New to commuting by bike. And biking.

Jen J

GregP told me to come over and say hello.

So, hello.

I'm very new at all this biking - got my road bike just a couple of weeks ago.

I live a pathetic mile away from the office, so although biking there is great as it stops me being lazy and jumping on a bus, it doesn't seem very worthwhile, yet at the end of the day I find it hard to do a longer route home as I just want to get home etc.

I'm doing longer rides at weekends and building my confidence, and have just read Richard Ballantine's City Cycling book, but has anyone got any invaluable tips for dealing with traffic jams at lights combined with nearby bus stops, other than get off and walk? Today I fell into the side of a bus...

downfader

I found that until my fitness improved I had to keep pulling over and walking to catch my breath. No shame in it, and its safer than falling over in the road

Welcome to the forums

simon_e

Hello Jen,

My suggestions: develop your ability to balance, brake, stop sharply, accelerate and swerve/change your line to avoid the inevitable (be it pedestrian, bus or other hard object) that jumps into your path). This comes with experience, though you can hone the skills in your own time to some extent.

Find someone to ride with who's more confident, they can describe the way they do it.

Don't ride in the gutter if you can help it. Bad things happen to people who do.

If you don't feel like extending your rides on the way home is there any chance of doing it in the morning? Get out earlier and find an enjoyable ride. When I first started commuting I used to go down the main road, the shortest way. After a colleague suggested to me repeatedly that the alternative, longer route would have less traffic, less pollution and more scenery I reluctantly tried it and was converted. I just had to leave home 5-10 minutes earlier, which was no big deal.

biondino

Assertive cycling is the way to deal with the problems of jams, lights and bus stops, but I must add it's not necessarily wise to try and be assertive when you're new to the road - it's too easy for it to translate into recklnessness. There is never any harm in stopping and waiting, and no shame in walking the bike around or through obstacles you're not happy with - I'll wager even the most experienced riders on here still do it from time to time.

But really, as has been said, it's all about experience and confidence. About learning how traffic behaves, learning how specific sets of traffic lights work, and identifying any dangers that come with them. It's about making traffic know you're there, and taking your rightful place as a road user. It's about not being bullied, but choosing your battles.

So don't ever feel you have to hurry, take risks, or do anything you're uncomfortable with. It's a bit like romance in this way

Jen J

Thanks all. I still feel a bit like I'm putting other traffic out by being in the way, so it's good to be reassured that I have as much right to be there, and to take my time (within reason...).

Mornings aren't great for me, as I swim before work, and always seem to be running late, but I guess anyone can find an extra 5 minutes to leave a little earlier, right?

marchant

Don't worry about the fitness; when I resumed my adult cycling career, I had to stop & catch my breath riding down hills

Kieran_Burns

biondino wrote:

So don't ever feel you have to hurry, take risks, or do anything you're uncomfortable with. It's a bit like romance in this way

except the last thing you want to do is kiss the tarmac.

ChrisLS

Jen, how about some training to boost your confidance and road skills?


http://www.cycletraining.co.uk/

il_principe

biondino wrote:

So don't ever feel you have to hurry, take risks, or do anything you're uncomfortable with. It's a bit like romance in this way

You know Paul, Cycle commuting is very much like making love to a beautiful woman...


Anyways congrats and stick with it, confidence will come with time and practice, remember you have as much right to be on the road as any motorist. Whatever you do please don't be tempted to jump redlights as so many moronic commuters seem to do!

GregP

I've posted variations of this all over the shop in the past, but here's another iteration of my commuting mantra.

Flat bars,
Mudguards,
Rack/Pannier.

That's the essence of my creed, which normally comes down to several pages rather than five words... :roll:

il_principe

GregP wrote:

I've posted variations of this all over the shop in the past, but here's another iteration of my commuting mantra.

Flat bars,
Mudguards,
Rack/Pannier.

That's the essence of my creed, which normally comes down to several pages rather than five words... :roll:

Basically that's the antithesis of mine!

Horses for courses and all that.

dafruk

I rode on flat bars for years, just recently switched to drops and I much prefer riding on hoods than a flat bar. I can still reach my brakes/gears unlike extensions on a flat bar and much prefer the hand position.

Other than that entirely agree with the mantra.

