Originally Posted by
missmixte
Thanks for sharing that info about cycling and the law in DC. Scary.
I bought one of those loud airhorns for my bike, will wear a reflective vest, use a mirror, and try to be more vigilant. Not sure if there was anything I could have done in this case because the car came up so quickly and turned in front of me before I could react. But maybe if I were more experienced and paying more attention I could have anticipated it. I'm not sure. I was on a fairly narrow one-way street (with a bike lane) that has a lot of cross streets in quick succession. I find it hard to keep track of everything in a situation like that but I will have to try harder if I want to be riding around downtown.
Cool to know that you commuted on English 3 speeds. Thanks for the encouragement!
I think the Linus' are great. A friend of mine has been coming on a Public mixte for years (the NorCal Linus). He doesn't drive so that is his vehicle.
You should reach out to your local bike coalition and do an urban cycling class. I found it really helpful. Once in awhile an annoying driver will try to tell you to hug the curb, and I just ignore them.
. I had a roadie swear to me that it was way safer to ride at the curb through the bus stop and next to driveways. Back when I did that I nearly got hit! And ran into a car. No thanks. The urban cycling class helps you figure out when to take the lane. P