Rain ninja

It's raining in Denver. Has been for over 24 hours now.

Point being, it's gray and cloudy and wet outside, and visibility is low.

On the way home from driving my partner to work just now, I stopped at an intersection near my house. I had a stop sign and cross traffic did not. I looked each way twice before proceeding, and one more each way as I entered the intersection.

And as I started to clear the intersection, I saw a cyclist pass close by, right behind me, looking at me disapprovingly. I apparently had come close to cutting her off.

I am hyper-aware of cyclists, so I was surprised that I had carefully surveyed the area and had flat out, straight up not seen this one.

She was on an upright bike, probably a cruiser, wrapped up in a large black wool coat, covering herself with a gray umbrella. (If you imagine riding a bike in the rain, you'll realize that you need to hold the umbrella more or less in front of you—blocking your face and covering your head—in order to utilize it.)

No lights. Perfect ninja.

Even with her dark attire, and even hiding behind an umbrella, I might have seen her had she had lights on her bike.

Which is why my bike lights and my automobile lights are on, day and night. There's no reason to ever not have your lights on. All they do is make you more well seen. All they do is increase your chances of not getting hit.

ninjas on unicycles

I've got to commend David Malki from Wondermark for publicizing the dangers of ninjas on wheels through the distribution of comfy apparel.

Mr. Malki, I dub thee Honorary Bike Pirate!

First snow of the season.

First snow commute! It was like riding in a snow globe.

I gunned for ever puddle, because that's exactly why I put those fenders on.

I was impressed by how not-cold I was. I'm encouraged by this, and think that I might survive the winter commutes. The temperature was in the high 20s, and I was fairly warm in two long sleeve t-shirts, a windbreaker, and a balaclava.

It also makes me marvel at this machine, how perfect a means of transportation it is. The engine, me, has a pretty efficient cooling system. If I get cold, I pedal harder. If I get hot, I ease up.

And so I stay pretty comfortable, even in the wind and snow.

On the way home though, I passed a ninja in City Park. No lights, no helmet, no hands. Sitting straight up and wishing for disaster.

Folks, it's winter now. It's going to be dark pretty much all the time. I feel like my commute rides now only take place in Nearly Dark, Mostly Dark, and All Dark. If you're going to be a ninja (and you shouldn't, because it's dumb), then for crissake wear an ever-lovin' helmet.

Enter the Ninja

Summary: Carry lots of cheapo little lights to give away to people who don't have them. In doing so you will be making the streets safer, one bike at a time.

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As defined in the Velosopedia

bike ninja: noun. A scofflaw cyclist that wears dark clothing at night with no reflectors or lights. They tend to ride erratically and in a way that they suppose avoids getting in the way of automobiles. By being unable or unwilling to put lights on their bicycle, they enshroud themselves in a ninja-like shroud of invisibility, endangering themselves and everybody around them.

Bike Ninjas are the natural enemy of the Bike Pirates.

Bike ninjas are obviously awful and dangerous. I saw at least two this evening, and it was way dark, and it aggravates the ble-blu-bah-jesus out of me. You can get your basic blinking safety light for less than five dollars. My new non-profit is going to be called Bike Pirates. (Pirates because of their natural aversion to ninjas.) The aim of this project/group will be to obtain cheap lights and distribute them freely to cyclists who obviously need them.

Kind of like that student organization that handed out free condoms at the senior prom, except it will be easier to tell which bikers are not lit up than it is to tell which teenagers are probably going to be giving it up.

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Park Hill's own bicycle collective, the Bike Depot, purportedly keeps boxes of red blinky lights to give away for cheap or for free.

Truly, they are kindred spirits, and honorary Pirates.

Winter time perma-dusk

The days are getting shorter.

I think every commute I've made recently has been either in Near Dark, Mostly Dark, or All Dark.

The abundance of this inky black cover, of course, means plenty more ninjas. I saw one tonight cruising through City Park: no lights, no helmet, no hands. Sitting straight up, looking the world straight in the eye, and just begging to be mowed down.

What a maroon.

On a different note, but related to lighting, when I see another well-lit cyclist (read: fellow pirate) coming at me down the path, I usually slip a few fingers over my lamp so I don't blind the poor guy. Not enough to douse the thing, rendering me invisible (read: dirty ninja), but enough so that he isn't shocked and awed by my passing.

I have yet to have this courtesy extended to me in return.

It's like driving down the road with your high-beams on, folks. Dim your lights for oncoming cyclists on those narrow bike paths. It's just the nice thing to do.