Hi guys. I am new to riding my bike on a daily occurance and have some safety questions. I tried to read a lot of threads and it seems most people prefer to ride in the road as opposed to the sidewalk but i wont get started on that as it seems to bring up a lot of controversy.
Anyway when riding in the road do you ride in the lane or next to the lane?
If next to the lane are you supposed to ride going with the flow of traffic or against it? I have heard you are supposed to ride against the flow of traffic on the side of the road so you can see the cars coming. It seems like when going with traffic you cant see behind you and if you move over slightly or try to avoid something you may get clipped by a car.
Also it seems like if your not in the lane you will have to be constantly going around parked cars which could be very annoying.
Also if it matters I dont have a fast road bike, i mostly ride casually. Any tips for the best place to ride would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
The BikeForums Team
-adv-
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content here.
If next to the lane are you supposed to ride going with the flow of traffic or against it? I have heard you are supposed to ride against the flow of traffic on the side of the road so you can see the cars coming.You heard wrong. I would be interested though, in knowing exactly how you came by this wrong advice-- it's been the subject of speculation here before. The law requires you to ride with the flow of traffic, rather than against the flow of traffic. You're a vehicle, and subject to the vehicle code, just like any other vehicle on the road. It's also safer to ride with the flow of traffic.
It seems like when going with traffic you cant see behind you and if you move over slightly or try to avoid something you may get clipped by a car.Well, you could say the same thing about driving a car. It's why cars have mirrors, and it's why drivers are required to look before they change lanes. You should also have a mirror (although it's not required), and you should also look before you "move over slightly." After all, you're a vehicle too.
lima_bean
pretend your a car, only obey the law.
Keith99
You want to ride with traffic. Everywhere I know of riding against traffic is not only unsafe but illegal.
While there is some dispute on exctly where to ride I do not know of anyone who advocates moving in and out of parked cars.
One hint rarely mentioned is try to find streets that do not go through 'all the way' It is amazing how much calmer the traffic is on a street that 'only' goes 5 or 6 miles.
Ask at local bike shops abotu routes and also about local clubs. Most bike shops are happy to halp you find clubs to ride with since that means you ride more and at least waer things out if not eventually beginning to lust after a better bike. Most shops near me have a little place set aside with hand outs from clubs and/or local governemnt with cycling information.
Back to with or against. If you go 10 mph and the cars go 30 then you are closing with the cars at 20 mph if you are going with the cars and 40 if riding against traffic. Riding the wrong way the closing speed is twice as fast.
Read some of the sticky threads in this forum, there is lots of good information, but remember things do vary a lot from place to place.
Oh final hint early (e.g. before 10 or 11 am) on the weekends is often a nice time to ride. Rush hour is often the worst.
Blue Order
pretend your a car, only obey the law.:roflmao:
Best post of the year?
Also it seems like if your not in the lane you will have to be constantly going around parked cars which could be very annoying. Annoying, and dangerous. See Doored v. Nailed (http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/9615.0.html) for a discussion about the dangers of swerving in and out of the lane.
Blue Order
Who's taking bets about how long before you-know-who starts in about you-know-what? I say within 15 minutes of this post. :D
Blue Order
ARRRGGHHHHH!!!! I lost that bet. Glad I didn't put any money on it. :)
I still stand by my claim that you-know-who will weigh in about you-know-what. :D
fordfasterr
It took me a few weeks to work my courage up to ride on the road 100% ... at first, I took the sidewalk the entire way... Then, little by little, I would jump into the road where traffic was light, stay in the lane, to the right-most side ... then eventually I used the road 100% of the time and guess what ? I got to work in 1/2 the time vs the sidewalk because I could ride un-interrupted by bus-benches, pedestrians, poles, and worst of all... INTERSECTIONS !!!!
I suggest that you work your way up to it, little by little as you feel more comfortable, use it more and more.... you will be on your way to VC soon !
LCI_Brian
I suggest reading this, starting with quieter streets first...
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/index.htm
Keith99
Who's taking bets about how long before you-know-who starts in about you-know-what? I say within 15 minutes of this post. :D
Is this a Harry Potter board now?!
JRA
I suggest reading this, starting with quieter streets first...
