The riding life
Posted by Alex McPeakJuly 16th, 2007
A recent article about a Tennessee law that would force people in automobiles to give a 3-foot berth to riders has stirred up mixed responses. More than a few people in this town think bicycles have no place on the open roads, that bicycles are only toys whose place is on specially designated trails or the safety of neighborhood streets. Others, like Rhodes College student Anthony Siracusa, whose article showed up in The Commercial Appeal, think a bicycle-friendly city is a people-friendly city.
As a bike rider that has braved the streets of Memphis and Shelby County for about 10 years now, let me say right now it’s not as bad as you may think. There is no doubt Memphis has a bad reputation for its drivers, and the idea of joining the city’s craziest motorists is a real concern for the would-be cyclist. But let me share my experiences with you and maybe I can allay some fears.
I’ve been riding streets in both the city and county for a decade, and I love riding through town the most. Even compared to the miles of single-track dirt trails at the Wolf River, Stanky Creek, or Herb Parsons, nothing is better to me than riding through the streets of Midtown and Downtown on my mountain bike. Riding a bike is more immersive than riding in a car, and it doesn’t take as long as walking.
In the last five or six years, my riding buddies and I watched the FedEx Forum grow from a hole in the ground to the weird, alien mushroom shape that now looms over Beale Street. We toured Downtown’s streets as it transformed from a collection of shops to a thriving area with new hotels, new restaurants, and new condos. We sped through the naval base at Millington before 9/11 then were forced to find alternates to Navy Rd. after the attacks closed the base to the public. In a three-day holiday after Hurricane Elvis, we navigated through fallen trees, smashed cars and fallen power lines. I’ve found short cuts through the city I would have driven past in cars, but which I incorporated into my commute when construction, train traffic or an accident caused other motorists delays. In addition to the obvious health benefits, riding through Memphis has helped me discover the city in ways I never imagined. If I’ve inspired you to dust off that Huffy you bought at Wal-Mart years ago, let me give you three tips:
1.) You have to be even more aware on a bicycle than you would be in a car. Riding a bike has sharpened my senses to rival those of Spiderman. You have to always look and listen to everything that happens around you. In addition to traffic, many of the streets and sidewalks in town are old and broken; construction leaves debris everywhere, and many places are littered with broken bottles that could bring a ride to a halt. I’ve never been hit by a car, but I’ve had many close calls and it’s been only my own caution – not the motorists’ – that has kept me from getting hurt. A cyclist is never going to win against a car. Ever.
2.) Be mindful of where you’re riding and the hazards it can throw at you. I started riding in Bartlett 10 years ago, but I would probably not ride out there now. The people in Bartlett are not accustomed to bicycle or pedestrian traffic and have little patience for people not driving a new SUV. That area has grown so much and traffic has gotten so bad that it’s no longer worth the risk for me.
3.) Stay off main roads unless absolutely necessary. This one is related to the rule above. Sure, you could prove you had gonads of steel by riding down Germantown Parkway, but why? Why break your momentum on that road of endless red lights? I used to ride down Poplar and Union, which for any adrenaline junkies out there is a hell of a trip (try it on a Saturday in the summer around 10 or 11 p.m. for maximum effect), but my friends and I discovered safer and more enjoyable routes through Midtown.
Midtown is probably one of the safest places for bikes in town, because it’s the place that sees the most bike and foot traffic in the city. The people driving cars are used to seeing them. In addition, there are plenty of streets snaking through old neighborhoods that will keep you off the main streets like Poplar. Downtown’s great, too, as long as you’re not riding during an event like Music Fest or the Lewis/Tyson fight.
If you’re going to take up biking, be careful and think about where you are going and how you are getting there. I usually plan my routes before I ride, or at least have a general idea of where I’m going. It’s going to be a while before the new Greenline connects the city for cyclists. You might as well start exploring.
July 16th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Count me as one of those who doesn’t go out of my way to accommodate bike riders. This is a bit incongrous given that I consider myself a greenhead treehugger — after all, shouldn’t I support people who aren’t spewing tons of carbon into the atmosphere every day? Yes, I should, but the arrogance of the spandex-shorts-wearing pedalers who deliberately clog up traffic on Walnut Grove have brought it on themselves.
(I do have to say that I am more sympathetic to riders than I am to idiots who insist that they have the right of way to run in traffic lanes, when there are perfectly good sidewalks available three feet away.)
What is needed are dedicated bike lanes for cyclists throughout the city, such as are seen in other states.
