When Bicycling Goes Bad

In the Parque Nacional, preparing for the race.

During a bike tour the other day we came upon this group of cycle racers preparing for a 'carrera de actividades,' sponsored by Bici Activa Radio, which entails pedaling fast to from destination to destination and performing some, probably silly, activity at each stop.

The bicycles are waiting.

I was surprised to see a number of cyclists smoking (tobacco) cigarettes. But I was soon to see that many of them didn't give much importance to life expectancies.

A smoke to prepare for the race.

While I and a group of tourists wait for the light to change in order to cross Carrera Septima, the racers come tearing out of the park.

And, with barely a moment's pause, race across busy Carrera Septima.

Stoplight's red? Traffic's coming?  No worries!

A motorcycle and a TransMilenio bus come roaring along.

Suddenly, a crashing sound!

A bicyclist is down.

And so is a motoryclist, who apparently swerved in panic to avoid the cyclist.

Showing no concern for the damage he's done, the cyclist gets up and pedals on, leaving the motorcyclist to repair his machine and himself. 

Another bicycle-hater is born. Can we blame him?

This is what gives cycling a bad name. I've gone thru my share of red lights and flown past stop signs, but generally when there's no traffic close by. 

This sort of dangerous, reckless riding, and total unconcern for others gives all cyclists a bad name.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogota Bike Tours

How to Make a Bicycle 'Ecological'

I spotted this 'ecological bicycle,' otherwise known as an electric motorcycle, the other day on the campus of the National University in Bogotá. The ownders of real bicycles parked nearby, of course, feel no need to make ecological claims.

All of which has me tempted to grab my own bicycle, add a battery, an electric motor and about 100 pounds to it, so that I can label it 'ecological.'

By Mike Ceaser of Bogotá Bike Tours

Bogotá Bike Fatalities

According to a report the other day in El Tiempo newspaper bicycle (and motorcycle) fatalities have risen dramatically. As for motorcyclists - well, they are crazy. Most of the city's motorcyclists are messengers. Combine the qualities of a risk-taking personality with the power of a big motor between the thighs and lots of deadlines, and there's no surprise that lots of them skid out and smash into other vehicles.

Many cyclists, of course, also ignore traffic laws. But since all they've got is leg power instead of horse power at their command, they're much less capable of doing themselves or others harm. Rather, I see many cyclists endangered by those rushing taxis and motorcycles which run stop signs and red lights and turn right across cross walks, taking for granted that pedestrians and cyclists will rush out of their way.

Still, there's a big asterisk by the bike fatalities stats: Between January and August 2009 four cyclists were killed on Bogotá streets, which shot up to 12 deaths this year. That is tragic and worrisome. But, in a city of eight million, numbers like 4 and 12 might not be statistically significant.

Nevertheless, there are some basic things which transit authorities ought to do. For a start, they could actually enforce basic traffic laws like stopping at stop signs. Wait at any Bogotá intersection and you'll see car after car, and particularly taxis, sailing past stop signs - even in pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods like La Candelaria. Inevitably, there are lots of car-car collisions and deaths of pedestrians and cyclists are also inevitable.

Another factor is the nation's failure to punish drunk drivers - even those who kill people - despite a law passed last year supposed to impose real punishments for drunk driving.

Another step is to use the media and the law to give pedestrians and bicyclists priority in traffic - as they have in just about every other country in the world.

By Mike Ceaser of Bogotá Bike Tours