10 Answers

• Reputation: 11 Q&A: 0 0 0 11 0 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Bicycles Business Juliette at Hub and Bespoke is a business on Questionland Seattle Follow Following 0 Juliette at Hub and Bespoke

  5 0 Good advice from everyone! You can see we all really want to encourage you to get out there. Reiterating what's been said: •Assume no one can see you – in spite of the increase in bicycle riders cars are still not used to seeing cyclists. Even if you have the right of way, make sure to have eye contact before taking it. This may slow you down occasionally, but worth it! •Be predictable – signal turns, hold your path (not weaving in and out of from parked cars). Remember, if there’s not enough room for you and a car to pass you, you have the right to take the full lane until you feel that it is safe. •Be visible – lights and reflectors on your bike and helmet. Can’t have too many, I say. And about the spandex: we find a touch of the stuff in your regular clothes does make the riding more comfortable. Anecdotally I have found wearing normal street clothes helps in getting a little more space from cars. I think drivers see someone who looks just like them, not a rock-star athlete, and want to help out. Oh, and a smile is one of your biggest assets when trying to share the road with cars. Juliette at Hub and Bespoke answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 2398 Q&A: 49 0 8 1422 164 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 1

  5 0 1. Don't insist on the right-of-way -- this is the #1 rule of defensive driving, riding, or walking. If someone in a car isn't giving you the right-of-way, there's a chance they either don't see you or don't know the rules. Either way, if the two of you collide, they might be sorry and feel really bad about it, but you'll be the one who's severely injured or killed. 2. Pick smart routes -- There are numerous bike paths, bike lanes, and regular old streets in the city that are well suited for bikes. There are also numerous streets that are just awful for bikes (heavily trafficked, lots of cars parked, narrow lanes, bad visibility, etc). Get a City of Seattle bike map here! 3. Watch out for train tracks -- ride directly over them at a right angle, if possible. Never approach at shallow angles. Those fuckers are deadly!   Mahtli69 answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 959 Q&A: 19 0 5 517 38 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0

  4 0 Along with the other defensive biking tips mentioned by Mahtli69 and others, don't forget that in Seattle you can ride on the sidewalk. This is most useful on uphill stretches where you are going much slower than the cars, and where you would not be tempted to go faster than is safe for pedestrians. If you do ride on the sidewalk, ride like you are a guest there. Not only should you not do anything to put them in any danger, but you shouldn't do anything that could even make them worry that they are in danger. Tom Sackett answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report 1 comment by keshmeshi… 5 0 As a driver, I'd like to add that, if a bicyclist is riding on the sidewalk, it behooves him or her to be careful when passing blind driveways or entering intersections. I've had a near heart attack a number of times when, after I scanned for pedestrians before pulling out to make a right turn, a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk came out of freakin' nowhere. Drivers are not expecting traffic on the sidewalk to be moving that fast. keshmeshi commented 11 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 15 Q&A: 0 0 0 16 1 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Bicycles Follow Following 0 Davey Oil, of Bike Works and the Bikery

  4 0 Yeah! Riding around town is a great idea! First of all; have fun, take it as slow as you need and build up to the stuff that scares you. Three things that I don't see in the previous (very good) answers: 1) Learn how to change lanes and make left turns. Practice looking over your shoulder and communicating with other road users your intentions so that you never need to feel trapped on the shoulder. 2) Try the side streets. You have a right to ride where ever you want to (except on freeways within the city), but the best bike route is not always the best car route. In a hilly city, route finding is very important. Get a bike map http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaps.htm and ride with friends to determine the best neighborhood links for your rides. Take a bunch of exploratory rides now, while the weather is nice. Its fun! 3) Don't let those elitists scare you! It looks like you know you have all the gear you need and you have the interest. Go for it! Its hard to feel like you fit in with the established mode of what a cyclist is but the good thing is that you don't have to! In reality, there is a great deal of variation among bike riders and anyone who tries to make you feel dumb, or out of shape or uncool is just a snob. Let's all work together to create a new face for cycling, friendly, accessible and available to new riders! Have fun! Davey Oil, of Bike Works and the Bikery answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 25 Q&A: 0 0 0 29 4 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 2 topics Bike Week Bicycles Follow Following 0

  4 0 Get to know your bike- it's personality. It's quirks, etc. Especially how it shifts and brakes. How it feels. Then get right in there with the cars, get a sense of the rhythm of being part of your city's traffic. Allow yourself time to soak all of this up- it's a beautiful thing riding in the city- my favorite place to ride in fact- so don't let it scare you off at first- there's magic in developing your own style. alexkostelnik answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 160 Q&A: 0 0 7 26 6 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0

