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Friday Frogger Fun
Does anyone else actually like riding in traffic?
Yesterday I TT'ed from my door to the top of one of my favorite hilly routes. 47' at .94 IF. Then I rode down the hill to a motorcycle shop to pick up a part, then TT'ed through Friday LA traffic back home. My rule is that if I'm going within ~2mph of the speed limit I get in the car lane to assert my position. Splitting lanes at the lights (legal in CA), sprinting between lights, drafting trucks at 35-40mph to stay in the flow of traffic, etc. I wore my Marines jersey thinking that people would be less likely to screw with me....cuz nothing says badass like spandex and bike shoes 
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Now that I'm in Upstate NY, I have patients who tell me they drive though they're mostly blind ("I can see enough to drive!") or have to take some pill so they don't fall asleep at the wheel as much. I'm more skeered now with less traffic!
My training partners last year thought I was kidding when I said lets beat this car.
The mom in me finds that almost impossible to read. We need you too much around here to have you be TT-ing in LA TRAFFIC for gawd sakes! I literally have the shivers.
For the ultimate read on cycling in traffic, try The Immortal Class (Amazon link). By a bike messenger who can write well. Most intriguing concept I got from it was his observation that, after about six months on the job, he found that he was able to predict the future. Meaning, he knew what all the other vehicles were going to do, sometimes up to 30 seconds before they actually did it, allowing him to aim for places where it was safe, before anyone else could see it unfold.
I suspect Rich has entered that zone, shared with other cyclists in big city environments, like NYC. I have gotten a small taste of it after more than ten years bike commuting on the same route now over 1,000 times. I feel very comfortable, knowing what motorists will do at particular intersection or stretches of road, allowing me to relax while still being vigilant. But I prefer not to assume I know what will happen; it only takes one mistake to lose everything.
+1 on the immortal class, good book.
A guy that works for me was a bike messenger for years. His 'career' ended one foggy wet morning when he hit a pothole and woke up in the hospital. Broke his frame in half and several parts of his body
I have been hit a few times years ago, always commuting and always 'becoming one' with the traffic. Every time I get that 'I want a motorcycle' itch I go out for a ride and realize how little people pay attention to me on a bike, it ain't much different if you are on a motorcycle.
However I will admit it was great when I lived in San Diego passing all the cars in traffic lane spliting while they stood still and I was on my way to work
-Dave