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How I Survived 30 Days of Biking in Houston

Arm stretch a tee like I nailed it

Raf movin’ slow like a creep

Shirt in the breeze like I’m sailin’…

– Frank Ocean, Biking

There are bike-friendly cities and then there’s… Houston. When I tell people that I participated in #30DaysofBiking, I’m met with blank stares and more than a few questions. But it was a cool experience that gave me a lot of food for thought.

Houston bike riders deserve a safe and smooth ride

Let’s be real – this is a city built for cars and Houston biker safety can be a real concern.  

We are currently mourning some recent losses of life after bikers have been hit by cars (23 deaths in the last 5 years, in fact) – a heartbreak in our community.  

30 days of biking in Houston, Texas

In honor of 30 Days of Biking, I pledged to ride my bike to work everyday in April – along with a handful of other registered riders (Madeleine, Lisa, Emily, Kim – I’m here for you!).  

I love biking. It combines exercise with speedy sightseeing.   And is also a throwback to my old hometown, Minneapolis – a city that is consistently voted one of the most bike-friendly in country (impressive). 

When I first moved to Houston I lived in the Montrose neighborhood, notorious for speedy cars, small streets and horrible (horrible!!) concrete conditions. I locked my bike outside and, sadly, watched it rust. Summer came and went, Harvey threw our lives into chaos, and after an unseasonably cold winter my bike became very low on my list of priorities. 

So, I got by bike fixed up and I signed up for #30DaysofBiking. Mainly for health reasons, but after getting annoyed (i.e. impatient) with being stuck in unnecessarily long lines of stoplight traffic – I was also ready to be one less car on the road. 

Here are 5 tips for bicyclists in Houston

  1. Slow the hell down – I slow down before entering any intersection, regardless if I have a stop sign or not. I type this after returning from a quick lunchtime ride during which I was nearly hit by a person (in a car, obv) rolling through a stop sign. There are lots of distracted drivers, so beware, be courteous and stay visible.
  2. Fall in love with a local bike shop – Some are intimidating and give you the “oh, you don’t know anything” look. Skip those and find one that “gets” you.  I live near Blue Line Bike Lab, and they are great and very helpful, with the appropriate amount of attitude. Plus they sell cool gear (Twin Six, represent!).
  3. Bike communication is a thing – Be helpful and let people know where and in which direction you’re turning.  Pointing is rude most of the time, but fun on a bike.
  4. Bike gear 101 – your local bike shop will help you out with this, but here are my must-haves:
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  5. Search for maps and apps to help you map out your next bike ride across town – in Houston I love the Houston Bikeways Maps to get me from Point Awesome to Point Bad A**.

While Houston has a long way to go to make our city safe for bicyclists, there is a lot to enjoy and some bike improvements just around the Bayou Bend with the Houston Bike Plan: more dedicated bike lanes, more access to trails and a growing bike-friendly culture. 

Bill Ferenc

@billferenc
@ShearCreativity: