Commuting - Cycling affecting your driving?

Because I commute by bike and I also tend more and more to bike if I am by myself and I am not going that far I am driving less and less. I find that when I do drive my driving style is affected by my cycling. For instance I find myself slowing down for reds a longer distance than I used to and I sometimes go through orange lights that I wouldn't have tried to make before. Do you find your cycling affecting your driving?

p.s. If you ride your bike exactly like you drive your car and observe all traffic laws, I respect that but obviously this thread is not directed towards you.

Because I commute by bike and I also tend more and more to bike if I am by myself and I am not going that far I am driving less and less. I find that when I do drive my driving style is affected by my cycling. For instance I find myself slowing down for reds a longer distance than I used to and I sometimes go through orange lights that I wouldn't have tried to make before. Do you find your cycling affecting your driving?

p.s. If you ride your bike exactly like you drive your car and observe all traffic laws, I respect that but obviously this thread is not directed towards you.

I find myself being more "Cycle Aware" and looking out for fellow Cyclocommuters..

I am more careful when I drive, more aware. I feel like people drive the same whether I am in a car or on a bike, poorly.

Well, since I don't drive daily anymore I tend to be less accurate with my lines and I tend to take more safer turns... I used to be able to drive within centimeters of another car comfortably... oh well.

I lean into my turns.

I had already stopped driving on anything like a daily basis for nearly a year before I started riding again. Over time, the wide use of automobiles as the basic form of transportation seemed to make less and less sense. Also, I began to see enough alternatives so that I could drop it.

As I started riding again, though, I really started to consider even more deeply the implications of the automobile in our lives, and to realize that the cost of their use runs far deeper than most of us consider for very long (the truth is ugly).

I was never a crazy kind of driver anyway, so now when I do (very infrequently) drive, there's not much change. What is different, however, is that now when I drive I feel selfish and petty, wasteful, and stupidly arrogant.

I don't like the feeling.

There's not as much effect when you take your date out to a nice dinner on a hook-on bike as opposed to a car.

Car's here to stay..

There have been a couple things I have noticed. I am much better to anticipate the dumb things people might do. I have also caught myself almost making left turns against the lights. My bike usually does not trigger the signals. Then there is that speeding thing. When on the bike I usually try to go as fast as I can. Not a good idea in a car....

There's not as much effect when you take your date out to a nice dinner on a hook-on bike as opposed to a car.

Car's here to stay..

Kinda' makes you wonder how we ever got along without them, doesn't it?

My only motor vehicle is a scooter (limited speed motorcycle?) and let me tell you, starting to bike to work everyday has REALLY changed my driving :). I feel a lot more comfortable going through turns knowing that I really _can_ do that angle on my weedy little road tires. I'm thankful for the giant mirrors that let me see behind me (need a different mirror for my bike...) really easily. And finally, I wish I had a leopard print seat cover for my bike :P

I stopped doing the fast paced, left lane, high stress driving since I started biking. It's just not worth it anymore. Now I cruise at the speed limit in the right hand lane like some old, retired dude from Florida. Thankfully I haven't gotten to the point where I leave my blinker on all the time.

I'm just not in as much of a hurry to get anywhere anymore.

I find I have to recalibrate my sense of speed when I drive now. I'm getting so used to seeing the road and reacting at <20 mph that when I'm going 50-60 mph things are upon me much faster. And ditto on assuming the left turn arrow isn't going to flip.

BTW the hook on bike can make an excellent impression - just gotta pick the right person! When I lived in China years ago my then boyfriend picked me up for dates on his bike all the time (I rode sidesaddle on the rear rack, which was SOP - never so much as snagged my stockings).

I get really, REALLY frustrated with having to sit in traffic instead of zipping past the bottlenecks :) (My main bike route completely bypasses the Glenmore Causeway, which can be a nightmare of backed-up traffic at times). And when I drive, I always find myself resenting the hassle of parking.

I haven't tried turning onto the bike path in the car yet, though...

I stopped doing the fast paced, left lane, high stress driving since I started biking. It's just not worth it anymore. Now I cruise at the speed limit in the right hand lane like some old, retired dude from Florida. Thankfully I haven't gotten to the point where I leave my blinker on all the time.

I'm just not in as much of a hurry to get anywhere anymore.

I am with you, biking everyday has taught me to slow the pace down a bit so when I drove down to VT I was in the slow lane most of the time. This is better for gas mileage anyway.

I've always hated traffic. I still drive just as decisively as I ever did.

Maybe the only difference is that I've found myself taking the same route home from work, which throws me for a loop because, by bike, I take a shortcut through a park -- and I certainly can't go that way by car. :D

I try to time the lights now instead of dragracing from red light to red light. When you're on a bike, especially if you ride a fixed gear in the city, you start thinking about the most efficient way of getting through town. Just a nice mellow cruise, stay off the brakes, light on the gas, easy man.

