Questions tagged [safety]
Riding safely, safety equipment, and safe places to ride.
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Should cyclists on a bike path separated from the road overtake each other on the right or on the left?
I am going to assume right side traffic for this question. Switch all the left and right if you are in the UK. If you are cycling on a road with or without a designated bicycle lane you should stick ...
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Bike helmet expiration
I have a bike helmet, Specialized Align. By the manufacturer's sticker, it was produced in 2013. Most of the time, it has been stored in the garage, only saw a very light use (several hours in a month ...
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Steering torque
What defines the steering torque? What is an average value for e.g. city bikes and downhill MTB?
Is the static torque largest for returning the steering to zero position, depending on (radial) load ...
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Trail shared by bicyclists and hikers
In my community, there is a new trail for bikers and hikers to share. There are one way arrows for the bikers so they go in one direction. Should the hikers go the same way? I had a bicyclist yell at ...
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Why should little kids not have back mirrors on their bicycles?
In a paper from the mid-1980s, there is a kind of PSA box listing some things that small children should NOT have on their bicycle. Most of them make sense, but there's one that confuses me: "...
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Penny-farthings: Skills required to transition from standard bicycles?
Beyond the obvious difference of the saddle being 5 feet high, how is riding a penny-farthing different to riding a standard road bike? What unique skills are required to ride a penny-farthing?
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Safety vest: is an all-reflective one fine?
I stumbled across a question on whether yellow or orange safety vests were better for visibility, and it got me wondering - I have a vest that consists only of the silvery reflective fabric (and it ...
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Overheating: Are Latex inner tubes on rim brake carbon wheels safe?
Currently I'm using standard butyl inner tubes on my clincher carbon wheels. My bike uses rim brakes, and searching on internet I have found that carbon rims are not great for dissipating heat:
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Why do they not sell bicycles with four wheels?
In the summertime, and Fall/Autumn, and Spring, my normal, two-wheeled bicycle works perfectly well.
But then there's Winter. What is normally friendly, non-slippery asphalt and grainy forest paths ...
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Is turning head to look backwards while riding a bike a safe and recommended technique?
I currently have two problems with this:
While looking backwards, I do not see where I am going.
It is difficult to maintain perfectly the same direction while turning around.
Probably both problems ...
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How to pass by a horse and rider? [duplicate]
I sometimes meet horse riders on my way. As the road is closed for the regular motor traffic, I am not sure if these riders and horses are trained enough so I do not need to care.
What is the safe ...
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What can you do when a driver cuts you off?
Commuting into work by bicycle can be a serious challenge if you’re anywhere other than Amsterdam.
I commute by cycling in London, about 6 km each way through busy parts of central London. Although I ...
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How do I overcome pre-ride anxiety and sleep well before a long ride?
I would consider myself an advanced rider in that I’ve ridden a great many century (miles) rides, am an organizer of group road rides, and can change a flat in my sleep. I am not a racer.
The problem ...
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Structural Stability of Carbon Rim
I recently purchased some carbon rims for my road bike and there appears to be some buldging forming around the rim. I'm no expert in carbon fibre and I was wondering whether the wheel is still safe ...
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Ultegra ST-R8020 Lever: crack near brake hose interface
I have a bike with a left ST-R8020 hydraulic disc Ultegra lever, and I just noticed a large radial crack on a what seems to be part of the brake connection path (see picture). The crack seems to ...
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Is Touring in a highway more safe than travel in a Car, Autobus or Motorbike?
Please share your past experience on touring. I have my own past experience but running only on my city.
I am on bicycle since I was 11 years old. I used it for moving in my city and I still do.
...
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Flexibility of exchanges between 700c and 29″, and between 650b and 27.5″
TL;DR
How do I explain to a budding cycling enthusiast the flexibility afforded by switching tires between 700c and 29″, and between 650b and 27.5″ wheels/tires?
Rather than let the nice folks ...
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Signaling turns when hand signals are impossible
This question from seven years ago asks about turn signal lights for bicycles, but the consensus seemed to be that it's better to just use arm signals. What if it's not possible to safely do this? My ...
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Is my helmet/camera/light setup dangerous?
Do you think the mounted camera and light on the helmet is safe?
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Did this part come from my bicycle?
I was working on my bicycle, a 2021 Domane SL5, and laid it on the ground. When I picked it up, I saw a small metal ring on the ground underneath. I don’t know for certain if the metal piece came off ...
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Should I buy those bicycles with dentation in frame?
I saw this little dentation on the welding between the down tube and the head tube, looked suspicious to me, is it safe to ride?
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Fork done for? Has slight cut on the steerer that
Got this cyclocross frame with a fork, didn't see the cut in the steerer tube until much later. Has a 1mm? deep cut on half of the steerer tube. Is this fork done for? Or am I just paranoid. Aluminum ...
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How can I tell if my helmet is still safe after I fell?
I recently fell over while riding slowly on slippery pavement. Bruised my hip a bit and messed up my derailleur. I don't think I hit my head, but it all happened very quickly. I'm aware that helmets ...
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I have a question regarding the structural integrity of my aluminum frame after its having... incurred damage;
Apologies if this has been covered previously, but I didn't see it if it had been, and at this point I'm at a loss.
For context, the bike in question is this year's Haro Double Peak Sport 29
https://...
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Which strategy of using the bicycle light should I select?
I use my bicycle for commuting, mostly over the secondary roads closed for the majority (not all) car traffic. There are other cyclists, dog walkers and runners on these roads.
Using the light often, ...
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How unsafe is it to ride a bike with this dent in aluminium top tube?
