There is little in life that compares to a ride along a quiet country road. This surely is the altar of our sport, where all the greatest qualities of cycling are brought into relief by the simple act of propelling yourself along by your own power. Despite being social creatures, the experience is heightened by solitude; when no one else is witness this glorious act, we are allowed to slip further into the simplicity of the act. Our arms reaching out to the bars, the rhythm as our legs spin the pedals, the feel of the machine as it glides along effortlessly, the feeling of power as we stand to accelerate over a hill, the wind in our face, knowing it’s generated by our own speed. There is only the road, the machine, and ourselves.
Alas, for most of us, this experience is reserved for special rides when circumstance finds us within reach of such a place. Indeed, many of us spend the majority of our time riding the busy roads found in our urban lifestyles, not deserted country lanes. This reality has us facing a choice between not riding or riding amongst traffic that threatens a significant negative impact on our well-being should something go sideways – like, for example, your bicycle.
While it is inherently more dangerous than riding on quiet roads, the risk of urban riding can be managed somewhat through vigilance and discipline. We must constantly be aware of our surroundings and understand not only the risks traffic poses to us, but also the unpredictability we ourselves bring to a driver who doesn’t understand the way a cyclist thinks, and what we might do next. The bicycle and the traffic together form two parts of a dangerous equation where we control few of the variables and stand to lose a great deal should something go wrong. In light of this, we should focus on maximizing the elements we can control, and marginalize those we can’t.
Ride predictably. When out training in town, consider yourself to be riding in the bunch, except the other riders are cars that can kill you. Just like riding in a group, when in traffic, hold your line, signal when there’s a hazard or when turning, and generally ride as predictably possible.
Ride on the sunny side of the street. If there is a shoulder, ride in it, but if not, stay as far to the side as you safely are able to. Don’t ride so far to the side that it means you might hit something that might cause you to move erratically; there’s nothing safe about suddenly flying out into traffic because you hit something at the side of the road.
Only ride through puddles you can see the bottom of. Water tends to accumulate along the side of the road, and has a nasty habit of being smooth on the surface regardless of what the bottom looks like. If you can’t see the bottom of the puddle, it’s safer to ride around it than it is to ride through it and risk getting launched by a hidden pothole.
Ride aggressively defensive. If there’s a narrow section of road coming up where it will be dangerous for a car to pass, signal to the cars behind and swing out into the middle of the lane until it’s safe for them to pass.
It’s helpful to be able to accelerate quickly to move with traffic if necessary. In the event that you’re riding in a lane in order to discourage cars from passing, it’s good to move at the same speed as the traffic in order to piss them off slightly less and reduce the chance that they go all gansta on your ass and hit or shoot you out of spite.
Be gracious. If a car does the right thing, wave at them in thanks. If you know you are holding them up because you’re obstructing their path, move the side as soon as it’s safe and gesture your appreciation of their patience.
Don’t escalate. You will invariably be placed into a dangerous situation by a driver who is either ignorant of the danger they caused you or is simply an ass. In both of these cases, screaming obscenities at them will only serve to put them on the defensive and make them hate cyclists even more than they already do. If you absolutely must say something, do your best to let them know why what they did was dangerous; if you’re polite and assertive, the message is much more likely to find it’s way home.
Details matter; pay attention to the cars around you. Take note of the subtle signals the drivers are sending you. Are they overly fond of the brake pedal? Are they speeding? Are they swerving, texting, or otherwise distracted? Or do they drive predictably and use their turn signals properly? These things will tell you a lot about how safe you’ll be when they’re close to you.
Avoid overly dangerous routes. Ride on the roads you need to in order to train properly, but also avoid unnecessarily dangerous areas or only ride them when traffic is at it’s lightest. Roads with good shoulders are preferable and, counter-intuitively, bike paths are not always safer places to ride; these are often filled with people of a variety of skill levels who may not be paying attention.
Lastly, cycling is easier to enjoy if you’re alive and in one piece; always ride to proactively avoid placing yourself in risky situations when possible and have a plan if you find yourself needing to take a risk.