And my Spidey-sense for stupid maneuvers by other drivers is way heightened.

I go slow in the car now too. It's amazing how little you really ever NEED to be somewhere fast. I get bored in the car, though, so that's a problem. When I'm biking, I can clear my head...when I'm driving, I somehow wind up trying to do something else like talk on the phone or something.

My wife yelled at me the other day, she said I "mosey" along more now. I'm not in such a hurry to get any where anymore.

Definitely slower, more aware of cyclists...also feels weird to be in a car after riding for long. I feel lower and really bulky and unwieldy...

First all, I have not considered myself too crazy in my years before cycling, but I have become more aware and conscience of what it means to drive responsibly. Many of these observations come from what I have observed bicycle commuting. Here's my list...


I respect speed limits, especially in residential areas. God help the motorists that speeds down a street and kills a child while I'm around.

I keep an eye on motorists when they're around cyclists. I will back up the cyclist if trouble occurs regardless of who's at fault. (get plate number, be a witness, render assistance, etc.)

I come to a complete stop at 4 way stop sign controlled intersections and I "understand" right-of-way law.

I don't stop on the crosswalk when at an intersection.

I absolutely will not talk on a phone when driving (hands free or not).

If I park where there's a bike lane (a rarity) I actually look in the mirrors and over my shoulder before opening the door.

I feel weakened in a vehicle.

I don't use drive-thrus. Something just bothers me about the laziness.

I yield to peds at crosswalks and intersections.

I feel bad when peds run across a crosswalk as if submissive to motorists. Goes to show you the fear peds have with the nutcases on the roads. Peds, or cyclists for that matter, are not wasting my time if I have to wait for them.

I park my car and walk to the mailbox - not cross over to the opposite side of the street, roll down the window to get the mail then do some stupid backup maneuver to park in the driveway 30 feet away.

Oh, and I lean into my turns too. :thumb:

Riding impacts my driving too. I:


Am more careful in general, and look farther ahead, and try to anticipate other motorists actions more.
Lean into my turns too.
Have faster reaction times to things like green-lights than I used to. I want to GO!
Play with the radio and temperature controls less than I used to.
More concientious about kicking up dust on gravel roads for other cars, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians.

I've found it extremely difficult to bunny hop my mom's accord. Perhaps I should try clipless gas/brake pedals.

I point at pot holes to warn the driver behind me.

going over 70km/h seems like warp speed.
I actually go at the speed limits.
I don't gun it when the lights change, since I know the next light is going to be red unless I do 80km/h on city streets, but reaction time from brake to gas is much faster.

You realize that there's no need to hurry to the next red light.
You wish you were on the bike that just passed you.
Seriously, when are we going to get a computer controlled rolling green light system...

I stopped doing the fast paced, left lane, high stress driving since I started biking. It's just not worth it anymore. Now I cruise at the speed limit in the right hand lane like some old, retired dude from Florida. Thankfully I haven't gotten to the point where I leave my blinker on all the time.

I'm just not in as much of a hurry to get anywhere anymore.

Ditto...I have also sought out alternate forms of long distance transportation. I HAD been commuting home on weekends (430 miles round trip:twitchy:) Now I ride Amtrak:love: it is faster, cheaper and much more relaxing! I can kick back and have a beer or two and snooze off with no worries.:thumb:

Aaron:)

I've found it extremely difficult to bunny hop my mom's accord. Perhaps I should try clipless gas/brake pedals.

Brilliant.

i forget about speed limits it got me pulled over doing a 50 in a 35

Since I started commuting by bike, I drive considerably more safely. I never drove horribly compared to many I see, but I was definitely more aggressive at one time. I should also say that I no longer own a car, but I drive my brother's once in a blue moon.

I always have obeyed all the traffic laws, including speed, except on longer trips I used to push it a bit, though I was still far from the fastest one on the road. What cycling has done is slow me down even more. I took the day off today to run a lot of errands, and I just set the cruise at 60 on a 70 MPH highway. I'm in no hurry, and every 10 MPH slower = the equivalent of 58 cents per gallon cheaper gas due to fuel savings.

Cycling has also taught me that even if you follow 100 feet behind a semi, you're still getting some benefit. I LOVE getting passed by semis when I'm riding into a headwind.

... and I just set the cruise at 60 on a 70 MPH highway.

There's always someone doing that, isn't there? Thanks a lot, you're the kind of driver that makes the people behind you nearly run into my rear quarter panel as they try to go around you since you're so much slower than everyone else.

****ing hell.. Just go with the flow, it's safer that way.

/rant mode off for now

I stopped doing the fast paced, left lane, high stress driving since I started biking. It's just not worth it anymore. Now I cruise at the speed limit in the right hand lane like some old, retired dude from Florida. Thankfully I haven't gotten to the point where I leave my blinker on all the time.

