John Boyle

ASH

ASHEVILLE – With the cycling season in high gear, Mike Sule would like everyone to pause for a second and take a deep breath.

Here in the mountains, as in most American communities with a thriving cycling community — and thousands of motorists — a seemingly endless tension percolates between the groups.

Motorists complain that cyclists don't obey traffic laws, cause congestion and endanger their lives, as well as those of drivers. And they don't pay taxes or fees to be on the road.

Cyclists contend that motorists sometimes harass them, occasionally hurl a soda their way or try to squeeze them off the road in tight spots.

"It's something we have to address, because the stakes are too high," said Sule, founder and board president of Asheville on Bikes, a bike club and advocacy organization with about 300 members.

"I try not to think of it in terms of 'cyclists and motorists,' because people use many modes of transportation," he said. "My wife has a car, but she's also an avid cyclist. We've created this idea of 'motorists versus cyclists,' or 'cyclists versus motorists,' but most people who ride bicycles also own vehicles, so what we're really doing is talking about people in our community."

A recent magazine article highlights what's at stake: North Carolina ranks among the nation's top 10 "most dangerous states for cyclists," according to the Insurance Business America website. The group used data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and calculated deaths per million in 2011.

North Carolina ranked 10th in deaths per million, at 2.59.

The city of Asheville has recorded two cycling deaths since 2008 — one in July 2008 on U.S. 70 in East Asheville and another in November 2010 on Piney Mountain Drive in Chunns Cove, according to the Asheville Police Department. Last year in Swain County, an 84-year-old triathlete was killed on his bike after being struck on N.C. 28.

In 2011, America recorded 677 fatal bicycle/vehicle collisions, including 25 in North Carolina. Some 48,000 cyclists were injured.

But cycling deaths have declined by 25 percent since 1995, according to federal statistics.

The League of American Bicyclists ranks North Carolina 28th in the country for "bicycle friendly states."

But Jay Curwen, a triathlete and frequent rider who's been cycling in the Asheville area since the late 1980s, thinks the mountain area is probably more accommodating to riders than other parts of the state.

"I can't say I've had any overwhelmingly bad issues here," Curwen said. "There's always the occasionally angry driver here, but I've ridden in the Pacific northwest and in Los Angeles, and it seems to me every place has the same issue."

A near miss

The winding, narrow roads in the mountains can heighten the danger — and the tension, though.

Buncombe resident Chad Nesbitt recently posted a photo on Facebook of two cyclists on a narrow road, Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, saying they had been riding side by side, going uphill, and nearly caused a serious wreck.

"They were out in the middle of the road," Nesbitt said. "I came around a curve, and these guys were probably doing less than 1 mph, because they were going uphill. I slammed on the brakes, and the guy behind me went into the ditch 'cause he swerved to miss me."

Horn were honked. Harsh words exchanged. The cyclists gave them some unpleasant hand gestures, Nesbitt said.

He wonders why cyclists don't use roads with bike lanes. The city has created bike lanes on about 25 miles of roadways.

Arden resident Jason Wicks said he's not had as close a call as Nesbitt, but he's seen some dicey behavior, particularly from cyclists who don't follow the laws.

"Yes, they have rights, but only 1 in 10 actually follow the laws and have common courtesy," Wicks said. "So many times I have watched them ride between two lanes of cars waiting for a light and then shoot out in front of them when the light turns green."

He also finds it inconsiderate that riders won't pull over and let backed up vehicles pass.

"I am fine with them riding, but common courtesy is when you have 10 cars behind you waiting for the right moment to pass in a curve, you should pull over your bike and let them pass," he said. "Bike riders confuse 'rights' with doing the right thing."

Courtesy the key

Sule said Asheville on Bikes encourages cyclists to be courteous, but to also know their rights. The organization teaches a class called Road One, which teaches cyclists how to navigate in an urban environment on a bike.