Some fantastic riding can be had on urban roads. Always be careful to understand your risks; be agressive when safety requires it, and defensive when it doesn’t.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
frank
The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking.
As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it.
Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen.
Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.
@frank
I was reminded of Rob's Dahon the other day when I saw a guy in full Garmin Slipstream kit dismounting from a Dahon. Part of me said Rule: Fail, but then I wasn't so sure. I only wish I'd had my camera ready...
My favorite trick to riding in traffic is the 'HI BOB!'.
Someone cuts you off yell 'Hi Bob!' at them like you know them.
Someone starts cursing and gestureing? A great big 'Hi Bob!' usually stops them.
They start to think, hey this clown thinks he knows me. And it totally screws with their head.
Course if they continue to rant, I just blow kisses at them. (6'3", 300#, tattoos and a crewcut. Yep I am a big ugly bastard.)
I had an aggressively defensive moment the other day and I think this article helped...I was riding along on a kind-of country road that was kind of busy at that time. I was hugging the shoulder, doing my best to let traffic go by. Three close passes for no reason and I said, "Okay, lads, you've had your chance, you've buggered it, so fuck off." I took up the lane, moving over enough that the drivers had to wait behind me or wait for a very clear space to pass. I don't like taking a lane, but they had their chance.
Gotta ride aggressively defensive.
I tried to ride off-peak hours but got caught today as rush hour started to get going. (I'll commute during rush hour, but that's different since I'm just trying to get from A to B, not get a workout in.)
Wanted to see what you lads would do in a similar situation to one I encountered today.
Riding on the outskirts of an urban area. Three lanes, one turning left, one going straight, one going right onto the interstate. Edge of city, cars busy trying to get onto the interstate or cut over to the next city.
I was riding in the far right lane, staying as far right as possible. It was a turn lane and I wasn't turning. As I got near the intersection I signaled and started to move left, then peeked. (I should have peeked first). As I turned to look a laborer van comes flying past me, way way way too close for my liking, then jerks over to the right to get on the interstate.
I screamed as loud as I could, waved my arm at him, he slowed down seeming to signal he knew he'd nearly hit me. The drivers behind him gave me room too.
I know I should have peeked early, made sure it was clear and been even more firm with my signal. But, aside from that I'm wondering how you guys ride in a similar situation.
I try not to take up the lane to let traffic keep flowing. I also don't like riding to the far left of the turn lane because wackos will still pass at high speed on the right to get on the interstate. Riding to the right of the straight lane puts me between two moving lanes of traffic. This isn't a downtown downtown area where cars are just creeping between lights, but are starting to go fast on the outskirts.
So...how would you ride?
Stay right but LOOK and signal well in advance of moving over? Take the lane? Other?
Of course the ridiculous thing is the driver surely knew I was not getting on the interstate, as it's insane, and illegal. He was just being an impatient arsehole.
And of course, this was just the beginning...got home as fast as I could and rode very defensively aggressive but still had a few more dangerous encounters. Just one of those days...and to make it all the more fun was putting in 70 k in 104*F heat. Yeehaw!
Ugh, I try to avoid roads like that is what I do. I don't like riding around where interstates enter to exit, as folks are preoccupied with that and tend to be driving way too fast.
But given YOUR situation, I'd still ride straight in that lane, rather than taking the middle lane, but make sure before you reach the interstate entrance you look behind you so you are aware of what the traffic catching up to you is doing.
Personally I'd find another parallel road, if possible.
mcsqueakie - Thanks for the reply. I'll have to look at an alternate route. It's kind of a small bottleneck I need to pass through. Most of the time I take the long way and simply avoid this area.
Yeah, that is what I thought I should do - stay right, don't take up the lane, but when I need to get over look in advance, signal very, very clearly and then take the lane as the turn lane gets near the entrance to the interstate.
I try to impede the flow of traffic only when absolutely necessary. However, since reading this I've been doing it more often when I feel my safety is at stake. Well, I kind of always have but felt guilty. Now I just do it and don't feel bad at all. Gotta keep the cagers in line sometimes.
I think this is the best option, but wanted to see what some of the Followers might suggest.