This didn't happen as part of a crash. In fact, I'm not sure what might be the reason. I just looked down and saw this while riding on a sunny day. My bike is always in my room and I live alone. I sit ...
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Would It be fatally dangerous to ride with this dent [Pictures]?
Hello fellow cyclists,
I have had a crash recently and there's a minor dent at the top tube. The manufacturer (Canyon) is telling me it'll take them 8 weeks to make an appointment for me to replace ...
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Idaho Stop: Should I stop at a stop sign when an oncoming vehicle has a stop sign too?
In an "Idaho Stop" context, what is the best thing to do for a cyclist approaching a 4-way stop at the same time as a vehicle approaching from another direction? Should the cyclist
Proceed ...
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What fault in the steering mechanism can risk causing the rider to fly over the bars when braking?
By steering I collectively mean the area of handle bars, headtube, and fork.
So last year I bought a second-hand bike. Never really had a problem with it but today I took it to the shop to change worn ...
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How important is the MIPS safety system for a bicycle helmet? [duplicate]
I'm shopping for a bicycle helmet. The ones without this "MIPS" feature can cost 549 SEK: https://www.sportson.se/produkt/miles-69415850
But then there is an identical-looking one with "...
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How should exactly the brake cable be fixed to V-brake caliper?
Regarding the V-brake calipers, where the cable is tightened with a screw:
Should the cable go between the head of the screw and the washer (1), or should it go between the screw head and the body of ...
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How strong are pedals?
Pedals are obviously a critical interface with the bike. A broken pedal axle would be catastrophic, most likely causing injury or even death, especially considering that pedal failure would really ...
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Does tire need immediate replacement?
I have received a hand-down bike from a friend that had a punctured inner tube which I have since patched, however during my fix I noticed that the tyre is not in the best condition when looking at ...
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Is my carbon frame done?
I have a carbon trek Emonda bicycle. Today, my rear derailleur got caught in my wheel. As a result, the rear derailleur is bent, the rear derailleur hanger snapped off, the chain got twisted and the ...
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Elastomer in bicycle trailer hitch: is it important?
I have a bicycle trailer (Hamax Outback One). Recently I inspected the hitch as I was connecting the tow bar to the bicycle. The steel spring was getting rusty, but I do not think it's a big deal. ...
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Safety of taking a bicycle to a country where they drive on the other side of the road?
Bicycles are different in countries where people drive on the other side of the road. Suppose I have a bicycle and I am moving to a country on another continent where people drive on the other side.
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Broken fork bearing crown race stays
this is my diy electric bike, but in the latest headset servicing (I had to change the seal of the top bearing), I noticed that I've a broken part on the top of the "bearing crown race stays"...
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Is cycling on this 35mph road too dangerous?
I'm thinking of bike commuting to work and there is a stretch of road with no sidewalk and 35mph speed limit. Is this too dangerous for biking? I'm not in the best shape so I can't go very fast. ...
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Dangerous feature on a new 20" wheel kids bike? EZBuild pedals
TLDR: Rather than threading a pedal directly into the crank arm this bike maker has an EZBuild feature. The pedal is threaded into a cast aluminum part at the factory that rotates around the crank ...
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Is My Rim Cracked?
Is my rim cracked?
Do I need to replace my rim?
Do I need to replace my wheel? (See left/first picture).
If either 2 or 3 is Yes, what's the most frugal way to go about it?
Notes
This is the rear rim....
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Front tire & downtube clearance - extremely dangerous?
I recently moved cities and met someone to buy a used "vintage" bike from them. While test riding at a slow speed I gradually applied the brakes. The front brake seemed to jump from light ...
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Bell that sits above trigger shifter?
I'm looking for a bell that will sit above a trigger shifter on a flat bar bike.
Placement is a safety issue: in this location I can maintain hands on bars, brakes, shifters and warn pedestrians at ...
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Replacing an ebike's cable disc brakes with hydraulic disc
I have a Viking Gravity 250w 24v ebike.
I'm just wondering if I can replace the braking system with a hydraulic type and what would happen to the wired braking safety feature? Would I have to retrace ...
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Turning right but can't see cars coming (UK)
I'm a newbie to cycling and I was wondering if I done the right thing or I should do something different next time.
I'm coming down towards a main road where I can either go left or right. I want to ...
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Does a highly visible frame colour improve safety significantly?
Studies have shown that wearing hi-viz colours, particularly on moving extremities such as one's feet, coupled with hi-viz helmets and cycling shirts, increases the chance of been seen by a driver ...
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Is a chin strap with a cup safer than an under-chin strap?
Many helmets have chin straps to hold them on.
One design uses a split chin-strap, where the strap splits into two forming a cup shape, one going just below the lower lip and one under the chin.
In ...
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Mounting the front light on the frame instead of the fork or the handlebar?
I've had my front light mounted on the handlebar for the last 4 years or so. I never liked the bulky look and more importantly, how it jumps around in a response to my handlebar movements (if I'm on a ...
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How reliable is the "smart" brake detection on a $20 tail light? [closed]
Here are some "smart" tail lights I found on Amazon:
Having the same looks, prices, description grammar, no-name random "brand" names and sometimes even stock photos and videos, ...
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Dent in Lower Aluminum Frame Of Cannondale Cyclocross
Recently purchased this bike second hand. How concerned should I be of this dent? It’s about midway down the lower frame.
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What to look for in bone conduction headphones for bike voice navigation?
I am getting lost. Easily. And looking too hard at the screen (phone mounted on the handlebars) makes me lose concentration. Luckily, Komoot I'm trying now, and Google Maps, provide voice navigation. ...
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