Ziactrice wrote:
How do you rank the most common dangers you encounter by risk? Meaning
not just severity (cars!) but frequency (kids!). I'm not yet riding on
the Real Roads, but when I do I suppose I'll be missing that nasty
little dog in comparison to the traffic.

Roads: Inattentive drivers with or without cell-phones.

Bike trails: Inattentive pedestrians with or without dogs.
Power-walkers who go 3 abreast and talk too loudly to hear anyone else
("on your left ...ON YOUR LEFT ...HEY!! I'M COMING BY ON YOUR LEFT!!!")

Regarding dogs, there is one little rascal in my area who lives next to
a popular cycling road. He'll charge across his yard in a barking
frenzy and grind to an abrupt halt right at his driveway's edge. Never
sets a paw on the road, but looks for all the world like he'll shoot
right into you. I think it gives his life meaning to startle the %$#!
out of unwary cyclists.

I'm used to him so it puts a smile on my face every time I see him.
His house was at mile ~60 of a century ride a few years back. I swear
I thought he was cheering me on. :-)


-JR