This video is worth five minutes of your time. Put together by People for Bikes, it highlights professional cyclists who spend a great deal of their time out riding on the roads. Though I don’t talk about it here much, I raced my bike at the professional level for 6 years until a training accident (no car involved) last year. I started racing as a teenager, and I know that through bike racing, I was able to also become a confident utility cyclist, as I learned many valuable lessons about awareness, respect, and caution that are key to sharing the road. The beginning of this video highlights some professional cyclists who were in accidents with cars, but the second part of the video asks them all for advice about sharing the road. I know there is a stereotype out there that “sport cyclists” are always agressive, going too fast, etc. In my own personal experience, that can happen with any cyclist (or driver, for that matter), and it always depends on someone’s personality. Case in point, when asked how to better share the roads, these professionals recommend slowing down, being aware of your surroundings, being respectful, following the rules, and encouraging more people to ride. In my opinion, those are messages all cyclists can get behind. Enjoy.