ebh.backdoc

I was riding home from work on my 2nd day of commuting on my bike when I noticed a car ahead making a left turn...without looking because I was basically in the intersection already. I clamped on my front brakes and braced for impact.

I must say, here, that I think Sheldon Brown posthumously saved my life. You could say that I'm new to taking cycling seriously and so I came upon his website through this forum. I didn't realize that the front brake was more safe and effective. I think the difference in my braking put me into the side of her car and not under the front of it.

I guess my question is...are there any other lessons to take from this?

I was riding at dusk and I know dusk is more notorious for crashes than even nighttime. So I should have been using lights. I know this now, I keep putting it off because I'm trying to save money (for a wedding) but I think I'm going to get some lights this weekend.

Other then being more visible was there anything I could have done to avoid this? Also, I have factory Shimano brakes on this bike, would these be considered inappropriate for what I'm asking from them? My brakes are kind of squeaky and although that doesn't always mean a functional problem exists, I know that I haven't maintained them as we'll as I should have (another project for the weekend.)

I wasn't on a particularly busy road like a highway, just in a part of Philadelphia that's sort of like a small highway running through a crowded suburb (Cobb's Creek). I'm wondering if there are roads that you guys just avoid or hate to travel along? Maybe not the busiest roads but roads that just seem poorly designed for safe bike travel.

I know that this is mainly just bad luck but any useful tips, here?

terrapin44

Get the lights (front and rear) and use them. Even if you have to purchase cheaper ones now they are better than nothing. Other than that, I'd say assume every car is potentially going to do something that puts you in danger, so be prepared to stop or make other evasive maneuvers.

DX-MAN

Saving money for a wedding is fine; not spending money on gear that will help GET you to the wedding is a little questionable.

I suggest the following (keeping in mind, I don't always follow my own advice, lol):

Blinkie tail light ON at all times (unless the sun is so bright you're squinting with shades on!). Headlight on with full cloud cover or darker.

"Personal radar" -- eyes, ears on alert at all times; you CANNOT BE TOO AWARE!

Be cynical -- EXPECT every other person around you (car, bike, or feet) to do the STUPIDEST, MOST RUDE AND THOUGHTLESS THING IMAGINABLE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. You can only be PLEASANTLY surprised..... It doesn't require fear, just the awareness I mentioned. SOME of the joy of the ride comes from HANDLING those situations.

jyl

Amazon, search "cree XML t6", you'll find $25 headlights that are very bright (600 lumen) and on "flash" is very noticeable. At night I use the steady "high" or "low" but when it is dusk/dawn the "flash" works better. This light is as bright as a $100+ light in a bike shop.

Like https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006QQ...dir_mdp_mobile

You were left hooked. That is a classic accident, happens to motorcyclists too. Always assume the oncoming driver doesn't see you and is about turn in front of you. So cover your brakes (fingers on the levers, ready to squeeze), and if you are going fast, slow for the intersection (don't bomb through, e.g. on a downhill).

Also watch out for the right hook. You enter the intersection and the car to your left suddenly turns right, cutting you off or running you over. They had no idea you were there. Protect yourself by not entering intersection next to or closely following a car.

Cars pulling out from side streets and driveways are also something to watch for, and of course the door opening on the parked car.

The most effective measure I've found, though it only works in the dark, is a bright, spot-pattern helmet mounted light (like the one linked), point the beam directly at every driver who is a threat. It gets their attention, and if you just sort of sweep the beam over their face instead of keeping it in their eyes, it is not too discourteous.

degnaw

Having squeaky brakes may or may not be an advantage, since if loud enough it could get drivers to stop.

I typically run very bright lights day and night whenever commuting in traffic (a Cygolite Hotshot in back and a 900-lumen flashlight with strobe in front). In the thousands of miles I've ridden in traffic with this setup, only one person has pulled in front of me.

megalowmatt

I use the cree xml light jyl refers to along with a Planet Bike Superflash in the rear. Any more, both are on even in broad daylight. The flash on the cree is excellent and it's easily as bright as one of my car's headlights. Just stay vigilant and it's good you weren't injured.