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/index.htm
I second the nomination for starting with Street Smarts (http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm) by John S. Allen.
Chapter 2 is "Where to Ride on the Road".
Street Smarts is good practical advice and doesn't seem to be too controversial. It's a good place to start.
This document from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation is pretty reasonable, and carries the weight of being derived directly from out Highway Traffic Act.
Your state or province might have something similar. The laws don't change much between jurisdictions, except for those that apply to sidewalks and bike paths. Ontario is the only place I know of that allows (but discourages) riding on the sidewalk but prohibits riding through crosswalks.
rando
ARRRGGHHHHH!!!! I lost that bet. Glad I didn't put any money on it. :)
I still stand by my claim that you-know-who will weigh in about you-know-what. :D
he's too busy messing with me on another thread. give it time. :eek:
OH306
Watch this mpg file. If you don't do anything they do you will be safe(r). Beyond insane, but fantastic riders!:eek:
http://www.digave.com/videos/red-web.mpg
DieselDan
Is this a Harry Potter board now?!
He-who-must-not-be-named is....
rando
This is wierd, he's late! his spidey senses must be tingling, though.
catatonic
1)Anyway when riding in the road do you ride in the lane or next to the lane?
In the lane. As you log more miles on the road, it will make sense.
2)If next to the lane are you supposed to ride going with the flow of traffic or against it? I have heard you are supposed to ride against the flow of traffic on the side of the road so you can see the cars coming. It seems like when going with traffic you cant see behind you and if you move over slightly or try to avoid something you may get clipped by a car.
NO...ride WITH traffic. Against traffic reduces time to react, and increases impact velocity in event of an incident. Seeing the car plow you is hardly a bonus.
3)Also it seems like if you're not in the lane you will have to be constantly going around parked cars which could be very annoying.
Exactly why you should be in the lane, that and when right turn only lanes, or similar occur. If you are in the lane already, you won't have to play frogger to get where you want to go.
4)Also if it matters I dont have a fast road bike, i mostly ride casually. Any tips for the best place to ride would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
A bike is as fast as the rider. I have seen old men on beach cruisers who were pushing speeds in the high teens. Ride in places where your speed is no less than a third of traffic speed if possible. Anything slower may end up being difficult to deal with, due to drivers getting annoyed.
I ride on the right of the lane, pulling into the middle when making room for cars to go into a right turn only lane or the such. I only use the left side for turning/merging purposes, or making room for cars to make a right turn on red.
sbhikes
Lord Volderhead.
Blue Order
This is wierd, he's late! his spidey senses must be tingling, though.:roflmao:
rando
1)Anyway when riding in the road do you ride in the lane or next to the lane?
In the lane. As you log more miles on the road, it will make sense.
2)If next to the lane are you supposed to ride going with the flow of traffic or against it? I have heard you are supposed to ride against the flow of traffic on the side of the road so you can see the cars coming. It seems like when going with traffic you cant see behind you and if you move over slightly or try to avoid something you may get clipped by a car.
NO...ride WITH traffic. Against traffic reduces time to react, and increases impact velocity in event of an incident. Seeing the car plow you is hardly a bonus.
3)Also it seems like if you're not in the lane you will have to be constantly going around parked cars which could be very annoying.
Exactly why you should be in the lane, that and when right turn only lanes, or similar occur. If you are in the lane already, you won't have to play frogger to get where you want to go.
4)Also if it matters I dont have a fast road bike, i mostly ride casually. Any tips for the best place to ride would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
A bike is as fast as the rider. I have seen old men on beach cruisers who were pushing speeds in the high teens. Ride in places where your speed is no less than a third of traffic speed if possible. Anything slower may end up being difficult to deal with, due to drivers getting annoyed.
I ride on the left of the lane, pulling into the middle when making room for cars to go into a right turn only lane or the such. I only use the left side for turning/merging purposes, or making room for cars to make a right turn on red.
this is really, good. :)
JLauren
Back to with or against. If you go 10 mph and the cars go 30 then you are closing with the cars at 20 mph if you are going with the cars and 40 if riding against traffic. Riding the wrong way the closing speed is twice as fast.
