soon as it is once again safe to get out of the way. This does not mean, however, that I will put myself in danger to convenience others.

Please, take care when making accusations that do not fit the target you intend. Saying that I am not welcome on these roads is an insincere attack and smacks harshly on the face of American freedom. I understand this is how you feel, and I appreciate your candor and honesty. I simply cannot share this point of view, however, as I know that my personal impact on traffic and the environment is generally positive or, at worst, minimally negative. This is not true for all who ride a bike, but is far less true for those who drive unnecessarily fast or aggressively, either. I get the impression you consider yourself a safe driver who is looking for respect and feels disenfranchised; please, do not make the mistake that I am the reason for your anger unless I am there in person, and even then I find it best to politely engage in a dialog to understand one another’s view as there are often reasons which may not be apparent behind the behavior which raises problems. It is sad that most often it is a misunderstanding of intent or law which causes so many aggressions between people.

As for spandex, it’s the best material for whisking away sweat. I think this is a common, silly, anonymous attack on something visibly separable to poke fun at purposeful clothing that people wear. I try to wear what is appropriate for my task – at work I wear something for the corporate environment, and so when I ride it is sensible to don something that helps cool me and cover my lower backside when hunched over. I can’t imagine why clothing comes up so often as a reason to have issues with cyclists; plenty of people wear baseball/football/hockey jerseys and hats who do not participate in the sport while wearing it, yet are not verbally attacked for their fashion. Are swimmers to be mocked for wearing a slick bathing suit? (No, but they sometimes are, and it is for the same reason: to make people feel bad for looking a little different.) I can understand and appreciate your other arguments, but this one is plainly rude, and I would request that if you have an argument to make that you leave out bully tactics as it nullifies the rest of what you have to say. You might as well have a hang up on the color of my skin, or the profession I work in, or the style of my hair. Your actual argument has some traction for me to work with, and I want to engage in a dialog, but this coupled with the “you people” denigrate from your position. You are angry, but I am not doing anything obscene, so I am not the real reason for your discomfort.

The post you wrote this on was one proclaiming an achievement in personal endurance. I celebrate the accomplishments we make as a race and as individuals. The greatest flattery is in understanding someone and appreciating them even if you disagree with them. I will continue to do my best to avoid inconveniencing others while I live my life, but having said that I will not stop pursuing my own happiness, I will not stop being American, I will not stop being as human as I can be. Thank you for reading this if you did, and feel free to reply if you wish.

I live in Carlisle, MA and I often travel on both Monument and Lowell roads. I understand that these are popular routes for bikers as they are scenic. These roads are also heavily traveled by the people of these surrounding towns, and the roads are narrow and old. They were never meant to handle the traffic they do, and are certainly not large enough to handle the volume of bikers. I have found that you people on bikes are incredibly rude and inconsiderate. You do not move to the side, and you ride two and three abreast. It is very dangerous, and you have no regard for the consequences for the vehicles trying to get around you. Please take your bike rides and your spandex-covered selves elsewhere. You are not welcome on these roads.