Hot answers tagged city
22
I use a sort of wave, raising my hand but with no movement in it (so not a 'Hey buddy' or 'I need help' side to side movement).... it works on my bicycle, on my motorcycle, and while driving a vehicle. It's got somewhat of a dual purpose: acknowledgement that I did something wrong, and/or 'thanks for letting me in' gratitude gesture.
The motorcycle I find a ...
16
It is all subjective, but I would say that a public place is better (as I have previously answered to a similar question).
Most bike thefts are opportunistic; unless you've got an especially desirable bike the theft is not about your bike, it's about stealing any bike. So the key is to reducing the opportunity to steal your bike:
as you point out, ...
11
I suggest following a short course in some martial arts class where you can learn to fall correctly (Judo would be my suggestion)
there is nothing you can read that will prepare you for a fall and that will suppress the reflex to stick out your arm to catch yourself (and possibly break it); only practice will have you instead tuck in that arm provide a ...
10
There's not much more to say than: tuck your head, protect your face with your arms, relax, and wait for it to be over.
Realistically, though, you're not going to remember the contents of this post the next time shit hits the fan and you find yourself tumbling on the asphalt. But if you can manage any of these things, you'll hopefully minimize the chance of ...
10
In the end it might matter more WHO is around the rack (policemen, guards, janitors, public workers, parking lot workers, hot-dog stand owners, etc.) than HOW MANY people.
I'd rather, when available, leave my bike under one lonely ever-present alert pair of eyes than in a crowd of anonymous passers-by.
9
For a city commuter bike, don't bother with disk brakes - go for simple rim brakes. You'll want the reliability over all else. You don't need disks for most types of road cycling, as the limiting factor for grip is likely to be your tyre anyway.
As regards shifters, go with whatever is comfortable for you. I like the combination of brakes and gear levers in ...
8
I've seen videos showing people stealing bikes amidst a crowd of onlookers while no one intervenes. Locking in a crowded place isn't necessarily going to save your bike. On the other hand, lots of bikes are stolen from locked garages.
I'm not aware of any statistics about what storage method is safer. I've never had a bike stolen, but from what I've heard ...
7
In my experience, things happen so fast it is practically impossible to react with some kind of plan. I have fallen over when I couldn't unclip fast enough (in other words, when the bike was stopped at a light or similar), and those were the only times where I knew I was falling and could actually spend a fraction of a second looking for something to grab, ...
7
To some extent, you can actually "learn" to fall. The problem is that the learning has to be "motor learning" and not just thinking about it.
In other words, you have to train your nervous system to do it through practice.
Some of the best bike handling I've ever seen has been from people who ride single track (mountain biking). This type of riding ...
6
1- Disc brakes perform better in wet weather. If you choose rim brakes, aluminum rims offer a better braking surface than carbon rims. Hidraulic brakes adjust for pad wear and both pads move inwards to press against the disc surface. Mechanical brakes push one pad (usually the outer one) onto the disc, and the disc has to flex to touch the other pad.
2.- ...
5
Is this link any use? This ex-bike-thief basically says to lock your bike the busier the better.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2010/sep/13/bike-thief-stolen-tips
As I have posted on here previously, I think if someone decides they are going to go out of their way to steal your bike, I'm not sure you'll be able to stop them. But ...
5
I wave if I can but sometimes that's not possible because I'm controlling the bike. I always give them a look of apology and say "sorry" even though they can't hear me. I slightly exaggerate the look and the lip movements so that I can be sure that they see it. And most people can read lips well enough to pick up "sorry" even across an intersection. I ...
5
I'm going to assume you're a bright Stanford kid, and that your brain will remember this.
Work = F * d
Work = Force * distance
Try punching your arch nemesis for an instant. Just hit him for a second and as soon as you touch him, pull your hand back. Nothing happens.
Now when you punch, punch behind him. Keep pushing, all the way through, pushing pushing ...
5
The vibrations will be hard on it. The result will not be instantaneous failure, but an increasing likelihood of failure after perhaps several hundred hours of riding.
The likelihood of damage can be greatly reduced with a resilient, shock-absorbing mount of some sort (I assume most commercial mounts include some shock-absorbing function).
Most important ...