Also, of you're going nose-to-nose with other traffic, it's a lot harder to manage where the pass occurs. If you're going with the traffic, the traffic behind you has the option (although many don't seem to realize it) of slowing down and waiting until you both reach a place where it's safe to pass. If you're going against the traffic, you're going to come together and force a pass (or collision) at a point entirely determined by your relative speeds; coming to a complete stop would just fix that point where you stop, unless you vacate the road completely.
[that makes sense to me; I'm not sure I explained it adequately.]
rando
:roflmao:
glad somebody else liked that, besides me! :)
catatonic
edited my post...I got scatterbrained and was slightly conflicting on how I do my lane positioning.
cooker
Why not to ride towards traffic:
Cars coming out of driveways won't look for you.
Cars turning left into the street in front of you won't expect you.
Cars going the same direction as you and turning left across your path won't expect you.
If a car is approaching you, your closing speed is the sum of both vehicles' speed.
For pedestrians this is all moot, since they are not moving very fast and they can stop or step off the road if traffic threatens them.
For cyclists riding with traffic, the likelihood of bein hit from behind is extremely low. Most accidents are due to cross traffic or turning traffic at intersections, and riding on the road with traffic is the safest way to enter an intersection.
rando
always keep in mind you have OPTIONS. you don't have to ride the six-lane arterial that you drive to work on, on your bike. consult maps... plan routes. it's fun.
JohnBrooking
Plenty of great advice on this thread. Turboem1, please let us know how you are doing. You are probably most at risk in this beginning time when you are just getting used to biking in the road, but you will get better and find that you are becoming more comfortable over time, just as when you were learning to drive a car in traffic (assuming that you do).
In fact, one way I like to think of it is that it's not only like driving a car in terms of your behavior, but also in terms of your attitude. It's not a Sunday ride in the park, as the saying conveniently goes. Watch for what the other traffic is doing, anticipate situations, think about what you're doing, and grant and assert right of way as you would in a car. Only difference is you should be even more vigilant and proactive on your bike than most people are in a car, due to the greater consequences of judging wrong.
Take care but also have fun!
Helmet Head
Hi guys. I am new to riding my bike on a daily occurance and have some safety questions. I tried to read a lot of threads and it seems most people prefer to ride in the road as opposed to the sidewalk but i wont get started on that as it seems to bring up a lot of controversy.
Anyway when riding in the road do you ride in the lane or next to the lane?
It depends. If there is a bike lane or shoulder, often it is appropriate to ride there, which is next to the lane, but often it is not. The trick is to know when which is appropriate for the current factors and conditions. Brian has recommended checking out Street Smarts. That's a good start. But if you want something more in depth, I recommend reading the chapters on how to ride on the road in the book Effective Cycling by John Forester. Those chapters alone are worth the price of the book. The other parts of the book... not so much. My opinion. Other good books to check out are Urban Cycling by Robert Hurst - who posts here once in a while. He really nails the importance of being responsible for everything that can and does happen to you while riding in the street. Another good book is Cyclecraft, by John Franklin. The best piece of advice I can give you is to spend the next few months riding, reading these books, riding, thinking about what's in the books, riding, participating here on this forum, riding, more thinking and more riding... As you gain in experience and knowledge, your abilities and confidence will grow. You might also want to consider taking a course. See bikeleague.org for more information - you can find out there if there are any courses in your area.
If next to the lane are you supposed to ride going with the flow of traffic or against it? I have heard you are supposed to ride against the flow of traffic on the side of the road so you can see the cars coming. It seems like when going with traffic you cant see behind you and if you move over slightly or try to avoid something you may get clipped by a car.
Pedestrians are supposed to walk against the flow of traffic. Although a cyclist may seem much more like a pedestrian who happens to be straddling a bicycle than a vehicle, his operating characteristics are much more vehicular than pedestrian. In particular, a pedestrian can stop and move laterally almost instantly. In addition to being much less flexible in that respect, a cyclist is usually much faster than a pedestrian. These factors conspire into making what is very safe for a pedestrian - traveling against the flow of traffic - very unsafe for a cyclist. Others have explain why in more detail.
