As a climber who loves cold, remote places and also a cyclist who seeks out remote country lanes, I often question which of my favourite pastimes is more dangerous. It would be wrong to draw a direct comparison because ultimately the risks involved with these two activities are quite different.
The risk of climbing is undoubtedly one of its’ draws and has long been documented and explored, particularly in recent years (Andy Kirkpatricks’ Cold Wars is a definite on my Christmas list this year!). I don’t profess to be on the cutting edge of climbing, far from it, I do know however, that the main risks of climbing are (but not limited to) falling (Rocket Scientists need not applaud), the elements (hot/cold/avalanche/lightning to name a few) and rock fall. The one thing that perhaps links these is that they occur naturally and are rarely influenced by humans, unless a rock has been dislodged by a climber above or someone has ‘tinkled’ with your anchors. I go climbing to enjoy myself away from roads, people and their associated hazards.
The main risks involved with road cycling are rather different. They can be (but are certainly not limited to) potholes, vehicles (and their drivers), animals and other collisions. These are, for the most part, human-influences, with the potential consequences firmly in the severe category. We have all been in at least one life-threatening situation on the road which arguably could have been prevented had the driver/sheep/lorry-flotsam had more awareness of cyclists. In her article about rural riding, Nicola Brady explains her ‘assume everyone is stupid’ approach to other road users. This is a superb preventative measure but, as we all know, stupid people make lots of mistakes.
When I did my driving test there was little, if any, teaching about how to ‘handle’ cyclists on the roads – how much space to give them, how and when not to overtake them and when not to use the horn in-the-presence-of-someone-who-doesn’t-have-the-sound-insulating-qualities-of-a-car-to-protect-their-ears. Every so often I’ll be passed by a driver who waits until after the sharp bend to overtake…another who gives me (and occasionally my panniers) plenty of space as they pass…or considers my lungs and their enhanced requirement for oxygen, not exhaust fumes, on a particularly steep climb.
I make a point of thanking these wonderful people with a wave in their rearview mirror. I’m telling them that they have made my day, they’ve put back my faith in humankind and, occasionally, potentially saved my life. To those people I salute, and if I did have their addresses, they would all (probably) get a bicycle-themed Christmas card.
This is an article from More Adventure.
