The joys and sorrows of urban biking.

Gabe Lareau, 19, talks about the hazards cyclists face when they have to share the road with cars. This shrine, commemorating the life of 13-year-old bicyclist, Charles Hubbard who was hit and killed just off Twelfth Street in Moline is located near Gabe’s daily bike-to-work route and serves as a constant reminder.

by Gabe Lareau

Hello again, fellow bicyclists! Legs a little bit sore? If the answer is yes, then rejoice in the burn. If no, then congratulations for having the foresight to plan your route as flat as possible. As for me, just one day in and I’m already rediscovering what I love and despise about taking my bike to work.

Let’s ride through how it all went down, shall we?

Enjoy the ride!

After I’d written yesterday’s entry and partook in the mandatory photo op, I set off under a canopy of birdsong amidst the calm commotion of a light rainstorm. Within the first 30 seconds I was immediately transported to a long-held memory from about five years ago.

It was during the summer and I had gotten up early to see what was happening in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. That particular day, the road race was on, and I was HYPED! I quickly got my dad up so we could indulge our bicycling fantasies for a couple hours watching the world’s most premiere cyclists go for gold.

Gabe Lareau parks his bike at the Two Rivers’ YMCA bike rack where he is a summer counselor.

I’ll be the first to admit that, even with a helpful tail wind and in my hardest gear, my fastest sprint barely comes close to those athletes’ Sunday clothes cruising speed. But for that brief moment yesterday, I felt like one of those Olympians riding through the Brazilian rainforest of Moline’s treelined neighborhood streets… taking in the wetness of the rain, the cacophony of natural sounds, and the joy of bicycling.

Much akin to the hills of my work route, shortly after experiencing the highest of emotional highs, it was time to shift down and grit my teeth in an effort to not curse at one of the banes of any cyclist’s existence. But first, a little backstory.

To get to the Two Rivers YMCA from my house, I have to ride on a large section of Moline’s Twelfth Avenue. Twelfth Avenue extends from Seventh Street in Moline all the way until it becomes Crosstown Avenue in East Moline. This main artery just north of the Avenue of the Cities has been the epicenter for many a controversy concerning pedestrian and cycling rights in the Quad Cities, and has gone through various iterations of suck over the years.

Twelfth Avenue’s sidewalks are abysmal. A horrifying concoction of hasty urban planning and lackluster city management has left the sidewalks bumpy and filled with road debris—broken glass, random bits of car, and garbage in general—because there’s nothing separating them from the roadway. Between 19th and 34th streets, where there are sidewalks, there is no grassy space separating the sidewalks from the street whatsoever.

The “curbs” range from being at the same grade as the street to only a small bump—nowhere near enough to alert a distracted driver that the vehicle has moved off the street and into pedestrianland. Which has left bicyclists to become a goldfish in shark-infested waters, hoping not to get devoured.

Navigating the roadways can be dangerous

After a public outcry several years ago at how hard it was for bicyclists to ride on one of Moline’s most-used streets, the city leadership finally decided that it was high time to include…a parking lane. On a residential street. With driveways.

A car is parked in the bike lane on 12th Avenue in Moline.

Recently, the city bucked up enough to put “sharrows” on a select few of Moline’s streets, hinting to drivers that bicyclists can be here too, I guess, *sigh*. But, however much the city would like to believe, safe pedestrian infrastructure does not just manifest itself because a fun bicycle shape is now on the concrete.

That combined with cars parking in the few bike lanes that do exist (see the picture I took on my ride Tuesday), time has far past run out for safe, reliable, sustainable, and segregated bicycle infrastructure, not just in Moline, but in all of the Quad Cities.

All too often cyclists pay the price with their lives for sharing the road with cars and consequences arrive for the whole community, as just a couple weeks ago, when 13-year-old bicyclist, Charles Hubbard, was hit and killed just off Twelfth near my daily bike-to-work route.

Charles’ death painfully illustrates just how critical it is we have a community that supports safe cycling and is aware of sharing the road. Dedicated cycling lanes and knowledgeable riders and drivers who are aware of each other can go a long way to improve our shared existence.

In fact, this week, to honor all of those cyclists hurt or killed, the Quad City Bike Club is holding its annual Ride of Silence on Wednesday, May 19, down at Schweibert Park in Rock Island. The QCBC is a strong organization dedicated to safe cycling.

Sorry for depressing tones today. Overall, though, I really did have a good ride on the first day of Bike to Work Week, making me even more excited for today’s jaunt in a lovely downpour. It reminded me that bicycling is, unequivocally, the best way to get to work.

Stay safe and dry, power through those hills, and go for the gold everyone!

See you on the trails .

Enjoy the ride!

Gabe Lareau parks his bike at the Two Rivers’ YMCA bike rack where he is a summer counselor.

Navigating the roadways can be dangerous

A car is parked in the bike lane on 12th Avenue in Moline.

For more on this topic ...

You can read all of Gabe's articles in his exclusive series for Let's Move QC:

• A lifetime of riding can take you places - Gabe shares his love for cycling and perspective on the benefits of biking to work and the issues surrounding local cycling routes.
• The joys and sorrows of urban biking - Gabe talks about the hazards cyclists face when they have to share the road with cars.
• The secret to staying sane when biking in the rain - Gabe says you shouldn't let the rain get you down. Just keep peddling and channel your inner Pooh - you know, the silly old bear.
• Them's the breaks - Gabe shares his tips for keeping your bike-rides safe and trouble-free (even if you have to make an occassional repair on the road).