Bicycles

Questions tagged [safety]

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Riding safely, safety equipment, and safe places to ride.

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3
votes
1answer
107 views

Back wheel jumping out of rear dropout with child transporter

Some days ago, I was riding my bike towing a child transporter. I was going steep uphill and put quite some force on the pedal. Suddenly, I heard a loud snapping sound and the back wheel was blocked. ...
1
vote
1answer
228 views

Are there safety differences in helmets with ce marking?

I am considering to buy a helmet for everyday use in Munich (Germany). Most of the time, I will wear it when I go to work. I go to work at any weather. I want to have a helmet which has a light in ...
5
votes
7answers
3k views

How to handle motorists' dangerous behaviour with an impassable group?

I rode in a Velowagen (1) with over 300 cyclists on the national bike route in Switzerland, while on a narrow countryside road a few cars began piling behind us and one of them started trying to pass ...
20
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3answers
6k views

How dangerous are my worn rims?

I took my bike for a service recently and was told it needed so many repairs that it was more cost effective for me to replace it. One of the repair jobs was to replace the wheels due to worn rims. ...
2
votes
2answers
647 views

I nicked the tip of the taper on a bottom bracket spindle. Is it still safe?

I had to cut the crank arms off of a bike I'm working on. Used an angle grinder. Despite my efforts to avoid damaging the bottom bracket spindle, I nicked it in three places, all at the tip. The ...
3
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5answers
549 views

How to deal with anxiety caused by dangerous riding conditions stemming from poor lane design and inconsiderate fellow road users? [closed]

Location is Belgium. I stopped seriously riding my bike about 5 years ago. At the time, I used my bike for commuting to work for about 9 km one way. The main reason I stopped was because the timing ...
1
vote
0answers
80 views

Groups overtaking groups: how to communicate for safety?

I have just been back from a biking vacation with another fellow cyclist, and we have met a lot of other cyclists: from the most serious ones to those taking the bike once every eon. When we had to ...
3
votes
1answer
92 views

Are high racers safer due to enhanced visibility compared to low racers or classic recumbents?

Naively, I would expect that a high racer is safer in traffic than a low racer. With the rider higher up, she or he should be more visible compared to being closer to the ground. Considering that ...
3
votes
2answers
158 views

Influence of tire breadth on cornering

Due to a bike replacement, I recently started using 700x40C tires, after several years of using 700x35C or 700x28C. Whenever I corner, I have the impression the bike is behaving differently than what ...
1
vote
4answers
253 views

Can this frame be used or is it done?

I have a cheap mens Huffy mountain bike which I noticed has 2 holes in the frame. Would this be too unsafe to ride?
15
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12answers
10k views

How (un)safe is it to ride barefoot?

Sometimes I use bike for a week long trip camping along, doing maybe 200km per day riding on asphalt road. In the end, my feet have bad smell, which is not super strange or concerning, but it does ...
3
votes
5answers
263 views

How to recognize a bad tire?

The most expensive "consumable" while operating a bicycle would probably be tires. Enthusiasts endlessly debate the relative merits of different sizes, profiles, tread patterns,inflation pressures ...
2
votes
5answers
2k views

What can cause the front wheel to lock up when going over a small bump?

I was going over a bump. When the front wheel hit the bump, it suddenly stopped moving, the rear wheel lifted off the ground, and I was thrown face-first onto the road. I sustained injuries to the ...
2
votes
2answers
178 views

Help please - Dent in top tube of double butted aluminium frame

I have a ridgeback velocity which is labled as double butted aluminium. Around the middle of the toptube is a dent shown in the photo. There is also a short line above it which I can feel with my nail....
23
votes
7answers
9k views

How can I offer a test ride while selling a bike?

I am selling a bike to someone I don't know from Craigslist. I expect that the prospective purchaser will want to test ride the bike before making the purchase. How can I prevent them from riding ...
5
votes
2answers
203 views

Riding with a Gates belt past its due replacement mileage: can it snap or other risks?

I just purchased a belt drive bike (Gates CD). Maintenance free, according to the BS and what I have read online. The only attention is to replace it every 5000 km. Since I usually ride around 8000 ...
2
votes
1answer
111 views

Yellow anti-rotation washer, Shimano Nexus 3 speed with trailer?

