All Questions
34 questions
2
votes
4
answers
244
views
Prepping for winter riding: Hills
This isn't necessarily a gear question, as there's myriad articles & arguments over the best tires, pressure, brake pads, etc. Rather, I consider it more of a technique question.
My daily commute ...
- 21
34
votes
19
answers
11k
views
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 ...
- 612
5
votes
2
answers
511
views
Do high and narrow seat and back bending provide good bike riding posture?
I would like to ride a bike as part of daily commute on roads someday, as I rode a bike to school in another country in the past. But I have been bothered by some uncomfortable points from the bikes ...
- 151
3
votes
5
answers
648
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 ...
- 437
8
votes
3
answers
2k
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 ...
- 197
7
votes
3
answers
779
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 ...
user20209
8
votes
4
answers
638
views
Motorists misjudge bicycle speed
This question is probably a little too location-specific but I hope it attracts some good answers
Okay, here we go...
Most cities in India do not have dedicated paths/lanes for bicycles
We are ...
- 309
23
votes
9
answers
12k
views
At what point does a road become too busy/fast to ride on safely?
Upfront, I'm willing to admit that I have some nervousness when it comes to commuting by bike that I need to get over. However, I want to know if all of that nervousness is unfounded, or if some of it ...
user30152
-1
votes
5
answers
510
views
What are the possible practical consequences of breaking the rules of the road?
I was reading this question which seemed a totally weird thing to worry about and sparked my question.
I've always disregarded stop signs, lights, crossings and waving policemen as basically ...
- 1,658
0
votes
0
answers
52
views
Commuting to work for the first time, what do I need to bring? [duplicate]
I've never biked to work, but am going to start next week. It's only about 15 miles round trip. I'm using a single speed bike, but it should be fine because I've gone on farther trips.
Besides a ...
- 1,927
11
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Can I modify a slightly too big bike?
A couple of months ago I went for a professional bike fit on a jig. They were struggling to find a bike to fit me perfectly (5ft1 female). They ended up ordering me a cyclocross bike.
The bike has ...
- 113
6
votes
5
answers
397
views
I want to ride a bike, but its dangerous for me to have weight on my arms
I ride about 6 miles a day to work and back. I would like to ride more, but because of a bum shoulder I am increasingly getting into dangerous situations and I want to give up riding.
I have a Giant ...
- 163
6
votes
6
answers
696
views
Dealing with homicidal drivers [duplicate]
I do a 35km return commute into a big city. Almost daily, someone tries to run me over.
Just in the past month I've experienced the following:
I filter to the front of the traffic, wait at the ...
- 237
2
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Best Tires for Cannondale Bad Boy 4
I'm just getting into biking and last week I just purchased a Cannondale Bad Boy 4 from REI. They still have it in the shop as I'm in the processing of moving and they agreed to hold onto it for me.
...
- 121
4
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Is 32km possible to ride with my body condition? [closed]
My work place is 16km away from my home and the route I am traveling has traffic round the clock.
I am planning to get a Kross K- 40 26T Multi Speed Bicycle to travel but I weigh 80kg and I am not ...
- 43
16
votes
4
answers
992
views
What is the best way to approach train tracks?
I commute on my bike through an industrial area and cross many train tracks. They very in degrees: most are perpendicular to the road, but some have a very low angle.
This question is two part:
What ...
- 636
24
votes
6
answers
8k
views
How can I interpret the intent of and respond to cars behind me honking?
Two days in a row on my commute home I've had vehicles behind me start honking at me. (Note: I'm in Canada, and drive on the right.) The first time I was riding on a four-lane road, with a left ...
- 343
2
votes
4
answers
251
views
Safe and proper (or vice versa) left turn in traffic
I'm new to commuting in traffic, and I realized immediately that the left turn (US traffic rules, right turn in UK) in an intersection with a traffic light is just dangerous. My basic questions are:
...
- 155
12
votes
8
answers
19k
views
What is considered a good "safe biking distance" to bike to work?