BruceHankins

I agree lights always on. I don't know if its right or not, but any time I need top stop suddenly I lock the front and rear. Clamp down with a gorilla grip and hope it stops in time.

Astrozombie

Always make sure your front is tip top! Have you done endos like he tells you to? I had that happen once but i just swerved to the left and made it just fine. That wedding won't happen if you're dead guy! Get some safety equipment

Don in Austin

Get a really bright light on your helmet -- like a Niterider. I only use USB rechargeable lights as I think they are so much more convenient than feeding AA or AAA batteries all the time. When you look at a driver at an intersection with any luck the light will force the driver to be aware of your presence.

Don in Austin

cplager

This.

I ride with lights on during the day, too. I find that I'm less likely to be cut off with lights on.

donters

yeah,i think so,"Personal radar" -- eyes, ears on alert at all times; you CANNOT BE TOO AWARE!

sternzeit

Keep your head up and on a swivel. Assume every car in the opposite lane is going to make a left turn in front of you. Try to make eye contact with drivers. If you are traveling 15mph+ the drivers won't anticipate your speed correctly. Drivers see a bike on the road and think of someone wobbling down the sidewalk on a beach cruiser. They simply do not judge our speed well.

Be wary of the right-hook at intersections. I used to filter up to the light at a certain intersection until I was nearly right-hooked. Now I just take the lane and wait my turn. If a car passes on the left assume they are going to immediately cut back in front of you and make a right turn. Find alternate routes with less turning traffic if at all possible even if it makes your ride a little longer.

When you commute in traffic every day you are a vehicle taking the same route. Think of all the close calls you might have had while driving to work. It's no different on the bike. Most of my commuter rides have been uneventful, just like most of my commutes driving, but there's always the chance something will happen. Stay vigilant and follow the traffic rules and everything should be fine. I doubt anyone who commutes on a regular basis can say they haven't had a close call from time to time. I know I have, and a couple of them would have been my own fault.

spivonious

What gear do you have? A simple reflective construction vest ($10 at Home Depot) helps a lot. Riding at dusk you definitely need lights. No need to spend a lot if you won't be riding in the dark. You can get a light set at Target for $20.

lostarchitect 

Lights. Yep. I also wear one of these:



It is less obtrusive and sweaty than a vest, but it is still very noticeable and the reflectors are BRIGHT! highly recommended.

You can get one here: https://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/AMP113/ for $24.99. Well worth it. I think they have a cheaper version without the front pocket, which seems like a good idea, but I have actually never used it.

Also, read reviews on the lights. I see a lot of people riding with lights that are almost useless. You need something noticeable and bright on both the front and back. I use them at all hours. It can't hurt.

Lieren

I know the Cobb's Creek area pretty well, and if you're thinking your route selection should change for safety, I think you have a bunch of options. There's a surprising number of streets with bike lanes. While obviously bike lanes will not protect you per se, I find those streets to be nice and wide and have traffic patterns and signaling that are better for cyclists. (Caveat--I don't commute in this area so I don't know what rush hour is like.) Plus next to Cobb's Creek parkway is the bike path, which goes south and west to 70th and Elmwood. I'm an experienced commuter and I wouldn't ride on the parkway itself--I'd use the bike path or 58th St (bike lane, but a little hilly) and cross the parkway using the pedestrian signals, not the left turn lane. I just don't think there are that many bike commuters in that area and cars simply aren't going to be looking for you.

(Also! If Spruce/Cobb's Creek/Marshall Road or Market/Cobb's Creek are on your commute, these are nasty, sometimes hairy intersections where there are multiple lanes that don't even have to slow down as they make right turns. Bring your A game if you're passing through either of those.)

Leisesturm

I ride harder than most out there, and I have managed not to hit anything I didn't want to hit. Why hasn't anyone asked the o.p. about the condition or adjustment of his brakes? I've not deliberately endo'd but I can scrub off speed in a hurry when I want to. Just yesterday I was approaching a driveway and a car was rolling to the end of it, the driver decided to be an arse and deliberately rolled out further than he might ordinarily have, subliminally I registered that his wheels hadn't stopped turning and I put a fingers worth of pressure on BOTH BRAKES and was down to a speed that I could have stopped from without hitting the vehicle had it not stopped. I'm sure I was a lot closer to that driveway than the op was to the intersection. I reacted instantly to the threat. Without thinking. If there is any lesson to be learned from an accident on one's 2nd day of commuting it is that one needs to check one's equipment and/or riding technique because impacts are never ok. They are a sign of something seriously off somewhere.

