Finally came around on those protected bike lanes after my handlebar got clipped

I used to think those concrete barriers in bike lanes were overkill. Until Tuesday on my ride down 5th Ave in Austin. A delivery van swerved into the lane to avoid a pothole and his mirror clipped my handlebar. I went down hard, scraped up my arm and blew out my rear tire. That was at 4pm during rush hour. He didn't even stop. Now I get why people fight for those barriers. How do you guys deal with drivers drifting into your lane?

2 comments

2 Comments

sanchez.mary5d ago

Used to call those barriers "concrete bumpers" myself. Told my buddy they were a waste of city money. But getting clipped on 5th Ave like that opened my eyes real quick. That delivery van had NO business being that close to me. Now I see those barriers as a basic safety net, not a luxury. It's a hard lesson to learn with road rash and a busted tire.

rubybarnes4d ago

Brought up that same argument with my neighbor who complains about the bike lanes narrowing the street for cars. Told him those barriers aren't just for bikes, they give drivers a clearer idea of where the lane ends. That delivery van you mentioned probably would have squeezed you even tighter without that concrete there. Sometimes the real value of these things is how they change driver behavior before anything bad happens.