Jen, Have you got clipless pedals that you fell into a bus, or was it just losing balance and not getting a foot out?

After years (10+) of cycling I can pretty much sum up all my knowledge as always being aware of whats around you and not putting youself anywhere you don't feel comfortable.

Traffic lights I sit in the middle of a lane where all the cars go most of the time, even when there is a dedicated cycle lane. I slow traffic down at lights for the whole of 2-3 seconds till I'm clear and safe, then the cars can whizz by at their hearts content, not really a big stress. I seldom find I'm in such a rush I need to push up the inside, it's just not safe, unless there is clearly stationary traffic on the other side of the lights and I can filter without putting myself in danger.

Buses drive me mad, they put all the cycle lanes in the middle of Edinburgh right where all the buses stop, so cycle lanes are useless. I tend to just ignore them (the lanes not the buses, that would hurt).

I've now added a walking section to my cycle due to all the roadworks at one section, it's total chaos and there are generally rows of buses backed up at the lights around it, so quicker and easier just to walk by and jump on the bike once clear.

ps my comute is only 3 miles, so I probably spend more time getting ready before I go than I do commuting, but it's still totally worth it. Check out the poll on reasons for cycling if you need any more positive vibes! Oh and most important rule, enjoy your cycling.

Littigator

GregP wrote:

I've posted variations of this all over the shop in the past, but here's another iteration of my commuting mantra.

Flat bars,
Mudguards,
Rack/Pannier.

That's the essence of my creed, which normally comes down to several pages rather than five words... :roll:

Mirroring Jashburhams comments on the above three points my views would be :-

Drop Bars
Whatguards
Do you have a beard?



Welcome Jen, you'll be looping out and around a 6 miler 'just to give your legs a decent stretch' before you know it...not that I do of course cough

ChrisLS

...if you use panniers you don't get a sweaty back...and may possibly look uncool... :?

...if you use a back pack you look cool 8) ...but get a sweaty back :?

CiB

I wouldn't worry about looking cool or not. I used to think that I looked the dog's parts bashing along down on the aerobars at some incredible speed, reminiscent of Stephen Roche on the final day's run to Paris, then the wife passed me one day in the car and told me afterwards how I 'looked funny riding the bike like that'. It hasn't stopped me though. I don't care - cycling is for personal pleasure and enjoyment, not trying to look cool. Isn't it...?

Anyway - be confident, know that you have as much right to the be on the road as anyone else does regardless of those who believe VED = Protection Money, that your own personal safety is enshrined in law as number one priority over and above anyone else's desire to be at the next set of lights three seconds sooner, and that you're now part of the solution, not the problem. Short-tempered belligerent motorists aren't your problem so ignore them as best you can. And like others have said, don't hide in the gutter - it's just one big invitation to every other road user to push past you, even if it's not safe to do so. Most of all though, try to enjoy it. It's fun, and if you can't have a bit of fun at each end of the day it's a sorry state of affairs.

As for distance & time, find alternative routes to & from work, or [don't tell anyone] sneak off a few minutes early and take the long route home once in awhile.

GregP

"Drop Bars
Whatguards
Do you have a beard?"

Brilliance.

Seriously, I would make one other comment - whilst I race/train using Look pedals, for commuting with stop-starts and so forth I use double sided SPDs instead. I *used* to use those SPD-on-one-side-platform-on-the-other jobs (531s? I forget), but straight SPDs work much better for me.

secretsam

Simon E wrote:

My suggestions: develop your ability to balance, brake, stop sharply, accelerate and swerve/change your line to avoid the inevitable (be it pedestrian, bus or other hard object) that jumps into your path).

And yell at 110 dB

Welcome to the brethren of the breathless

dafruk

SecretSam wrote:

And yell at 110 dB

Ooh, seconded. I love shouting at people in indignation at the wrongs they inflict upon me.

Now I wonder if the word perceived should have been in that sentence...

Jen J

Great response there, thanks.

I'm not in clipless pedals yet - figured I need to work on my balance first.

Fitness shouldn't be too much of a problem, as I do a bit of running, it's just the biking I'm new to.

ansbaradigeidfran

dafruk wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

And yell at 110 dB

Ooh, seconded. I love shouting at people in indignation at the wrongs they inflict upon me.

Now I wonder if the word perceived should have been in that sentence...

Percieved indignation?