{"id":2218,"date":"2013-03-24T19:49:03","date_gmt":"2013-03-24T18:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ravenfamily.org\/sam\/?p=2218"},"modified":"2013-03-24T20:00:50","modified_gmt":"2013-03-24T19:00:50","slug":"you-dont-need-to-grow-a-pair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ravenfamily.org\/sam\/2013\/03\/24\/you-dont-need-to-grow-a-pair\/","title":{"rendered":"You don’t need to grow a pair."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"avatar\"A while back, despite firm resolution not to<\/a>, I got into an argument on Facebook.<\/p>\n

I know.<\/p>\n

A fellow cycling enthusiast, one who prefers the Dutch model of segregated facilities (I KNOW) posted about numbers of people cycling. In what I considered to be a counter-productive generalisation, he made an observation that only a small sub-set of risk-taking males choose to cycle on the roads.<\/p>\n

Statistically speaking, he might be right, for given values of “statistically speaking”, “sub-set” and “choose”. But it rubbed me up the wrong way, because it’s not a small sub-set of risk-taking males who choose to cycle on the road. I<\/strong> cycle on the road, even when there’s a path available (I find paths inherently more hazardous). I’ve got quite a track record of persuading other women to cycle on the road, too. Frood cycles on the road, and while he’s male (in the strict, biological sense), he’s no risk taker.<\/p>\n

\"Merkin<\/a>
I promise these are not risk-taking males. Plus, that’s my Pompino in the middle of the shot.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, the majority of people I know who cycle on the road don’t do so because they’re risk takers, male or female: they do so because their assessment of the risk is much, much less than that of those who insist it’s too dangerous.<\/p>\n

People are not going to be encouraged to cycle by the assertion that the only people willing to cycle on the road are risk-taking males. My experience of encouraging others to start cycling suggests that it’s much more effective to explain risk assessment and mitigation in detail. Ride so people can see you; behave in a way that’s predictable (i.e. like traffic); understand that the vast majority of drivers really don’t want to hit you; and pay attention because not everyone else on the road does, but understand that’s mostly because they’re Clarkson-wannabes or desperate to get home because their children are being menaced by a hungry, angry, peedo lion and the house is on fire, which is pretty rare, and here’s how to deal with them.<\/p>\n

Of course, that doesn’t support the argument that cyclists absolutely must have fully segregated facilities before even contemplating putting a leg over a top tube. Still, no argument looks all that great when it’s demonstrably false from the get-go.<\/p>\n

Cyclists who choose to cycle on the road are not<\/strong> a small sub-set of risk-taking males, although they may include a small sub-set of risk-taking males. They’re mostly people who have looked at the hazards, availed themselves of relevant mitigation strategies (lights, positioning, behaviour, vigilance, route choice) and decided that it’s a relatively safe activity.<\/p>\n

Including me.<\/p>\n

\"Dumb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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