Getting in Shape While Avoiding Death
 

Okay so I recently started cycling and fell in love with it. I'm also new on the forum as this is only my 2nd post so i decide to see how you guys deal with certain things since I'm not as experienced as I'd like to be yet. So i started riding my miyata on the road to go to the grocery store, local shops, basically anywhere close to avoid driving and get in better shape but today i decided to actually get out on the bike strictly for exercise. Now I rode 4.5 miles which I know wouldn't be an accomplishment to some of you cause I've read some of you doing 50- 150 mile rides in a day but for me who started less than a month ago and couldn't get up 1 hill it was a great sign of progress. Now here's the thing, this was the most unpleasant ride I've had since I started. Not only did I have to deal with the usual honking(which I try to ignore) but a bus and a truck pulled in front of me and the exhaust fumes were sickening, 2 cars cut me off and one came dangerously close to hitting me, and a landscaper walked right out into the street in front of me, apparently not hearing any cars decided not to look. I felt like i was playing a game of chicken. Now for my faults, the 4.5+ miles i completed took 25 minutes, not sure how slow that is but i know its no tour de france time. Also I attempted to be nice and stay to the right of the lane but since cars were just buzzing by like i wasn't even there i think it might be safer to stay to the center of the lane and make the cars wait. What do you think ? Is it my slow riding causing problems? Should i get on the sidewalk until i get better at shifting? or do i stay on the street, and ignore the honks and ride the middle of the lane? thanks for the input in advance

1) If the lane is too narrow to share safely, i.e., less than about 14 ft. wide, move closer to the its center.
2) Get a mirror.
3) If you think misgearing is slowing you down, find a quiet road or parking lot in which to practice shifting.
4) 10mph is on the slow side of average, and faster than most of us can climb many of the hills we encounter.
5) Explore your options regarding time/day of travel and route.

Best thing to do is to find quieter routes, roads with wide shoulders (some US highways, even with higher traffic speed and volume, can be super nice to ride because of the wide shoulder), and cycle paths if any are available to you. Of course you can't always pick a nice comfortable route and will have to ride on a narrow road with no shoulder, good news is that with practice it will get easier as you become more comfortable with riding and can go at faster speeds. The sidewalk is for walking only.

Where are you located? Odds are decent that somebody on this forum will be able to suggest specific routes in your area.

Contact Grant Petersen.

Ride in whatever way you enjoy, and remember you are invisible.

I'm located in Baltimore County, MD.

Just a thought but, do you happen to have a dedicated trail or similar where you could enjoy riding and getting in to shape with no cars and trucks to dodge? At least for your pleasure rides. Learning to ride in heavy traffic, or any traffic at all, can be a real challenge, and a quiet place with no cars will help you build up your skills and confidence if you have such a place available.

Slow riding is not a factor, since most of them can't tell 5mph from 25 mph from inside their car. Spin the pedals fast in an easy gear and they'll think you're speedy, giving it all you've got.

I don't recommend riding on the sidewalk in most situations, rather stay on the street. Except when it feels too dangerous - it's up to your judgement on an exception basis.

Not in the middle of the lane, stay as far right as practical but far enough in (when the road is narrow) to discourage close passes. In other words, if cars squeeze by dangerously close without shifting lanes it's time to get further in the lane.

Yes, ignore the honks as much as you can. An odd thing about that is, as I got more skilled and confident the amount of honking decreased. I think I became more predictable and assured, and people react to that.

http://www.baltobikeclub.org/
http://www.roads.maryland.gov/index.aspx?Pageid=594
http://www.baltimorespokes.org/index...opic=BikePaths
http://ohbike.org/events/
http://www.traillink.com/stateactivi...ke-trails.aspx

and dozens more using something called ' The Google'.

if there isn't room in the lane for cars to pass safely, "take the lane" and ride in the center (or perhaps the left tire track)

i'd recommend finding some quieter streets to ride on until you're more confident with shifting and riding in general. stay off the sidewalks though. :)

Don't even worry about your speed. You are riding circles around the people on the sofa. My wife has been riding with me and her usual cruising speed has gone up from 6mph to 8mph over a few months.