They also teach a similar class in an after-school program at Asheville Middle School. The idea is to teach riders "everything they need to know to ride confidently and safely."

It's important for cyclists and motorists to understand that riders have a right to be on the roads, and more and more are hitting the pavement all the time. In March, Asheville on Bikes hosted its annual "Bike of the Irish" ride and had about 500 riders show up, up from 400 the year before.

"Not only are people interested in (riding), that interest is expanding. It's exploding," Sule said.

While riders have the right to ride side by side, Sule said they encourage cyclists not to antagonize drivers.

"It's about people," Sule said. "You have no idea what that person behind you has to do, where they have to be, what state of mind they're in. So, if there's more than enough room, obviously, move over. The roads are about people moving from point A to point B. It's not about the machines; it's about the people. Think about the impact on another person."

Sometimes, motorists may misinterpret riders' intentions, Sule and Curwen said. Some cyclists do not ride in some bike lanes because they can be filled with tire-popping debris, for instance, and they don't ride on sidewalks because that is usually illegal.

And Sule noted that sometimes a bicycle simply will not trip a red light and the rider gets stuck waiting. After three cycles being stuck, they can legally go through the light, he said.

While some drivers complain that cyclists are not licensed and do not pay road taxes, Curwen said everyone he knows who rides also drives — and pays all those taxes and fees to keep roads up. And remember: it's not the 20-pound bicycles that cause potholes and tear up road shoulders.

Curwen and Sule also like to make a human connection with drivers, waving them by when they can see it's clear ahead. Or simply waving to let them know they're there.

They'd also like drivers to remember that no one benefits when a motorist lays on the horn or screams at a cyclist. By the same token, a cyclist who antagonizes a driver is at a real disadvantage.

"When a confrontation does occur, the best thing for a cyclist to do is to move along quietly," Sule said. "If you can get some information or a license plate, that's good. But the last thing you want to do is exacerbate the situation."

Safe riding habits

• Ride with traffic and obey the same laws as motorists.

• Use the rightmost lane that heads in the direction that you are traveling.

• Obey all traffic control devices, such as stop signs, lights and lane markings.

• Always look back and use hand and arm signals to indicate your intention to stop, merge or turn.

• Be visible. Ride where drivers can see you, wear brightly colored clothing at all times, and, at night, use a white front light and red rear light or reflector. Wear reflective tape or clothing.

• Be predictable. Ride in a straight line and don't swerve between parked cars.

• Make eye contact with motorists to let them know you are there.

• Do not ride on the sidewalk.

• Anticipate conflicts. Be aware of traffic around you and be prepared to take evasive action.

• Learn braking and turning techniques to avoid crashes, and be extra alert at intersections.

• Wear a helmet, and make sure that the helmet fits on top of your head, not tipped back or forward.

• After a crash or any impact that affects your helmet, visible or not, replace it immediately.

Sources: http://ashevilleonbikes.com, League of American Cyclists www.bikeleague.org

Cycling deaths and accidents for 2011

677

Cyclists were killed, 48,000 were injured.

2%

Cycling deaths accounted for 2 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities and 2 percent of people injured in traffic crashes.

43

The average age of a cyclist killed in traffic crashes was 43. During the past 10 years, there has been a steady increase in the average age of cyclists killed and injured.

Cycling deaths and accidents for 2011 (cont.)

• The number of cyclists killed in 2011 is 9 percent higher than the 623 cyclists killed in 2010.

• Cycling fatalities were highest in Florida (125), California (114), and New York (57).

• Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia had no cycling fatalities.

• The majority of the cyclists killed or injured in 2011 were males (85 percent and 78 percent, respectively).

• The highest number of male fatalities were between the ages of 45–54 (130), and the most males injured were between 16–20 (6,000).

• The majority of cycling fatalities, 201 (30 percent), occurred between 4 p.m. and 7:59 p.m. The second highest number of fatalities, 142 (21 percent), occurred between 8 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.

Source: National Highway Transportation Safety Administration