Results tagged “bostonbiker”

It might mean the end of an era. Bike advocates can come across as pretty self-righteous, especially when somebody suggests that bikers might not be the safest people on the road. Is all of that about to change? In a lengthy blog post, anonymous internet personality Boston Biker concedes a crucial point: "[T]here is no ‘cyclists’ in the same way there is no ‘motorists’ or ‘pedestrians’ there is only individual people who choose to obey or not obey the law (sic)." Does this mean that law-abiding cyclists are going to stop freaking out every time somebody writes about how badly some cyclists ride? Probably not, but as bikers ourselves, we'd be relieved if bicycle advocates would spend more time doing things like passing bike friendly laws or taking courses in civil engineering and less time whining about the bad rap Boston cyclists rightly or wrongly may or may not have.

Bostonist loves the biking, so we were happy to see Boston Biker's great Back To School Bike Guide. There are definitely many aspects of biking in Boston that differ from biking elsewhere, so the guide is key for bikers accustomed to zooming down large, empty, straight streets. Here, you'll have to deal with tons of traffic, one-way streets, insane intersections where seven streets meet without signage (or bike lanes), and--best of all--streets that don't really go anywhere, forcing you to twist and turn a long route to a destination that would be only a mile or two as the crow flies. Sometimes it's easiest to just stick to the Esplanade. Wherever you go, wear a helmet--traffic (including pedestrians and other bikers) is unpredictable. (And if you're in Holliston, you could find yourself bikeless if you "forget" your helmet and you're under 18.)