New roadie after info re etiquette-potholes etc

blueslim03

Evening all, apologies in advance for the rather unfocused and dumb questions but i was just after a few tips and pointers towards road cycling etiquette and commonly made beginners mistakes. I've just got myself a cube peloton, my first spd pedals-shoes etc and rather more lycra than i thought was healthy for one man to own! One thing i've noticed even driving my work van is the amount of potholes about, i presume going round them is the best advice but i imagine that would lead me to swerving around a lunatic? Can you bunnyhop them on a roadbike? And another question is regarding insurance for the bike, do you have insurance purely for your bike or is it under household and would the later or the former cover me if, for instance, i totalled my bike or wrecked my wheels?

Thanks for taking the time to read this rambling diatribe.

Slow Downcp

My house insurance coevrs me for accidental damage (new for old), but you need to check your cover.

Re potholes - if you can't avoid them, bunnyhop them

Anonymous

I have specific cycle insurance through cycleguard which cover against public liability, accidental damage and has breakdown cover as well. It is expensive but they pay out quick and it also covers the fittings like wheels.

As for potholes I try as best I can to look ahead and be prepared to go round them. I take up the whole of my lane if need be. But if they can't be avoided then yeah bunnyhop

gbs

Slow Downcp wrote:

.

Re potholes - if you can't avoid them, bunnyhop them

Sorry to be offtopic but how do you bunnyhop?

Slow Downcp

gbs wrote:

Slow Downcp wrote:

.

Re potholes - if you can't avoid them, bunnyhop them

Sorry to be offtopic but how do you bunnyhop?

To bunnyhop properly (Old School BMX sytle) Lift the front wheel up, and then thrown your weight forward.

If using clipless just bend your kness slightly and then jump and pull up on the bars - the bike should follow

ex-pat scot

Avoid if possible.
Be careful about sudden movements and drivers not anticipating this.
Be very careful if doing this in the vicinity of other cyclists.
You will very quickly learn to look ahead when in a peloton, and move to avoid in plenty of time, as the cyclists behind won't be able to see obstructions ahead through you.
It also helps to point down with one finger to indicate the obstruction.

As for insurance, I wouldn't bother personally with the accidental damage bit. A replacement rim is not expensive.

Household insurance covers theft from home / garage.
I have a "sacrificial" bike to be used when I need to lock up my bike in a public area. Best bikes are either being ridden or in the garage

Slow Downcp

ex-pat scot wrote:

As for insurance, I wouldn't bother personally with the accidental damage bit. A replacement rim is not expensive.

It depends on bike value - I get covered automatically as part of my house insurance. My chain skipped off and took a small chuck out of my Kuota chainstay - I phoned my insurers and they were happy to pay if I got a report from my LBS confirming replacement cost.

Ollieda

Slow Downcp wrote:

gbs wrote:

Slow Downcp wrote:

.

Re potholes - if you can't avoid them, bunnyhop them

Sorry to be offtopic but how do you bunnyhop?

To bunnyhop properly (Old School BMX sytle) Lift the front wheel up, and then thrown your weight forward.

If using clipless just bend your kness slightly and then jump and pull up on the bars - the bike should follow

from a mountain bike side it was never quite as simple as "throwing your weight forward". You had to learn a technique known as unweighting the bike which basically ment being able to do an endo (lifting the back end up without using the brakes) and a more subtle shift of weight, and then being able to do this whilst the front wheel was already up simply throwing your weight forward would mean going head over heels.

As Slow Downcp mentioned......with clipless pedals there's not really an issue, just bend knees and arms and then push up with force, combination of that and some speed should see you over a pothole that can't be swerved. Just keep an eye out for where your landing!

CiB

Most of us use regular routes and should be able to identify & anticipate potholes. Knowing where they are is a big help, as it avoids those sudden evasive movements that other road users won't be expecting.
</pragmatic>

Anonymous

ex-pat scot wrote:

As for insurance, I wouldn't bother personally with the accidental damage bit. A replacement rim is not expensive.

Well I have had 2 crashes, one where a car was in the wrong lane (German Tourist :roll: ) and forced me off the road into a tree. Another where a Range Rover decided to cut me up at a roundabout and wasn't quick enough, forcing me to Starsky and Hutch roll over his bonnet. Well more like Cagney and Lacey but never mind

Both crashes resulted in bent frames and wheels, and because I had accidental insurance I got new bikes. The 2nd was from his insurance but the German incident he drove off and left me for dead so was paid out by my insurance.

So personally I would always bother with accidental damage insurance.

Ollieda

as a side note I remember it being said on here once about the council having a defence to any civil law suites from riders claiming after hitting a pothole if the council were unaware of the pothole, if they were aware then they could be held liable for not fixing it.

if you see one report it using http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/ or http://www.fixmystreet.com/ you might be able to avoid it but the next person may not!

Pross

Also, if riding in a group point out any potholes and call 'pothole' so that those behind are aware.

Bobbinogs

Here's a useful thread covering off most of the insurance aspects:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... =insurance

raymc

Ollieda,

thks for the Pothole/Road defects link. It could be a long night! :shock:

Have started logging those closest to my house, but after the recent snow/ice the main roads around Hereford are shocking. It would be quicker to list the good bits

Thanks again, Ray.