Originally Posted by
Dr1v3n
4. My next question is about "flow" and in the subject of this thread. I've seen many, many city videos like this:
https://youtu.be/WyV894c8oqI
I would not and frankly have no intention of driving this "aggressively" by any means, but one thing I've learned by watching these "city bike messenger" type videos is that these guys get very good at quickly reacting to movements of cars around them, predicting what cars will be doing, and seemingly having a very strong visual horizon. Do you have any tips for getting better at "flowing" with traffic like this? One thing I notice is that these guys don't "fight" traffic, they dont get angry when someone cuts them off, they just immediately react to it and adjust to get out of the way. I've found myself a few times getting a bit startled when a car comes out quickly, and it can delay my reaction time. Any tips for improving that?
This is the only Q i can be much help with. Riding like those bike messengers takes 1. Aptitude and 2. Practice 3. Speed. If you are lacking one of those three qualities pick a different riding style. In the city grid you really need to be able to hold 20+ mph for a couple minutes at least, and sprint up to 30mph for a few seconds AT LEAST. The ability to see the big picture and not get fixated on any one thing for more than a nanosecond. Distraction is deadly. Fighter pilot focus is a plus. PRACTICE is key, and by this I mean cycling the same route many many times to get the traffic signal patterns figured out, basic flow of traffic every block at every time of day you ride there. If you aren't assertive you'll get bullied and likely run off the road or crushed. On top of all this, you need crazy bike handling skills. You don't really need years of practice but you do need those three qualities or forget it.
Cheers.