cnguyen0320

It comes with time. If you live in a place where it is legal, just ride in the middle of the lane and move over when you hear a car coming. This way they won't fly by you when youre on the shoulder and when you're ready for them to pass, then they will pass.

big chainring 

Wow, some if this take the lane stuff is nonsense bravado that turns drivers off to cyclists. Why provoke people in cars? I stay as far right as possible. When cars pass me I am riding the white line.

Some of the stupidest riding I have seen is when cyclists act like cars. Making left turns out in the middle of an intersection, riding in the middle of the lane, riding two abreast.

Use common sense. Stay out of the way of cars. Pull over and let cars pass you if you are uncomfortable with a long line of cars passing you. Be safe and alert.

Also be aware that drivers in cars are not looking for you on the road. Make eye contact, be civil, act appropriately and not like you are in a race against them. Let the cars go, stay out of the way, and enjoy your ride.

doctor j

Rick458, I use a Third Eye bar end mirror on each of my road bikes. I've had good luck with them.

As far as your comfort (lack of paranoia) on the roads, it will come with time and miles. Semper Fi.

tdong

Remember the car always wins

BoSoxYacht

You have to be joking. Doing that here in Phoenix(where it is legal) will earn you a trip to the morgue.

xuwol7

A lot of conflicting info for the OP.
I don't use mirrors, not that they are bad, I am always aware of my surroundings and I find that eye contact with the car behind me works well, letting them know that I know they are there.
I do take the lane and that is what the PD where I live recommends and if you wear hi-vis clothes, lights all the time and follow all the traffic laws I think you will be better off. ( I do pull over when I am impeding the flow of traffic and do so safely).
If you cower to the side every time a car comes near they tend to bully you, like you are telling them that you don't belong on the road.
I don't ride with attitude and respect all traffic on the road and I have had few problems (you are going to get some people crowding you, yelling at you and trying to scare you but be predictable and aware).

Most of the cars can tell a serious cyclist from a bicycle rider by the way they ride and interact with traffic.
It is the bicycle riders that wear all black, never signal, never follow traffic rules and ride from the sidewalk to the street etc. that the cars hate.
A new law was enacted here that a bicycle rider not following rules of the road gets a min ticket of $120.00
and they have been writing quite a few, great law.

OP, indeed ease into it slow and confidence will come with experience, never ride in fear (kind of like the 1st time you went swimming you didn't just jump into the deep end of the pool).
A friend of mine was in a similar situation, paranoia riding the road, and he took a bicycle safety class.
The last day of the class the group rode in heavy traffic during rush hour, after a few weeks his paranoia is greatly reduced.

torque cyclist

I ride my bike like i'm a horse and buggy, just in the way of cars. the only time I enter the main lane of traffic is when ....heads park in the street (when they have a perfectly good driveway) or when I have to make a left turn. otherwise I ride in the shoulder or bike lane and if there isn't a shoulder (some towns are real crap like that) I ride as out of the way as possible.

bruce19

What paranoia?

Jaeger99

So will looking over your shoulder. I'm not down on mirrors - though I don't use one myself. But you sure don't need one to make sure you are clear of approaching vehicles before making a turn. And doing so - by whatever your preferred method might be - should fall into the "well, duh" category.

As for those who think they can consistently rely upon sound to alert them to a car approaching from behind - you all must have much better hearing than I do. When I am moving at a decent clip - or riding into a headwind - the airflow around my head pretty much masks the sound of most vehicles approaching from the rear until they are real close. Sure, I might hear a clunking rattletrap of pickup with a bed full of loose shovels from a good way off. But that beige Camry purring along the right lane will be pretty much THERE by the time I hear it. Different story if I'm just loafing around the neighborhood on my hybrid while riding with the family.

I've taken to shoulder-checking fairly frequently when out on a long solo ride. And of course, always when turning or significantly altering my line.

stonecrd

I ride in one of the safest towns in S Fl great bike lanes, lot's of club rides but you still have to be constantly on guard and not make mistakes and watch for cars making mistakes. I don't use a mirror and the only time I take the lane is on right turns to avoid getting curb checked by passing cars and so far by being aggressive and not leaving cars guessing on what I am going to do I have remained safe.

We had a club rider get killed last week on my daily ride circuit (I was not there), looks like he made a mistake. Very sad to see the memorial every day on my ride but reality is I have a better chance of getting killed driving to work each day so you have to keep things in perspective.

Weston Cyclist Killed After Being Hit by a Car | New Times Broward-Palm Beach

banerjek

If you want to get run off the road by motorists who don't mean it and provoke hostility in others, this is exactly how to do it.

Taking a safe amount of space is neither rude or bravado. Nor is it necessarily provocative or inconsistent with working with drivers. It has everything to do with being seen and communicating what is going on.

Exactly.

Note that staying out of the way has nothing to do with cowering on the line. The thing a car is most likely to do is whatever the car in front did. So it it didn't budge over an inch, it won't either. And if it's drifted a bit to the right and you're already as far over as you can be, you have a serious problem, especially since it's hard to spot tailgaters in your mirror. Add in things like people hauling trailers, construction equipment, etc and the value of shifting the line out a bit so they can see you and vice versa becomes more apparent.

On a tight road with no shoulders and heavy traffic, it can make sense to pull off sometimes to let cars pass, particularly on climbs. But this is generally unnecessary. Once they've slowed to a reasonable speed, you can shift over and wave them through so they can pass a foot or two away quite safely. It's all about getting everyone where they need to be. All you need to do is work with them and they'll almost always play nice even if you always have to be ready for the very few who don't.

BoSoxYacht

+1

I was hit hard less than 6 months ago, but there's no paranoia.

