annacaptur

Tips on how to get used to riding in the city? Or how to ride safely?

flangehead

For me, riding safely on roads for transportation involves four principles, and in this priority:

Situational awareness: You have to constantly be watching what's going on around you and imagining in real time what could go sideways and what you'll do in response. There are a lot of resources; here in the US, the League of American Bicyclists has a good program (Smart Cycling | League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org) and I would think there would be comparable training courses in the UK. A very good summary of the most common situations is at Bicycle Safety: How to Not Get Hit by Cars (you may have to hold it up to a mirror..).

Conspicuity: Make sure they see you. This is more than just lighting and what you wear. It is also lane positioning and movements to make sure you are seen and acknowledged. Acting with confidence does a lot to communicate to motorists that you will behave predicatably.

Skills: Be able to make an emergency stop and an emergency turn. Again, this is best picked up in a training class.

Protective Equipment: Lastly, use protective equipment. Situational awareness, conspicuity and skills will go a long ways to prevent a crash, but when your head is approaching concrete at 15 mph there isn’t time to put on a helmet.

If you are talking about club riding, you'll have to adapt to the people around you and decide if their practices are safe enough for you.

I can't emphasize enough the importance of training. I take the training course every 10 years or so; I find I learn new skillls and perspectives each time.

Leisesturm

What city? Riding in NYC is not the same as Portland, OR. Neither is the same as Orlando, FL. As for riding safely ... FRAP. If you don't know what that means, just look at how the other cyclists are riding when you are out on your rides. Don't see any other cyclists on your rides? You need to move to a city where you will.

Koyote

Some good advice above, so I will only add two items:
1) Attach a bright red tail light to the back your bike, and use a headlight in front - even in daylight. Set them to higher brightness in daylight.
2) Before riding in front of a vehicle (e.g., at an intersection), make sure you can see the driver's eyes, and it's best if you make direct eye contact.

BobbyG

Mirros, lights, AirZound Airhorn. See, be seen, be heard.

Assume the worst behavior from motorists and prepare for it.

Be prepared to yield and to stop...even when you have the right of way. You may crush them in court, but a motorized vehicle will crush you on the street.

Plan your routes to avoid heavy, fast traffic. You're only going to go 10-15mph average. Riding down a residential street is not any slower than riding down a major thoroughfare.

Trade time for safety. If avoiding a dangerous street adds 10 minutes to your commute, that's at least 10 extra minutes of safer, more enjoyable biking, if not more since you'd be avoiding busy streets.

Keep your ears open. No earbuds, no headphones. However...after 18 years of commuting I decided ten years ago that I could safely listen to spoken word podcasts in one ear at a reasonable level.

Communicate with drivers via hand signals. You should already be using a mirror or mirrors. Signal your lane changes and turns...same as if you were driving.

Ride with traffic, be where traffic expects you.

Recognize heightened your own levels of adrenaline and try to relax and keep things in perspective.

Consider video recording your rides and reviewing select portions...it will make YOU a better participant in traffic. I began recording 6 years ago thinking I would be able to identify and report all the bad drivers I encountered. What I learned was I wasn't as smart a rider as I thought I was, and my behavior wasn't always so wonderful. I also then began reviewing close-calls and other less than optimal exchanges and started learning how to avoid similar situations.

That's all I can think of for now.

And all that being said, I still enjoy riding to work and back and riding on many streets other times.

10 Wheels

Eye Contact does not work

Watch The Front Wheel on vehicles that could hit you.

Paul Barnard

This is an easy and invaluable read.

https://bicyclesafe.com/

Gresp15C

Situational awareness and bike handling are important.

A little bit of maintenance skill helps, so you know that your bike is always safe to ride, with effective brakes that you can trust.

Find a place to practice panic stops, so you're not afraid to make full use of your brakes. A lot of riders are afraid to use their front brake, which is more effective than the rear brake.

I think that some off-road riding on tame courses is a good place to learn maneuvering and dealing with obstacles.

Lighting and visibility.

Route choice is important. You probably know from experience where you've seen most car crashes or their aftermath: Busy, congested streets and their intersections. I avoid those places or treat them with extreme caution.

rydabent

In cities, never ride on heavy used arterials. Stick to side streets and urban streets where the speed limit is lower. Ride MUPs if you have them. And yes situational awareness, and have a rear view mirror. Never ride with ear buds listening to music.

mr_pedro

Maybe some background first? Like what city, distance traveling, time of day, what bike, experience level?

Iride01 

Only way to get used to it is do it. After only riding around the neighborhood for something like 35 years when I didn't have much time to ride, I was very apprehensive about going out on the open roads and highways around me. Turns out there isn't anything to it. Sure some motorists are a-holes but in general most are at least tolerant of me. So for the last 10 plus years I'm puzzled by others that seem to have such a bad experience on the road while cycling. My experience on the road continues to be good.

Of course by "city" I'm imagining Chicago, New York City, San Francisco..... so probably nothing I've got cycling experience to relate to.
Learn the rules of the road and the laws of your state. And though you need to specifically familiarize yourself with the cycling rules and laws, you also need to know the requirements of your state for vehicular traffic whether with motor or not. Most of the laws we think of as motor vehicle laws apply to bicycles too.

Do you also drive a motor vehicle? Think about how what you are doing looks from the drivers perspective. Avoid being so "cautious" that the other drivers around you can't figure out what you are going to do.

Paul Barnard

This is why our OP joined the forum.

mr_pedro

LOL, guess there will be less new threads with one-line questions going forward, now that he/she got the 10 posts.

Iride01 

What motives are okay for joining? What motives are not valid reasons to join?

Is it okay if motives change at a later date?

livedarklions

Using the site as free advertising is definitely against the TOS.

That link is obvious Spam.

Iride01 

I might disagree.
https://www.bikeforums.net/faq.php?f...b3_board_usage

If the OP gets to the point where they are annoying us with every post they make, then you might be on to something. But the story the OP spins in the thread it was posted in makes it sound less like any potential for spam..... IMO.

livedarklions

OK, not spam, but solicitation, also from the faq:Solicitation

Please refrain from using Bike Forums to promote your "crowdfunding campaign" (kickstarter/indiegogo), commercial services/website, or to advertise items for sale.

mr_pedro

I am not that bothered whether regulations were met or not, the issue I have is with wasting people’s time by posting a series of new threads to get to 10 with no intention to participate and one line questions that are clearly made up by just combining the words bicycle plus a few words from the title of the sub forum.

livedarklions

Which the "person" whose screen name happens to be the name of the business did only to promote a business. The reason that there are rules against promotions. is because allowing it invites that knd of "post on all forums" game-playing.

Also, ten to one this is a total scam.
​​​

flangehead

-😠-

Paul Barnard

Most people who come to a forum and ask a question like the OP did stick around and discuss it if they are sincere. It is a discussion forum after all. I knew after a few days when the OP didn't follow up that the OP was likely a troll or spammer. A little homework and low and behold...