Passing Side or Suicide?

[Jeff Gross]

A waist is a terrible thing to mind.

Passing Side or Suicide?



Bike/Car collisions happen most frequently at intersections, and usually the car drivers say they never saw the cyclist. You have noticed that bike lanes become dashed well before intersections. This is so bikes can enter the vehicle lane and share the road, and need not follow the rule that bikes must ride in the bike lane. This standard signage practice is to allow cyclists to move to the safest position in the road.

Often cyclists are too timid to move away from the curb, out of fear of either being run over or being harrassed. Often cyclists choose to pass a line of stopped cars by staying on the edge edge because it avoids waiting in line, and the cardinal rule of the road is to get there as fast as you can. Passing cars on their right is kind of like diving head first into a pond of muddy water - with your eyes closed. The gutter-riding cyclist wears a cloak of invisibility and a blindfold. That cyclist is in the blind spot of vehicles who might turn right; is hidden from oncoming traffic that is looking for an opportunity to turn left; is hidden from pedestrians crossing in front of the vehicle line; is hidden from vehicles passing through the intersection on the cross street; and is blinded by the cars on the left to identify any of those threats.

By riding out in the traffic lane when approaching an intersection, the cyclist is behaving like any other vehicle. Same road, same rights, same rules. Predictable and conspicuous. Moving to the middle of the lane also provides better visibility, both for the cyclist to see all the traffic at the intersection, and for the cyclist to be seen by traffic in every direction. The cyclist is in control of the cars behind, blocking them from doing a right hook.

Is it worth the risk to take cuts, and jump ahead of all those cars that just passed you a block ago, and will have to pass you all over again? If you were driving a car and turning right at an intersection, would you notice a bike approaching at 20 mph on your right? Are you timid and nervous about making others wait for you in traffic? Say to yourself, "I have a right to be safe, and I am going to assert that right."

Two wrongs don't make a right, but two Wrights made an airplane.

Empower Your Speech



Your choice of words can make a difference in how people see you. It takes practice to change how you communicate.
Some bad words best left out of your vocabulary include:

• But. It is negative.
• Replace with "And", for example, rather than "I will scratch your back, but you will scratch mine." say "I will scratch your back and you will scratch mine."

• Might. It is wimpy not mighty. Take a position and try your best.
  
  • Replace with "will," for example, rather than "I might be able to do that." say "I will do that."

• Why. It is a bad word because it has connotations from our childhood when our parents would yell at us: "Why did you do that?!"
  
  • Replace with "How", for example, rather than asking "Why do you want that?" ask "How will that work?"

• If. Shows a lack of confidence.
  
  • Replace with "when" for example, rather than "If you accept..." say "When you accept..."

• Only/Just. Lacks confidence. Kisses up.
  
  • Omit these words, for example, rather than "I just need 15 minutes" say "I need 15 minutes."

Shin - Device for finding furniture in the dark

Bike Pressure Guide



Higher tire pressure means less frictional contact on a smooth road, and protection from pinch flats. Lower tire pressure means more comfort and better traction. The smoother the road, the higher the pressure you can use to get a friction-free ride. The rougher the road, the less pressure you want to avoid bouncing and road chatter. Jittering down a road actually slows you down. Every time you bounce or jitter, you absorb energy (also known as momentum). Reducing your tire pressure will give you a bigger contact patch and more rolling resistance, but it will also give you more shock absorption, less jitter and better control.

Your actual pressure should vary based on the road surface and your weight. The max pressure on the sidewall is too much, unless you are over 180 lbs. The max pressure is usually set to 1/2 the blow off pressure for the tire, as a safety margin. It is not a recommendation of ideal inflation.

There is an ideal tire deflection, and if you are technically inclined, do this: your wheel’s height off the ground when you are on your bike should be 15% lower than when your bike is unweighted. The lighter you are, the less pressure you need to get an ideal deflection. Also, your rear tire carries about 60% of your weight, so it should be about 10 psi higher pressure than the front, which will also give your front tire better control.

Most of our road tires are 20-23mm. For a 20-23mm tire (650x23 or 700x20 or 700x23), ideal pressure can be computed as: (rider weight X .45) +38. For example, if you are a 160 pound rider with 23mm tires, you need an inflation of 100 psi (160 x .45 +38 = 110). Then, to get a 10 psi front/rear difference, add 5 psi to the rear, and subtract 5 psi from the front, giving and ideal 105 psi front / 115 psi rear. Regardless of your weight, do not go below 87 psi or over the tire max pressure. (For a 700x25 tire, subtract 14 psi, for a 700x28 or 700x32 tire, subtract 30psi).

Give it a try on your next ride, and judge comfort, control and speed for yourself.

Life is sexually transmitted.

What is a Pocket Listing?



In this hot seller's market, a real estate agent need not look far to find a ready, willing and able buyer. Just stick a piece of wood in the lawn that says "For Sale", and watch it grow. Perhaps a buyer will walk in to an open house, or they will see the sign on the lawn and call the agent. Perhaps they walk into a brokerage asking to see properties, and are steered to the agent's own listings first and foremost. Some agents also have a list of favored and reliable investors. There is a strong motive for an agent to find a buyer without help from other real estate agents.

Agents are tempted to find a buyer without help from other agents so they can be a dual agent, and represent both seller and buyer. Kind of like a divorcing couple using the same lawyer. It works until there are issues and then it doesn't work. The agent's role changes from being an advocate for the seller's best interest, to being an arbiter between buyer and seller. Some states prohibit this practice in real estate transactions, but not California. The benefit for the real estate agent is usually a doubling of the agent's commission. Thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars can be gained by being a dual agent. Is this in the seller's best interest, or in the agent's best interest?

A pocket listing is where the property is not listed in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Basically, the property is being sold without being advertised - obviously not the best way to get the best price.The benefit for the seller is better control over who sees the house, which is good for celebrities and very private people, who care more about their privacy than their selling price.

The temptation for illegal abuse of the seller comes when the agent in a pocket listing fails to even present offers from buyers with other agents, or encourages acceptance of offers that will net a double commission, rather than offers that are most favorable to the seller. The buyer who comes directly to the listing agent may be given inside information from the dual agent on how to price their offer, or how appear more favorable, also illegal.
The seller loses the benefit of open competition for their property. The agent faces temptation to disclose confidential information that will net them a larger commission. Both buyer and seller lose the benefit of an agent who is an advocate for their needs.

Energizer bunny arrested, charged with battery.

Bike lots,
Jeff Gross
jeff@fullcommitment.com