  3 0 I think it's great that you are going to start riding. I bike everywhere and keep a rule to ride as an example as opposed to a target. Stopping at stop signs, yielding to pedestrians, etc, are great ways to keep people from getting angry at you and, then, all other bikers. I've been biking in the city for 6 years and haven't been hit (as opposed to all my other biking friends). Something I always suggest to friends, I'd say check out Seattle's website on biking (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikecode.htm) and Cascade.org for the laws and tips that you can use. And, lastly, the only real tip I have up my sleeve: If you are coming to an intersection and suspect a car in front of you might turn and cut you off, watch the front wheels of the car. Always a good indicator. Have fun riding! Alex answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 7 Q&A: 0 0 0 7 0 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Bicycles Business Serena Lehman, Cascade Bicycle Club is a business on Questionland Seattle Follow Following 0

  2 0 I think the first responder it totally correct about stopping at stop signs and yielding to pedestrians. Another tip I would add is to get yourself front and rear lights, white and red respectively. The more visible you are the more likely it is that you will be seen by other users. And therefore safer. Lastly have fun! Serena Lehman, Cascade Bicycle Club answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 27 Q&A: 0 0 1 10 3 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 0

  1 0 Take the whole lane when you stop at any light or signage. Cars will not look for you when turning right or cannot see you and it makes it much easier to maneuveras both a cyclist and a driver. It will seem a bit weird at first, but you'll get used to it and the safety benefits will become clear quickly. Here's a site with further information: http://bicyclesafe.com/ kersy answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report 1 comment by limpyweta… 0 0 Yes, Bluejay's site is recommended. limpyweta commented 10 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 1178 Q&A: 28 0 2 681 103 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Follow Following 1 Lilting Missive

  0 0 One suggestion I haven't seen yet here: A helmet light. A front-facing white one. Having a light at the highest possible point on your person hugely increases your visibility in low light conditions. I bought a 200 lumen helmet light last winter (I'm using a 150 now, as it easily detaches and is a single unit) and was absolutely amazed at how much more respect I got from cars and how much less often I had those close calls where it felt like the motorist just didn't see me. I think it really makes the difference between announcing yourself with a barbaric yalp over the rooftops of parked cars and being sort-of-kind-of visible. I think it also helps to have a light that moves around as to not be confused with the background, not to mention being very visible when you stop at stop signs and glance side-to-side. I have also have a 320 lumen light for my handlebars, but if I only use one big light it's the 150 helmet one, no question. If you don't want to shell out for a big bright light, or don't want half a pound of light strapped to your head, a front blinkie on your helmet is probably almost as good. Lilting Missive answered in Bicycles 10 months ago | Report 2 comments by Mr. Happy Sunshine and Lilting Missive… 0 0 Hmmm...I have to disagree with the helmet mount. I have a 900 lumen MagicShine ($150!) that I helmet-mount for MTB night-riding, but for the commuting I always bar-mount. Blinding drivers is not a good recipe for safety. Mr. Happy Sunshine commented 10 months ago | Report 0 0 Would you want to mount a 900 lumen light on your helmet? No, of course not. But a 100 - 200 lumen light is fine. Car headlights are 700 - 1700 lumens, and their throw is wide enough that a good chunk of that is going to end up drivers' eyes. I seriously doubt that a properly pointed helmet light is going to even be on par with that amount of light. And by properly pointed I mean that you're putting the beam onto the pavement 20 - 30 feet in front of you, not shining it off into the horizontal. Ideal setup is 200 lumens + on the handlebars, and < 200 lumens on the helmet. Actually the far more dangerous thing is oncoming cyclists on trails. I do recommend turning off your helmet light on the Burke and it's ilk. You do have to be somewhat careful about where you point a helmet light, as it is rude to shine it in anyone's face, but it just becomes second nature after a while. It is also easy to inadvertently announce to the world that you're checking out the fine thing walking across the intersection in front of you. Lilting Missive commented 10 months ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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• Reputation: 874 Q&A: 13 0 15 329 47 6 Classifieds: 2 0 what's this? Follow Following 0 Bion Satir

  0 0 Everyone gave good advice, but I'll just sum up what I've learned after a few decades (already said, I think): 1) Assume cars cannot see you unless you literally make eye contact with the driver, and even then, they may do something crazy. 2) Take advantage of trails and side streets. 3) Watch and LISTEN for cars, all around you, all the time (it may not sound very fun, but you get used to it and it becomes second nature) 4) Unless your girlfriend is in labor and you are biking her to the hospital, don't rush; I do more stupid things on my bike when I'm in a hurry, and generally I have no where to get to. If I'm taking my time (stopping at stop signs and red lights, e.g.), I enjoy the ride a lot more because I'm ridin' in the moment. 5) Get a no-nose saddle? I don't actually have one, but the article I linked to gave me some concern... Have fun! I just moved back to Seattle and I love biking around town again! Bion Satir answered in Bicycles 11 months ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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