There’s a scene in a Star Wars movie (one or four) – Luke Skywalker is in space flying for his life, down a narrow corridor in his X-wing fighter to blow up the bad guys. The speed blurs the vision- the walls are squeezing and the tension is very high. Danger is level 10.
On our planet, there is a 2 km stretch of road I ride on a Wednesday morning and it fills me with the same anxiety that Skywalker has without the pressure to blow up the Death Star. The time of my riding this road, corresponds with all the drivers who are late for work or school. Every car is a close pass, but it is not the driver’s fault. The road is narrow and the traffic is funnelled from wider carriageways. As I enter the section where the hard shoulder evaporates like a spilled pint on summer decking -the hands grip the bars rather than hold them. Under a helmet my head drifts into horrendous fantasies of learner drivers absorbed in recent relationship heartbreak. I dream of arming my bike with Luke Skywalker‘s lasers and targeting them towards the Amazon delivery drivers that are momentarily distracted from TikTok and are forced to look at the road.
I’ve come to the conclusion bicycles (or in particular my bicycle) doesn’t belong on this road. It is too fast for cyclists and breeds frustration with the 2nd gear motorist – a relationship we can’t fracture anymore. Yes, we have the right. Bikes are better and we can and should be on all roads except motorways according to the Highway Code. But nowhere in the Highway Code is the reality of a heavily laden 18 wheel lorry late breaking 15 cm from my rear tyre. There simply isn’t the room for them to pass. The fear of being run over or off the road makes me add 200 Watts to the cranks to make the pain pass as quickly as possible and those watts are sparse.
Avoiding the section, avoiding the 40 cars a minute, is a 7km extension to my ride. Is it worth it? Do you plan routes to avoid congestion?
Luke, you are on your own with the Death Star
