SAN DIEGO (BRAIN) — John Forester, considered the father of "vehicular cycling," died last week at age 90.
Forester promoted the idea that cyclists should be expected to take their place on public roads like any other vehicle. His book, Effective Cycling, is in its seventh edition and has educated millions of cyclists about riding in traffic. Forester also published an Effective Cycling Instructor's Manual; his methods were taught around the country in the 1970s and 1980s.
Forester was born in Dulwich, England in 1929. He moved to Berkeley, California, at age 10. He worked as an assistant professor at Cal State Long Beach in the 1960s and later worked as a consultant and expert witness, in addition to his cycling education activities. He was often at odds with major bike advocacy groups and the industry because he felt that "bikeways" were unsafe and turned cyclists into second-class citizens denied access to public roadways.
Last year cycling journalist Peter Flax sat down with Forester for a long Q&A that Flax published on Medium.
