At an FCC board meeting, one of the board members told us a story about what happened to him during a recent ride.

He was riding on a moderately busy back road with a white line but no berm.  There were several cars behind him waiting for a safe place to pass.  He maintained his speed and rode a straight line as near the white line as possible.  The line of vehicles passed normally except for a pickup truck that pulled off to the side of the road up ahead.  The driver got out of the truck and motioned for the rider to pull over, which he did with some apprehension.

The driver greeted him with “Sir, I really want to shake your hand.”  He talked about the many riders he’s seen in the past few years swerving all over the road, running stop signs, and just generally riding recklessly.  He also mentioned that he lives along our time-trial route and sees many riders in that area behaving similarly.  After seeing enough instances of this, he vowed to shake the hand of the next rider he saw who was riding responsibly, which happened to be our board member.  Of course, with the current Covid situation, there was no hand-shaking, but a pleasant conversation took place before they both continued on.

On the surface, this sounds like a feel-good story about a positive interaction between one of our riders and a motorist.  However, looking a little deeper, there are a few points that need to be considered:

• Who were all the “bad” riders that this man had previously encountered?  Were some of them FCC riders?  Was one of them you?

• Why had it taken years for this man to find the one “good” rider that he was looking for?  We all know that cyclists are all over the area and it’s not unusual to encounter a rider (or several riders) any time we are out driving.  It’s safe to assume that this man had passed dozens or even hundreds of riders during that time.

• If this is just one man’s perception of local riders, what impressions do the thousands of other non-riding drivers in Franklin County have of bikers?

So, are all cyclists ambassadors for the sport?  By definition, an ambassador is “a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity”.  Unfortunately, just by being out on the road, you are a cycling ambassador whether you want to be or not.  Because we are so visible and there aren’t a lot of us, people will judge all other riders based on the actions of a few.

At this point, you may be asking “So what?  Why do I really care what motorists think of cyclists?”  For starters, motorists and cyclists share the same roadways, but it’s an imbalanced relationship.  Two-plus tons of steel traveling at high speed vs about 200 lbs at low speed puts us cyclists at a distinct disadvantage.  The only things that protect us are our own skills, some haphazardly enforced laws, and the goodwill of the motoring public.  People that see us as the “good guys” are more apt to treat us with more respect and caution, it’s simply human nature.  If you find this hard to believe, simply read through the comments sections of any article regarding bicycle laws or bike safety.  The perceptions of an alarming number of motorists about bicyclists is negative, and almost all of that is based on their observations of cyclists on the road.  Remember, a negative impression that you helped create may never directly affect you, but could have real consequences for the hundreds of other cyclists that motorist will encounter.

So, what actions can we take to be good cycling ambassadors?  Here’s a partial list:

• Follow the rules of the road and, yes, this includes stopping at stop signs*.  In fact, that means following the rules even if you don’t see any cars in the area.  That stop sign you run may be witnessed by someone sitting on their porch, and now a negative perception has been reinforced.

• Ride as far to the right as safely possible given the road conditions, and try to maintain a straight riding line.  This signals to motorists that you are doing your part to share the road.  Sure, there are certain times when you can take the lane to proceed through an intersection, avoid parked cars, etc.  But, in general, riding to the right should be the goal.

• Wait your turn at traffic lights.  That means that if you see a line of cars stopped at a red light, stop behind the last car in line.  It’s tempting to scoot along the side of the cars, but it really annoys drivers.  And that’s even more true if they already waited to safely pass you a few minutes before and now have to deal with you a second time.  They are much less likely to be so patient if you keep passing them again.

• When on a group ride and waiting at an intersection for the stragglers to catch up, move the entire group completely to the side of the road.  As a driver, it is maddening to find an intersection blocked by a group of stationary riders who are oblivious to the unnecessary inconvenience they are causing.  Also make sure that you are not blocking the motorist’s sightlines when they are checking for cross traffic.

• Be friendly.  Wave to children playing in yards or old people sitting on front porches.  This shows the general public that we’re regular human beings, not some robot hiding behind some sunglasses and cycling garb.  And trust me, it’ll actually brighten your day too.

• Acknowledge when a motorist does something nice. Give a thumbs up to a driver who waits to pass you until they can see that it’s safe.  Wave and smile at the driver who motions you through at a stop sign.  In fact, if you really want to make a good impression, try motioning a motorist through a stop sign sometimes.

Hopefully, this has prompted you to stop and think about how your actions on the road can help shape the public’s perceptions, either positively or negatively.   You are a cycling ambassador, so let’s see if we can do our part to help improve our collective image.  Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next rider pulled over to be complimented on your riding habits!

• While coming to a complete stop is required by law, it does not necessarily mean that you have to put your foot down.  With a little practice, most riders can stop, pause momentarily, and proceed without putting a foot down.  Of course, this should only be done when you are absolutely sure that the intersection is clear and that no other drivers are already stopped at the intersection.