…about bike lanes in Philadelphia, I showed how I rode on Spruce Street, a narrow one-way street in Center City with a bike lane.
When my safety required it, I merged out of the bike lane — for example, whenever I might be at risk from a right-turning motor vehicle. At those times, it was safest to be in line with motor vehicles, where the driver behind me could see me.
Such Assertiveness May Seem Strange and Forbidding
It’s indeed counterintuitive to practice “driver behavior,” and take your place in the queue with motor vehicles. Yes, they are big, and heavy, and they can go fast. But these vehicles also are controlled by drivers. You use head turns and hand signals to communicate with drivers, and move into line when one has made room for you. That driver’s vehicle is protecting you from all the other ones behind!
Putting “driver behavior” into practice on Spruce Street was easy, as traffic there is mostly slow. I had no trouble just falling into line with vehicles waiting at a traffic light.
A First-Timer’s Mistakes
If you think that CyclingSavvy Instructors always do everything right, watch today’s video. This was my first ride ever on Spruce Street. I wouldn’t do everything quite the same way a second time.
There were a couple of times when I didn’t move far enough OUT of the bike lane. I was in line with motor traffic, but I stayed in the right tire track — on the passenger side of cars — so that bicyclists in the bike lane would show in my video.
Right Tire Track Distracted Me From My Safety
That distracted me from an option which would have made my ride go better. As I reviewed raw footage, it dawned on me that most of the streets which cross Spruce Street are one-way. Some are one way right-to-left, others left-to-right.
I could take advantage of this!
Avoiding Unnecessary Delay at Intersections
Look at the incidents at one-way left-to-right cross streets. In one of these, a motorist ahead of me pulled over to the right curb just past the intersection. In the other, a motorist behind me turned right. Neither used turn signals. The driver who merged right delayed me, and I delayed the one who turned right.
Things would have gone more smoothly if I had been riding farther to the left. That is my usual practice where traffic can turn right, but it is even more emphatically correct where traffic can’t turn left.
I still won’t pull all the way over to the left, out of line with the motor traffic: even if a motorist is unlikely to turn the wrong way into a one-way street, one could still merge over to the left curb, like the one who merged over to the right curb in my video. It’s safest to wait in line.
Just For Fun
I’ve included a third incident where the mistake was made years earlier, in the design department of an automobile manufacturer halfway around the world.
In this segment, the driver did use a turn signal, but it was so far around on the other side of the car, I couldn’t see it.
This driver was yielding right-of-way to me when I should have yielded to him. To avoid a “no, you go first” situation, I went ahead. If I’d known that the driver wanted to turn right and would have to follow me, I would have been more assertively polite. Why would I want motorists behind me if they don’t have to be? I don’t!
The first two incidents illustrate why I never assume motorists will use their turn signals. The third incident brought home to me that I sometimes can’t assume that they are not using turn signals.
Savvy Cyclists Learn From Their Mistakes
While I kept safe, the encounters I’ve described could have gone more smoothly. Every ride can be a learning experience, and the next ride can go better.
More to Come
I have one more post about Spruce Street on the way. So far I’ve done my best to avoid discussing politics and religion.
But in my final Spruce Street post, churches are involved. In that post I’m going to let loose!
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-09-30-at-1.39.50-PM.jpeg744873John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngJohn Allen2019-10-04 09:00:202019-10-03 08:43:50A Philadelphia Bike Lane Learning Experience
I’m shocked when motorists are rude to me. Here in St. Louis or anywhere I ride, it just doesn’t happen.
The driver’s anger poisoned the energy of the other drivers on the road. Everyone started honking.
Google Maps view of Forest Park Parkway
OK, I’m exaggerating. Last year one driver was obnoxious.
He or she apparently could not buh-lieve I’d ride a bicycle on thatroad.
I was riding on Forest Park Parkway, a road similar in design to a freeway. People on this section are typically zooming through to get somewhere else.
On a fateful afternoon last fall, a driver of a black Audi either stayed or got stuck behind me — I’m not sure which — and honked for what seemed like an eternity.
