Friday Funny: Only the Onion Would Offer These 'Tips for Urban Biking'

The satirical site The Onion produces a set of totally invented, not-to-be-rusted safety tips for riding a bike in cities. We're not sure whether to laugh or cry.

1 minute read

March 24, 2017, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Millennial Bike

Tom Woodward / Flickr

One of the Onion's latest "info clips" satirizes the world of biking by playing on the dread and fear many people have for the idea of biking in the city. It's one of those satirical posts that Onion does so well that provokes the kind of uncomfortable laugh that people make to cope with the terror in the world.

So the tips include things like:

  • Wear bright colors to make it harder for cars to hit you on accident and easier to hit you deliberately.
  • Select a bike that's safe enough for the urban environment by choosing one with four wheels, an enclosed cabin, and airbags.

We're not sure if people who bike will think this is funny or not, but it does properly reflect the urban environment as it currently exists.

Friday, March 17, 2017 in The Onion

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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