Bike ride is on the too wild side

I AM lucky enough to live within bike-riding distance of the Addy office but I haven’t been able to muster the courage to jump on my bike and ride in.

As we head into summer and the weather warms, my road bike remains a white elephant in my garage and, on last check, had a flat tyre.

While I’d like to resurrect my bike for the summer, being knocked off it while I ride in a bike lane scares me.

Most of my commute from Breakwater to Geelong will be along the banks of the Barwon River. But the testing times will come when I have to brave a 2km stretch of Yarra St.

When the thought of riding into work a few weeks ago crossed my mind, what did I almost immediately see on Yarra St? A cyclist swerving into the path of a car near McDonald’s to avoid being hit by another reversing out a parking spot.

That was just the start. Last month the Addy reported on an East Geelong cyclist, 69, who was hit by a car in Breakwater.

After the collision it is my understanding the cyclist was left a paraplegic and will have months of rehabilitation before being able to return home. Earlier this year I interviewed a cyclist who was knocked off his bike as he rode along Princess St, Drysdale. That rider, a husband and father, was left with broken ribs, and a fractured eye socket and elbows. Months later, recalling the incident remained a difficult task for the dad. Asked if the incident had put him off riding, through tears he told me it hadn’t. As far as I’m aware the driver responsible still hasn’t been caught. While I want to get involved in MAMIL (middle-aged man in Lycra) life, incidents where riders have their lives altered put me off jumping on my bike. I have a slick helmet that might offer some protection. I even thought about whacking on some rollerblade-style knee and elbow pads while I ride.

But these measures don’t ease my mind one little bit.

What might ease my mind on a ride to or from work would be the ability to ride in a separate Amsterdam-style bike lane.

Last year I visited the Netherlands’ capital and was pleasantly surprised at how bikefriendly the city is.

Before my visit I had not ridden a bike on a road near cars for any meaningful period. But I felt extremely safe. Drivers in Amsterdam look out for cyclists rather than the other way around. In fact, the hour bike ride from my hotel to the Heineken brewery was a highlight of my trip.

But until we can have more completely separated bike lanes in Geelong, it will be a commute by car for me.