Here’s What’s Fascinating
The driver’s anger poisoned the energy of the other drivers on the road. Everyone started honking. I waved to acknowledge their annoyance, and my humanity.
What could I do? I was on a section where I couldn’t escape. I simply had to endure, until I got to my destination at the other end of this canyon-like stretch of road.
Forest Park Parkway between Skinker and Big Bend boulevards in St. Louis
On the rare occasions that I have problems, I don’t blame “stupid” motorists. I analyze what happened. What could I have done differently so it wouldn’t happen again?
Energy Is Real
A big reason I have such good experiences is because I expect to.
Attitude elevates your ride. Courtesy and cooperation are the twin pillars of every great ride.
Attitude elevates your ride. It’s important to understand the dynamics of truly dangerous situations, and how to avoid them. Once you’ve got that down, courtesy and cooperation are the twin pillars of every great ride.
If you’re a mensch, you have every reason to expect other drivers to be mensches, too.
Ever since my honking takedown, I’ve wanted to revisit the scene, and see if I could control the energy around me this time. I’d be more careful to actively communicate with the motorists who would most assuredly be on the road with me.
I finally rode it again last Friday. You can see what happened below.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/energy-is-real.png226400Karen Karabellhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngKaren Karabell2018-03-21 11:30:012018-08-23 17:12:11Energy Is Real
Two recent tragic bicyclist deaths in Florida resulted in a local newspaper column extolling the importance of daytime running lights. Without going into detail about these tragedies, I’ll say one thing: It’s doubtful that either death would have been prevented by daytime running lights.
That’s the thing about tragedies and safety equipment. Whatever safety equipment you’re enamored of — daytime running lights, protective padding, helmets — it will help some times, but not others. But when you’re upset because a friend died, that kind of thought-chopping doesn’t come to mind.
Of this you can be sure: Safety equipment is an area where “always” and “never” don’t exist, and where emotional baggage leads all of us to want to cling to a magic solution.
As an expert witness in bicycle crash reconstruction cases, I believe daytime running lights are usually superfluous. Yes, there are specific occasions where they do help. But they often are used as a makeshift solution for problems best solved by behavior change. If daytime running lights are offered as a do-it-all solution, they become grist for victim blaming when a cyclist was doing nothing wrong.
When To Light Up
Let’s start with the situations where daytime running lights do help. These would include fog, heavy rain, the sun low on the horizon, confusing lighting, and short sight distances on curvy roads.
Fog can reduce visibility to a very short distance. Where I live, in the hills of eastern Pennsylvania, the hilltops can be in the clouds and the valleys can be clear. Sometimes I may need daytime running lights — very bright ones at that — to be seen in the fog. But a half-mile later, I’m out of the fog, and visibility is good.
Some of the curviest country roads make a case for daytime running lights. Even so, if you measure the actual sight distance on a curvy country road, you’ll be surprised at how far it really is. There’s plenty of space to slow down from curvy-road driving speed to cyclist speed. But there’s no harm in giving the overtaking motorist a wake-up call.
Scott Slingerland, executive director of Bethlehem, PA’s Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, demonstrates the effectiveness of daytime running lights earlier this month in Easton, PA.
Scott is easy to see coming and going. But is this because of his lights?
Lane Position
It’s your lane position that affects how soon you’re seen, often more than any light can. This is especially true on curvy roads. If you’re hugging the curb on a curve to the right, you come into view later than a rider using a lane control position.
Dappled mottled light, on a tree-shaded road, makes a case for daytime running lights. The brain takes longer to assemble the picture of a bicyclist in such lighting conditions.
Daytime running lights need to be bright enough to be conspicuous in daylight. If not, they’re no more effective than a rabbit’s foot. How often have you seen a bicycle light, in bad need of new batteries, blinking feebly — in broad daylight? I saw several on a recent trip to Philadelphia. A dim, poorly aimed daytime blinkie just sucks up the electricity to make the light even less effective at night when that rider absolutely needs it.