Riding safely in traffic requires learning to trust motorists to be looking at what's in their path up ahead. Many cyclists experience not being seen while cycling and assume this is because they simply are difficult to see. But, it turns out context has much more to do with whether we're seen than our relatively small/thin physical size. When a cyclist is not noticed, it is usually because he is riding where drivers are not paying much if any attention (like a bike lane), because what is going on in that space is usually irrelevant to them. So safe traffic cycling includes learning how to know where to ride to maximize conspicuity, as well as to maximize your ability to avoid a crash if necessary. The books mentioned above all go into this in detail, especially Forester.
Also it seems like if your not in the lane you will have to be constantly going around parked cars which could be very annoying.
That would be a situation in which you should not only be in the lane, but at least 5 feet from parked cars (I think Street Smarts says 4 feet). A fairly common crash type is when someone opens a door of a parked car in front of a cyclist. And worse than running into a door, which can be really bad, is suddenly swerving to avoid it, in front of an overtaking vehicle. It's best to be out there, at least 5' from the parked cars, in the first place, though this takes getting used to. It's part of the experience/knowledge cycle (no pun intended)...
Also if it matters I dont have a fast road bike, i mostly ride casually. Any tips for the best place to ride would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Type of bike and your physical fitness matters surprisingly little with respect to where it is best to ride in a given situation. I ride very similarly, with only small adjustments, whether I'm on my racing road bike or on my mountain bike, or road tandem with my wife, pulling our daughter on a Burley Piccolo trailercycle.
Take it very seriously, but have fun!
I look forward to a report on how you're doing in 3-6 months. Just keep a link to this thread so you will be able to easily find it (Search capabilities are often disabled on this forum for performance reasons).
Helmet Head
Take care but also have fun!
Take it very seriously, but have fun!
:roflmao:
Great minds...
Turboem1
Wow, thanks everyone for the great replies. Hopefully I didn't stir up to much trouble. I will definately check back in a couple of months and note my progress.
Just one thing...
pretend your a car, only obey the law.
This is what confuses me since there are some inconsistencies. When you ride you obey the laws a motorcycle (or car) would? you stop at red? Go at green? Use turning lanes? ect?
I assume you dont push the button on the stop light pole and wait to cross in the crosswalk?
So that means you guys wouldn't "run a red light" and cross the street if it was clear to go? Its just a bit confusing because I dont think you can get a ticket for running a red light on a bike.
So do you guys stop at stop signs too?
Thanks for all the help!
lima_bean
This is what confuses me since there are some inconsistencies. When you ride you obey the laws a motorcycle (or car) would? you stop at red? Go at green? Use turning lanes? ect?
Yes, exactly. Stop at a red light or stop sign. Signal to change lanes. get into a turning lane to turn, etc.
I assume you dont push the button on the stop light pole and wait to cross in the crosswalk?
No thats what pedestrians do, you are a vehicle. I will sometimes use the crosswalk on some streets, but I am usually walking my bicycle, and in 'ped mode' then.
So that means you guys wouldn't "run a red light" and cross the street if it was clear to go? Its just a bit confusing because I dont think you can get a ticket for running a red light on a bike.
You CAN get a ticket on your bike for running red lights and stop signs! It happens every day where I live (although some areas are more intrested in ticketing cyclists than others). I would not reccomend running red lights.
So do you guys stop at stop signs too?
I would reccomend stopping at stop signs. You can get ticketed for running them.
But overall just get used to riding on the road, and read up on safe biking, and you will begin to get a feel for what it safe and what is unsafe. When you begin I highly reccomend pretending you are a big car and following all the rules that a big car would follow. When you get more comfortable with biking you then MIGHT want to graduate to some of the advantages a bicycle allows over the car, which the books reccomended go over how to perform safely.
Also i dont think everyone here is goign to agree on 'whats safest' or what 'the right way' is, but hopefully we can guide you into the right direction. It is all very depedant on your area and conditions.
rando
I ride on the sidewalk sometimes along the busy arterial That I drive on to work. it is not against the law where I live. plus there are few pedestrians. this may be an option for you for short distances or long distances if the environment is right. you probably won't be able to go as fast as you would on a road because you will want to be watching for cars pulling out from driveways, etc. this is not a big deal to me. when I am on the sidewalk, yeah, I press the button and use the crosswalk.
when you ride on the road you should follow the rules of the road like a car.
left turning: one thing you can do if it makes you feel more comfortable than changing lanes is to cross the street and then stop, turn your bike the way you would want to turn, then wait for the light to change in that direction.
stop signs: I stop at them if there is traffic. if not I will run them.
if you feel better or safer riding on the sidewalk or a side street for part or all of your route, do it.
Bekologist
my words of advice.... visibility trumps the 'dork factor'. Don't be a dark rider.
light it up and wear high viz. if you don't want to be 'mr. spandex' and like cotton shirts, buy some bright yellow, orange, or colored and patterned shirts, polos work well for active sports....and a nice, high contrast hawaiian shirt is more visible at a distance than many of the subdued bike jerseys sold nowadays.
2nd, look for the better routes, like Rando mentions, you don't HAVE to ride that 6 lane arterial if you don't want to. MANY commited transportational bicyclists are very comfortable riding in most any traffic conditions, but when it comes down to choosing a route, many also include more lightly travelled routes, EVEN IF IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER and is a further ride. After all, isn't biking supossed to be fun?
3rd, don't forget to leave the house early on occasion so you can lollygag on the way to work, and explore the nooks, crannies, coffeee shops and local history seen in towns just past the 'windshield zone'....
bmclaughlin807
This is what confuses me since there are some inconsistencies. When you ride you obey the laws a motorcycle (or car) would? you stop at red? Go at green? Use turning lanes? ect?
I assume you dont push the button on the stop light pole and wait to cross in the crosswalk?
You shouldn't have to push the button... the lights are SUPPOSED to be able to sense a bike just as well as a car, and the light SHOULD change for you (Assuming of course that your bike and wheels aren't all carbon fiber! Usually even metal wheels on a carbon frame will work) The trick is finding the proper position.
If you can see the cuts where the sensor is installed, position your bike just to one side of it, leaning across the line a bit. (I put the wheels 1-2" to the left of the cut, and lean on my right leg). If there are two loops that share a common center cut, the center cut works best for detecting a bike, though the outside ones usually work as well. If you can't see the cuts, stopping on top of the grease spot from the cars usually puts you in the right spot.
If it's a straight through only lane, I usually sit in the center of the lane, or over the center cut... if it's a combined straight through and right turn, I try to sit on the front edge of the leftmost cut (to allow room for motorists making a right hand turn).
As a last resort, on a light that you know doesn't work, you can go over and push the pedestrian crossing button, but it's a pain in the a**, takes you out of the normal traffic, and then you have to re-enter the street, either on this side, or by crossing in the crosswalk and re-entering on the other side. It also serves to reinforce the misconception that cyclists don't belong in the street, as well as increasing your odds of having a problem at the far corner as you try to regain your proper place in the lane, and the cars may not want to let you in.
If you have a signal that consistently doesn't change, you should report it to the people responsible for their maintenance for that area, and I've heard a couple of good results from reporting it to the police department for that area. (They don't want people having to run lights because they're not properly adjusted)
If you always try to stay to the right, on the sidewalk, or in the gutter, you'll have lots of close calls... lots of people will overlook you and you'll have near misses. Since I started positioning myself a little more left, more people notice me, and the only problems I've had are with deliberately agressive drivers trying to scare me off the road or 'teach me a lesson' ... that being that they belive we don't belong on the road. To be honest, those drivers are few and far between. I can only think of 3 over the past 3 months, during which time I've logged over 1,500 miles on my bike, mostly on the streets.
The biggest danger points are always going to be intersections. Oncoming drivers making a left turn seem to be the worst dangers, though traffic from cross streets can be a problem, whether they're going through the intersection or turning onto the street you're on.
All in all, with experience riding a cycle in the street is no problem. You quickly learn the trouble spots, and learn what to watch for.
As with operating ANY vehicle, you should enjoy the ride, but remain alert. Very few accidents (some would say ZERO) can truly not be avoided by either party involved.
JohnBrooking
Stop signs and red lights: Do what's safe, regardless of whether you can get a ticket for disobeying or not. (Although you probably can.) Stopping for them is always the safest option.
