65
votes
Accepted
How to pass a bicycle while driving a car
As long as you give a cyclist plenty of space, and obey traffic laws and drive safely in general you are OK.
1 meter or 3 feet is generally considered enough space when passing, but I know I prefer ...
- 75.9k
64
votes
How to pass a bicycle while driving a car
The problem is ambiguity. Sometimes you'll be unfairly judged by cyclists you're trying to pass. It will happen. Sometimes it helps to reduce the sting of the judgement with some perspective on ...
- 741
45
votes
Accepted
Is cycling on this 35mph road too dangerous?
As an experienced cyclist who has been all over the country and even done hundreds of miles on interstates, after finding that location on Google Maps, and checking how you might conceivably get ...
- 1,243
27
votes
Is cycling on this 35mph road too dangerous?
I ride successfully along some roads with a posted speed of 100 km/h (65 mph) and there are other roads posted at 50 km/h (35 mph) that I avoid.
The difference is in the shoulder and general condition ...
- 131k
26
votes
Accepted
Can I avoid falling in the rain on a corner?
16 km/h is so slow that even the worst tyres should keep you up, unless something like oil spills were involved.
If something is so slippy that you fall without warning at such low speeds there is ...
- 9,818
25
votes
How to deal with impatient drivers
Given the asymmetry of the damage in case of accident (scratched metal sheet versus potentially serious handicap), I would not reason in term of "rights". Knowing that you were in your right ...
- 24.6k
24
votes
At what point does a road become too busy/fast to ride on safely?
@Rider_X has already given a good answer.
I would add an important consideration: local driver and cyclist cultures.
As you and the map you cite indicate, there is little pro-cycling culture in this ...
- 17.3k
24
votes
Accepted
Is it worth buying a lighter bike? If so what kind?
IMHO, it's not the weight that is hurting you the most. While weight makes a difference and a lighter bike would be much better, it's too common in cycling world for people to use weight as a proxy ...
- 53.1k
24
votes
Accepted
Why would I use a trainer instead of riding outside?
If your goal is to train, the trainer is a good complement to riding outside:
control of the training: the companion apps are usually proposing modes/exercices that can be difficult to replicate on ...
- 24.6k
23
votes
Accepted
At what point does a road become too busy/fast to ride on safely?
Determining an acceptable risk level is really a subjective personal assessment, no one can tell you whether or not something is of an acceptable level of risk. As such I will give you my judgement ...
- 30.8k
19
votes
Why would I use a trainer instead of riding outside?
While normal bikes are great for the places they can take you, trainers do benefit from the fact that you don't go anywhere.
I have small children that are far too young to leave home alone. I can go ...
- 12.2k
18
votes
How to pass a bicycle while driving a car
My personal list in order of importance:
Overtake when it’s safe to do so. This means no oncoming traffic (unless the lanes are wide enough to overtake even despite traffic) and that you can see far ...
- 29.3k
18
votes
Is cycling on this 35mph road too dangerous?
This would be fine:
There's a shoulder, you can ride on it (if it's legal) and speed limit is pretty low. Not the most pleasant place to ride, but it's okay.
However I would advise against it, ...
- 1,784
18
votes
How to deal with impatient drivers
Ok, so there is a car behind you. And it's honking. That's great, they have seen you!
I believe, the best reaction to that is simply no reaction at all. Ideally, you shouldn't even give a start when ...
18
votes
Accepted
Group ride - Proper descent etiquette
Summary
If the description above is accurate, Rider A operated their bicycle correctly, and gave enough clearance to riders still in the paceline.
Remembering that we weren't there in person, there ...
- 36k
17
votes
Can I avoid falling in the rain on a corner?
In places where it rains very little or hasn't rained in a while and then a light rain falls, the water is not enough to "wash" the road surface; instead it only wets fine dust and oils that are on ...
- 13k
17
votes
Choosing parallel side or main road when route mapping
This is a difficult question to answer with anything other than "It depends." but I will give my criteria for choosing between alternative routes, and then the example of my typical ...
- 16.5k
17
votes
Are wider tires on a road bike a good idea?
For long days in the saddle, on rough paved roads, 32-35mm tyres provide a significant comfort benefit over the likes of 25mm, when run at an appropriate pressure. Riding in the dark also benefits ...
- 62.4k
16
votes
Crack on bike wheel rim
It may be worth glancing at this more detailed answer that discussed how aluminum rims were constructed. But in brief, aluminum rims are first extruded in a flat bar, then they’re cut and rolled into ...
- 36k
15
votes
Accepted
Why would a salty damp road be slipperier than the same road just damp?
It turns out there's actually some rather interesting science behind friction in the presence of water and salt. Various model systems demonstrate that salt solutions really are better lubricants ...
- 62.4k
15
votes
Accepted
Can I replace 700×23C tire with 700×28?
Your rims can almost certainly take the extra width. The real question is can your frame, forks, and brakes? Only you can measure that.
Based on nominal dimensions (and some approximations) you ...
- 62.4k
15
votes
Can I avoid falling in the rain on a corner?
To fall to the inside of the turn means that the bottom of the wheel has slid to the outside. When that happens, it is really quick.
I would look back at the corner and see if there's a metal plate ...
- 131k
13
votes
How much energy is lost with a gravel tire compared with a road tire?
I understand that around 20% of the energy while cycling is lost by the deformation of the [tires]
No not really. Rolling resistance will increase linearly with velocity while drag increases with the ...
- 75.9k
12
votes
Tour de Trump/Tour DuPont routes?
Are you still looking for stage maps? I have the Tour DuPont program books from 1993, 1995 & 1996. They include a map and a profile of each stage. Also have Lance Armstrong's signature in the ...
- 121
12
votes
How to pass a bicycle while driving a car
You handled the situation perfectly.
Congrats, you belong to the good, vanishingly small minority who does.
You see, from my experience I would estimate the fraction of car drivers who obey the rules ...
12
votes
Is it worth buying a lighter bike? If so what kind?
I would recommend you wait for one reason Covid. In most parts of the world bikes are in limited supply. Prices even on used bikes are 50% to 75% higher than comparable bikes a year ago. I think you ...
- 19k
12
votes
How to deal with impatient drivers
If you're bothered by the traffic on a route you ride, find another route.
There's really no other way to address it. If the road is wide enough where you can get to the right (or left, as the local ...
- 10.8k
12
votes
Group ride - Proper descent etiquette
Apologies, this answer is somewhat at a tangent (Weiwen Ng already gave a great answer).
Irrespective of who is technically right or wrong from an etiquette standpoint, Rider B can resolve this in ...
- 18.5k
11
votes
Accepted
How can I learn to sprint and ride out of the saddle?
If you want to improve balance and control out of the saddle at any speed, even freewheeling, you just have to practice doing it. Note that balance while pedaling out of the saddle on a trainer vs. ...
- 75.9k
11
votes
Is it worth upgrading to 28mm tyres from 25 for a 250 mile ride?
If you're going to change anything before the big event, change it now and allow time for any problems to arise, then be sorted out before the event.
Generally, a 28mm tyre is said to give lower ...
- 13k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible