I see on the front page of your Oct. 1 Portland edition a photo with Portland City Councilor Kevin Donoghue bicycle-riding with a group along Baxter Boulevard on a ride organized by the Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. I might suggest that the committee offer some friendly advice to Donoghue that riding a bike without either hand on the handle bars is dangerous and irresponsible behavior, as is riding without a helmet, which another member of the group, the woman immediately behind Donoghue, is doing. As a long-time bicyclist in Portland and elsewhere, I am enthusiastic about the addition of bike routes in the city, but with this benefit comes the responsibility of adhering to safe practices, just as we expect from motorists who share the same routes.

Michael Beaudoin
Cape Elizabeth