Brightness costs money. The least expensive bike lights (less than $10 for a front-and-rear set from a major discount retailer) are usually bright enough for nighttime use. But I wouldn’t bet on those lights being noticed on a sunny day. To be seen in daylight, you want a more powerful light. The taillights that have a strobe function (Portland Design Works Danger Zone and Planet Bike Superflash are two that come to mind) cost more than this. So do brighter headlights.
I recommend that you test daytime running lights in the situation when you might use them. Turn them on, take them outside, and see how they appear from 50 paces away. Do they jump out at you? Are you sure? Remember, you’re an alerted observer, and you are far more attentive to them than the people you want to see them. Those people are un-alerted observers.
When the Sun is Low: Your Shadow Points to the Danger
Does a daytime running light really solve the sun-low-on-the-horizon problem?
While the world probably looks clear to this cyclist, his shadow points toward drivers on a high-speed arterial road who have the sun in their eyes – and may not see him as he violates their right-of-way
As we teach in CyclingSavvy, the sun low on the horizon can be a serious problem. Your shadow points in the direction of people who can’t see you. And in the class, we tell people to take a different route or to wait a few minutes for the lighting conditions to change.
The need to verify your lights’ adequacy is most especially true when the sun is low and casting glare. In that situation, you’re asking your daytime running lights to overpower the entire sun! If you do a good observation experiment — with several observers, please — take good notes and tell us what you saw. We’ll publish it. Bonus points if you take a good photo.
Blinded By The Light
What if your light is too bright? At a minimum, you annoy people. You distract drivers from their ongoing job of absorbing visual information and then going on to the next bit of visual information.
It’s a fad — a bad fad, in our opinion — to make emergency vehicle lighting so bright and so discordant that it’s difficult to look away from it. But look away you must, in order to focus on the path you need to travel. The driver needs to watch where she’s going, and watching the light display interferes with that.
Some of today’s lights are strobes, rather than light-emitting diodes. Are they too bright? In some situations, yes. For daytime running lights in pea-soup fog, probably not.
Remember, in normal lighting conditions, a cyclist in a black shirt is easy to see from 200 yards away. And all of us have an obligation to be looking when we drive.
Daytime running lights make you more visible, certainly. But if you were already visible, does making you more visible help? I don’t think so. You need to be relevant as well as visible. The nature of driving is that the driver discards most visual information. When he sees a bicyclist on the shoulder, his brain thinks, “That cyclist is out of my way, and he’s not a factor.” A blinking light is unlikely to change that thought process.
Any search engine will find you dozens of articles in which daytime running lights are praised as if they are mother’s milk. In those articles, people who don’t use daytime running lights are badmouthed. This is stunningly irresponsible, because it aids and abets victim blaming where it matters most — in court.
Imagine yourself, the victim of a motorist-at-fault car/bike collision. You were plainly visible. But the defense counsel brings out a stack of articles telling you what a jerk you were for not using daytime running lights. He asks you to read them aloud on the witness stand. Your emotions go south and your blood pressure skyrockets. After the first dozen articles, he calls for a break, and out in the hall, offers you $100 to settle the case then and there.
So. . . use daytime running lights mindfully. And promote them cautiously.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/daytime-running-lights.jpeg267400John Schuberthttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngJohn Schubert2018-02-07 11:30:392018-08-23 18:39:12Daytime Lights: Magic Bullet Or Not?
I work for MetroPlan Orlando, Central Florida’s regional transportation planning agency. Each morning when I get to my desk, I log in to a statewide database of traffic crashes and review the latest pedestrian and bicyclist crashes uploaded for our area. This system allows me to review detailed police reports and classify the crashes based on the behaviors of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. If you’ve taken CyclingSavvy you’ve seen some of the results of this ongoing analysis.
Crashes with motorists involving sidewalk cyclists are increasing both in number and as a percentage of the total. When I first did such analysis in the mid 1990s, less than half of crashes involved sidewalk cyclists; today it’s at 70 percent. Much of this increase is likely due to more of our major roads having sidewalks today than they did 20 years ago, and most now have curb ramps for wheelchair users, making sidewalks more accessible to cyclists.
