Street Savvy

Street Savvy

BY SUSAN SORENSEN

My first bicycle, a blue Schwinn with a basket and bell, was a gift for my sixth birthday. Once I overcame my fear of tipping over, I gave little thought to safety. And as long as I had a rubber band to keep my bell-bottoms from catching in the chain, my attire scarcely mattered.

Cycling has come a long way since then. Today's bicycles, better and faster, certainly aren't just for kids. In fact, the Bicycle Federation of America tells us that there now are more adults than children riding bikes. This doesn't mean, however, that we all have a grown-up understanding of the core rules of smart cycling. If you're getting back on a bike after a few years away, you may remember your mother or father yelling some of these same things as you wobbled down the driveway. Only then, you were too excited to listen closely and in too much of a youthful hurry to ask why.

Ride with traffic. Although it might seem safer to go like walkers and runners and ride against the flow of traffic so you can see approaching vehicles, nothing is more dangerous. There are three reasons.

First, it's confusing to motorists, especially at intersections where, for example, they aren't conditioned to look for vehicles approaching from the right when making a right turn. This is also why riding the wrong way on a one-way street is so risky.

Second, consider the physics. Let's say a car is going 40 mph and you're pedaling at 15 mph. If you're riding against traffic, you approach each other at 55 mph. But if you're riding with traffic, the car overtakes you at only 25 mph. The driver has more time to think and respond.

Third, you're actually breaking the law if you ride against traffic. In all states, cyclists are legally required to follow the same traffic rules as motor vehicles.

Signal your turns. Before changing lanes or turning, indicate your intention to motorists and other cyclists. It's easy to indicate a left turn--just extend your left arm. For a right turn, most cycling experts agree that your intention is clearer if you extend your right arm, not hold your left arm up as a driver would. (The latter practice began because drivers simply can't point a right turn with their right arm.) But either way is acceptable. To indicate that you're stopping, hold your left arm down with your palm facing rearward. If cyclists are close behind, it's easier and faster to say "Stopping!" loud enough to be heard clearly.

Behave predictably. Don't zip in and out of traffic or weave in and out among cars parked parallel along the street. Riding in a fairly straight, predictable line gives drivers confidence in you and may keep them from making a mistake in judgment as they attempt to pass.

Don't run stop signs, dart from street to sidewalk and back, or unnecessarily hinder traffic at intersections by blocking the turning lane. For instance, if the law permits a right turn on red but you're going straight, stop just on the inside of the straight-ahead lane so cars can pass on your right to turn.

Be careful when cycling past cars that are parallel parked. A door could suddenly open in your path, causing a nasty crash. Watch through rear windows, and if someone is sitting on the left side, ride far enough into the traffic lane to miss the door if it should suddenly open. If you establish this distance and maintain a steady line, drivers may not like the fact that you're in the road but they can deal with it.

In general, think of the behavior that irritates you most about cyclists when you're driving, and avoid those actions. If you respect the rules of the road and the rights of motorists, they are more likely to respect you.

Choose your route wisely. If you do just a little planning, you can almost always get from here to there on streets that are less congested. As your bike-handling skill and confidence improve, route selection may matter less. But as a developing rider, make things easier on yourself by using lightly traveled back streets rather than busy arterial roads. Buy a city map so you can plot alternate routes that you never considered using as a driver.

Be seen. Loud colors may not be your usual style, but on a bike you want to make sure you're seen by motorists. Wear a bright red, pink, yellow, or orange shirt or jersey. Tests show that in broad daylight, hot colors are spotted much more easily at a distance than dark hues such as blue, green, or brown. The disparity is even greater on a cloudy or rainy day. Helmets come in vibrant colors, too.

For riding in low-light conditions or in the dark, wear white and have lots of reflective material on your bike and body. Reflective fabrics or strips on clothing help to show you as a human form in the darkness. Reflective bands worn around your ankles attract drivers' attention as your feet bob up and down during pedaling. The law says you must have front and rear lights, too. In the city, where there are streetlights to help you see the road, point your front light up a bit so it's more likely to catch the eyes of drivers.

Think ahead. Anticipate the actions of motorists. Analyze traffic situations and ride defensively, just as you do when driving. One trick is to look drivers directly in the eye at intersections. This will tell you if they're daydreaming or if they know you're there. Also, take note of a stopped driver's wheels as you approach an intersection. If they're rolling slightly, he may be about to pull out in front of you. If they're angled, he's probably going to turn even if his turn signal isn't on. Similarly, never pull out in front of a vehicle because it's blinking for a turn. The driver could have left the signal on by mistake.

Use your ears, too. Listen for vehicles coming up from behind. With practice, you'll even be able to gauge how close they may come. Never wear earphones, because they rob you of this valuable protection. In fact, they're illegal for cycling in some states.

Don't, however, rely solely on your ears to tell you whether there's a car behind you. Always look behind before changing lanes or pulling into traffic. To do this, develop the skill of pedaling in a straight line while glancing back over your shoulder. It's common to swerve by unintentionally turning the handlebar when you turn your head, so practice in an empty parking lot away from traffic. It helps to pivot your shoulders first, stabilize, then pivot your head. Soon, this will be second nature.

Some riders like to keep tabs on what's behind by using a rearview mirror. There are various styles that attach to your handlebar, helmet, or glasses. Mirrors are effective but not foolproof--their field of vision is small and contains blind spots. Always double-check by glancing back before moving into the traffic flow.

Don't overreact to incidents. In this age of road rage, it's dangerous to incite drivers. You can't win a fight when you're on a bicycle and they're in 3,000-pound motorized machines (with who knows what under the seats). Should a motorist cut you off or yell something at you, it's always going to be tempting to shout back or throw up a finger. Don't. Let it go and it will quickly be over. React and the result could be a problem that affects you for a long time. Of course, a truly hostile action should be reported to the police, so get the license number or at least a description of the vehicle.

Don't let socializing interfere with safety. When you stop to regroup with your friends or read a map, pull well off the road. Avoid taking a break just over the crest of a hill or around a curve, where drivers won't see you ahead of time.

In most states, you have the legal right to ride two abreast, but don't be obstinate about it. Switch to single file on a busy road so drivers won't back up, get frustrated, then veer dangerously around you. If a line of cars forms anyway, pull over briefly to let them pass. In this case, a group of cyclists should split into smaller bunches of three or four. Leave a few car lengths between these subgroups to aid passing cars. Being considerate does much to further goodwill on the road.

Wear a helmet. I know, you never wore a helmet as a kid and you took your share of spills without cracking your skull. Consider, however, that 1,000 people die every year from cycling accidents, and most of these fatalities stem from head trauma. Accident statistics show that helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by nearly 80 percent.

Take into account, too, that you're riding in a much different fashion from when you were a kid on a small bike. Your head, higher from the ground, will impact with greater force. Your speed is faster and you're in more traffic, too. Modern helmets are light, airy, and stylish--and mandatory for most organized events. So get used to wearing one every time you ride. Before long, you'll feel naked without it.

Prevent bike theft. If you must leave your pride and joy where you can't keep an eye on it, secure it to a strong, stationary object such as a parking meter or metal fence. There are many types of locks, depending on the level of security you need. But no matter which type you use, the technique is the same: Enclose your bike's seat tube and both wheels in the lock (so a wheel can't be stolen). To do this, you may have to remove the front wheel by opening its quick-release, then set it next to the rear wheel.

Handling Harassment