One Ways and Vehicular Cycling

The past week or so, Yehuda Moon taught a vehicular cycling class. While I am a proponent of vehicular cycling, some days I have to comply with Chattanooga's sometimes very awkward "bike lanes" and greenways downtown.

Take for example Riverfront Parkway. On our Jane's Ride a few weeks ago, I learned that the wide sidewalk on that road is "mixed use" for bicycles and peds.  Knowing this, I set out to find a new, somewhat safer route to J's new apartment, which is at the top of a small hill and surrounded by one-ways downtown. You'd think this would be easy, right?

Given my 8-speed slow-climber Bianchi Milano, wrong.

There are a few factors here that raise the issue of having PAINTED bicycle lanes in certain places downtown. On the other hand, I should just stop whining, ride my faster bike, Beyonce, and stick to my vehicular cycling values.

I attempted to go past his apartment and hit the greenway/riverwalk. The Milano is made for treks like this. Unfortunately, I have some anxiety about tight switchbacks. To avoid these and that damned glass bridge, I tried crossing Riverfront around Lookout/2nd. Bad idea. With no car to trigger the light and no walk button (LJ, use a walk button!?! Bee-zarrr) at the crosswalk, I scurried between 18-wheelers barreling down Riverfront. From the Hunter Museum, I faced three conquerable switchbacks... but I had to cross Riverfront AGAIN—at a crosswalk with a walk button (I was cursing to myself by this point).  From there, I had to make a right turn and another left (finally, like a car) and go up two more blocks of hills to J's building.

Lesson learned? Just ride up Georgia Ave. during rush hour. I might be slow and those cars might be fast, but it is simply the most effective, efficient way to get there. However, this is just one (very) tiny example of some of the barriers that keep people from cycling. I've been a daily commuter for nine months and some areas are still intimidating to me. But those nine months have helped me learn that with practice and familiarity comes confidence.

Georgia Ave. traffic, look out! Here comes LJ.