Need Honest Bicycle Advice

[freeazabird]

Because of MMM I broke down and bought a bike off CL today. I haven' ridden a bike in 20 years and even as a child never biked much. I'm now freaking out thinking getting a bike was a mistake. I need to know honestly from regular bike riders how dangerous is city biking? I plan to ride on the sidewalk only for now. Are they any women's helmets you'd recommend?

[Thegoblinchief]

City biking isn't dangerous at all...if you stay off the sidewalk. Act like a car. Obey all traffic lights, turn lanes, etc.

http://cyclingsavvy.org/ if you want to learn more about proper cyclist behavior.

I don't know of any women's specific helmets. I use a standard Bell helmet. My kids use Schwinn adult helmets with the size dialed down. Both types seem just fine.

[Cressida]

I started biking last year after not having been on a bike since college. I was terrified, still am sometimes. But it does get better. Just stick with it and be cautious.

[MDM]

You might try the folks at http://www.baltobikeclub.org/ or similar sources you can find by googling "bicycling groups in baltimore".  Good bicycling clubs (and at face value the one in the link appears to be a good one) cater to beginners as well as to the speed demons.  That way you can get good, local, advice.

Good luck!

[The Happy Philosopher]

Biking is awesome, congrats. I wouldn't bike on sidewalk unless it is a multiuser path that includes bikes. You are at risk of hitting pesestrians, and less visible to cars on the sidewalk. Driveways and intersections are also more dangerous riding this way. Try and find a low traffic safe are to cycle for a while until you become more comfortable with it. Trust your gut and cycle where you feel safe, your comfort level will glow with experience.

Safety tips: ride the right way with traffic. Use lights. Treat intersections with respect. Never pass a car on the right. Try and make eye contact with drivers especially through intersections. Watch out for parked cars opening doors.

[lsaurus]

I sold my car one year ago, best decision ever! I love riding my bike. I'm a super scaredy cat, I'm lit up like a Christmas tree in broad daylight and always wear me helmet and safety vest. Check and see if you have community bike ambassadors or city street riding classes. It gets easier. I don't recommend riding on the sidewalk. Check out http://bikeyface.com she is super adorable and has some good tips too, I'm not sure where she got her helmet but it's the girliest one I've seen :)

[freeazabird]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I will try my hardest to muster up the courage to get out on the road.

[marblejane]

Looks like you live in Lake Walker...I grew up in Towson and worked in Baltimore City for a few years. Honestly, if I were you- I'd drive over to Lake Montebello and do laps there on the new bike until you get comfortable. You'll have to do a lot of route planning at first- drive your route before biking it, etc. But once you figure out safe routes to/from your house and get comfortable with the handling of your bike, you will be fine. I would second the recommendation to join a bike club locally.

[Cressida]

Never pass a car on the right.

I see this advice all the time. But most of my commute is a painted bike lane between the sidewalk and the regular lane. I constantly pass cars on the right. Am I missing something here?

[GuitarStv]

There's not much danger in passing a car on the right if there's a line of 30 stopped cars at a red light.  Never pass a car on the right at an intersection though . . . because the car could be making a right hand turn without signalling and turn into you.  Big trucks have huge blind spots making right hand turns, so really can't see you a lot of the time.  If you have a bike lane and traffic is moving slowly, you will be passing cars on the right all the time.




FWIW, city cycling is not really dangerous . . . but it will really help if:
- You are confident on your bike.  Busy traffic is no place to be learning how to shift gears or how to get on/off your bike.
- You follow the rules of the road
- You take your lane when necessary
- You cycle with appropriate gear (lights and bright clothing at night, reflectors on your bike, a helmet)

I've been doing 40 - 60 miles of city cycling a week year round for a couple years now.