In reality, many of us do bend the rules a bit. Such as:
You're approaching an intersection with a stop signs all 4 ways, and it appears to be empty. My rule is that I slow down and downshift enough that I could stop if needed. However, if there is no one around in any direction, I'll usually coast through as soon as I've verified that for sure. Never go if there are any blind spots or you're otherwise not sure! I usually will stop if there are any cars around at all, even if I get there first, to avoid giving the driver yet another example of scofflaw cyclist behavior.
You are by yourself in a vehicle-activated turn lane, and the light's obviously not changing for you. Yes, ideally it should, but it doesn't always. You could try harder to activate it by leaning your bike over on its side to make more metal available to be detected (you can find more information on this elsewhere if you are interested), but that's a pain, too. Many of us just treat it as a stop sign at this point, and go through when it is clear to do so.
Don't worry about stirring up trouble! It just happens that there are some topics that tend to generate a lot of heat here, and your wide open questions are a perfect setup for picking up those debates again among people who have a prior history with each other. :) But I think 80% of us agree on 80% of what we say, so listen to the viewpoints and decide what makes sense to you. Believe me, we can get way more heated that what you've seen on this thread! :D
Turboem1
Thanks again for all the advice. Anyway, I am currently looking to get a new bike but I dont know of any good places for info or reviews. I am not asking what to get but where to find out info. I guess I seem to be having trouble because I think I want a hybrid and most places are MTB or Road.
Currently I have a Specialized Rockhopper (a couple of years old ). It is good but I would like something a little more road friendly plus something that fits me correctly (The shop I bought it at never mentioned anything about frame size and i didnt know and its a 17" frame). I [I]think I want the mountain bike handle bar style but a bike with slightly narrower street tires then a MTB. My guess is thats what a hybrid is. Anyway I read a lot of info and was wondering how bad would no suspension be? The rockhoppers suspension is soft and im guessing everything for me would be considering im looking to spend around $500 and im 6'1" 275lbs. For example the Trek SU200 LOOKS nice and like the style I want but I have no clue if it is good or not. Anyway any input would be great.
P.S. what forums would i look in here for hybrids?
patc
This is what confuses me since there are some inconsistencies. When you ride you obey the laws a motorcycle (or car) would? you stop at red? Go at green? Use turning lanes? ect?
An honest suggestion free of all the political hype on this forum: look up the laws where you live. Both state/province/territory traffic laws, and local by-laws. These are probably available on-line. You may also be able to find cycling guides published by one or more levels of local government.
I could, for example, tell you that with few minor exceptions (e.g. lighting requirements), a bike in Ontario, Canada (where I live) must follow exactly the same rules as any other vehicle on the road. I could also make a political statement about how riding one way or another makes cycling "better" for everyone. Neither of those statements would do YOU much good, in practical terms.
Also consider posting to the Commuting forum, fewer wing-nuts there.
Brian Ratliff
Thanks again for all the advice. Anyway, I am currently looking to get a new bike but I dont know of any good places for info or reviews. I am not asking what to get but where to find out info. I guess I seem to be having trouble because I think I want a hybrid and most places are MTB or Road.
Currently I have a Specialized Rockhopper (a couple of years old ). It is good but I would like something a little more road friendly plus something that fits me correctly (The shop I bought it at never mentioned anything about frame size and i didnt know and its a 17" frame). I [I]think I want the mountain bike handle bar style but a bike with slightly narrower street tires then a MTB. My guess is thats what a hybrid is. Anyway I read a lot of info and was wondering how bad would no suspension be? The rockhoppers suspension is soft and im guessing everything for me would be considering im looking to spend around $500 and im 6'1" 275lbs. For example the Trek SU200 LOOKS nice and like the style I want but I have no clue if it is good or not. Anyway any input would be great.
P.S. what forums would i look in here for hybrids?
A good source for practical information (sometimes the discussions get a little... shall we say... theoretical in here) is the commuting forum. Repost this in that forum and you'd get lots of ideas about what other people ride and what their philosophies are about their ride choice and how they ride.
Myself, I ride road bikes on my commute. I have two: a "fixed" gear (it has a single gear and there are no shifters, gear cluster, or freewheel. When the wheels turn, my feet turn; it gives a better feel for the road and can be controlled all the way down to zero speed) for short commutes, and a road bike with a rack for panniers for longer commutes.
