[CMI-CM] bikes

[Arun Bhalla]

Riding around town during the past week, I realize more than ever how
needed Critical Mass is in this town, especially in the winter.   Last
Wednesday I was biking from Urbana to downtown Champaign in the snow,
and I was cursing the cities the whole way for doing a poor job in plowing.
I've been lucky not to have fallen at all (yet!) this winter, and I'm
afraid I've cursed myself.  Maybe I have.  On my way back from WEFT tonight,
I was biking down Lincoln Ave. along the campus, and it didn't even look
to have any pretense of being plowed.  Even with my lights on, this car
plows into my right side.  Fortunately the driver had been stopped, and it
was snowy, so she wasn't driving as fast as she could have been had it been
better weather or not at a stop sign.  I don't really think I did anything
wrong (except for not getting her info), but it seems like perhaps another
case of drivers having to pay more attention to bicyclists, especially in
bad weather.  I'm okay, but the bike is mostly okay... Bruce will have to
replace a few gears and other parts to get it back in new condition.

Arun