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One of the big reasons that mountain biking has taken off is because it’s a way to escape
traffic-riddled roads. But, if you only ride off road, you’ll miss some of cycling’s
greatest thrills: Screaming down hills and banking through corners at car-like speeds; effortlessly
sailing down a smooth stretch of pavement riding the crest of a monster tailwind; and spinning
over epic paved passes in the mountains—to name a few.
In most areas, it’s tough to find dirt trails on which to commute. You’re much more likely to
ride the road to work. Maybe it’s not thrilling, but commuting can be very worthwhile. You get
to work less stressed and invigorated from the exercise while saving big bucks on gas.
You can easily reduce your fear of traffic. But plenty of people ride the road without problems.
Mainly, it’s a matter of practicing and learning how to exist alongside those noisy and sometimes
nasty four wheelers. Follow our advice and you should get the hang of it quickly.
When in Rome, Do Like the Motorists Do
Legally, cyclists are supposed to abide by the same laws that govern other road users. So the
first rule of safety is to bike like you drive. Ride with traffic. Obey road signs. Use hand
signals when turning or stopping. And ride predictably.
On roads where you can keep up with the flow of traffic, take as much of the lane as you need
for safety. But move over to allow people to pass when you have to slow such as for hills. And
don’t ride in the lane if there’s a nice shoulder to the right where it’s safe to ride.
When following cars, leave some room, so you can stop in time if the car stops and so you can
preview the road surface. City streets and roads are loaded with surprises such as steel bridges,
grates, railroad tracks, ruts, rocks, potholes, sand and oil spots. Cars ride right over these
things. But cyclists must use extreme caution. Sometimes, it’s best to get off the bike and walk
if the obstacle is especially threatening such as a steel-grate bridge or railroad tracks that
run parallel to the road.
Protect Yourself
Bikes differ from cars in other ways, too. Cyclists must swerve slightly to balance. And a bike
is much more susceptible to tire punctures, wheel damage and falling over than a car. These are
excellent reasons to get a helmet and always use it.
Another accessory that can enhance safety is a mirror. Some debate whether it’s better to look
behind than to rely on a mirror, which reduces how much you can see. There are handlebar-mounted
models and those that attach to eyeglasses or helmets. Experiment to see if these make rides safer
for you.
I attached a mirror to my glasses after tiring of close encounters on the narrow roads I regularly
ride. Having rear vision means I can shoot up a driveway to let a giant truck pass or ride right
down the middle of the road when no one is out (more often than you’d think). Before I had the
mirror, I remained glued to the shoulder unsure whether anyone was behind or not.
All this safety advice is wasted if your bike is a rolling wreck. At least yearly, get it tuned by
a competent mechanic to ensure that the brakes and derailleurs will work properly. You
wouldn’t want a brake cable to snap during a panic stop or something.
Be Visible
Two of the keys of riding in traffic are seeing and being seen. Wear that helmet I mentioned
because it will make you stand out more than a bareheaded rider does. And wear a bright jersey
or jacket too.
Try to always ride where you’ll be most visible to the approaching cars. For example,
don’t weave toward and away from the road’s shoulder as you pass parked cars. If you do
this, each time you’re between two cars, you almost disappear to the motorists behind you.
It’s much safer just to ride straight.
If you ride at night, attach a good front and rear light to your rig. Consider adding reflective
tape (available at hardware stores) to the pedals, crank arms and rims as revolving parts when
reflectorized attract the most attention.
Protect your eyes with good glasses. But consider changing lens colors if yours hide obstacles
such as divots in the road surface.
Leave Yourself an Out
You’re supposed to drive defensively. Bike that way, too. Use all your senses. You can hear
cars long before they reach you. With practice you might feel them sooner from road vibrations
or changes in the air.
As you come into intersections or anytime a car is passing, expect something crazy to happen.
Motorists may not even recognize that you’re there. But if you’re ready for someone
to turn right immediately in front of you—if you expect it to happen—you’ll have
a much better chance of veering to safety.
Remember that drivers rarely realize how fast bikes travel, so they’re apt to make
dangerous moves. Be ready for this by keeping your speed under control, and be ready to brake
or swerve.
Many motorists seem to not know how wide their car is either. So, leave yourself a little extra
room by riding to the right of the white line when possible (not if it’s not safe).
