We'd like to start this piece with a call for unity, but not the kind that you're probably thinking of. It's not about unity in the Democratic Party now that Barack Obama is its presumptive presidential nominee. It's not a call for the Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens and - the Unity Party - to unify and try to fix some of the major problems facing the nation.

No, this piece is really a plea for unity on the road, despite the differences between forms of transportation.

It's all too predictable. Every year, when temperatures start heating up a bit, locals start taking bicycles out on the roads and highways.

And every year at about the same time, conflicts start heating up between motorists and cyclists.

Sometimes, they're relatively minor, like the typical enlightened e-mail flame wars where one side calls cyclists "arrogant" and the other side calls drivers "lazy." But sometimes, it escalates into live confrontation, and once in a while, people get seriously hurt or even killed on our streets.

People. None of this really needs to happen, and we think letting the concept of "unity on the road" sink in might help in a number of ways.

Take the ever-increasing cost of gasoline. Please.

Americans have heard reports since Jimmy Carter was President that natural resources are finite; that the United States can't count on geopolitical stability or safety in the Middle East; and that the wannabe Westerners in the billion-plus-population nations of India and China want their cut of the crude.

And we still haven't fully accepted that limitless cheap gas isn't an eternal American entitlement. Instead, the backdrop on the evening news tells media consumers that they're feeling "PAIN AT THE PUMP," but guess what? The rest of the world doesn't feel sorry for us.

Now, we're not as a nation about to bicycle our way out of any energy crisis. But let's be real for a second.

Corn ethanol is only (debatably) marginally beneficial as a fuel, at best. Other sources of energy, such as cellulosic ethanol, hydrogen, oil shale or oil sand probably won't be viable soon. The United States isn't ready to fully replace its petro-powered fleet with hybrids or electric cars - which require resources for batteries and/or electricity - and mass transit can only go to certain locations.

The simple cycle, on the other hand, can go just about anywhere on dry land. It's a viable machine today, it's about as fuel-efficient as you can get, and any community full of able-bodied people such as, say, Boulder should be able to save untold thousands of gallons of gas every year via pedal power.

So, in the name of unity, we're asking drivers to really consider one concept.

You might need to hit the brakes or slow down once in a while to avoid a careless bike commuter, but that cyclist is saving petroleum that you might need in the future.

And if we're freaking out over expensive oil now, think about what it might be like if our next problem isn't price - but supply.

Still, we can't let a number of local cyclists off the hook when it comes to unity on the road.

The largest general complaint we all hear about cyclists is that they don't know or don't follow traffic laws, and it's a completely fair complaint even if drivers are also breaking the law in documentable numbers.

So, let's review a few basic reminders.

First, the same traffic signs or signals that apply to motorists apply to cyclists. Stop means stop, yield means yield, and the posted speed limit is not a random number.

Second, cyclists who don't want to be hit by a much larger vehicle must make themselves visible. The law says cyclists riding at night must have a front light, a rear light and reflectors, and we frankly see too many people around here riding in the dark with no lights at all.

Third, Colorado law says cyclists must ride single-file if riding two abreast will impede the flow of traffic. Blowing this law off can be incredibly dangerous, especially if it's on a road with only two lanes and a high speed limit, since it could force a driver to choose between swerving into the other lane or possibly hitting a cyclist.

Fourth, cyclists must respect pedestrians. This means managing speeds on multi-use trails or at crosswalks, and using a bell or voice signal to let pedestrians know when you're passing them.

And for both cyclists and motorists, keeping your focus while operating any vehicle can prevent the vast majority of close encounters or accidents.

Like it or not, motorists and cyclists will be on the road this summer in attempts to enjoy our beautiful city and state to the fullest. There's no reason for mode warfare here, and we're convinced that unity will be a much better choice.