The fixed gear has, basically, a flat bar (the style is called a "bull horn" bar, and it is flat, but the ends are bent forward to get extra leverage when climbing hills). I've found that this works best for inner city riding where there are lots of stops and wind isn't a problem. The road bike has traditional road bike handlebars, which are invaluable when riding in open farmland or similar roads where the wind is strong.
My choices have been built from experience. I started out on a Trek mountain bike which was far too small for me when I was a teenager. I moved to a road bike once I got to college. Now I have three road bikes, including the two described above. All have skinny tires to go fast on the road. (I am 5' 11" and 200 lbs) For you, at 275 lbs, whatever bike you get, you should get fatter tires than what you see on most road bikes in the store, and try to get one with wheels which have a full 32 or 36 spokes (instead of the fancy bikes which have far fewer spokes). If you have a bike in mind that you like but doesn't come perfectly equiped (perhaps the tires are too skinny or the wheels are not strong enough), you can just ask the bike shop if you could trade out some of the components. They will almost certainly do the wheel and tire swap at your request. They should also attempt to size you as well (which is more than just having you straddle the top tube, have them actually put your bike up on a trainer so you can feel how comfortable it is).
I hope this helps. And like I said, for practical questions, the commuting forum might be a better place. As for a place for info and reviews, the best you can probably do is to ask the question directly in the commuting forum and go to a bike shop to try the bikes out. All of them will let you test ride a bike; never buy a bike you haven't test ridden. Usually they'll just ask for your driver's license and credit card number for collateral (in case you ride off with the bike; they'll just charge your CC for the price of the bike).
Keith99
This is what confuses me since there are some inconsistencies. When you ride you obey the laws a motorcycle (or car) would? you stop at red? Go at green? Use turning lanes? ect?
I assume you dont push the button on the stop light pole and wait to cross in the crosswalk?
So that means you guys wouldn't "run a red light" and cross the street if it was clear to go? Its just a bit confusing because I dont think you can get a ticket for running a red light on a bike.
So do you guys stop at stop signs too?
Thanks for all the help!
Re the stop sign thing. Think like a car, but in more general terms. When it comes to lights turning red many cars push the limit. Some are complete idiots and run it well after it is red. It really is the same thing with stop signs and bikes. A lot of us fail the LETTER of the law and just come to an almost stop. But some blow through just like there is no sign. In my opinion they are even bigger idiots than cars that are way late. On 'moral' grounds I see them as the same level of jerk, the only real difference is the bike rider is far more exposed, meaning when he finally does lose he will lose big. Also anyone who sees a cop in either of these circumstances and does not follow the letter of the law (and perhaps even a bit more, e.g. for bikes put a foot down even if you can track stand for hours) is a fool.
Remember you are a vehicle. But also remember you are a small slow vunerable vehicle.
Helmet Head
Think like a car,
...
Remember you are a vehicle.
Actually, I suggest thinking like the driver of a low powered motorcycle, and remembering to act like a driver of a (small, slow, cageless) vehicle...
Blue Order
Wow, thanks everyone for the great replies. Hopefully I didn't stir up to much trouble. I will definately check back in a couple of months and note my progress.
Just one thing...
This is what confuses me since there are some inconsistencies. When you ride you obey the laws a motorcycle (or car) would? you stop at red? Go at green? Use turning lanes? ect?
I assume you dont push the button on the stop light pole and wait to cross in the crosswalk?
So that means you guys wouldn't "run a red light" and cross the street if it was clear to go? Its just a bit confusing because I dont think you can get a ticket for running a red light on a bike.
So do you guys stop at stop signs too?
Thanks for all the help!Your bicycle is a vehicle, and thus, you have all of the rights and are subject to all of the responsibilities of any other operator of a vehicle.
This means you stop on red, go on green, use turning lanes (although you're not *required* to use a turning lane-- you *can* cross the intersection, stop, and wait for the light to change in the other direction-- it's up to you), you can cross in the crosswalk if you're walking your bike across.
If you run a red light, you can and will be ticketed, the same as a car. The tickets are expensive, and in some states, count as points against your driving record. Some people here advocate running stop signs. That's illegal, and you can and will be ticketed. The exception is that in a couple of states, the law allows bicyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign. You can be ticketed for speeding. In some states, riding drunk will be treated as a DUI.
