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Commuting 101: Essential Tips For New Riders
June 29th, 2007 by Warren T…or, Father Knows Best.
So, I got the call a couple nights ago: “Dad, my car died.” Yep, looks like my eldest son is about to join our ranks. He actually came up with the idea of commuting by bike before I did. As a parent, I immediately launched into a lengthy, one-sided conversation regarding my experiences. I hope he absorbed some of it.
Anyway, as long as I was on a roll, I thought I’d share my list with you. As always, please feel free to comment. Bear in mind, the following is a list of suggestions for someone I care about. You may not agree with some items on the list, and that is fine, but I don’t want to see you hurt either… Now, where did I put my cardigan?
The List:
A bicycle is a vehicle. Follow the rules of the road.
Be visible. Wear bright colors in daylight hours. At night, wear something reflective - or - at least wear something white. Use front and rear lights and reflectors.
Be predictable. Make eye contact. Ride on the correct side of the road, not against traffic. Look behind you before you make a turn or lane change, that lets drivers know you’re up to something. Use hand signals (not THAT one) and don’t wobble around. Don’t weave in and out of the lane when parked cars are spread out.
Plan your route. Your drive to work went straight down the busiest street in town. You’ll add about a mile and a half to your bike commute by heading down to the next street down that crosses the highway with a nice over-pass. Believe me, it is more than worth the extra 5 minutes. (You’ll then be able to pick up part of the bike path and get out of traffic completely. Girls in Spandex use this path for jogging. I’m just sayin’.)
Bike/hike paths are great - but remember - Don’t ride on sidewalks!
Ditch the headphones. I like the fact that you enjoy the iPod we got you for Christmas. Don’t use it while you’re cycling in traffic.
Take the lane: Don’t be afraid to get out in the middle of the lane in stop-and-go traffic, when changing lanes to make a left turn and to avoid being “doored.” You WILL be tempted to blow past a line of cars queued up at a stop light; don’t, just take your place in the middle of the lane and take your turn.
On the other hand, when the going gets really tough, there is no shame in moving off the road for a minute to let a long line of drivers go past you.
Speaking of “winning the door prize,” make sure you look through the windows of parked cars. You’re looking for people in the car that might be trying to exit and also for people who are stepping out into the road in between parked cars.
Glare can blind motorists. If the sun is in your eyes, the people driving up behind you DON’T SEE YOU.
Bells and horns are a great way to get the attention of people on the bike path; in traffic you’re better off yelling at the top of your lungs. This is not to say you need to be rude to drivers. You only yell to catch people’s attention, not to express your displeasure.
And, finally, the three most common causes of drivers hitting cyclists:
July 26th, 2007 at 10:01 am
These tips were helpful to me — thanks very much. I’m an overweight, middle-aged woman who’s been commuting for only about a month, and once a week or so I have to work til closing, which means riding home in the dark. I’m in Tucson where all the astronomers live so light pollution is a big no-no around here, which is fine until I’m riding in a bike lane and can barely see the pavement in front of me. I have a light but it’s mostly shining up so I can see vehicles and vehicles can see me. If there’s ever bad debris in the lane, I’m afraid I’ll crash hard.
Any tips on how to stay in one piece riding at night when there’s no moon and no street lights?
Mindy
July 26th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Mindy, I’m glad you’re giving it a go. In the Fall and Winter my route takes me through some dense woods and through traffic. The cheap Bell light set I bought at first worked well — as long as I dropped my pace a little. Err on the safe side.
There is no rule against having one light pointed down at your path and another pointed up at traffic… In that case I’d point the brightest at the street and have the other (flashing if possible) pointed at traffic.
Headlights mounted on your helmet have the advantage of easily being pointed wherever you need the light most at any particular moment.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Well gee, I wish I could say I had already thought of a second light. Duh! I will get another one, that’s a great idea.
Thanks,
Mindy
October 24th, 2007 at 9:11 am
[...] read more | digg story [...]
March 31st, 2008 at 6:50 pm
More lights don’t hurt in the rear.
A BRIGHT red blinkie on the helmet, facing rearwards, and a SECOND blinkie facing backwards on the seat post or rear rack.
Ditto on the front:
White on the helment mounted headlight, that any driver will see when you LOOK HIM IN THE EYE before passing in front.
Then there’s the SECOND headlight facing forward to see the street.
Maybe even another one or two pointing sidewards?
(If they see if from the side, you’re already in front of them — TOO LATE!)
