And you’re absolutely right that if drivers don’t see cyclists, then they’ll never get used to sharing the road. It’s almost a case of the chicken and the egg scenario, do drivers need to be more aware of cyclists, so cyclists feel safer riding, or do more people need to ride to encourage drivers become more aware. Of course, the stakes are a little higher.
Thanks for your comment and links!

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Good post – I hate to hear stories like this but I imagine they must be common. Women can get spooked, I think, a bit more easily than men when it comes to biking in traffic – while we are good multi-taskers (better in general, than males) we are also slightly more risk averse.
I think one thing that is really needed is for people to realize that drivers need many years (decades even) to transition to looking out for bikes. I think we can hasten that transition by biking courteously. But biking! We won’t get the biking cities we want if we give up. In some ways, drivers need us MORE than we need them. The more bikers bike, the less drivers need to deal with other drivers!
I wish I could help your acquaintance keep cycling. In Portland, two groups help women cyclists – on is our meetup group Girly Bikes http://www.meetup.com/Girly-Bikes
and for a network of women who advocate cycling in some form in their professional lives http://www.portlandsociety.org
Maybe a Boulder chapter?

I hope that this woman reconsiders and will give it another go. It makes me sad to see people giving up on transportation cycling – or any cycling- that they once loved and enjoyed.

I think of my grandma, who’s been recycling forever and rinsing and reusing her baggies – she would never consider herself green. She’s SMART, thrifty, practical, and not wasteful.

I think of people I meet and how they react to a certification program that addresses how companies are taking care of the land and their people – folks like that.

In the end? It’s about story – and not gloomy scary stories – but hopeful stories about people and their families and shared values – because that’s how we connect.