Tips for Riding in Traffic by Warren Green
Filed under: General Information
Triathlon and cycling events are wonderful - cops blocking the traffic, no cars on the road, no traffic lights and stop signs to worry about. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same benefits during our training rides. Every cyclist has a long list of stories about their close calls with cars and trucks, and too many have stories about being hit.
This article contains a few suggestions for cyclists for dealing with traffic. These are my techniques and practices, and you must evaluate whether they work for you.
DO NOT ASSUME THE DRIVER SEES YOU. Even when you think you have made sustained eye contact, drivers often are oblivious to understanding what they see. I sometimes think that despite riding a pink bicycle and usually wearing a yellow jersey, I am invisible.
DRIVERS DON’T REALIZE HOW FAST YOU ARE MOVING. Drivers think of bikes as slow-moving toys, and they do not understand that you may be moving at more than 20 mph (or, if you are Jurgen Zack, more than 30 mph). Consequently, drivers sometimes don’t realize they are cutting you off when they dart out in front of you to cross at intersections, or pass you just to make a right hand turn onto another street or highway access ramp.
ALWAYS PLAN AN ESCAPE ROUTE. When you ride, think about where you might swerve if you have to bail out. What will you do if there is a rim-eating pothole or sewer grate in your path, or the rider in front of you applies the brakes unexpectedly. Do you have room to move left or right without running into a car or a curb?
BEWARE OF CAR DOORS. When you are passing a line of parked cars, look for people in the drivers' seats who might open a door without looking. Being “doored” is a common cycling accident. A parked car also presents the danger of pulling into the roadway in front of you.
MOVE WAY OFF THE ROAD WHEN STOPPING. If you pull off the road to check route, catch your breath, whatever, pull WAY off the road. A friend of mine was stopped on the shoulder of the road checking his map, and although he was at least three feet from the white line at the edge of the road, an 80-year old driver wearing fashionable wrap around “cataract” type sunglasses veered off and clipped him. He's lucky that he survived, and the only legacy is an aching leg when the weather changes and an inability to run. (When the docs wanted to put steel pins in his leg, I suggested he insist on titanium to save weight, but the docs didn't agree.)
ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET. And keep that strap buckled. The helmet should sit firmly on your head, with the front edge about two finger-widths above your eyebrows. It is not a cap to be tilted to the back of your head, or worn like a yarmulke.
PAY ATTENTION TO RIDING. Are you distracted on the bike? There you are, cruising down the highway resetting the lap timer on your watch, monitoring your cadence and clicking the buttons on the cycle computer to check distance and average speed and elapsed time, glancing at the gears to confirm you are pedaling efficiently, grabbing a snack from your jersey, and checking your heart rate monitor to make sure you are still in the zone. No wonder you thought that pothole seemed to sneak up on you. A lot of accidents are caused by distraction, and the toys we use add to that risk.
RIDE WITH A FEW OTHER PEOPLE. First, you can learn a lot from experienced riders. Second, it makes the miles go easier. Third, knowing you are meeting up with a group is a great incentive to getting out for the training ride. Fourth, it increases the odds that a driver will see you. Fifth, it discourages random violence and outbreaks of road rage from drivers.
DO NOT NEEDLESSLY PISS-OFF DRIVERS. Drivers think they have personal space on the road. The perception that their space is being violated or they are being challenged is a principal cause of road rage. Avoid taking actions that provoke this reaction. For example, after drivers have finally moved around you to pass you on the road, don’t re-pass them at the next traffic light, and circle in front of them blocking the lane while waiting for the light to change, just to make them wait to maneuver around you again a quarter mile down the highway.
IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. You are on a 21 pound bicycle, but the driver has a 3000 pound lethal weapon. A driver going through a red light or otherwise ignoring your right of way and hitting you will think he had a bad day and may wind up with a ticket; your life could be ruined or ended. Let it go. I remember teaching my daughters that when the light turns green for you, you don’t go, you look. Sound advice for children and cyclists.
And don’t forget to enjoy yourself.