May 25th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I hope everyone whoo even rides at dusk will get a good light.. It makes the rest of us look good. People who are leaving work are tiered and are ready to get home and may not be looking for a biker.. be seen! enjoy the ride.
Darrin
May 29th, 2008 at 2:16 am
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July 13th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Any tips for a complete newby that doesn’t even know how to inflate using a bike pump
? My goal is to bike 15 miles to work and then return. I have about a month to work up to the 15 miles…how much should I try each day to work up to it? (I’m a fat middle aged gal, who needs to lose weight)..Just did 12 miles and thought I was going to die on the way back..
thoughts?
July 20th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
First, congratulations for even making the attempt.
I am an occasional bike commuter, but my trip
is 22 miles each way. This poses its own problems.
A number of suggestions in no particular order
Start by reading …
http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/skills/mistakes.htm
Give yourself plenty of time. Learn how to change a
tire and fix a flat yourself. Always carry a spare
inner tube and pump, or at least a cell-phone and
an alternate way to get where you are going.
While you do not want to ever push yourself
to your ultimate limit, at least on the way home,
it is good to push yourself a little. If you never
pushed yourself a little, you would possibly not
ever improve at all. Don’t expect too much
of yourself too soon. Give your body time to
adapt and gain strength and endurance.
When starting out, you might want to alternate
days cycling with other forms of transportation.
I would use the days when I would drive to
work, to take changes of clothes and lunches
for the days when I would cycle in. In this
way I did not have to carry everything with
me on the days I cycled.
Search out various routes to work and home.
In some cases, by going a little out of your
way, you can find a much more pleasant
route for cycling.
July 22nd, 2008 at 3:23 am
Kia Ora from Aotearoa / New Zealand !
Yeah, I definitely agree with claiming the lane and good lights and mirrors. I have two ‘Cateye’ 5 LED lamps side by side under my saddle and one also facing back from my right hand handlebar ( we ride/drive on the left here ) - that one made a big diffrence to how close car drivers pass. On the front I have two homemade lamps with a 12v 3w Luxeon LED in each powered from a ‘big’ 12v battery hung the bottom bracket where the weight’s not noticed. With that setup I can have lights on all the time in dull weather without worrying about running out of power. Oh, and one LED lamp on top of my helmet so that I can “look-and-point” at drivers. I also wear a high visibility vest and have high visibility covers on my panniers. I ride 1 - 1.5metres from the kerb and then out to the middle of the lane as I aproach red traffic lights. So that I can keep an eye on whats going on behind me I have a wide angle view mirror and a ‘normal’ one. I always hand signal and I ride in a deliberate and predictable manner. It is not enough to just be ‘optically’ visible but you need to make yourself leap into the sleepy conciousness of the Dum Average Motorist - “what the hell’s that…!” Since taking these approaches I’ve found a big reduction in near misses and mostly have to deal with discourtiousness rather than real danger. Ride On !
March 3rd, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I carry a coaching whistle around the neck (loud!) that I use when:
1) Approaching cars with drivers who might “door” me
2) Approach intersections where cars might turn in front of me
3) Approaching cars who are entering the roadway by crossing the bike lane - they are looking for cars, not me
It works very well, gets a friendlier reaction than the AirZound horn I was using and seems to be just as effective at getting their attention. Be sure to use a breakaway lanyard so that in the unfortunate event that you should go down, you don’t get a neck injury.
April 25th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
I am considering to buy a bike and commute to work but to be honest I never have ride a bike elsewhere than a park or sidewalk and I a feel a bit terrified of it. Any suggestions or tip in how to approach the road without being so afraid of cars? Thanks
April 26th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Eliza,
Get a copy of “Effective Cycling” by John Forester, or look up the concept of vehicular cycling on the web. John Forester’s website is here: http://www.johnforester.com/. Lots of people follow this advice, some more than others. IMHO, it’s a very good thing to understand in a situation like yours.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:09 am
Helmets are great places to mount cameras as well.
May 29th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
keep your eyes open for dogs… not just your ears, your eyes too… some of the really bad ones won’t make a sound till you hear them snarling and see their slavering jaws just inches from your bare leg… even an agressive dog will generally think twice if you catch it early in the chase with your most growly, loud, assertive he-man voice… learn where the troublesome dogs are on your route, because they won’t take long to learn when to expect you
June 10th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
I agree with just about everything except the ipod. It’s no worse than a car radio; just don’t turn it up too loud. I’ve certainly never had a problem hearing a siren before the drivers in their glass cages. Listening to NPR and This American Life podcasts etc. is one of the great joys of commuting this way.