Should I keep or remove the yellow anti-rotation washer when installing a child trailer to my e-bike (EcoRide with Shimano Nexus 3 speed)? The trailer installs through the wheel axle (see attached img....
2
votes
2answers
120 views

Axle is too short

I recently bought a second hand bike which was originally sold with a flip flop hub to fix up as a project. The person I bought it from gave me a rear wheel with a geared hub. However, when I put ...
8
votes
4answers
3k views

Why is an old chain unsafe?

I recently took my bike in for a service and the mechanic urged me to replace my chain, potentially at great cost (might need a new wheel). He said it might jam or pop off. He couldn't explain to me ...
5
votes
2answers
161 views

Which kind of test has bike parts to pass to be sold?

This is a question regarding bureaucracy/testing. What are the quality tests / standards that a bicycle and/or its parts need to pass before access the market? I am thinking about Germany/USA and ...
4
votes
1answer
623 views

How to repair pedal snapped off crank arm? [closed]

The pedal axle snapped just where it enters the crank arm. This left the threaded portion of the pedal axle in the crank arm hole. How do I remove this to replace the pedal?
6
votes
3answers
1k views

What is the drag / power lost to a safety flag?

I have a recumbent bike that has a safety flag on the top of a thin pole, so it flutters around higher than and after my head. How much power am I losing to this flag that could be used to power my ...
20
votes
6answers
7k views

Should unconventional colors be avoided for lighting?

Red/amber lights in the rear of the vehicle, white lights, in front of it: that is the good old convention and certainly switching their places is a bad idea. A quick search, however, shows other ...
1
vote
1answer
166 views

Frame with dent

I recently bought a bike and then realized it had a dent on the top tube. I would like to know your opinion if it is safe to ride. The bike is a Devinci Cameleon made from double butted aluminium. The ...
10
votes
4answers
3k views

Banged frame: Is it still safe to use?

My girlfriend's bicycle was vandalized by a neighbour. It seems like they banged it with a hammer or something right in the middle of the frame. Is this still safe to use?
11
votes
4answers
3k views

Roadbike with aluminium wheels in mountains. Is it safe?

I'm planning my upcoming trip to ride real mountains in Spain on my road bike. So far I used Mavic Ksyrium aluminum wheels but mostly on flat areas. I'm not confident with going downhill on this ...
4
votes
2answers
180 views

How do I determine what types of maintainence I need to perform?

I just got a new bike and I want to make sure I’m able to keep it up properly. I am entirely new to this. Edit: thank you all for your responses, I’ll keep these all in mind and I’m adding them to my ...
3
votes
4answers
430 views

In cycling friendly cities, how do near-sighted cyclists who need glasses manage to bike to work or school in the rain?

In cycling friendly cities, how do near-sighted cyclists who need glasses manage to bike to work or school in the rain? When I say cycling friendly cities, I'm referring to cities such as Utrecht, ...
23
votes
4answers
3k views

Can road bumps excite frame eigen frequencies?

During my last bike holiday I have happened to ride downwhill on roads which had transversal stripes to mark the approaching of a turn. The stripes were made with road paint, and were slightly higher ...
3
votes
2answers
119 views

Third eye helmet mounter mirror swivels too much

I've got a "third eye" type bike mirror attached to my helmet. It has two points of articulation: one near where it mounts to the helmet, which controls how far it swings up, and the other near the ...
7
votes
6answers
437 views

Can I run a red light at a T junction?

I was wondering if I was on a bike could I run a red light if it is impossible for me to get hit by a car? (Unless the car drives into the bike lane). I made a quick picture on paint to try and show ...
1
vote
1answer
171 views

Would the airzound bike horn cause hearing damage even if used well under the duration limit? [closed]

Would the airzound bike horn cause hearing damage even if used well under the duration limit? The Airzound is 115 dB which means according to the NIOSH standard, the duration limit is 28 seconds ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views

Safety guidelines when using MTB clipless pedals on a road bike

Yesterday, I went for a ride and my legs felt really great (hadn't been cycling for about 2 weeks) so when I was climbing on a hill, I decided to go on a full blown sprint and unfortunately... somehow ...
2
votes
1answer
284 views

My friend wants to sell a second hand helmet, I strongly dissagree, am I correct?

