Bicycles

Questions tagged [safety]

Ask Question

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

423 questions
Newest
Active
Bountied
Unanswered
Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
50
votes
12answers
7k views

How can I make it clear to other road users that I'm an inexperienced cyclist?

I'm in my mid-20s and I'm currently learning to bike, on my own, as I don't have anyone to teach me. My goal is to be able to commute to work when I want to, be able to travel to nearby towns, and ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views

Is this a helmet defect or not?

I bought a new Giro Savant helmet online and, after unboxing, noticed that the EPS foam seemed to be quite jagged and uneven at the intersection with the dial system (see photos below). This does not ...
3
votes
0answers
85 views

Void in carbon frame seat tube, is it dangerous?

While assembling a carbon bike, I found this void in its seat tube. It's about 1/2 inch X 1/4 inch in size and I'm guessing almost a third to half the depth of the tube wall. Since it's right next ...
3
votes
1answer
64 views

Lifespan of a bike child seat

I know that e.g. bike helmets and child car seat expires, but can't find anything about bike child seats. There is a manufacture date on mine (Dec. 2014) and it's made of polypropylene (there is this ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views

Signal a u-turn to road users

I am living in the UK and in this situation (sorry for my bad drawing): The bike (the dot in front) wants to do a u-turn and needs to signal to the car (the dot behind). If the bike does not signal, ...
-2
votes
3answers
96 views

What are the hazards and risks if I keep using a worn rear tyre?

I found similar questions: What are the risks of fenders/mudguards? What are the risks of untrued wheels? But I haven't found a structured analysis on the subject of tyres. Stack exchange ...
1
vote
1answer
123 views

My tyre has hollow knobs, is it normal/desirable/essential for maker to disclose?

I noticed my back tyre has hollow knobs and I can't remember ever seeing this before. Some of the knobs have turned out to be hollow inside. I know YGWYPF, my questions are: Is it normal? I got no ...
17
votes
8answers
5k views

Is cycling behind a truck a bad practice?

Sometimes on a highway outside my city, Nairobi, I have been passed by fellow cyclist cycling behind trucks. As much as it is similar to holding onto the back of the track this is different since you ...
2
votes
2answers
125 views

Should “universal pedals” be avoided?

Are universal pedal axles weaker than standard axles? If so, should they be avoided? These are inexpensive pedals so let's focus on inexpensive normal, solid axles vs these universal pedals. Each ...
13
votes
12answers
3k views

Bag for holding valuables on bike while parked?

I ride regularly in the city with my a few valuables with me. My purse, phone, keys, company ID card etc. I hate having a bag on me while ride so I am looking for a solution to have these few items in ...
2
votes
1answer
187 views

Can I use reflective tape instead of a rear reflector in the UK?

My road bike isn't fitted with a rear reflector as I got it second hand and I think they removed it. If I purchased some red reflective tape and fitted it around the seatpost/seatstay, would this make ...
4
votes
2answers
202 views

When carrying a lock on body, which statistical data and experiences to consider re: safety concerns

With a custom-built bike in somewhat higher price regions, I now ended up with a high-security u-lock, which is also very heavy-weight. I also own a heavy-weight chain lock. For several reasons and ...
14
votes
8answers
7k views

Can I avoid falling in the rain on a corner?

I was riding in the rain a few months ago and fell turning a 90° corner. Here are the details: Riding on a road bike with new 25mm smooth tires inflated to 100 psi (Cannondale Synapse with ...
4
votes
1answer
192 views

What's the purpose of the Weeride Copilot “safety” tabs?

I just bought a used WeeRide Co-Pilot bike trailer. It's pretty good except for one little feature(?) These tabs stick out on the side, and I'm assuming they're safety tabs to help you not run over ...
3
votes
1answer
135 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
361 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 ...
21
votes
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
656 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
votes
5answers
573 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
82 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
110 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
169 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
259 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?
18
votes
11answers
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
357 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
3k 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
379 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
10k 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
278 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
157 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
243 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
179 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
2k 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
179 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?
10
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
195 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
588 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
136 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 ...
6
votes
6answers
499 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
181 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 ...
5
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
296 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
2k 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
151 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 ...

1
2 3 4 5
…
9