[frompa]

Honest advice about a woman cycling in a city:  It can be safe and manageable and even quite enjoyable.  If you are really nervous, as others have said, read up on basic rules of vehicular cycling -- riding on the roads, following the rules of the road, as the vehicle you are.  In most states it's illegal (and really dangerous) to ride on the sidewalks, so don't do it.  In addition to looking at on line resources, you might look in your city to see if there's a biking advocacy group that teaches bike riding in traffic skills.  Or, look around for some bad-ass bicyclist and ask her/him if they teach you the rules.  Basically, you stop at stop signs and stop lights, signal your turns, ride a foot or so TO THE LEFT of the white line (that's correct, NOT in the shoulder, NOT on the side of the road, ON THE ROAD), and make sure you are visible to other vehicle drivers, especially at night.  I've ridden year round for many years in many cities (including the one in which I live) and I promise that if you put the time and effort into learning to ride safely, you will have a blast, and also have totally badass, practically free, very practical transportation.  Enjoy!!!!

[MidwestGal]

Honest advice about a woman cycling in a city:  It can be safe and manageable and even quite enjoyable....and some other stuff

I actually prefer city biking, because the larger number of cyclists per capita means that bicycles are at least on drivers' radar.  In addition to the new bike lanes being put in, there are occasional signs here to remind drivers to look out for us.  In suburban or rural areas it may never cross the mind of a driver to look for cyclists. 

[The Happy Philosopher]

There's not much danger in passing a car on the right if there's a line of 30 stopped cars at a red light.  Never pass a car on the right at an intersection though . . . because the car could be making a right hand turn without signalling and turn into you.  Big trucks have huge blind spots making right hand turns, so really can't see you a lot of the time.  If you have a bike lane and traffic is moving slowly, you will be passing cars on the right all the time.

Thx guitarstv, I should have qualified that. The problem with passing cars on the right is that it is a blind spot and also they are not looking for you. If they are making a right turn 90% of drivers are not going to look to make sure a bike is not passing them on their right, also if they are stopped at an intersection waiting to turn right they are most likely looking to their left or straight ahead as this is where other cars which could hit them are coming from.  Many drivers also view a turn signal as optional. I've almost been hit once or twice when I've gotten lazy with this rule.

[GuitarStv]

Many drivers also view a turn signal as optional.

I've been under the impression that turn signals are no longer standard equipment on automobiles.  When you see one it's like spotting a unicorn!

[cthulhu]

i am an out of shape IT person who recently got back on the bike cause the face punching from paying 4$/day to park at the train station 1.5 flat miles from my house was overwhelming :)

once you do it for a week or so it gets a lot less scary.  i initially thought the sidewalks were a good idea, until i realized that cars turning right really didn't expect me to be going straight from there and i was a bigger hazard to myself that way than if i behaved consistently as a car, but as many threads on this site have pointed out, that is a very location specific decision.

i have a standard bell helmet and big kryptonite lock - i even managed to change a flat tire last week, drawing on all my 8th grade bike mechanic session at summer camp!  good luck.

[MoneyCat]

Be sure to check your local ordinances, because many cities ban bicycles from being ridden on sidewalks.  In my town, there is a hefty fine for doing so.

[freeazabird]

Thanks everyone. Does anyone have lock recommendations? My bike is worth $450 if that helps with cost-benefit analysis.

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

My #1 safety tip:

Don't be afraid to take the lane.

I see cyclists who cower mere inches from parked cars trying to let drivers pass them.  This is super dangerous!  If there's not room to safely pass, then move to the middle of the lane and own it!  You get to decide when it's safe for drivers to pass you.

When the road widens so that you feel it's safe for cars to pass again, then move over.  But don't feel like it's your responsibility to help vehicular traffic move as efficiently as possible.  They'll be fine if they are a few minutes late.

If someone is having a particularly bad day and deigns to say something untoward, let them know that you have the legal right to take the entire lane... but you agree it would be awesome if the road had more space just for cyclists!  They should call their city officials and ask for more bike lanes and cycle tracks.

But honestly, stay out of the "door zone".

