Newbie Cycle Safety Please Help
mr_eddy
Posts: 830
Ok so on my way to work the other day I cycled passed a road accident not 100 yards from my normal commute, It was not until I listned in to the local radio at work that it was a young girl on a bike just on her way to work - She died shortly after being taken to hospital and to be completely honest it scared the c$%p out of me, She was 29 years young.
It has made me think - I get that statistically cycling to work is still one of the safest ways to go but it only takes a hit from a car or truck and that could be that. With that in mind I thought I would at least do my bit to share some of my hints on safety with fellow riders maybe people just getting into cycling to work also I really would like your hints too.
I am determined to NEVER have an accident and since seeing that accident and far more that I care not to think about I thought I would put down some obvious but hopefully useful hints to newbie riders/commuters. I suppose it makes sense to list the common bad habits that most cyclist tend to use every now and then and also explain why from this point on I will be A LOT more careful - I am not saint its only because I have in the past committed these cycling crimes that I can comment on why they are a bad idea.
These are just my opinions - I hope it helps raise a bit of awareness.
1.Jumping Red lights - Don't do it - On a morning commute many other fellow commuters in cars are often in 'Auto Pilot' mode and just don't have full awareness so they may not see you. I know when I used to drive to work I would sometimes get to work and not remember the car journey. PLEASE STOP AT REDS - Even the longest lights only stay red for a few minutes at the most. I reckon on my 4 mile ride the 8 sets of lights add up to an extra 4 minutes. Not worth the risk.
2. Sneaking up the left hand side of cars - It so easy for a car driver to not see you in the blind spot and they may drift over to the curb and essentially crush you against the pavement - If there is a left turn then they could turn in on you as you are cycling up the left side - If this is a truck then that is that GAME OVER. Get behind the car in front and position yourself so there is not a gap for the car behind to squeeze past.
3. Make eye contact at fast intersections - If you make eye contact with a driver at an intersection then chances are they will be aware of you and give you room - If someone is speeding along and you are not sure then just wait - a few seconds delay is better than the alternative.
4. Think ahead - Don't just look at what the car in front is doing keep a general look out for the traffic, if you notice heavy traffic ahead then assume that the cars in front may brake hard so be prepared. Also remember the cars behind too don't slam your brakes on or you could get rear ended.
5. Check your bike regularly - The amount of bikes I see on the roads with flat tyres , Rusty chains, Brake pads worn out or just not connected at all is frankly worrying - I saw a bike the other day that had the back brake completely disconnected and the front brake had about an inch of room between the pad and rim. Seriously adjusting brakes is simple and pads are cheap normally a basic tool kit is all you need - If you don't want to do it yourself get the bike shop involved - To be honest a decent bike shop will probably give a quick brake tune up for free or very little maybe a fiver or so. You would not drive your car with flat tyres and no brakes so don't risk it on a bike - Most cyclists will easily hit 15-20mph and a lot more down hill and hitting tarmac at 20mph cause you could not brake in time for a hazard is no joke!
6. Wear the right stuff - I know its a matter of opinion to wear a helmet but personally for the sake for £20-30 for a helmet its a no brainer in my eyes - A cycling jacket with hi vis bits or reflective clothing is no bad thing either.
7. Lights - Even in the day a set of bike lights can be the difference between being seen and not being seen. At night ideally have 2 front and 2 back - I tend to have front and back helmet light (the single LED silicon lights are good for this) and also a bright front and back light mounted on the bike. I tend to have one set to flash and one to solid.
8. Plan your commute - If you are coming from a car to a bike then don't automatically go the same route - Often there will be quieter and possibly faster routes on the bike.
9. Ride on the Road - Its against the law to cycle on the pavement (unless its a dedicated cycle path), Stick to the road but don't hide in the gutters position yourself in such a way that cars can overtake but not squeeze you to the side. Be extra careful of big stuff like lorries make sure if you are behind a lorry you can see the drivers mirrors - this means the driver can see you.
I would welcome any other advice - I am planning on getting some flyers printed up to post at a local accident hot spot near my workplace - I feel its only right for me to do my bit and any help or advice would be much appreciated.
It has made me think - I get that statistically cycling to work is still one of the safest ways to go but it only takes a hit from a car or truck and that could be that. With that in mind I thought I would at least do my bit to share some of my hints on safety with fellow riders maybe people just getting into cycling to work also I really would like your hints too.