I can suggest a few things, some of which have already been mentioned:

-Find alternate routes that avoid the worst traffic.
-Take the lane when you must.
-If you have no option but to take the lane for a short stretch of narrow road, do a "hold and release". Hold your palm out in the universal "please wait" indication. This lets the drivers know you are aware of them and are asking them to be patient. Once there is clearance to safely pass, move to the right and wave them on, giving them a friendly "thank you" wave as they pass.
-Use bright front and rear flashing lights during the day. My personal theory is that this makes the cyclist a larger object visually and drivers will instinctually give more clearance when passing. There has been some debate as to exactly why it works, but it does.
-Lurk in the safety & advocacy sub-forum for a lot of other threads with suggestions on this subject.

many communities have established bike routes on their city streets, meaning some roads are better for biking than others. i'm from oklahoma where you don't see many commuting cyclists, but the counties have still established bike routes featuring road signs.

i live in seattle now which is quite conducive to riding, but there are still roads that i avoid on a bike or are off limits to cyclists entirely. by now, i know exactly where the bike trails lead. once i'm away from familiar territory, i use google maps' 'biking' routes (accessible by smartphone) to determine my route.

if traffic is light and there are two lanes of traffic each way, i ride in the center of the right lane. but i prefer roads with a dedicated bike lane and plan my route accordingly. when i'm downtown where traffic is normally congested, i always ride in the center of the right lane and merely keep up with traffic. if keeping up with traffic, there is no reason not to ride in the middle of your lane.

The Advocacy forum has lots more great advice, too.

Riding in the gutter is not what you want to do; cars aren't as likely to see you and worse, they will try to get past you without crossing the lane stripe, greatly increasing the risk of hitting you. If you ride a few feet off the curb, they will be able to see you and move over. Having a rear blinky light is a must, even in the daytime.

When I come to an stop light/sign, I take the middle of the lane so I can cross the intersection and the cars have no choice but to notice me. I've only had a couple of people say anything to me and once I informed them it would be illegal for me to ride on the sidewalk, they moved on.

For most of my long distance riding, I prefer to drive into the countryside and then begin my ride. At least around here, people in the country are WAY more tolerant of bicycles and the level of traffic is very low.

I also enjoy riding around the various neighborhoods and avoid the busy roads altogether. Plenty of short but steep hills in town and I always find a new section of town to explore.

In general I ride on the street and avoid bike paths unless it is a really obscure time, the cyclists are more dangerous than the cars in my view.
That said, I do ride regularly on the sidewalk on my way to work. There is an unavoidable section where conditions and traffic provide no room for a bike. The city could care less.
I could push the issue but the traffic zips by near 50 mph (40 mph zone) so level heads prevail and I ride the sidewalk for that section.
Now, with riding a bike one gets a renewed lesson on why drivers of autos should signal and do not. Or do dozens of other stupid things. Much of this behavior can be anticipated but requires effort.
That guy or girl at the stoplight next to you texting or on the phone? They will be bad news if you assume they will stop when the light changes.
Driver's head visible in the parked car ahead? That can be a door in your face.
So, awareness is learned. Anticipating stupid people is learned too. It will become second nature. The Sidewalk is sometimes necessary. Yield to pedestrians, its good karma.

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I have been on a dedicated bike trail but i drove quite a few miles to get there and what my aim was with biking was for it to replace my car unless I had passengers. I guess I'll have to do that until I get it down though but I've been able to shift decently now(was giving me some problems because of getting used to downtube shifters) but I realized what the problem is now is keeping speed going into a hill because i automatically shift to 1st gear and i lose alot of speed from it. Alot of helpful suggestions. Thanks

hey, bbattle. i lived in huntsvegas five years. i miss those great tennessee valley roads. i remember them to be the best maintained of any state i've traveled. comparing them to seattle is day and night, though our new mayor is making a dent in improving everything. fortunately for us, he rides his bike to work everyday.

Before setting off on your bike, give some thought to your "flight plan." You want to reach your destination by the most bike-friendly route possible. It won't necessarily be the shortest route, but cycling is about enjoying the ride.

Huntsville to Seattle? You in the rocket biz?

Are a lot of cars honking at you, really? That's not normal. I can't remember the last time a car honked at me. No, wait, I think I can, about a month ago. Any idea why they're doing it? Are you weaving around a lot?

But I don't mean to criticize. Baby steps, man! Keep it up. You will start feeling safer soon enough.

