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More tips for safe cycling in traffic

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on Aug. 11, 2011

cycling

Responding to this post on safe cycling, a reader wrote and reminded me that its best to wear reflective clothing to make yourself more visible to motorists.

That definitely should have made the list.

I often ride with a backpack when commuting to work and had reflective material sewn onto it to increase the chances that a motorist will see me. It's particularly useful in winter, when I often head home after dark.

Alex Steida, the Canadien who rode the Tour de France for team 7-Eleven, offers a few more tips to add to the list. A sampling from his suggestions that appear in Bicycling Magazine:

Look and listen

First of all, pay 100 percent attention, just as you would while driving. Use your senses--often you can hear an engine in advance of the car, and see or hear a dog before it chases. Problem sounds include tires squealing, hard engine acceleration and loud music from an open window. If I hear these I pull over to let the vehicle pass.

Stay steady

Looking behind you without swerving is an essential skill. For new riders, simply glancing back with your hands on the brake hoods may work, but this method often causes the bar to turn in the direction you're looking. This way is better:

To look left, move your right hand toward the center of the handlebar near the stem, then drop your left hand off the bar as you turn your head to look back. Track racers use this technique when doing a Madison relay change. Watch the Madison at the Olympics this year--magic bike handling. Keep your upper body relaxed the entire time and practice, ideally in an empty parking lot with lines you can follow.

7 Comments for "More tips for safe cycling in traffic"

  1. Wear a rear view mirror or put one on your bike. I've worn a rear view mirror in all my training rides and tours or races I've been in. I always watch traffic as it approaches me from the rear. If the vehicle does not start moving over as it approaches I am always prepared to take evasive action. Always ride defensively!!!

    dpatric2 Aug 11, 2011 3:26 PM

  2. Deal with turn lanes just like you would if you were a car. For example, if you come on a right turn lane, don't ride it on the far right edge until it runs out, and then cut over. Merge over onto the dividing line between the straight-ahead lane and right turn lane if you're going straight. It can seem a little counterintuitive to put yourself in-between two lines of cars, but flowing with traffic like you were another car is almost always safer than doing strange, unanticipated moves.

    Also, practice riding on lane stripes -- this will teach you to keep the bike in a very tight line. When you demonstrate to drivers coming behind you that you're sure and steady, that helps drivers not freak out about you potentially swerving. A lot of bikers look unsteady, drivers slow down behind them, then people get ticked at you instead of Mr Tentative behind the wheel, and you pay the price.

    Leptodea Aug 11, 2011 8:22 PM

  3. Good tips JS! And remember, while it is very important to listen for approaching traffic, an absence of approaching vehicle noise does not mean absence of approaching vehicles. A Prius or a faster cyclist approaching you will not make much, if any noise. Look behind frequently or use a rear-view mirror.

    UnfrozenCaveman Aug 12, 2011 7:45 AM

  4. When approaching a car at an intersection or one that is pulling out of a driveway, try to make eye contact with the driver. If you can't, don't assume the driver sees you. I've found that drivers have a tendency to only see big, heavy, fast moving objects that threaten their own safety and somehow don't see walkers, bikers, etc. I was hit by a car at an intersection because the driver said he just didn't see me even though there were no other cars or other distractions.

    Assume that a driver will do the opposite of what you think he will do. For example, just because a driver has his turn signal on doesn't mean he is going to turn! I experienced this on my ride last night... I was waiting to cross an intersection and there was a car coming with his turn signal on. Guess what... he didn't turn. (Lucky for me, I was already across the road by the time the car approached.)

    PoorInRichfield Aug 12, 2011 12:32 PM

  5. Stay out of Racine

    frumpy2164 Aug 12, 2011 2:59 PM

  6. Sorry, motorists, but bicyclers sometimes MUST take the lane for their own safety. It's the law to give bicyclists three feet of clearance when passing. Riding the white line invites unsafe passes from motorists, so, unsafe to ride on the white stripe. You get motorists' mirrors whizzing by an inch or so on your left, and gravel that will dump you a few inches on the other side. Hit a rock or something else you didn't see or anticipate, or if the motorist misjudges the width of his vehicle, you're done for. Cyclists, TAKE THE LANE! Motorists: SLOW DOWN when approaching bicyclists on narrow roads!

    sewisn Aug 13, 2011 8:26 AM

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