I am determined to NEVER have an accident and since seeing that accident and far more that I care not to think about I thought I would put down some obvious but hopefully useful hints to newbie riders/commuters. I suppose it makes sense to list the common bad habits that most cyclist tend to use every now and then and also explain why from this point on I will be A LOT more careful - I am not saint its only because I have in the past committed these cycling crimes that I can comment on why they are a bad idea.
These are just my opinions - I hope it helps raise a bit of awareness.
1.Jumping Red lights - Don't do it - On a morning commute many other fellow commuters in cars are often in 'Auto Pilot' mode and just don't have full awareness so they may not see you. I know when I used to drive to work I would sometimes get to work and not remember the car journey. PLEASE STOP AT REDS - Even the longest lights only stay red for a few minutes at the most. I reckon on my 4 mile ride the 8 sets of lights add up to an extra 4 minutes. Not worth the risk.
2. Sneaking up the left hand side of cars - It so easy for a car driver to not see you in the blind spot and they may drift over to the curb and essentially crush you against the pavement - If there is a left turn then they could turn in on you as you are cycling up the left side - If this is a truck then that is that GAME OVER. Get behind the car in front and position yourself so there is not a gap for the car behind to squeeze past.
3. Make eye contact at fast intersections - If you make eye contact with a driver at an intersection then chances are they will be aware of you and give you room - If someone is speeding along and you are not sure then just wait - a few seconds delay is better than the alternative.
4. Think ahead - Don't just look at what the car in front is doing keep a general look out for the traffic, if you notice heavy traffic ahead then assume that the cars in front may brake hard so be prepared. Also remember the cars behind too don't slam your brakes on or you could get rear ended.
5. Check your bike regularly - The amount of bikes I see on the roads with flat tyres , Rusty chains, Brake pads worn out or just not connected at all is frankly worrying - I saw a bike the other day that had the back brake completely disconnected and the front brake had about an inch of room between the pad and rim. Seriously adjusting brakes is simple and pads are cheap normally a basic tool kit is all you need - If you don't want to do it yourself get the bike shop involved - To be honest a decent bike shop will probably give a quick brake tune up for free or very little maybe a fiver or so. You would not drive your car with flat tyres and no brakes so don't risk it on a bike - Most cyclists will easily hit 15-20mph and a lot more down hill and hitting tarmac at 20mph cause you could not brake in time for a hazard is no joke!
6. Wear the right stuff - I know its a matter of opinion to wear a helmet but personally for the sake for £20-30 for a helmet its a no brainer in my eyes - A cycling jacket with hi vis bits or reflective clothing is no bad thing either.
7. Lights - Even in the day a set of bike lights can be the difference between being seen and not being seen. At night ideally have 2 front and 2 back - I tend to have front and back helmet light (the single LED silicon lights are good for this) and also a bright front and back light mounted on the bike. I tend to have one set to flash and one to solid.
8. Plan your commute - If you are coming from a car to a bike then don't automatically go the same route - Often there will be quieter and possibly faster routes on the bike.
9. Ride on the Road - Its against the law to cycle on the pavement (unless its a dedicated cycle path), Stick to the road but don't hide in the gutters position yourself in such a way that cars can overtake but not squeeze you to the side. Be extra careful of big stuff like lorries make sure if you are behind a lorry you can see the drivers mirrors - this means the driver can see you.
I would welcome any other advice - I am planning on getting some flyers printed up to post at a local accident hot spot near my workplace - I feel its only right for me to do my bit and any help or advice would be much appreciated.
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Comments
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There's nothing sneaky about going up the left hand side of cars, on my commute they're generally moving at 5-10 mph for large sections of the ride and there's a marked cycle lane down the left of the road - if I wanted to sit in the queue, I'd drive.
Pavement cycling is a funny one, I never ride on the pavement but if my wife was riding to work, I'd advise her to ride on the pavement in some locations (illegal or not) - she'll be doing 10mph and giving way to pedestrians, where's the real harm? The other option is sharing the road with cars in a mad rush to get to the next jam squeezing past at 40mph in a 30 zone.
I think bike maintenance is something that seems so easy to a lot of us, but plenty of people buy bikes as a cheap mode of transport and have no idea how to keep a bike running. Bike shop fees can be pretty expensive for minor repairs etc. These courses look like a very good idea, don't know how widely available they are though http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/20010 ... r_travel/20 -
The very advantage of cycling in cities is that you don't have to sit in the traffic waiting for each and every junction. If you were forced to wait behind every car, as a car, they you'd never get anywhere. Ideally there would be a dedicated cycle lane everywhere so this is not an issue but our beloved government has decided not to build these.0