Not riding a straight line perhaps.

While not a fan initially, I must say that one of the flashing LED tail lights really does in a subtle way get cars to give a wider birth to a cyclist. And the flashing headlight, while of no use to see the road does make one more visible. During winter I use two headlights, one flashing and one steady.

"taking the lane" is a sure way to get honked at around here. Or cursed at. Or have something thrown at you.
Or, dare I say it, take the chance of getting hit. There always seem to be that 5 % of drivers who seem to hate cyclists
taking up "their" precious space and time on the road.

First of all, good for you, and stop criticizing yourself. You're doing many good things at once. If cyclists are rare in your area, you're making it safer for cyclists because to a small degree, you're getting motorists getting used to seeing cyclists. And that's the least you're doing.

I have also found that the more assertively I ride, the more respect I get from motorists. Note that I am in NEW JERSEY, which is famous for bad driving, and it is a well-earned reputation. I take the lane often. Another technique I have stumbled upon is to turn my head back, even when I know where the car behind me is. Sometimes, I do a double take. This signals to the driver that I know he is there and the way I am driving my bike is deliberate and conscious. I take the lane when it's not safe for a vehicle to pass me in the lane. But I try not to obstruct traffic, too, so I move over to let them pass when possible.

Sometimes I signal with my double-take turnaround by looking backwards and turning left. It's a very clear signal.

Lots of lights and reflective gear says, "Hey, I'm here, please help to take care of me, and I'll be courteous to you."

My short motto is "Predict others, and be predictable." People will cut you off. Try not to let any of this get to you. If you get annoyed, you lose. The biggest threats are right hooks and left hooks. The right hook is where you are going straight and someone comes from behind on your left and turns right in front of you. Be prepared to swerve right or brake hard or both. But as soon as you see them begin this move, ring your bell and yell. He just might stop or slow.

The left hook is where an oncoming driver turns left in front of you while you're going straight. In this case, whenever someone is coming in your opposite direction, be prepared to swerve to the right or brake hard or both. Again, ring your bell and yell if they start this move.

Those are the two biggest ways to get in a car/bike collision where the motorist is at fault.

When someone gets angry at you, don't get angry back, at least not outwardly. You could mutter some choice words under your breath if you need to. Ask yourself if you have any part in the matter. You might. Best not to express anger with your face or gestures or words. Maybe a wave, because that can be construed as "sorry" or "hey, great to see you," or at least "Hi, I see you."

Do not worry about your pace. Just enjoy the riding. Your pace will take care of itself. If you get winded or sore, slow down or stop, and catch your breath. Then resume. That's what I do, and it works for everyone at every level of fitness.

@Op Good to hear you are taking up the riding lifestyle.

I've decided that the danger of an accident has forced me to change my riding habits.

Gas powered vehicles and bicycles are the main beef for me.

I'm not commuting atm.

However, I do ride six days out of the week.

The volume of bicycles here on our paths and dedicated lanes have been major factors in my new found zeal for gravel roads.

Takes me about 25 minutes to get out of town and onto gravel/farm roads.

In addition, our city streets are so filled with pot holes, it's knocking the wheels out of true way before they should need attention.

So my tip is to consider as many alternatives to the daily ride routine as possible.

Tons of good advice here, can't add to it by much. Over the years I have focused on learning to peddle in a way that does not impact my steering (wobble). This demonstrates that I know how to ride a bike straight and car drivers don't get as nervous because you look predictable. Same is true for bikers passing you. It takes time but it actually is a great help in a number of ways including improved efficiency.

Double check the fit of the bike. If your seat is too low, you will not be as steady, which is true if it is too high. Place your feet in a comfortable position on the pedals which goes along with bike fit. If you are comfortable on the bike, you can focus on the driving.

Keep up the good work! I have started again after a nearly a year of no riding and average about 12 mph. It's OK, it will only get better. On this note, make sure your tires are inflated to the proper PSI. If they are low, you will be slow and exert a lot of energy.

Read the "The Art of Cycling: A Guide to Bicycling in 21st-Century America" by Robert Hurst.

Cycling safety requires carefully selected routes, complete safety equipment, safe bike control and eyes in the back of your head.

Ride in whatever way you enjoy, and remember you are invisible.

^^ That. Riding anything with two wheels I assume that people don't see me and be ready to react.