Yesterday, a young man was killed by a driver who was fleeing from a police traffic stop here in Atlanta. The cyclist was hit in the bike lane, where he so called ‘belongs’. Now this incident is a little different from the norm because the driver was fleeing from the police when he hit the cyclist and was out of the usual ‘he was not where he was supposed to be’ or ‘the driver was on their phone’ or even the standard ‘I didn’t even see him’. But what was odd, but not so different, was the response it got, when I clicked to scroll through the story, hoping it wasn’t one of my friends, I told myself the same thing I tell myself I read any local article pertaining to anything cycling related…’Don’t Read the Comments’. But of course, without fail, I did.

Many of the commenter’s did not read the article at all, just readying their fingers to type any nonsense that came to mind stemming from their hate for people who ride bikes. For example, a few wrote ‘he shouldn’t have been on the road’, ‘he deserved it’, or ‘we should ban bikes from the streets’. Aside from missing the fact that the cyclist was a casualty of a driver alluding police, these people commenting in this fashion are basically saying this man does not matter. Husband? Who cares? Father? Not important, the only thing in their minds was that this gentleman was on a machine that they believe shouldn’t be on the road, even though all the traffic laws in the world say he should.

To say a human deserves to die because he/she’s commuting by bike is asinine, plain and simple. Because a person chooses to use a different form of transportation other than a car, should that person automatically deemed DOA because of his freedom of choice? Or is it because we’re so desensitized by other deaths around the world, whether it be by war, rampant murders, video games, etc. that we just blurt out the ‘they should die’ phrase without understanding what that person meant to their self and others? Did they not make someone smile? Did they not have parents that adored him/her? Or maybe even their family who won’t get to see their father/mother/brother/sister ever again?

This guy was immediately chastised because he was on a bike, didn’t matter the circumstances, didn’t matter that the driver was fleeing police, he was on the road where he shouldn’t have been and he got what was coming to him. Just because another human being wants to ride his bike to work, to clear their heads, to get exercise, why would any one get so mad at this person to suggest his/her death? Did he make you get to work 1 minute later than you wanted? Or did she make you miss that green light only to be stuck behind another car at the next light?

Now, do cyclists obey all the traffic laws? Run red lights? Roll through stop signs? Cut cars and so forth? Sure they do, shit I do (well, except cutting cars), even though I always make sure it is safe and I don’t cause an accident, which some drivers do as well, which is what it is, but some drivers are also speeding, on their phones (A LOT), and are times very angry and impatient due to sitting in traffic or other things happening in their lives. The thing is a split second bad decision due to any of these circumstances can cost another driver or cyclist their lives.

This disregard for human life is unsettling, as a commentator on Barstool Sports calls for ‘Death to cyclists’ and even made a T-shirt for it, I wonder who’s next? The College student who can’t afford parking, a father/mother who needs to bike because they can’t afford a car, the ‘New year New Me’ who is hell bent on finally losing weight in 2018 so they start commuting by bike, or me, a father of two amazing kids and a loving wife who can’t imagine not being around for them and commutes daily.

We need to stop throwing these phrases around so loosely, these cyclists are human beings, like the man asking for change in the streets, like the child starving in Sudan, like you driving your car to work everyday. No one deserves to die in any unjust fashion just because someone ‘belongs’ there and they don’t, or because they are in your way. We can start a conversation and make our cities better for all people no matter mode of transportation they have the freedom to use, or, maybe I just need to stop reading the comments…

The Spindle Gravel team took it down to Monticello, FL on March 8, 2016 for the Dirt-y Pecan 60/100/150 mile unsupported ride. The team party paced through 60 miles of plantations, oak canopies, and of course, pecan orchards.

Monticello is a cool little town right over the GA/FL state line, we arrived late Friday evening, set up camp, and a couple of beers and whiskey shots later, it was time to rest up.  Rising up at 6 am to cook breakfast for the team was little rough, but Spindlero Ezz heeded the call for some tacos to get the gears moving, slowly after 7am you started to see cars and trucks with beautiful bikes strapped on and ready to get filthy!

The organizers rolled through and greeted everyone with a fierce battle cry, at the start of the race at 8, there was an estimated 250 riders ready to get going. Although the Spindle team lagged a little, due to Sharif’s inevitable mechanical failure, which we were just happy to get out of the way. Out by 8:30 on a gorgeous soon-to-be 75 degree day, we embarked on our fantastic voyage.

The route was less than 20% paved, so dirt and gravel were going to be abundant.  Pedaling through the farmlands between South Georgia and the panhandle of Florida was packed with stunning views and mixed terrain of which none of us have ever seen. The route was mostly exposed but portions of the trail was marbled with shade from the enormous tree limbs draped with Spanish Moss, lingering overhead. Excavated forest roads dug 4 feet deep through the wood exposed deep, red-orange GA clay that has been eroded over decades of sun and heavy machinery rolling through each groomed passage. The walls on these roads were enveloped with rich moss of bright greens and yellow shades. What we also found was a hybrid texture, a combination ofsand, GA red clay and water that could only be described as peanut butter. 

Most of us rode CX bikes and rolled through fine. Even Sharif and Ivan Ravioli (aka David Baker), had little trouble on the route with their All-City fixed CX bikes. Though Spindlero Andy's thoughts on choosing a 650b MTB deemed to be a bit of a sluggish decision. Being an unsupported ride everyone was well-prepared with their Spindle packs and frame bags loaded with snacks, fruit, and water. Helping immensely as the temperature rose throughout the day.

As we approached the finish, we scouted out a little farmers market that served up a sundry of local fruits, veggies and boiled peanuts which Spindlera Molly Russell and Atlanta Beltline Bicycle team rider, Zach Holmes, took back to camp.

With beautiful views and good people surrounding us, overall it was a beautiful ride. We drank the juice and are already looking forward to dirtying up our pecans for next year’s ride!  For more info on the ride please visit the Dirt-y Pecan facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/dirtypecan/?fref=ts