@Ron
Avoid that road like the plague - even taking the footpath for a stretch (and riding slowly) is a better option.
From the sounds of that road, if you persist in riding it, you are just fucking with the law of averages and sooner or later your number will come up.
Whether you are doing the "right thing" or not by taking up a lane, signalling clearly... all those things are irrelevant if you combine fast (turning) cars and multiple lanes...
Yeah, I try and stick to roads that run 35 MPH or slower, because then the speed differential between me and the passing cars is much lower. I'll only ride next to fast traffic if there is a good shoulder (like the width of a lane itself) that I can be in.
I'm not familiar with your part of the country, but up here there is a lot of good riding to be had on calmer roads, so I interact with the high speed traffic as little as possible. I'm lucky though because I can get to that without having to deal with shit interstate and whatnot, you may not be as lucky.
Keep in mind a lot of the techniques discussed here apply to city traffic that is generally moving more slowly or predictably than traffic on the outskirts of town may be, so taking the lane, signalling, etc. may just be ignored where you are riding.
Good luck out there! You should grow an ironic mustache and move to Portland if you get a chance.
Came upon a bicycle-pedestrian accident on my commute home tonight. The cyclist was standing to one side saying "she's bleeding! I'm so sorry!" (is that in the first-aid protocol?) The lady who got hit was just finishing a seizure and had blood pouring out of a 4 cm laceration on her left temple which I compressed with a t-shirt from my bag.
She eventually came to and wanted to get up and go home. When I said no, she got mad and I told her I was a doc and she said "You are not! That's a lie!" Apparently I was not looking pro.
To top it off, a roller-blader came speeding down the hill and had to veer across the road to avoid the scene and crashed over a parked bicycle into some bushes. No injuries but his idiocy is permanent.
The ambulance finally came and carted her off for neck x-rays, CT scan, stitches. The cyclist (let's say "casual bike rider") stuck around to the very end but there were no cops, no questions.
A good reminder of the damage we can do to pedestrians, even when they are at fault (not clear in this case).
@xyxax
The victim is very lucky you came along; Merckx knows what could've happened if you weren't there and an unknowing person had allowed her to leave. Well done!
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@frank
I was reminded of Rob's Dahon the other day when I saw a guy in full Garmin Slipstream kit dismounting from a Dahon. Part of me said Rule: Fail, but then I wasn't so sure. I only wish I'd had my camera ready...
My favorite trick to riding in traffic is the 'HI BOB!'.
Someone cuts you off yell 'Hi Bob!' at them like you know them.
Someone starts cursing and gestureing? A great big 'Hi Bob!' usually stops them.
They start to think, hey this clown thinks he knows me. And it totally screws with their head.
Course if they continue to rant, I just blow kisses at them. (6'3", 300#, tattoos and a crewcut. Yep I am a big ugly bastard.)
I had an aggressively defensive moment the other day and I think this article helped...I was riding along on a kind-of country road that was kind of busy at that time. I was hugging the shoulder, doing my best to let traffic go by. Three close passes for no reason and I said, "Okay, lads, you've had your chance, you've buggered it, so fuck off." I took up the lane, moving over enough that the drivers had to wait behind me or wait for a very clear space to pass. I don't like taking a lane, but they had their chance.
Gotta ride aggressively defensive.
I tried to ride off-peak hours but got caught today as rush hour started to get going. (I'll commute during rush hour, but that's different since I'm just trying to get from A to B, not get a workout in.)
Wanted to see what you lads would do in a similar situation to one I encountered today.
Riding on the outskirts of an urban area. Three lanes, one turning left, one going straight, one going right onto the interstate. Edge of city, cars busy trying to get onto the interstate or cut over to the next city.
I was riding in the far right lane, staying as far right as possible. It was a turn lane and I wasn't turning. As I got near the intersection I signaled and started to move left, then peeked. (I should have peeked first). As I turned to look a laborer van comes flying past me, way way way too close for my liking, then jerks over to the right to get on the interstate.
I screamed as loud as I could, waved my arm at him, he slowed down seeming to signal he knew he'd nearly hit me. The drivers behind him gave me room too.