July 16th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Sorry, I misspelled “incongruous” in my previous comment.
July 16th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Riding is a great way to see the city - just be mindful of the trolley tracks. I’ve seen more than one person become better acquainted with the streets than they intended. Downtown has some beautiful architecture and there are some quiet, wide streets like Stonewall where you can ride without too much worry about moving vehicles. I tend to favor the trails over the pavement, but there really is no better way to see Downtown.
July 17th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I used to dislike the “spandex-shorts-wearing pedalers”. I thought they got in the way of motor traffic. I have realized that there is too much motor traffic and have decided to use the car alot less. Though I don’t speed around in spandex on a multi-thousand dollar road bike, I do ride all over town on my mountain bike and I do ride in the street. The sidewalk is for pedestrians and the State of Tennessee does regard bicycles as regular traffic that must follow many of the same guidelines as the huge SUVs that dominate the roads.
An important thing for motorists to remember is how easy they have it. You get so frustrated behind the wheel and forget that you are SITTING in and AIR CONDITIONED environment while listening to your favorite music. Bikers are fighting the heat and exhaustion of biking and maintaining a constant lookout for careless cars. Show some caution and concern for cyclists. Help protect us.
I was biking on South Main Street in Memphis yesterday and was hit from behind by a car.
The driver turned a corner and accelerated without looking. I was probably 50 feet from the corner. She had plenty of time to see me and stop but was on a cell phone and didn’t see me until she was a few feet behind me. She couldn’t stop in time and I was hit. I heard tires screeching and then felt a bump and spun around. I slid across the bricks and trolley tracks and hit the curb with my shoulder and then hip.
She then jumped out of her car, not to see if I was okay but to yell at me and curse at me for being in her way. She said that Memphis streets are for cars, not bikes. Maybe she was right. There is no space on South Main for bicycles and the trolley tracks are a cyclists nightmare.
I have cycled all over the city of Memphis and there are no bicycle lanes here. This is a large city and there is hardly room for cars on the roads. The sidewalks are for pedestrians and are too bad for bikes anyway.
It is time for a change! What can I do to help?! I WAS HIT BY A CAR!!!!
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:33 pm
well, here on one hand, we are looking at a law for people to move over for cyclists (nothing wrong with that), yet we also have a law that says move over for police conducting business on the side of the road (this one affects me) and people STILL about plow us down during every stop.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
A friend of mine was hit by a car in Hickory Hill, but I won’t even IMAGINE riding over there. It’s bad enough driving to work every day. I’ve never had any problems downtown, but I did almost get hit in Germantown (go figure), by a woman in a van that didn’t even see me, and I’m a pretty big guy, even on a bike.
You are right, Kelsey, about the trolley tracks. It is a nightmare. All but my most experienced cycling friends have all taken spills on those tracks.
And as for the cops, a friend of mine is a fireman, and he says with full lights on, sirens and everything, they still get the bird from people driving around. I guess if they won’t stop for the cops or the fire department, us bikers have no chance. Of course, a fire truck can take a bigger lick than we can.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:19 am
Only time I ever hurt myself on a bike in Memphis I was eight years old and ran smack into a parked car…
Ever since then I try to pay attention to what I’m doing…
July 28th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Here’s my beef: I am not happy when a biker disregards the rules of traffic (e.g., rides up beside or between cars to get to the front of a lane of cars waiting for a green light), yet s/he expects to be treated as another “vehicle” on the road. You can’t have it both ways. Either obey the rules or get the hell out of the streets.
July 30th, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I agree that it is annoying when bikers ride between cars and sometimes disregard traffic laws; however, in some cases you are talking about self-preservation. It would be much easier for cyclists to obey the laws if motorists would give the slightest consideration to the cyclists even being there. . If your creed is going to be ‘ obey the rules or get the hell out of the streets’ you have to apply it to the 2 ton vehicles as well as the 8lb bikes.
August 12th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Funny thing about riding into parked cars…I know someone who did just that also…but this was an adult.
Paying attention to EVERYTHING 100% of the time is sometimes hard to do regardless of how many wheels you are rolling along on.
What else can you do but try to learn from each encounter?
Double-check self-absorbed, blind drivers at every intersection (even if you DO have the right-of-way), if you need to look away from your direct path for a bit make sure there’s nothing ahead of you for several yards, ride across the tracks as perpendicular as absolutely possible, learn as much as possible from other’s misadventures so that you don’t have to see what it’s like first hand.
August 12th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
correction: others’