I'm just not in as much of a hurry to get anywhere anymore.

x3!! Well said Bizz. My wife is now labeled as the lead foot and our car has alot of power that is really unecessary (did I just say that? What a Fred...) Anyway, I still unleash it on the back country roads tho!
I'm just more inclined to bike it than drive it these days if at all possible.

When in the car, I frequently have to remind myself:
- No cadence indicator on the dashboard
- You brake with your feet.
- That noise probably isn't the bottom bracket

That kind of thing.

The other day while driving home from TOSRV (midwest 2 day B2B century tour), there was a semi approaching me on a narrow 2 lane.

I actually tucked my head down a bit and braced for the wind! :thumb:

I have also been known to call out 'car left' or something similar, rather than just thinking it.

But more significantly, over the winter I have found myself misjudging distances when driving at night, especially at highway speeds. I spend so much more time riding in the dark that I am used to the shorter field of vision provided by bike lights.

Because I commute by bike and I also tend more and more to bike if I am by myself and I am not going that far I am driving less and less. I find that when I do drive my driving style is affected by my cycling. For instance I find myself slowing down for reds a longer distance than I used to and I sometimes go through orange lights that I wouldn't have tried to make before. Do you find your cycling affecting your driving?

p.s. If you ride your bike exactly like you drive your car and observe all traffic laws, I respect that but obviously this thread is not directed towards you.

I drive completely different. I'm much more cautious, much much less angry, much more understanding, and I tend to drive under the speed limit. I'm one of *those* people now.

If you ride your bike like most people drive I'm impressed, you must have bionic legs.

I find myself being more "Cycle Aware" and looking out for fellow Cyclocommuters..

+1

I found myself looking out for cyclists, understanding that it's their road too.

I used to always have the windows rolled up with the ac on. Now I miss the wind noise so I keep the windows open.

Sometimes while driving, I open the throttle all the way up and then pretend how that speed would feel if I was on a bike instead. I feel like I've earned that privilege.

I lean into my turns.

+1 hahah

I find that I stop pedaling when I shift gears sometimes

I lean into my turns.:D I also unclip when I motor brake to the next red light.

Bike commuting has actually changed my perception of traffic. I think it would be a good idea for any teen to commute one week by bike before being allowed to drive. That won't happen of course, but it would give some perspective to noob drivers.

--J

I find myself always staying closer to the left of the lane when I'm in my car. Even when there isn't a biker to be seen :)

There's always someone doing that, isn't there? Thanks a lot, you're the kind of driver that makes the people behind you nearly run into my rear quarter panel as they try to go around you since you're so much slower than everyone else.

Actually, I'm going the same speed as most of the semi trucks on the road. Usually within a few minutes of getting on the road, I just slot in behind one of them and follow them to my exit. Around here the truck limit is 60, and most of them stick to it. If you're likely to run into traffic doing 60, you're going to be arguing with the back of a semi every mile around here, and....I think you'll lose the argument.

Are we seriously saying, on a bicycling forum, that a vehicle that doesn't go the same speed as the rest of traffic should get the hell off the road?

I drive completely different. I'm much more cautious, much much less angry, much more understanding, and I tend to drive under the speed limit. I'm one of *those* people now.


+1

Plus I complain about all the fast drivers now. :cry:

Haha, I never thought I'd say biking affected my driving, but yesterday I was pulling up to a red, and I noticed I drove out way ahead of the car to my side. Once I realized I was completely blocking the pedestrian crossing, I had to back up a bit.

Car's here to stay..

Hey - what's that Car doing with a here? And why is that here going to stay?

In addition to the all of the above, I found myself making navigational errors a few weeks ago. The wife and I were out on errands, and we were near a section of my commute. On the way home, I started following my usual cycling route the rest of the way home, and my wife had to jog my memory a bit. I really would have been SOL if I'd come up to the bike/ped bridge at 101 and Fair Oaks in the Civic. :)

Are we seriously saying, on a bicycling forum, that a vehicle that doesn't go the same speed as the rest of traffic should get the hell off the road?

Yes, because a bike probably isn't going to take up a whole lane on a 60+ mph multilane highway. It's possible -- not recommended, but possible -- to get by a cyclist without squeezing too far into the neighboring lane.

Since you stick with the trucks, you're doing fine by me. It's the people who refuse to even hang with the others in the slow lane that force passing traffic to change lanes unnecessarily. It's like the flow of traffic is a stream of cattle, and when you stick something in there to block them, they push each other around to get past.


Hey - what's that Car doing with a here? And why is that here going to stay?

Because some women don't like going out to a nice restaurant and getting all sweaty in the process. Ruins their makeup, ya know.