I'm curious about what is the maximum distance you can live from work so that it's a reasonable biking distance.
I am interested in biking about 30 minutes to work. It would be about 5 miles away. I ...
- 231
5
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is there legal recourse to drivers passing too close?
I'm a daily commuter on my road bike. I commute into Manchester NH. Over the years drivers seem to have gotten better and better at passing me safely. I attribute this to the following:
Me learning ...
- 79
12
votes
6
answers
6k
views
How can I prevent cars from passing me too closely?
Recently, a driver buzzed by me, leaving just a couple of inches between my handlebars and his car. It was very scary.
In general, how can I prevent cars from passing me too closely?
Please cite ...
7
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Left Turn Across Major Intersection
I'm new at biking, and have seen many examples of left-turn situations, but none that quite match this one. Simply, what is the proper / best way to complete the turn pictured below, or is it smarter ...
- 173
5
votes
9
answers
1k
views
How would the "pros" bike this commute?
I've been putting up some pounds and have a bike gathering dust at home =D
I normally commute by bus or carpool, but would like an opinion from some more seasoned bikers on how you'd tackle this ...
- 59
12
votes
6
answers
10k
views
Is it legal to pass a car on the right when that car is turning?
So I've been poring over the bikes SE, and as a recreational biker and an automobile commuter, I'm naturally most interested in topics addressing how bikes interact with automotive traffic.
In one ...
- 223
0
votes
9
answers
790
views
Is it possible to perform tricks with 100% safety during commuting?
When commuting in the city, i encounter many transitions between road and sidewalk. It's easy to jump from the sidewalk down to the road (~20 cm vertical) if you have enough speed, but to get back ...
- 1,273
13
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Protocol for slipstreaming another cyclist?
I have a nice 12 km commute where lots of different bicyclers travel. The entire stretch is only for pedestrians&bicycles, no cars to worry about.
I ride a regular old 5-speed bike (not a ...
- 1,093
10
votes
10
answers
1k
views
Prescription eye glasses and shoulder checks
I've never had prescription glasses but might like some.
My left eye doesn't focus easily (I ride on the right side of the road, in Canada). If I look over my left shoulder, I can see behind me only ...
- 12.3k
21
votes
5
answers
2k
views
When accompanying children on roads - ahead, beside or behind?
When accompanying children (in my case roughly in the 5 to 9 range) on a moderately busy (by rural standards) road on our commute to their school I'm sometimes ahead, sometimes beside (at least the ...
- 759
8
votes
6
answers
525
views
How can I avoid crashes on my urban commute? Tramlines and CBD sections especially
I live in Melbourne, Australia, a city famous for its compact, grid-like CBD (downtown area) and trams. Trams mean tram tracks and hook turns. And compulsory helmets. My daily ride is only 10 km but ...
Мסž
9
votes
8
answers
2k
views
Long sleeves for safety?
I took @Jason's and @Neil's advice and practiced wearing clipless pedals in cold weather. I fell three times (nearly four) last week, all at very low speeds: twice because of ice, and twice because of ...
- 12.3k
35
votes
9
answers
2k
views
How can I be visible in the dark when I'm signalling a turn?
My bike and I are fairly visible at night--white light in front, red light in the back, bright yellow fenders, reflective tabs and a light on my helmet. I use hand signals to alert motorists when I'm ...
- 3,880
25
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Passing cars on the right, and later merging into their lane
My commute takes me along a fairly busy road, with 4 lanes of traffic and parked cars along most of it. There are no bike lanes, but in some places, it's wide enough that I can easily pass traffic on ...
- 4,304
26
votes
7
answers
9k
views
How close do I have to be for effective drafting (while commuting)?
I commute and want to draft another bike, but still have room to stop when someone opens a car door in front of the rider in front of me. At what distance does drafting significantly reduce drag? Are ...
- 1,223
59
votes
30
answers
15k
views
How can I make my bike (and myself) visible at night?
By winter I will be commuting on my bike at night. How can I make my bike as visible as possible to all car drivers?
- 1,827