[Thegoblinchief]

Thanks everyone. Does anyone have lock recommendations? My bike is worth $450 if that helps with cost-benefit analysis.

I don't have this lock, but this is a great piece on bike locks:

http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bike-lock/

My lock is a cheapo $15 cable lock from when I had a really shitty bike to "protect". My bike is nicer now, but it's so often bolted to a kid trailer that I don't worry so much about proper theft deterrence.

[GuitarStv]

Thanks everyone. Does anyone have lock recommendations? My bike is worth $450 if that helps with cost-benefit analysis.

Any lock can be broken into in a relatively short period of time.  A U-lock is typically harder to get through than a cable lock though.  Most people do not use bike locks correctly.  You want to lock the frame AND both wheels!  Get a decent U-lock and cable and lock up like this:



If you're commuting, leave the heavy U-lock and cable locked up to the bike rack where you park during the week so you don't have to carry it around with you all the time.

[enigmaT120]

I actually prefer city biking, because the larger number of cyclists per capita means that bicycles are at least on drivers' radar.  In addition to the new bike lanes being put in, there are occasional signs here to remind drivers to look out for us.  In suburban or rural areas it may never cross the mind of a driver to look for cyclists.

And the speeds are much lower in towns.  Out where I live and ride, there isn't very much traffic, and my odds of getting in a wreck are pretty low.  But the cars and trucks are going 60 mph, so the results of a wreck would be much worse than they usually are in town.

[Mr. Boots]

My #1 safety tip:

Don't be afraid to take the lane.

Great post, Mr. Frugalwoods. Exactly what I would have said. I'm the kind of person who tries as much as possible not to waste other people's time, but as a biker I've realized that it is absolutely not worth the risk to relegate yourself to the fringes of the roadway.

Sure, if it's safe then use the shoulder and let cars pass. But if not, take as much of the lane as you need. States have "share the road" laws and campaigns for a reason. If someone shouts or honks, rest assured you're doing the right thing and they're just frustrated at being stuck in a steel cage that they have to fill with $4 gas each week.

[hybrid]

I was in the same boat about a year ago and discovered that the road isn't nearly as bad as you think it might be for a few reasons....

• If your road has more than one lane, cars can go around you. Ride in the middle of your lane.
• When you are driving it seems like traffic is constant. In reality traffic moves in bunches based on the lights. I'm always amazed at how empty a busy road often is.
• Map out your route and use side roads where you can
• You will soon develop an "ear" for traffic. When cars come up behind you, you will instantly know if they are in your lane or (usually) the left lane beside you.
• I hate two lane roads, but I have a fairly long stretch I cannot avoid on my commute. I recommend riding about two feet off the white line. Cars will go around you comfortably when it is safe to do so, but won't try to squeeze past you when there is oncoming traffic because there isn't enough room. Crowd the white line and they may squeeze by, closely.
• You will get much more confident relatively quickly.
• Proper lighting is a big, big plus.

[galliver]

I want to second practicing on bike paths and/or quiet, residential streets to gain confidence. Then only take the streets you're comfortable with. Push your limits a little at a time.

I also want to second all of this:

My #1 safety tip:

Don't be afraid to take the lane.

Great post, Mr. Frugalwoods. Exactly what I would have said. I'm the kind of person who tries as much as possible not to waste other people's time, but as a biker I've realized that it is absolutely not worth the risk to relegate yourself to the fringes of the roadway.

Sure, if it's safe then use the shoulder and let cars pass. But if not, take as much of the lane as you need. States have "share the road" laws and campaigns for a reason. If someone shouts or honks, rest assured you're doing the right thing and they're just frustrated at being stuck in a steel cage that they have to fill with $4 gas each week.

I once had a lady honk at me from behind and then glare at me as she passed after I had signaled and merged into traffic where the bike lane ended (there was a "bikes can use full lane" sign, too). I ignored her. It was her problem that she didn't know road-sharing rules and got pissy. She wasn't going to run me over anyway.