So after watching the video going around today of the two guys who get run over by a car while cycling in Berkeley, I found myself thinking first of all that I really need to get a camera mounted to my bike and secondly, that I am rather glad to be able to cycle in the country. Then I got to thinking about the pros and cons, having come from city cycling and now moving out to where the roads are long and the stoplights few. The result is this blog post.
Cycling in the city vs the country
#1) Distance/Proximity
Advantage: City
While riding in the city it feels like you're actually getting somewhere. With everything so close together in Minneapolis and St. Paul you can bike distances in practically the same amount of time you can drive them in rush hour traffic, which means it feels like you're achieving a monumental feat. Meanwhile, out here in the country, I can bike for miles and miles and not much looks different, just more farmland. The nearest fun place to bike, Lake Bronson, is a 35 mile round trip.
#2) Speed
Advantage: Country
Stop signs are just horrible monstrosities for cyclists. OK, I understand the whining from some motorists who see cyclists as the constant bane of their existence--even if the whining often far exceeds the crime. I believe strongly in the Idaho stop (slowing down to a safe speed and stopping if necessary but otherwise treating the "Stop" like a yield), even if it's only legal in, well, Idaho. But thankfully, out in the country I don't even need to think about running a Stop sign--not when I can go on a 30+ mile ride with exactly one stop in town.
--As an aside, I once had a car purposely run me off the road when I was probably 16 or 17 years old and yell at me for running a Stop sign. Not quite believing that that just happened, I didn't even think to get his license number. Now, if a guy did that today I would happily call the police, admit to running a Stop sign and pay the fine in turn to press charges against the driver. Fair warning.--
#3) Terrain
Advantage: Push
It depends really on the day. Most days I like the rolling hills of the Twin Cities over the complete and utter flat-ness of what was once Lake Agassiz in northern Minnesota, but it's really hard to complain about the speeds I can reach also because of the plain. I like to climb, but going fast is kind of the name of the game, as well.
#5) Wind
Advantage: City
It's not even close. The big problem with cycling out here is the fact that you really need to check the wind before ever heading out. There are days where you could make a serious mistake biking 8 miles out of town and then turning around only to find a 25-30 mph wind in your face. Now that would be an awful ride home. It's not that the wind doesn't blow so much less in the Cities, but you sure don't feel it as much! All you need to do is ride by a grove of trees up here to realize how much cover matters!
#6) Motivation
Advantage: City
There isn't a day during the sumer in the Twin Cities where you can't find a group ride leaving from an Erik's Bike Shop or run into a few motivated peddlers around Lake Minnetonka, and there is simply nothing like having a group for motivation. There's also nothing like a few people in front of you to break the wind :-) The best ride I ever experienced was with a group from the Minnetonka Erik's. We covered 35 miles of rolling hills with one significant climb at a 22 mph pace, easily the fastest I've ever ridden a bike under any circumstances.
#7) Safety
Advantage: Country
This is something of a double-edged sword, but the Berkeley video basically hits all the main points. Some city drivers simply have it out for cyclists--others are just distracted. Either way, I've had many close calls while riding in the city. I've had a couple occasions that were in fact my fault, because there are just so many moments of having to keep the guard up. Every little path coming out may contain a pedestrian and every car could veer in your direction. Cyclists are kind of small compared to a car if you haven't noticed.
This is not to say that country cycling is without its own risks. There often is no shoulder (or an 18-inch shoulder), so I am completely reliant on cars seeing me. Moreover, vehicles are moving faster--often much faster--and a run-in with one of them would be truly disastrous. But with that said, I've found that 99% of cars actually move over into the passing lanes, and I've never had a close call yet on these wide-open roads where motorists can literally see me from a mile away.
#8) General Enjoyment
Advantage: Push
Honestly, it really doesn't much matter. I will ride either way. There are fewer days when I can ride in northern Minnesota due to the weather and the wind, which stinks, but I'm riding longer and faster--can't complain about that. When I was back in the Cities I rode and it was fun in a different way. Either way, it's all good.
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