I'm cautious on busy streets but I don't think every motorist is trying to get me. If they were all trying to hit me, I would have been killed long ago.

OldsCOOL

Just because you arent paranoid doesnt mean they arent out to get you.

floridamtb

Well here in south Florida you simply have to accept that fact that eventually you are going to get hit. Once you accept that fact the fear and paranoia go away and you're more comfortable on the bike and can predict drivers behavior and actually react faster.

Carbonfiberboy 

No fear. Get rid of it. It will only hurt you. Whether or not a DiNotte taillight, HiVis jersey, and mirror will lower your chances of being hit is unknown, but I do all of that anyway. But mainly, no fear. Also, hold your line, ride as far to the right as is practicable, and watch for obstacles in front of you much more than you watch for what's behind you. And watch for car front blinkers out of the corner of your eye. But being mindful is not fear, it's just being mindful which you should be doing all the time anyway.

rick458

I have been riding several times this week, I got a bright yellow under armor T, and a bright yellow Canari jersey (that is actually one size too large 6'2 265lbs).
I am using map my ride, and Pandora but only in my right ear, after having two cars appear off my left shoulder, on my first ride.
Last two rides I went past the spot where the Unicycle Man was killed, there is a memorial there.
Taking a bit longer to toughen up the sit bones, but going farther each ride.
Not Paranoid, but very cautious, still bad about turning my rear blinker on.
One bite at a time.

diphthong

good for you! the rear blinker (to me) is the #1 defense for approaching cars from the rear. #2 would be frequently looking 50-100 yards ahead to size up potential road issues.
#3 would be riding in as straight a line as possible given the approaching road furniture, parked cars, potholes, intersections, etc.
a distant #4 would be my jersey color.

Campag4life

OP,
Some won't ride on the road...or on roads with say a speed limit above 25 mph.
I have a cycling friend...very strong girl rider who won't ride with the club because she won't go on the road. She rides big miles but sticks to a dedicated cycling road where cars aren't allowed.

To me, like many here that is an extreme but undeniable road cyclists get run over on the road every year. So I ride on the road, but a limited amount with group club riders in a paceline mostly...but sometimes by myself or one or two others. But my principle riding...I would say 70% is away from cars on a dedicated cycling road. Simple reason is it takes less concentration and safer away from cars.

rangerdavid

Prius, good for sneaking up on MF'ers

Campag4life

I think you just described yourself sneaking up on us with your pathetic post.

kevgoldb

Early morning rides, bright colors, and time. I also prefer to take a 5 mile loop instead of taking the quick 1 mile route with a bunch of traffic. I've heard great things about the Third Eye Mirrors, don't have one though.

rick458

I have been riding a big loop around the neighborhood, too many turns, stops and shifts riding around the blocks of my subdivision (8 blocks) I have been adding a mile or so each ride.
Finally got my Sram xt4 shifter sorted back out (I think).
I appreciate all the good tips, they help.

Chris516

Even before you concern yourself about whether or not to use a mirror, and which mirror to get. You need to understand the greater responsibility of riding on the road. Compared to riding on a bike/ped-ped/bike path, or an MTB trail. Because, the speed limit on the paths is usually 15mph or lower.

1. The speed limit on the roads is 15-50mph

2. The number of lanes total is 2-6

3. The potential hostility towards a cyclist on the road is, far beyond that of the trails. From motorists', pedestrians, law enforcement.

4. Learn the traffic patterns so you can understand traffic behavior without being surprised by it. Like how a motorist will behave on a two-lane road, as opposed to a four-lane or six-lane road. Because of a motorist having to crossover the double-yellow line. Also, Learn the DMV/MVA traffic laws. For motorists', in reference to cyclists'. Also for cyclists' in reference to riding on the road outright. Don't go by the Student Driver Handbook(not saying you are a student driver). Go by the traffic code listed on the website for the State of Texas. Be prepared for the 'close pass'. Be prepared for the GOTR(Get Off The Road) motorists' who hate cyclists' being on the road in the first place. There is also the pedestrians who hate cyclists being on a sidewalk. It is sort of like the song 'You say tomato(long 'a'), I say tomato(short 'a'). Lets' just call the whole thing off.'. Because cyclists' get yelled at by motorists' for being on the road. Then by pedestrians. For being on the sidewalk, or going too fast on the bike-ped/ped-bike paths. President Abraham Lincoln said it best. It went something like this: You can please some of the people all the time. All the people some of the time. But never all the people all the time.

Also, When you are approaching an upcoming entrance/exit, in a business district. Swing wide-left in the lane. Just for the width of the entrance/exit. To avoid some motorist suddenly pulling out and hitting you. By swinging wide-left for the width of the entrance/exit, the motorist exiting the business lot should be able to see you.

I am 50-50 on using a mirror. While they are bad for obtaining speed on the road. You can get an ache in your neck like me. From turning your head so much to look for traffic.(I probably look like my head is going to come off just from turning it so much, lol)

waters60

Very little reason not to use a mirror. For those who claim a sixth sense of knowing whether cars are coming based on noise or ESP, good luck. I rode for many years without one and considered myself to be very aware. They provide a margin of safety that cannot be matched without one. At a glance you can tell who is behind you and much sooner than without a mirror. The minimal movement needed to use the mirror means you will become more aware of cars approaching. They have saved me quite a few times. Very little downside to having one, unless they are not " cool " enough. I used to think wearing a helmet was not cool either!
" the rear blinker (to me) is the #1 defense for approaching cars from the rear ", unless the driver is not paying attention, in which case being able to see them coming is much more important.

Ghazmh

I pray to Allah, Buddha and the man himself Jesus H Christ before each ride.