big john

The first time I went to Tijuana my friend warned me to never step in a puddle, no matter how shallow it looks.

Oh, and the OP of this thread quit the forum.

Flip Flop Rider

Shame about the quitting

big john

Yeah, I didn't understand why, just some guys were teasing him a little. Maybe he'll come back, it's happened before with others.

scott967

Don't try to pound in your bar end plug with your hand while riding. Don't ask me how I know.

scott s.
.

y0x8

Never ride without an end cap or grips. I once tore my ear against a bare steering wheel.

Altair 4

Sounds like an interesting story here.

trainchaser

My addition to the list: "Always watch out for skateboarders!!" This comes from a very close call that just happened this afternoon on my commute home from work, I was inches from being T-boned by a girl on a long board. Just a few inches closer and she would have collided with me and my bike, as it was she saw me at the last moment, jumped off and the board sailed under my bike...very close call, lesson learned!!

Clyde1820

On a "paper route" bike with heavily-filled bag, don't take a big swing when tossing the paper over Mr. Johnson's yard to his porch. Don't ask me how I know this.*

* No, Mr. Johnson didn't actually order 40 copies of the paper today.

rsbob 

Another reason to replace a bar end plug is a friend took an inadvertent core sample of his quad during a fall. Not pretty.

shelbyfv

At one time he had 20+ threads on the first page of 50+. I don't know what set him off but perhaps he ran out of questions.

pbass

#1 for me since I ride mostly off-road: Look where you want to go, not at the obstacle you're trying to avoid.

Chad991

Never try to bunny hop a dead skiunk on a road bike after drinking a few PBRs..

daoswald

• Avoid the door zone. I had a shoe torn open by the corner of a door that opened as I rode past. Could have been a lot worse.
• Expect to be right-hooked.
• For night riding, in addition to a quality headlight and tail-light, side lights help avoid cross-traffic not seeing me. (Planet Bike Bottle Blinky, or BrightSide Side Light; I have one of each.)
• Keep a Blackburn 2'Fer in the saddle bag in case a headlight or tail light fails. (2'Fer has a white mode for front, and a red mode for rear, both steady or flashing).
• Carry an energy bar and some gummy bears in the saddle bag.
• A usable pump > CO2. Carry one spare tube, plus a patch kit. My worst ride ever I had five flats. Nobody carries five CO2 cartridges.
• Bike commuting may drain fitness-ride ambition. On a given day pick one or the other.
• Bike commuting may help you to ride on days where you wouldn't have time for a fitness ride.
• A Tubus Fly and appropriately sized Ortlieb pannier is a fantastic bike-commute combination.
• You need more than one bike if you're a commuter. One for pleasure and fitness, and one for commuting.
• When planning routes, avoid roads where traffic is flying along at 50mph and there's no bike lane or shoulder. Yes, I can take the lane legally. But I can also get rear-ended by the car behind the car that dodged around me. (hasn't happened to me, but it's an accident wanting to happen sometimes).
• Ride more.

takenreasy

Thanking car drivers for stopping at stop signs and red lights.

rsbob 

I always give a wave to drivers that cross the line to give me room. Call it reinforcement

sammymann

Es mejor ser amable! Always. It's better to be nice!

rsbob 

Verdad

timtak

1. Legs (that move) should be high vis and reflective (the lack of high viz pants is my pet peeve. I have to add padding to yoga pants) Jerseys are high viz.
2. Cracks, rails and grooves perpendicular to my direction are little problem but even small cracks, grooves, rails parallel or within 20 degrees of parallel to my direction are killers.
3. Cars come in convoys.
4. Shout when in danger or fear
5. Chant (or otherwise make a noise) as you ride -- I do a lot of the time but this may not be for everyone. I also have a cow bell. I experimented with electrical sounders. I wish there were more such always bleeping sounder products.
6. Carry patches and a spare tube (assuming you are using tubes) and a pump
7. Carry a spare tyre (sometimes it is difficult to find the thing poking through your tire, so it can puncture a spare tube. When in doubt change both tube and tyre. Generally, I patch, but if that fails, I change tyre and tube)
8. Find out which taxi companies will let you put your car in the boot (only one of about 5 I phoned)
9. Avoid metal in the wet. Preferably avoid the wet. Ice and < Zero (Celsius) only if you can't avoid it.
10. Helmet and bike mounted lights (the former can be directed at incalcitrant high/main beam users. In Japan, bikes are sometimes considered pedestrians, at whom cars are encouraged to use main beam, so this may be a grey area. )
11. Bolt prescription lenses high on helmet visors.
12. Use ear muffs even in summer to lower wind noise and improve audio-radar especially in high hybrid/electric car density areas. This may be more important for those with enlarging Dumbo old-person ears.
13. Use hand signals (thanks) even for indicating the intention to proceed forwards at a junction to discourage cars cutting in front. I find a sort of charge of the light brigade sabre hand to help. This is new. Recommended. (But come to think of it, a raised right
    hand is the signal for turning left! Damn.　Use with caution)
14. Only hands and feet get cold (to minus 5?). Use PET bottle covers as shoe covers, and motorbike fairings on your handlebars.

Thanks to this thread, I may look into amber and blue rear lights (great idea), and on another thread, flappy things trailing my bike, like streamers from the rear or handlebars, since flappiness seems to make cars keep away.

easyupbug 

[QUOTE=GlennR;....Ride 3' from parked cars since most people never look back before opening the door....[/QUOTE]
I saw first hand a car doored rider in Adelaide Australia in 2006 and will never forget it, horrific! Violators of your advice are living very dangerously.

jackb

Ride as if you are invisible.

terrymorse 

Don't ride on the first rainy day of the season.

1. The roads are slick AF
2. The motorists are especially freaky

gringomojado

just ride?
gm

rsbob 

When approaching a traffic light controlled intersection where the cars are just starting to roll, never pass them on the shoulder, but hang back/slow down so that you don’t get right hooked by someone not looking or using their turn signal. I like to position myself slightly ahead of a vehicle that can see me that may or may not be turning but never parallel to.

rsbob 

When doing a fast descent on an unfamiliar curvy road, hang back a bit rather than over cook a corner and either risk going off the embankment or into oncoming traffic. Not that I have ever done this.

IronM

my personal rules:
1. Safety in numbers: try to ride with others on the road.
2. Blinkies are our fiend, even in daylight.
3. When MTB'ing by myself, don't be a hero. No one will see me walk the techinical stuff - at least I'm getting back to trailhead intact.