There are two types of people; Those who think transporting a bike on the front of a car is ok and those who do not. I was peripherally involved in a conversation between two people who had differing views on where to carry bikes when driving. The conversation started because local busses will take bike riders, with their bikes mounted on the front of the bus. Busses are too tall to put bicycles on the roof so the choice is front or back. The woman who argued against mounting them in front thought that they were likely to get damaged if the bus was in an accident. Her male friend thought that was a silly argument because the bus makes frequent stops and is more likely to be hit in the rear thus damaging bikes on the back. He was adamant that the bikes on the front of the bus were better for that reason as well as the security of the driver watching the bikes in front of him/her to prevent theft.

The female emphasized that it just “felt” wrong to have the bus carry the bikes on the front of the bus.

His response was sarcasm regarding her “feelings” for her position but providing no evidence.

I chose to not participate in the conversation but concluded two things: first, while both of these people worked in health care, they had never seen a pedestrian hit by a car carrying bicycles on the front of the car. Second the world is divided into people who have seen flesh and muscle shredded by a bicycle mounted on the front of a car and those who have not.

My opinion on the bike transport issue is that if the choice is front or back, back is the superior choice. Bike spokes do terrible things to a person hit by a car. If you are worried about your bicycle being damaged the top or inside of the vehicle is fine, but not the front. EMS people do not want to have extricate a person from parts of a bike that has slammed into them. The poor pedestrian who is hit does not want that either. Bicycles do not make good front bumpers under any circumstances.