4
Down vote notwithstanding, here are some thoughts:
Living in Boston and bicycle commuting both 4- and 3-season for 15 years, I'd say there at least four factors, governmental, NGO, population, and environmental.
The NGO aspect would be - how many organizations there are, and how actively do they advocate on behalf of cyclists. In ...
4
With this budget, a used bike will get you the best bang for your buck. I was able to find a ten to fifteen year old road bike with good components (Ultegra) and an aluminum frame for around $600. A friend found a twenty to thirty year old road bike with a steel frame and downtube shifters for around $300. Both were in good condition and have high quality ...
4
In Hawaii, it's common for drivers (and cyclists, I suppose) to use the shaka to communicate an apology on the road:
To folks who know about it, the sign carries the same range of positive meanings as Aloha and should be taken as a friendly gesture. While it doesn't specifically communicate apology, the sign is used as a relaxed greeting, which could ...
3
Short answer - there's no widely recognized hand gesture for I'm sorry.
You could try the American Sign Language for sorry:
I'm not sure how likely it is that this will be understood by the other person though.
2
A $500 budget is a little tight, but you can probably find something. If by "road bike", though, you mean a bike with drop bars, you're going to have to scratch a little harder, though.
But, one thing to keep in mind is that national outfits like REI will start discounting the list prices on their bikes very shortly (if not already), and the later you wait ...
2
Here is my list of things I look for in no particular order by the way. Perhaps # 3 leash laws are the most worrisome to me. I've taken off riding in a new town and encountering a loose though friendly Lab or German Shepherd is enough to put my bike back on the car rack.
Recent jury convicting a dump truck driver that killed a SOB (Senior on Bikes) rider ...
2
As an ex BMX rider I feel quite confident to fall (you crash alot when you try things). But that's not the case for commuting/road bike, in fact you can't do anything, maybe beside falling on mats (and still it sounds weird to practise it). What really could be good is building muscles that will hold your bones in place, when you flip over. Anyway, the best ...
2
Generally you should try the bike, and see if how it feels, including using the components feels good to you, if not look for something else.
If you will be riding no matter what the weather is, I would recommend looking for bike that has internal hub brakes, a full chain-case (which with gearing would normally require hub gears too), and full mud guards ...
1
If you mean Vancouver, BC, I live to the south of you between Tacoma and Seattle and commute 7 miles one-way up and down hills year-round. I use a steel touring bike with a front triple and wide gearing on the rear, though I really only use the granny for hills on longer touring rides. No bar-ends for me in commuting. I need to change gears too often and ...
1
You might find more general commuter bike buying, and bicycle commuting advise in these questions:
What do you wish someone had told you before your first commute?
Bicycle for 2 x 30mins commute
My general advise for your specific points would be:
Rain IMHO means you want fenders, unless you enjoy turning up at work with mud (or worse) all over your ...
1
Ride a mountain bike and fall a bunch. Usually less chance of getting hurt on trails and it does train you to fall right without thinking about it. Probably not practical if you don't own or care to own a mountain bike, or you have no trails nearby. That said, if you go down on pavement at speed your going to get hurt at least a little, and sometimes it ...
1
Yes, martial arts is the way to go and I am talking from experience. I am a black belt in ju jutsu and I have my brain "fully programmed" for falling correctly. Once I had a frontal collision with another biker and was uninjured because I fell correctly. But all this is easily said than done.
Start here: http://judoinfo.com/ukemi.htm
The first one, the ...
1
Its really not sure, both way have their own disadvantages.
I will say never park your bike anywhere, where there is a chance of you losing its sight, whether busy or quite place.
When you have to be permanently out for several hours, then
Find a good secured parking spot to park your bikes.
There should be a guard around or someone who is ...
1
Look to a 3 speed hybrid or a flat bar road bike. Craigslist and ebay may really save you some money. Plenty of deals out there for $500. You may want a touring style / path bike because they will have a bigger volume tire. A true road bike has a 25mm wide tire, and touring / path bike will have a 32 or 35mm wide tire. A little better for the bumps and ...
1
Thinking about it, and considering that non-verbal, single-handed signal is preferred, I think that:
Touching your head with the fingertips, above and behind the ear;
Shrugging the shoulders and;
Raising the eyebrows;
In sort of a "oops, what have I done! So sorry!" attitude, might be very well interpreted/understood by drivers, and probably dissolve any ...
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