spare_wheel

kids riding VC?
take the lane and assert your right of way, junior!
bwahahahahahahah!

spivonious

@SiulMan - Are you in the U.S.? I think you'd really benefit from taking a traffic skills course. Check out bikeleague.org for classes in your area. (left side of the page, "Connect Locally").

Out of all bicycle-car collisions, only a small percentage are hit-from-behind.

I strongly disagree with spare_wheel. Riding predictably (i.e. in a way where other road users know what you're about to do) is by far the safest method of riding. Ride a straight line, signal turns and lane changes, and stop at stop signs and red lights. Anything else and you're going to get hit eventually.

RidingMatthew

maybe this can help you? Do some planning before you try it

jfowler85

Yes. For 90% of my commute, there are no bike lanes. Most of this commute is done on a main thoroughfare with a 35 mph speed limit, and many do 40-45mph.

I didn't start out commuting like this though, I started out commuting 1 mile on a sidewalk. Riding with traffic requires a skillset that will keep you out of harm's way; if you are worried about getting nailed be a car then I suggest a few practice runs around some lighter traffic roads before jumping on your main commuting route. Do a week's worth of grocery runs, get familiar with how motorists treat road cyclists, and start learning things like:

be aware of what is happening a block ahead of you
anticipate cars about to cut you off
be generally aware of what's going on behind you
look over your shoulder without leaning in that direction
signal your turns
take lanes where appropriate
be familiar with local cycling laws
WEAR A HELMET

Best of luck to you.

Doohickie

Yeah, check out all the resources at CommuteOrlando. Brilliant stuff; the best I've found online in terms of guides to maneuvering a bicycle in traffic. And as others have said, the two things I think are essential is be seen - with hi-viz clothing and/or bright lighting, and use a mirror to give you more awareness of what's around you. I confidently take the lane, but once or twice a car approaching from behind didn't recognize me properly and would have either hit me or come too close for comfort, so I bailed out to the sidewalk. Mostly though the mirror just confirms that traffic is either slowing down behind me or pulling into another lane.

snow_echo_NY

i would ride with a bright headlight and taillight that flashes very very brightly - during the day, not just after dark. motorists will definitely see you and give you berth for the most part. bright clothing and helmet, reflective stuff helps too, but in the daytime, i don't think anything works better than supremely bright flashing lights.

spare_wheel

things that relatively few of the ~19,000 bike commuters (according to the ACS) in my city use.

there is very little evidence that safety-nanny prophylactics (mirror, hi viz vest, helment, 2000 lumen daylight flashing light, safety flag etc) have a meaningful benefit for typical commuters. but, if there is one thing i've learned, cyclists who post on the commuting forum absolutely love their safety-nanny "charms".

Doohickie

That's because cycling is, by and large, safe. But doing extra things to make sure other traffic can see you, and you have better self-awareness, can't hurt, right? You may be perfectly comfortable riding ninja with no mirror, no helmet, no clothes, whatever. I'll do what I can to make sure I know where traffic is around me and to make sure they can see me. To each his own.

spare_wheel

Riding in a straight line, signalling your turns, and trying to communicate your intentions are all good things but this is not what is often meant by "predictability". No one can predict what another person will do perfectly so both drivers (and vulnerable traffic) need to expect the unpredictable. And when it comes to vulnerable traffic the onus should not be on the rider or pedestrian to transmit their "predictability" to drivers using ESP. it is the responsibility of drivers to give people biking or walking enough space so that they can be occasionally (rarely) unpredictable. and if that adds a few seconds or minute to their commute...well so what.

spare_wheel

Agree. IMO, we do new cyclists a disservice by acting as if gearing up like someone going into combat is necessary. Bike commuting is safe! And almost certainly much safer than recreational cycling.

If lights (genuinely important in many areas), mirrors, hi-viz, and helmets were presented using this tone I would not have commented.

ItsJustMe

I can sure tell when my DS500 taillight stops working. Drivers start passing closer, passing in unsafe areas, etc a lot more often. If I let the battery get low, I usually know within a few minutes that it's dead and I stop and change out the battery.

CB HI

Yes, it is taught to kids on Oahu in the 4th grade at school.
I guess keeping the kids ignorant in your area would cause some problems though.

mrv 

- right. so if i go full ninja-biker outfit at 5:30AM, and cars CAN'T see me until they are 10 feet away while they are traveling 40mph (58.7 feet per second) i'm just as safe as my bright red glowing tail light (sometimes two with one of them blinking); a reflecto-jacket (or bright yellow jacket if it's dry and cool; or safety hunter orange shirt if it's really nice out); yellow bike bags; and a head lamp for on coming traffic. i'm sure being visible doesn't help drivers see me.

- right. i'll let you have at the Ninja-biker out fit. I'll keep my "Lucky Charms", which drivers can see... what, 1/2 mile away? Maybe more?

spare_wheel

The perfect recipe for 1-2% mode share forever.

spare_wheel

sadly, we have little control over what drivers do and do not see.

It?s Official: 33,561 People Killed in Traffic on American Streets Last Year | Streetsblog USA

CB HI

Odd you think that learning some VC riding will force the OP to stop commuting.

Keep them ignorant and riding only in bike lanes is your prescription for success.

Me, I am more concerned about the OP's safe cycling, rather than creating masses of cyclist.

spare_wheel

Derp. Masses of cyclist [sic] create safety.

CB HI

Of course, time for the insults from you.
In my experience, masses of cyclists make me less safe especially at night. Years ago when there were few commuting cyclists, motorist gave me much more room when moving over to pass me and more often in no passing zones waited longer until it really was safe to pass. These days, motorist are much more comfortable passing much closer and rarely wait at all for a point where a safer pass could be made.

At night, in the old days, motorist rarely realized the blinking light ahead of them was a cyclist. The saw the light as marking a pot hole or other road danger which might seriously damage their precise. These days, they see the blinking light, say, it is just a cyclist and pass even closer than they do during daylight because of their inability to judge distance. (I also run a steady light to help them judge distance, so let us not get into the blinky v. steady discussion)

The 'more butts on bikes makes us all safer' is pure crap.

mannie3moon

Very little of my bike commuting around town involves the use of bike lanes. But this is because I mainly use side streets, which have no bike lanes and almost no cars. Some cities have lots of side streets that you can use that make your commute safer and more convenient, but others only offer large main highways with no alternate routes. If you live in the second type of city, you can try adjusting what time you leave the house so that you have to deal with less traffic. Also invest in high-quality head and tail lights, and, if it makes you comfortable, a mirror.

If you're still unsure, definitely go for a test-ride when there isn't bumper-to-bumper traffic on your chosen route(s), like Sunday morning or something. You want to gauge how motorists in your area react to a bicycle on the road. The motorists in my town are quite cycle-friendly, but I'll still plan my route around how much car traffic there is, just so I can focus more on enjoying my ride.

See and be seen. Signal. Ride predictably. Obey the rules of the road. Stay out of the door zone.