SCARED to ride in the road...HELP!
Originally Posted by
VSGRider
…Frankly, I’m scared to ride on the road. People here cant drive and it scares me. A cyclist was killed while riding not even a mile from my house last year and I'm always hearing of people riding and getting hit by cars. Maybe it is because I've never really ridden on the road before and don't really know HOW!
Any tips other than the normal rules of the road?
All good tips above. As a decades-long cycle-commuter and road cyclist in Metro Boston, and former cycle-tourist,
I was impressed by these nice summaries of safe cycling behavior on two recent threads:
From,
"You take your life in your own hands":
Originally Posted by
B. Carfree
…Cycling is incredibly safe for those who choose to make it so. Staying sober while riding, using decent lights/reflectors at night, not riding salmon-style and staying clear of door zones are among the ways one can keep it safe. When we choose to do otherwise, and I have done so at times, we should at least own those decisions.
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Nicely stated, @
B. Carfree, especially your list of basic rules. My axiom for the door zone is ” Like a weapon, consider a stopped vehicle
loaded, with an occupant ready to exit
from either side...". One not specifically in your list is, ”When riding at night, look for cars, not just headlights.”…[and]
wear a rearview mirror, my premier decision for safety. That's the most salient advice I give to the statement, “
I'm afraid to ride in traffic.”
From,
"What's reckless riding, commuters?”:
Originally Posted by
tarwheel
I consider reckless present.
- Riding in the dark or low-light conditions without high viz gear, headlights and taillights.
- Not having functional brakes on your bike, or not properly maintain other equipment such as tires.
- Riding against the stream of traffic, otherwise known as "salmoning"
- Riding on sidewalks except in cases where lanes are blocked, road construction or otherwise unsafe conditions.
- Wearing earbuds, headphones or other devices that prevent you from hearing.
- Riding too fast for conditions on greenways and MUTs shared by walkers, runners, etc.
- Passing other cyclists, walkers or runners too closely and without signaling with a bell or saying something.
- Riding the wrong way on one-way streets or in the wrong lane on 2-way streets
Originally Posted by
chasm54
Nothing is risk-free. But your perception of risk is almost certainly distorted. Cycling is surprisingly safe. …
So the way to address the problem is to manage your fear. You do that by practising your riding skills, as FBinNY suggested, and building your confidence in your own ability to ride safely. That will immediately put you well ahead of the game - a disproportionate number of the cyclists who do get hurt are either drunk, riding at night without lights, riding against traffic etc.
Then start riding on relatively quiet street where the traffic isn't too intense, and get used to that. Then move on up. You'll find that it is surprisingly easy to become accustomed to and fairly comfortable with quite heavy traffic.
So besides wearing a rearview mirror, my other contribution to this discussion is that I once read on Bike Forums that one reason cycling on the Roads seems dangerous, especially to non cyclists, is because they look at it from the point of view of a motorist. A cyclist riding unprotected, balanced on a spidery, seemingly unstable two-wheeled vehicle does really look vulnerable. Yet myself, I feel quite comfortable in traffic because of my nimbleness, and enhanced awareness of my surroundings with an nearly unencumbered view.
Just this past weekend during rush hour after dusk, I was standing at a busy corner and watched a line of happy apparent casual cyclists ride by in the traffic. I did think to myself, as an observing pedestrian,
“That looks dangerous.,” yet I too comfortably ride through that same intersection.
BTW, I was hit from behind two years ago, with six weeks in the Hospital, three months off work, and five months off the bike, and I ride with more enthusiasm than before that deprivation.
Originally Posted by
chefisaac