Watch parked cars too. Look to see if a person is still in the seat preparing to get out and get
ready to swing wide or brake to avoid the door if they open it. It’s called getting doored
when someone hits you with their door—and it isn’t pretty. You and your bike can get
badly hurt so watch for warning signs.
If you expect and prepare for the worst, you’ll usually be able to avoid problems. Constantly
scan for signs that something is about to happen. Make a practice of watching reflections in car
mirrors to read drivers’ faces and you’ll get clues, which will help you maneuver safely
through traffic.
Communicate with Other Road Users
This doesn’t mean shouting at or harassing other road users that you feel abused you. It means
steering clear of problems by letting drivers know what you intend to do. Sometimes this might mean
shouting to let someone know you’re occupying a space—but try to use an informative tone
rather than a threatening one.
Gestures can work wonders. In a tight situation for example, you can often create some room for
yourself by looking back toward traffic, establishing eye contact with the driver, and pointing
out where you want to move. Most times, they’ll move over and let you go.
Motorists appreciate turn signals and even a signal that lets them know it’s not safe to pass.
They especially appreciate it when you let them know ASAP when it is safe for them to pass
you.
Dealing with Bullies
If after all these efforts at civility, you still run into some nasty driver intent on terrorizing
you with his vehicle, try to get off the road and ignore him or her. Just let them pass down the
road and then start cycling again when they’re well gone. Usually, it’s just not worth
the effort to get in an argument with one of these cowards.
The exception is if the driver intentionally does something dangerous, say throws an object at you
or barely misses you. If this happens, focus on the driver’s appearance because the key to
conviction should the person be tried in court is being able to recognize the person. You should
also try to get the license number and round up witnesses who will verify what happened.
The next step is filing a written report with authorities. You can try a phone call but it probably
won’t lead to action the way a written report should because sadly, many police prefer to
sweep these things under the rug unless someone is injured.
If the authorities you notify don’t take your report seriously, try another branch. For
example, if the local police won’t do anything, contact the highway patrol or sheriff’s
office. It may take a few calls or visits, but with luck you’ll find someone who wants to help.
And when you do, the driver will get his or her comeuppance.
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Mythbusting
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There are exceptions but generally the laws for bicycling are the same as those ruling driving.
Pretty much, if you ride like you drive (assuming you’re a safe motorist), you’ll be okay. The
trouble is, people, even police sometimes, mistakenly believe that bikes are different and subject
to different rules and laws. To help end the confusion, here are six common myths. If some ride
partner or constable brings up one of these, question his authority.
- Don’t ride facing traffic.
The single most dangerous cycling myth of all time is that
you should ride facing traffic. In fact, riding facing traffic consistently ranks among the highest
killers of cyclists on America’s road. This myth comes from the admonition to always walk facing
traffic, which makes good sense. Over the years, people have gotten confused and began thinking it
was a rule for biking too. Wrong! Ride safe! Always ride with traffic.
- You do not have to put a foot on the ground at a controlled intersection.
Another dumb myth is that you must put one foot on the ground at a stop sign or red light. Did you
ever see someone in a car at a stop sign or red light open the door and put a foot down? I didn’t
think so. If you can stop on the bike without putting a foot down, it’s a perfectly legal way stop
at the intersection.
- It’s generally okay to ride side by side.
Another common misconception is that you can’t ride side by side. Although the rule varies by
location, in many places it’s perfectly okay to ride two or even three or four abreast so long
as you’re not impeding the flow of traffic (it’s your call—but be nice okay?).
- You are not confined to the shoulder on the right of the stripe.
Usually, the only time you must ride to the right of the line and stay there as much as possible is
when that section of the road is striped and labeled as a Bike Lane. When there are no bike lanes,
you can use as much of the road as you need to ride safely. Don’t risk injury riding dangerously
close to the dirt.
- Sometimes bikes are permitted on highways.
More often than not, bikes are not permitted on highways. But there are exceptions. If there’s
no other road besides the freeway to take you where you need to get, it’s okay to ride on the
highway. Better highways even have signs so indicating and tell you when you must exit. Speeds are
considerably quicker on highways, so be especially careful riding on them.
- Cyclists are sometimes allowed on sidewalks.
Look for signs that say bike riding is okay on sidewalks. Sometimes cities designate certain sidewalks
for cycling during peak commuting hours when the roads are too packed with autos. But whenever
you’re on the sidewalk take it easy, so you don’t terrify some poor unsuspecting pedestrian
who may not be expecting bikes.
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