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Cliff Buchan
News Editor
It happens all too often, Clark Quiring will tell you. A bicycle darts into the street in an unwise effort to reach the other side. When another rider attempts a fancy stunt, the car in the parking lot is just too big to avoid.
Accidents of the like don’t happen every day nor every week, the Forest Lake chief of police adds. But when they do, it usually adds up to serious injuries for the person on a bike.
That has been the case in two accidents this fall involving young people on bicycles. One youth was hurt earlier this fall while attempting stunts in a grocery store parking lot.
On September 22, a 14-year-old city youth was seriously injured when his bike was hit by a westbound vehicle at 7th Street and W. Broadway Avenue. The youth had managed to cross four of the five lanes from south to north but could not get past the vehicle in the fifth lane.
“There was nothing the driver could do,” Quiring said of the Lindstrom man driving the vehicle that hit the boy.
“When I saw the bike, I knew what it was,” said Rodney Skoog of Columbus who was also driving west on Broadway that warm afternoon. “It broke my heart.”
That from a 73-year-old former public school teacher who bikes more than 3000 miles a year and in his prime took part in dozens and dozens of long distance rides including one from California’s West Coast to Delaware’s East Coast.
The 14-year-old was hurt badly in the collision which now serves as a reminder of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to riding bicycles.
“If you get in a tangle with a car, you will lose,” warned Quiring to bike riders of all ages. “There is no protection on a bicycle.”
The Rider’s View
Rod Skoog retired in 1995 from the Mounds View School District after 35 years as a science and physical education teacher and coach. It was in 1993 when some friends encouraged him to come along on the TRAM (The Ride Across Minnesota) as a fund-raiser for the MS Society.
“I got really caught up in it,” Skoog said. “Boy did I catch the fever. I was riding in the winter to get in condition.”
When he retired from teaching two years later, Skoog had free time to devote to the new obsession. And devote he did with 85-mile rides seven days a week common. “I was in good shape,” he says with a smile.
After stopping for the stop sign on the Hardwood Creek Trail, Rodney Skoog checks both directions for traffic before crossing SW 2nd Avenue in Forest Lake. (Photo By Cliff Buchan)
In the course of nearly two decades of riding bicycle, Skoog says he has enjoyed the spectacular views of mountain passes and the beauty of desert flowers. He has also witnessed the reverse when a rider makes a mistake on the trail or road or a motorist who won’t share the road.
The accidents, broken bones and blood are sorry reminders of when things go bad.
Perhaps it is the teacher in him, but the recent accident in Forest Lake motivated him to speak up, Skoog says. Even as fall draws closer to winter, Skoog knows many enjoy this time of year on their bikes.
Skoog says he has three key tips for riders that start with wearing a helmet. It is mandatory, he says, as the pavement and concrete can be unforgiving to the head.
He also advocates wearing bright colored clothing to help bike riders be seen. And for motorists and bicycles, there is a need to learn and understand that both have “rules and responsibilities.”
The clothing issue is a big one in Skoog’s mind and he has seen photographs that prove the point. A bicyclist in plain drab clothing can hardly be seen in a photo in sharp contrast to a rider dressed in brightly colored clothing that stands out, making the rider highly visible.
While some bicycle attire may seem flashy, it’s more a matter of safety, he says. “That’s not what it is about,” he says. “You want to be seen.”
As a veteran rider, he also urges riders to be aware of the course they are riding and if part of a group, communicate with those near you. Enjoy the surroundings, but don’t become preoccupied, he adds.
Riders should not draft, he says. While drafting may allow you to catch a slight breath, the risk of getting tangled with the bike in front of you is too great, Skoog adds.
Chief’s Comments
Quiring says the need for bicycle safety, both on the part of motorists and bicycle riders, can’t be emphasized enough.
Providing youth with bicycle riding safety tips was a key motivator 15 years ago in the conception of the Forest Lake Safety Camp, a two-day event in June of each year that serves youth of the area, Quiring said.
Quiring said stunt riding should never be practiced on streets and riders in general should avoid being lax in their bicycle riding habits. Wearing a helmet is one of the musts, Quiring said.
For both motorists and bicyclists, Quiring has this piece of advice: “There are rules and the rules have to be followed.”
Skoog agrees and says he has noticed pronounced improvements in motorists being aware of the “rights and responsibilities” over the past decade. He strongly encourages the same frame of mind for those on bikes.
“Everyone needs to understand that bikes have rights and responsibilities,” he adds. “More and more motorists are becoming aware of that.”
Skoog says anyone riding a bicycle must understand that discretion is the best choice as opposed to a physical conflict with a vehicle. “We are much slower and get in the way sometimes,” he adds.
Skoog said the lessons can never go far enough and that the danger has to be recognized. “If you don’t bike you don’t recognized the vulnerability of the biker,” he said.
Safety Tips
In general terms, both Quiring and Skoog have agreed on a number of general safety tips that should be observed.
•Always wear a helmet and never wear a headphone when riding a bike.
•Never ride against traffic as motorists are not looking for bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the road. Many state laws and common sense require that bicyclists drive like other vehicles.
•Obey traffic signs and signals. Bicycles must drive like other vehicles if they are to be taken seriously by motorists.
•Use hand signals on a bike to indicate your turn.
•Ride in the middle of the lane in slow traffic and get in the middle of the lane at busy intersections.
•Make eye contact with vehicle drivers and don’t assume that other drivers see you until you are sure that they do.
•Don’t pass on the right as motorists may not look for or see a bicycle passing on the right.
•Follow lane markings.
•Don’t weave between parked cars and don't ride out to the curb between parked cars unless they are far apart.
•Use a rear-view mirror and learn to scan the road behind you by learning to look back over your shoulder without losing your balance or swerving.
•Keep both hands ready to brake and allow extra distance for stopping in the rain.
•Dress appropriately, including bright colored clothing, or in layers to help adjust to changing temperatures. Keep rain wear available.
•Keep your bike in good repair.
•Avoid road hazards.
•Use lights at night if you must ride.
•Yield to all pedestrians.
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