I know I should have peeked early, made sure it was clear and been even more firm with my signal. But, aside from that I'm wondering how you guys ride in a similar situation.
I try not to take up the lane to let traffic keep flowing. I also don't like riding to the far left of the turn lane because wackos will still pass at high speed on the right to get on the interstate. Riding to the right of the straight lane puts me between two moving lanes of traffic. This isn't a downtown downtown area where cars are just creeping between lights, but are starting to go fast on the outskirts.
So...how would you ride?
Stay right but LOOK and signal well in advance of moving over? Take the lane? Other?
Of course the ridiculous thing is the driver surely knew I was not getting on the interstate, as it's insane, and illegal. He was just being an impatient arsehole.
And of course, this was just the beginning...got home as fast as I could and rode very defensively aggressive but still had a few more dangerous encounters. Just one of those days...and to make it all the more fun was putting in 70 k in 104*F heat. Yeehaw!
@Ron
Ugh, I try to avoid roads like that is what I do. I don't like riding around where interstates enter to exit, as folks are preoccupied with that and tend to be driving way too fast.
But given YOUR situation, I'd still ride straight in that lane, rather than taking the middle lane, but make sure before you reach the interstate entrance you look behind you so you are aware of what the traffic catching up to you is doing.
Personally I'd find another parallel road, if possible.
mcsqueakie - Thanks for the reply. I'll have to look at an alternate route. It's kind of a small bottleneck I need to pass through. Most of the time I take the long way and simply avoid this area.
Yeah, that is what I thought I should do - stay right, don't take up the lane, but when I need to get over look in advance, signal very, very clearly and then take the lane as the turn lane gets near the entrance to the interstate.
I try to impede the flow of traffic only when absolutely necessary. However, since reading this I've been doing it more often when I feel my safety is at stake. Well, I kind of always have but felt guilty. Now I just do it and don't feel bad at all. Gotta keep the cagers in line sometimes.
I think this is the best option, but wanted to see what some of the Followers might suggest.
@Ron
Avoid that road like the plague - even taking the footpath for a stretch (and riding slowly) is a better option.
From the sounds of that road, if you persist in riding it, you are just fucking with the law of averages and sooner or later your number will come up.
Whether you are doing the "right thing" or not by taking up a lane, signalling clearly... all those things are irrelevant if you combine fast (turning) cars and multiple lanes...
@Marcus @Ron
Yeah, I try and stick to roads that run 35 MPH or slower, because then the speed differential between me and the passing cars is much lower. I'll only ride next to fast traffic if there is a good shoulder (like the width of a lane itself) that I can be in.
I'm not familiar with your part of the country, but up here there is a lot of good riding to be had on calmer roads, so I interact with the high speed traffic as little as possible. I'm lucky though because I can get to that without having to deal with shit interstate and whatnot, you may not be as lucky.
Keep in mind a lot of the techniques discussed here apply to city traffic that is generally moving more slowly or predictably than traffic on the outskirts of town may be, so taking the lane, signalling, etc. may just be ignored where you are riding.
Good luck out there! You should grow an ironic mustache and move to Portland if you get a chance.
Came upon a bicycle-pedestrian accident on my commute home tonight. The cyclist was standing to one side saying "she's bleeding! I'm so sorry!" (is that in the first-aid protocol?) The lady who got hit was just finishing a seizure and had blood pouring out of a 4 cm laceration on her left temple which I compressed with a t-shirt from my bag.
She eventually came to and wanted to get up and go home. When I said no, she got mad and I told her I was a doc and she said "You are not! That's a lie!" Apparently I was not looking pro.
To top it off, a roller-blader came speeding down the hill and had to veer across the road to avoid the scene and crashed over a parked bicycle into some bushes. No injuries but his idiocy is permanent.
The ambulance finally came and carted her off for neck x-rays, CT scan, stitches. The cyclist (let's say "casual bike rider") stuck around to the very end but there were no cops, no questions.
A good reminder of the damage we can do to pedestrians, even when they are at fault (not clear in this case).
@xyxax
The victim is very lucky you came along; Merckx knows what could've happened if you weren't there and an unknowing person had allowed her to leave. Well done!