The bottom line is you're operating a vehicle, and that means you have the right to be on the road, and the responsibility to obey the Vehicle Code-- both the general provisions applicable to all vehicles, as well as any special provisions applicable to bicycles. Become familiar with the Vehicle Code in your state. Tell us what state you ride in, and I'll post a link to your state's Vehicle Code section on bicycles.
Turboem1
Tell us what state you ride in, and I'll post a link to your state's Vehicle Code section on bicycles.
I live in NY (Long Island).
Blue Order
Thanks again for all the advice. Anyway, I am currently looking to get a new bike but I dont know of any good places for info or reviews. I am not asking what to get but where to find out info. I guess I seem to be having trouble because I think I want a hybrid and most places are MTB or Road.
Currently I have a Specialized Rockhopper (a couple of years old ). It is good but I would like something a little more road friendly plus something that fits me correctly (The shop I bought it at never mentioned anything about frame size and i didnt know and its a 17" frame). I [I]think I want the mountain bike handle bar style but a bike with slightly narrower street tires then a MTB. My guess is thats what a hybrid is. Anyway I read a lot of info and was wondering how bad would no suspension be? The rockhoppers suspension is soft and im guessing everything for me would be considering im looking to spend around $500 and im 6'1" 275lbs. For example the Trek SU200 LOOKS nice and like the style I want but I have no clue if it is good or not. Anyway any input would be great.You can put commuting slicks on your mountain bike and it will be a faster ride. However.... if you're 6'1", that 17 inch bike is way too small for you, unless you have tiny little short legs (if you do, I didn't mean to offend ;) ). Here's my opinion: Either buy a perfectly good used bike for $500-- you'll get a lot of used bike for $500-- or wait for the year end clearances. At REI, you can get 20 or 25% off a new bike on their year end clearances. However, a new bike for the type of riding you want to do will realistically cost more than $500. Figure more like $750 on clearance for a good commuter. You can get a great bike though at that price. I would recommend asking these same questions in the commuting forum.
One more piece of advice: Do not buy a bike with suspension. It's worthless for street riding-- it adds to the expense of the bike, it adds to maintenance costs, and the suspension soaks up energy you should be putting into forward motion. Save the supsension for the trails. You'll be fine on the street with no suspension-- to answer your question, it won't be bad at all.
P.S. what forums would i look in here for hybrids?General cycling or commuting.
trackhub
Welcome, Turboem1.
My usual advice: Read and know your respective state's bicycle laws. People can argue opinion all they like, but they cannot argue fact. Most state's bicycle laws are easily found on the web. Having this knowledge is unbelievably valuable.
Do read John Allen's Street Smarts. Mr. Allen gets right down to it, in a no-nonsense fashion.
So, who gave you the information about "riding against traffic so you can see the cars"? Mom, dad, scout leader, etc?
Blue Order
I live in NY (Long Island).Here's a link to Findlaw. (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/nycodeft.pl?cirestriction=bicycle)
And here's a link to a State page. (http://www.dot.state.ny.us/pubtrans/share.html)
And another link (http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/bike-vt.htm)...
sbhikes
You can push the cross-walk button if you want to, but to "act like a car" your only real responsibility is to wait for the light. If it becomes apparent that the sensor doesn't sense you, then just like when you are in a car at a malfunctioning signal, you are allowed to proceed when safe through the intersection.
This can get tricky at busy intersections, like if you are the only one in a left turn lane and nobody ever comes up behind you to trip the signal. It may never be clear enough for you to go while you wait through cycle after cycle of the lights.
If you have an intersection like that, call up the transportation people (if you have a bike advocacy group in your area they will know who that is) and report the situation. Meanwhile, there is no shame in doing a two-corner turn or using pedestrian means of getting through.
tomcryar
turboem1---is there anybody around you or where you want to ride who also rides? If there is, I would suggest getting to know them, and see what their commute is like. If you are truly a Beginner then please take it slow at first, learn your local ordinances, ride the side streets that aren't busy, ride the sidewalks if you have any, take it easy until you are confident that you can deal with motorists sharing the same road you used to drive in your car.