H

RubeRad

However, I like the concept of protecting myself with giant heavy metal cages; especially at 4-way stop signs, I'll filter up the right, stop with what ever car is at the front, and go when they go. Of course you still have to be wary of the right hook, every interesection is unique with its traffic patterns.

But yes, as everybody else has already said, lights is #1. Or perhaps #2 after more defensive and aware riding. Or maybe #3 after those two and #1 Helmet.

caloso

Also, consider evasive action rather than immediately braking. If the driver is turning left in front of you, a hard right turn may be more effective than stopping. Best case is you give yourself enough space to avoid contact while keeping moving. Worse, but survivable is by changing vectors if there is contact, it will be glancing rather than head on.

This assumes good pavement, good tires, good bike handling skills, and a clear escape route (which you should always be looking for). It's an option; it may not always be available, but be aware of it.

caloso

Actually, the more I ride the less I consider things to be luck --good or bad-- and the more I think of them as products of awareness and preparation.

jowilson

+1 on this.

If you really love your fiancee and vice versa, buy lights NOW.

ebh.backdoc

Thanks everyone for the info. I think the biggest take away for me here is that lights are an important tool for...riding. I had sort of seen them as a vital part of riding at night but I realize how important it's owing to be to just have them as part of my commute.

The touh part of that is that I cross pretty much all of those. Im going from Overbrook to Woodland Ave. I really wish that I could avoid everything between 63rd and Masters and the intersection at Baltimore Ave where the parkway really begins. The park area itself seems to make cutting that out also impossible.

I think the other issue is that I'm leaving one sort of rough area and driving into another one. I've been in a sort of debate between riding my bike through rough little neighborhoods or busier roads through those areas. But I'm sort of encouraged to hear you mention 58th street. That was one of my thoughts.

As far as my brakes go, the shoes don't look very worn down, the only thing I could imagine doing is cleaning off the rims with some alcohol. I've never removed or adjusted the brakes from their factory position. As far as using my brakes in a pinch...I imagine that I could practice using my front brakes (as I transition from being back brake dominant) more and more and become more natural with it as a reflex. Sheldon Brown's website talks about experimenting in an empty parking lot so maybe I'll try something like that.

loky1179

High intensity stobe on the front on at all times during the day. This was driven home to me last year when I almost got left hooked in broad daylight after waiting for the green. I had my 5 year old on the trail a bike. The only thing that saved us was that I screamed at this woman and she heard me because she had her window down. I've had my share of close calls over the years, but after this one, I was literally shaking the whole way home.

I could have almost forgiven the woman - when making a left turn, drivers are focused on the oncming vehicles,, and pedestrians and bikers are a relative rarity. Almost forgiven - if she hadn't had the cell phone glued to her ear the whole time, and if she'd actually stopped once she heard me yelling. Nope, just swerved around us.

Daytime strobe really seems to help. I use these, charge the batteries every day.
https://www.amazon.com/Techlite-Maste.../dp/B0074D6PE6

jowilson

Not to get too off-topic but what did you say when you screamed? I have had a couple situations like this but I never know what to say. Do you just blurt the first thing that comes to mind even if it isn't a word?

saxdiva

Assume you're invisible to all but a few drivers on the road. Then, assume those who can see you also want to kill you.

When you keep expectations low, nothing comes as a surprise.

tergal

My normal thing to yell is something along the line of

"blahdeargodurghcardhurtouchohiiycrap" or something to that effect,


Lights, you need them i started off with cheap lights then brought better and better . At the moment i have 3 red lights on the back all rather bright, and 2 white lights on the front.

I also have reflective tap on just about everything!

Getting to and from work safely should be your top priority , speed and comfort come with time.