floridamtb

Take some advice from Capt Spiers from Band of Brothers. You just have to accept the fact that you're already dead. Once you embrace the fact that you ARE going to be run off the road and killed the easier and safer you are, you'll be more comfortable, more relaxed and can better respond to drivers... and possibly survive!

Gatorfreak

It's not paranoia. They ARE out to get you.

bigdo13

this... after a long time... you just get this extra type of sense about a car behind you... it's like your hearing is heightened as well...

and LOL @ "Prii" ...

jon c. 

Although only reformed hippies can actually afford them.

rick458

I need to find a bike mount for my phone, and ditch both ear pieces, I was locating a pickup truck today(who I must say gave me plenty of room) and damn near struck a parked PT Cruiser, and did brush a garbage can.
Seems like the Good Lord designed us with stereoscopic hearing, as well as vision.
I did have my rear blinky going, and had the Hardrock working MUCH smoother (got the Sram XT4 shifters tuned out, tires at 60 psi brakes adjusted, etc..) and split speeds are climbing even had a 16 mph split, and a few 15s which is moving for a Fat boy on a mountain bike.
I rode a few blocks on the busiest road around(Underwood/Battle ground) and have not had any bad encounters but for the most part there isnt much friction around here.
I do notice the road shoulders could use some work, but my bike handling is improving with my sit bones and aerobic capacity.
I keep trying different routes to keep it interesting.
Thanks for all the advice.

JohnJ80

I love to cycle but not enough to do this.

Stay off busy roads.

J.

floridamtb

hard to do for me living in south Florida. All of the roads are busy so you have really have to get comfortable with riding with traffic and be very aware. Back in June I took my bike to Virginia to ride actual mountains again. It was nice riding on some mountain roads where you were lucky if you saw one car every 30 - 40 minutes. All I heard was the wind blowing through the trees and the occasional deer running through the leaves.

JohnJ80

I hear you. Not long ago, I visited family in another city and was pretty amazed at the lack of cyclist friendly roads there. Where I live (Minnesota), we tend to have roads that are pretty friendly to cyclists in comparison to other places. I'd like to say that that was intentional but it wasn't until recently. It was more a function of being able to keep cars on the road and having a place to plow the snow to until a while ago where it became the default way to build a road.

I don't know what I'd do if I had to live in other areas that are not cyclist friendly. I'd probably move - but that's just me.

J.

cellery

I ride in traffic without any illusion that driving a car would be any safer.

holden west

A commuting cyclist must find the peaceful middle ground between coward and [censored word meaning bag of water used in feminine cleansing]. We all know that riders shouldn't behave like jerks but if you're don't assert yourself that annoys drivers too. Things like hugging the curb so closely that you're weaving out and around parked cars and other obstructions or riding on the sidewalk thinking its safer. From a driver's perspective that's very unpredictable behaviour. I'd rather see a biker holding a straight and steady line so that I can move my car over and pass him.

In 30 years of commuting I've only been bumped once. A truck's side mirror glanced off my shoulder. He apologized, saying the car in the other lane squeezed him over and he had nowhere else to go. Afterward, I thought, "hey, trapped between a car and a bike he chose me?" Anyway, that aside, be confident and aware.

RollCNY

I have been hit by cars twice, and in both cases it had nothing to do with having or not having a mirror. I knew where they were, they saw me, and in both cases they put their vehicle in a path I could not avoid (one turned in front of me, other ran stop sign into me). The statistics stink for detail, but IIRC the least probable cause of cyclist fatality is struck from behind. Hit head on (salmon) and intersection hits far dwarf hit from behind.

So what I am saying is that you can be paranoid about what's behind you, but there is far more danger left, right, and ahead of you. Every intersection is a risk. I am not saying this to be a downer, just saying to be aware of the most pressing danger, and ride accordingly.

loimpact

I recently made some equipment changes that have opened up the road for me a bit more lately. More room at intersections, along curbs, bike lanes, merging across traffic.....pretty much everywhere.

I can't recommend it enough

rick458

So I should ride with My .458 SOCOM Teppo Jutsu AR, and My Kimber? or the G-17 and the AAC 300 Blackout?

CNC2204

It only hurts for the first 4 surgeries ...

RollCNY

@CNC2204, wow. Hope you are alright and not facing a painful long term future.

However, after my sympathetic thoughts, my BF sarcasm kicked in, and I thought:
1) That's got to be a ***** to shave?
2) Most people who cut themselves shaving stop before you did.
3) There are easier ways to get calf definition.

These are all meant in good fun though, and best wishes.

calyco

Hey.. at least his whole kit matches. Does the guy in front of him carry an RPG?

Null66

THIS!

And in my mirror, sometimes I can see if they're fiddling with their phone...

Or if they have extended mirrors.

One social engineering thing you can do if you KNOW they are far enough away is to bobble your line a bit... People will give you more room...

Mirrors can also tell you when NOT to reach for the water bottle and have that slight variation in your line...

Feeling more comfortable in ignorance of risk is not actually safer... The key to risk is managing it.

nkfrench 

There are some great resources online from cyclingsavvy.org and commuteorlando.com that cover safe cycling.
I went to a CycleSavvy workshop which bolstered my confidence.
A little healthy fear is good to keep you alert but too much and you'll put yourself into situations that seem safe but are actually riskier.
Group rides get you more comfortable on roads but take any advice with a grain of salt. Outside the safety of a group, many can be timid and fearful too.

alexaschwanden

I redline my legs over 120rpm so I have the power to out maneuver the cars.

eastbay71

I prefer the G-17 because its compact and lightweight. If you need to save additional weight only load half the clip. Or maybe those new non-lead eco friendly bullets are lighter

Come on Rick you're a Marine, you might need to just HTFU. Don't let this squid show you up.

rick458

I could carry the 458 SOCOM and a Brace of 45s I just need a left hand holster and a good plate carrier
Going from the Hardrock to the Domane will free up 10 lbs easy.

blackbox

I am afraid of roller coasters, when I get on it, I close my eyes.
Maybe that?

seypat

When you are driving around in your auto, think about what puts the cyclists you encounter in good or bad situations. Then apply this to your cycling. One thing I never thought about until I came upon some riders doing it is riding directly into the sun. If you can avoid it, do not ride east during sunrise or west during dusk/sundown. You are invisible from behind and there is nothing you can do about it. Taking the lane sounds great, but not sitting a stop light between cars. Look around and position yourself so you don't get crushed between cars during one of those chain reaction accordion accidents. Speaking of traffic lights, when the light turns green is it too much to ask for riders to pedal through the intersection and THEN clip in on the other side? I see so many look down and lollygag for a couple of seconds while they get clipped in then they accelerate and go across. The people in the back of the group get hung out to dry in the middle on the intersection and the opposing cars have to wait. The opposing cars that have timed it right have to slam on their brakes to avoid an accident. If possible, get out of the busy city and onto less traveled roads. Be wary going into blind curves, all curves for that matter. Opposing drivers tend to drift across the divider line and cut the corner. Why, I have no idea but I see it constantly. Then they yank it back over as the opposing traffic gets close.

In summary, always be aware of what is going on around you. Do everything you can do to minimize the risks.

rick458

I was driving home from work this morning, and saw movement on the road coming at me, all I saw was a black shape under the shadow of a tree.
When we got closer, I saw it was a young man, in White shorts, Yellow cap, pedal reflectors and two front facing reflectors on a BMX style bike.
He was all but invisible in that tree's shadow.

diphthong

because firearms are always the answer for some.

after all is said, it's always best to have healthy paranoia when riding road. self-preservation is number one.