Originally Posted by cudak888

Eh, I'm used to it now. Trick is to:

#1: Expect pedestrians or other moving objects in front, aside, or to the back of you to do anything physically possible, and have an exit strategy for it.
#2: Expect motorists to make any physically possible moves with their vehicles, and try to get the 'feel' for what they might do next by watching their movements, even as small as a few degrees off from the centerline of the lane (it might be 20 degrees off - i.e.: in your face - two seconds later)
#3: Be aware of vehicle, ped., and potential moving objects within 200 feet.
#4: Have an exit strategy for EVERY situation that can be conjured up for that happening.
#5: I do not ride where there is no possible exit strategy in an emergency (rare, but there are examples - usually streets with bike lanes designed by a drunk)
#6: Trust your hunch. It usually is right. I expected someone to make a left turn into me on the wrong side of a wye street once, and was right. Had I not suspected him of possibly doing such a maniacal move, I would have been steamroller'ed.

-Kurt