My friend has recently purchased a new bike. The guy who sold it to him was clearly giving up the sport, so he gave to said friend his helmet as well (MET parachute for MTB). As my friend already had ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views

Are full carbon forks less prone to failing from hidden defects than those with alloy steerers?

Are full carbon forks less prone to failing from hidden defects than those with alloy steerers? Even though the mechanics couldn't find problems with Richard Stanton's bike, his fork failed ...
0
votes
2answers
117 views

Bent front wheel

I own a 27.5" mountain bike and its front wheel is a little bent. Not too badly, but it is noticeable when riding or spinning the wheel. It probably wobbles about 1/4" or so. I have disc brakes, so it ...
0
votes
3answers
3k views

OK to ride with a slightly bent mech hanger?

My rear derailleur took a knock from a fall, and the entire shifting range moved inwards by about one sprocket width. I suspect, but am not sure, that the mech hanger got slightly bent (could be ...
1
vote
1answer
85 views

Best rear view mirror to purchase? [duplicate]

I have seen a lot of different types of Rear View mirrors. Ideas on which mounting/type is most used and why? ie: sunglass frame mounted, helmet mounting, handle bar mounting, or others. I ride both ...
6
votes
3answers
563 views

Clipless pedals (safety release)

Is there a safety feature in any brand of clipless pedals which allows the mechanism to release in the event of an accident? For example, being hit by a car in traffic while commuting, I would hope ...
3
votes
6answers
876 views

Is it a problem to have tires of different width?

I received a new tire for my bike. I believe this is a "Hybrid bike" in English and looks more or less like that image courtesy of Wikimedia I use it to commute, 50% on bike paths and 50% on easy ...
3
votes
3answers
152 views

Precautions when riding in long-term low visibility

Heavy fog or a narrow, overgrown and winding trail, can reduce visibility to 3 meters. Those conditions can continue for hours, and the safest approach 'don't go' cannot be always taken. I find that ...
4
votes
2answers
227 views

How to tell when to change steel front fork?

I am riding a Dawes made sometime before 1974 and have read in a Swedish report (http://vti.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:694821/FULLTEXT01.pdf) that front fork failure is a not uncommon cause of ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views

Why do only downhill mountain bikers wear full face helmets?

A lot of cyclists are concerned about safety and having the proper equipment, but I have never seen a cyclist riding in the city with a full-face helmet, nor have I seen a full-face helmet marketed ...
3
votes
4answers
313 views

Bike or e-bike/trike good for the rain

My aging mom is looking to start biking to work as a way to stay healthy. But as an aging women she needs certain things so that she feels safe and comfortable riding a bike about 15 minutes each way. ...
2
votes
3answers
1k views

It is dangerous to bike with 5/36 spokes broken?

I've got an old bike (not a sport bike, just an old fashioned granny bike). The chain was super loose so I have to tighten it, the tires are fine. The rear wheel, although reasonable aligned for how ...
16
votes
4answers
4k views

Coded gesture for “I am looking for a place to stop”

When going downhill on mountain roads with no dedicated cycle path, it happens quite often that the cyclist becomes the head of a train of vehicles, as the winding road does not allow an easy and safe ...
3
votes
2answers
403 views

How necessary are barrel adjusters?

In the process of getting the slack out of my rear brake cable, the "cap" on the insulated part of the cable pulled out of the barrel adjuster. While monkeying around trying to get that part of the ...
7
votes
2answers
473 views

Effect of helmets and other impressions of the bike rider on driver behaviour?

Are there any studies on the effect of helmets and/or other impressions of the bike rider, on driver behaviour? Has anyone collected their own data on things like this? Has anyone noticed any other ...
1
vote
3answers
235 views

How should I approach safe cycling? [closed]

I have interest in biking to and from work, but have heard some horror stories from cyclists at work. Short of asking coworkers on safe cycling practices, where should I go for a more authoritative ...
8
votes
1answer
173 views

Why would a salty damp road be slipperier than the same road just damp?

I came off this morning* on a road I ride every day, in all weather conditions. Last night was frosty so the road was salted/gritted, but there was no visible frost nearby, it had warmed up from the ...

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