Comments on: Commuting 101: Essential Tips For New Riders

By: Tina

Tina — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:18:43 +0000

I live in and work in a suburb of Atlanta, and I have to ride on sidewalks for part of my commute (5.6 miles) because a lot of drivers are aggressive, there are a lot of polite drivers too but as someone told me it only takes one. I’m just extra careful when I am on the side walk, I don’t ride as fast, I slow down at the intersections and I can see all of the driveways clearly so that’s no problem. There is no way I would ride in the middle of the road here! For my portion on the road I stay to the right as far as possible, maybe a little too far! There are large trucks and hills so I’d rather be to the right then have someone barreling over a hill not seeing me.

I always make sure drivers see me (look them in the eye) before I proceed if I’m crossing a street from the sidewalk or bike/jogging path. It is always better to be safe in any circumstance then right.

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:51:02 +0000

Bells and horns are fine, I guess, but nothing beats calling out to anyone you’re approaching where you are and where you are going. Ringing a bell might cause someone to step in your path if they don’t know where you are. Just call out, “Passing on your right/left.”

By: MD Miller

MD Miller — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:03:41 +0000

Great article. I just got a bike for the first time since college and I lived on a much more bike-friendly side of our community back then! I need any tips I can get and these are some great ones.

By: Allie

Allie — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:13:03 +0000

I’ve had that happen to me many times as well! Very common and VERY frustrating. Definitely just means you need to be totally aware as the cyclist..

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:23:21 +0000

Good advice, I’ve actually had this one happen to me:

Driver passes a cyclist and turns right, directly across their path.

Normally I try to hide my aggressive side but that driver got a nice dent in their car from my cleated shoe that day.

I will say it made me more aware of the people driving past me and turning and has saved me a few more times since then.

By: Bike Shop Girl

Bike Shop Girl — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:50:42 +0000

What type of “wool” have you tried?

Cotton’s fine if you can’t do anything else! Just keep riding

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:14:09 +0000

I admit that I take the bus to my university classes, but I don’t own a car, never have. So bringing home more than two small bags of groceries, or going places the bus wont take me, or on the weekends: I ride my bike. There are NO bike lanes in my town, but thank God there are wide sidewalks as I live in a college town near a major city. Drivers are dangerous sober, let alone drunk! And I am still very slow on my Townie, working on my endurance. For newbies who are scared of riding in the street (or grew up with that being against the law like myself), try to find wide sidewalks, park paths, or go before or after rush house traffic. Always stay far right on the road as possible and don’t apologise for being as slow as you are at the beginning. You’re living a better life than those poor suckers with car insurance and gas charges on their cards.

Question for the experts: wool drives me crazy and spandex doesn’t feel pleasant. Is cotton okay for the Texas HEAT?

By: Andrea

Andrea — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:03:13 +0000

Eliza (or anyone else who is new to commuting by bike),
I recommend reading philosophies about safe vehicular cycling from various authors as a first step.
Also, keep in mind that learning to ride a bike in traffic is similar to learning to drive a car safely. The defensive driving course that I took started me out in a parking lot, moving to low-traffic neighbourhoods and backroads, then eventually progressing on to major arteries and highways. As a result, I was able to practice skills to ensure that I could safely maintain a high level of situational awareness while driving, before I would need to use them in heavy traffic. By the time I made my way onto the major arteries, things like checking mirrors and blind spots, signalling, and anticipating the potentially unsafe manoeuvers of other drivers, were second nature. And, of course, I had to pass a test in order to obtain a driver’s licence.
To ride a bicycle on the road, I only needed to get one and be able to balance on it.
Cyclists seem to be expected to do something that drivers are clearly not expected to do – to be safe road users the instant they learn to operate their vehicles. I encourage new cyclists to practice the skills they will need to ride a bike defensively yet assertively in traffic, before getting into a situation where they will need them. Going for rides with a SAFE, experienced cyclist can greatly increase your confidence and abilities, as can planning routes on strategic streets for practice, or going at low-traffic times (such as early Sunday morning). Sounds like a lot of work, I know – but it’s not so bad when your practice routes lead you to places like beaches, parks, cafes, etc…

By: Horace S. Patoot

Horace S. Patoot — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:18:02 +0000

I agree with just about everything except the ipod. It’s no worse than a car radio; just don’t turn it up too loud. I’ve certainly never had a problem hearing a siren before the drivers in their glass cages. Listening to NPR and This American Life podcasts etc. is one of the great joys of commuting this way.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:32:10 +0000

keep your eyes open for dogs… not just your ears, your eyes too… some of the really bad ones won’t make a sound till you hear them snarling and see their slavering jaws just inches from your bare leg… even an agressive dog will generally think twice if you catch it early in the chase with your most growly, loud, assertive he-man voice… learn where the troublesome dogs are on your route, because they won’t take long to learn when to expect you