andyprough

I'm thinking the hybrid riding style is probably safest because I am more upright and feel like I have a better field of vision and better control of the bike. The tires are wider and I feel like I'm able to navigate debris and rocks and gravel better.

Thoughts?

Mr. Hairy Legs

By "safest" do you mean least likely to wipe out on, or least likely to get hit by a car?

For road riding, I think a road style bike is safest since drivers are more likely to expect that you are travelling at a reasonably fast speed and are thus less likely to cut you off. On an upright bike, they will treat you more like a pedestrian.

Having said that, I've never actually noticed any difference.

raqball

I voted other because it depends who is on the bike.. I've seen safe riders on all types of bikes and I've seen cyclists act like pure unsafe idiots on every type of bike...

cyccommute 

It doesn't matter. The skill of the rider is more important than the kind of bike they ride. I've ridden just about any flavor of bike from race bikes with 19mm tires to touring bikes to cruisers to mountain bikes with 2.3" knobby tires. Not one of them is any "safer" than any other.

daihard 

I voted "other" as well, for the same reason. It depends a lot more on the rider than on the type of the bike he/she is on, IMO.

For an inexperienced rider like me, an upright position will probably give him a better awareness of the surroundings especially in city riding.

10 Wheels

Quad

https://www.utahtrikes.com/RECENTTRIK..._cat_quad.html

CommuteCommando

Pretty much, except that there seems to be a disproportionately large amount of maniacal behavior from some fixie riders. (I have one I ride occasionally, but don't bomb down city streets on one-mine is truly fixed with no brake, and I stick to the track and uncrowded MUP's), and beach cruisers.

Most of my riding is on a 105 equipped road bike. I feel pretty safe as I choose my routes carefully, and can go fast enough in a sprint to manage traffic reasonably.

GamblerGORD53

Cruiser and comfort are the same ambiguous thing. Change one to Dutch/ Roadster IGH.
That is my vote.

treadtread

The safest is the one that never gets ridden, but that would be boring.

turky lurkey

I think I might vote hybrid. My commuter bike is an old rigid mountain bike with drop bar handlebars and 1.5" Schwalbe Marathon tires on it, I think that pretty much makes it a hybrid? Though it does have more of a road bike style geometry with its current set up. The main reason I think my commuter bike feels a little safer than my road bike is the tires. I do a fair amount of hilly rides on the road bike and I find I am occasionally making a considerable effort to slow or stop quickly while going downhill without skidding the tires. The road bike has slick 23mm tires. I am pretty sure I could stop faster on the hybrid/commuter bike under the same conditions. The wider tires are also more stable in uneven terrain. If I had to make a quick run off the the paved road into some loose gravel I would much rather be on a hybrid bike than a skinny tire road bike. That said, the road bike is more fun and faster so I ride it any time I don't have to carry a load or go off road.

I think a stock mountain bike is pretty safe as well with the upright position, good traction and good stability.
In the end it does mostly come down to the rider, but there are differences in bikes.

jrickards

Being more upright on a hybrid or MTB may make you more visible than crouched in the drops on a road bike or lying down on a recumbent. A cyclist on a hybrid may also be perceived by car drivers to be slower and less racy/aggressive than a cyclist on a road bike in racing kit and that too may affect how drivers respond to the cyclists. However, that is how others see or perceive you, which may or may not have any effect on your safety but that is not clear.

andyprough

I guess I'm really talking about handling the actual bike. I feel I've got a better field of vision and better response time in a more upright position, and that I don't worry about leaving the smooth asphalt with tires that are wider, thicker, and have more tread.

I see your point regarding moving at a similar speed to the cars, though. That certainly should improve overall safety, as long as you can control your maneuvering and braking at that speed.

Leisesturm

The only reasonable answer to this question was given in post #4 . I suggest the thread be locked at that point and subsequent posts deleted. Some of you have no sense of shame or embarrassment. The improbable conclusions that some can reach and argue about simply defies all comprehension. I must have found this forum at a high point. Somewhere on the BF server there is a post by yours truly praising this forum for having some of the most together cyclists anywhere or words to that effect. Don't make a liar out of me. Please.

H

andyprough

This is the point I get stuck on. I would prefer to ride faster on a road bike with skinny tires and slicks, but in Texas I'm constantly having to deal with debris, gravel, torn-up roads that are mid-construction, etc.

TransitBiker

I voted hybrid, comfort & cruiser, because that is my own personal experience.

- Andy

turky lurkey

LOL! Are you serious?

alan s 

Whichever bike you would ride the slowest. As a general matter, the slower you ride, the safer you are, regardless of the type of bike. Other things should be factored in, such as the tires, where you ride, what you are wearing, lights, bike handling skills, how you ride and situational awareness. The type of bike is pretty much irrelevant compared to the other factors.

alan s 

BF is for discussion, which is why it is called a forum. I always enjoy hearing things I disagree with, given that people have different experiences.

spare_wheel

i disagree. this forum would grind to a halt if we prevented people who have little experience with cycling vehemently arguing that their bike and riding style is the BEST!

tjspiel

Personally, I think it's a combination of what you're used to, your attitude, your skill set, the type of route, and your confidence.

I had a co-worker who wouldn't ride his road bike to work because he felt compelled to ride it too fast. Personally, I feel more at ease on my road bike in city traffic than on a bike share bike. The latter make me feel like I'm riding a duck in a shooting gallery.

spare_wheel

then we have a winner:

DogBoy

+1

alan s 

I will add one thing, which is that hydraulic disc brakes do make my commute safer, due to their awesome stopping power. Last week on just one ride home, I was able to avoid two head on crashes from out of control oncoming riders on the MUP, by safely and effectively hard braking. Gotta love springtime on the MUPs. It's the same every year, unfortunately.

alan s 

Sorry, that's a trike. Doesn't count, but still awesome!

PaulRivers

Lol, +1.

I imagine by somewhere in the middle of page 2 things will go from somewhat absurd to completely and totally absurd.

None of the bikes listed are particularly safer or less safe than another. I might say that a road bike where you're to hunched over the bike to see around you is less safe, but there's a ton of road bikes that don't have that problem - I have one. I even tested it by test riding more upright bikes, I cannot see any better with any regular flat handlebar bike than I can with my endurance road bike. Either way, looking behind me is doable, but a pain. Looking forward is the same bit.

I did a series of flexibility and mobility exercises as part of exercising this winter, and that has helped with my ability to see around and in front of me far more than my bike choice. Also, playing multiplayer Halo on the xbox, lol. But seriously, training my brain to keep track of all the moving objects around me almost automatically has definitely helped in safely understanding where everything is while biking.

Bike style is simply not a factor.