Those who have taken CyclingSavvy or read other knowledgeable sources on cycling safety understand the many ways sidewalk cycling increases crash risk. Sidewalk cyclists have more conflicting movements, poorer sight lines, and reduced predictability.
But in addition to the increased crash risk, sidewalk cyclists involved in crashes with motorists may be ata bigger legal disadvantage.
In all states, a bicyclist on a roadway has all the rights and duties of the driver of a vehicle. In most states, bicyclists operating on sidewalks and crosswalks have the same rights and duties as pedestrians. Of course, sidewalk cyclists are not actual pedestrians. Cyclists can easily ride much faster than pedestrians walk.
While motorists are required at crosswalks and driveways to yield to pedestrians (and bicyclists operating as pedestrians), all states have a variation on this language from the Uniform Vehicle Code:
“No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield.”
This applies at crosswalks as well as at driveways and mid-block locations. This language provides for quite a bit of wiggle room in the mind of a law enforcement officer.
Compare the law for bicycle drivers to the law for bicyclists as pedestrians.
I see many reports in which the officer stated that the cyclist committed such a violation, even though the cyclist was entering a crosswalk or crossing a driveway (driveway traffic is supposed to yield to pedestrians and other approaching traffic). No doubt in some cases the officer was correct in his or her assessment, but in many I see little evidence for that conclusion. It’s often the cyclist’s word against the motorist’s, with no independent witness involved. Because I didn’t see the actual crash, I can’t say for certain if the cyclist was violating that statute or not, but then, in most cases, the officer didn’t see it either. Reports rarely indicate whether the cyclist received a citation in such situations, but officers will mark the violation in a “contributing action” field.
Imagine you’re involved in a crash. You want to file a claim for damages against the insurance company of the motorist. If the crash report says you violated the law, you’re going to have a very tough time making your case.
Another disadvantage for sidewalk cyclists is at signalized intersections. At many signals the pedestrian walk phase — the only period during which a pedestrian or sidewalk cyclist may lawfully enter the crosswalk — is less than 10 seconds, and then shifts to a flashing “Don’t Walk.” The green traffic signal for the adjacent lanes is much longer, and the roadway cyclist can enter the intersection during that entire green phase.
Sidepaths have all of the same disadvantages, plus most paths include stop signs for path users at locations that wouldn’t have them if it was just a regular sidewalk. Cyclists using the adjacent roadway are not subject to those extra stop signs.
Let’s compare two similar crashes. Cyclist Jane is traveling in a regular travel lane with the flow of traffic. She’s riding along the right edge of the lane approaching an intersection with no stop sign for that direction. (Edge riding is entirely legal, but we explain its risks in CyclingSavvy.) A motorist comes up from behind and makes a right turn across her path. The two collide in a classic “right hook” crash.
The next day Cyclist Jack is riding on the sidewalk going with the flow of traffic approaching the same intersection. Another motorist makes the same maneuver, also causing a crash.
In the first case, the officer would be guided by statutes to find the motorist violated the cyclist’s right-of-way. In the second case, the officer knows that the motorist must yield to pedestrians legally inthe crosswalk. But since cyclists can go much faster than pedestrians, it’s likely Cyclist Jack was not yet inthe crosswalk when the motorist initiated his turn.
Knowing that in this scenario the cyclist has the rights and duties of a pedestrian, the officer might conclude that Cyclist Jack should not have left a place of safety and moved into the path of a driver who couldn’t yield.
My point here is not to criticize law enforcement, but to show how statutes work against the legal interests of bicyclists on sidewalks and sidepaths.
When students in cycling courses ask me “who is at fault” for a given type of crash, I always respond, “The law doesn’t protect you on the road, only in court.”
But too often the law won’t protect you in court, either. Cycling on the road gives you the best advantages for both preventing a crash and protecting yourself should one occur.
We all have stories. When it comes to bicycling, they are all too often negative. Bicyclists gripe about motorists, motorists gripe about bicyclists, media outlets play up the conflict with an endless stream of “bikes vs. cars” stories, and social media magnifies all of it. It can get downright discouraging.
Too frequently, it’s these negative stories that stick with us. We remember the one motorist who honked at us, and forget the other 99 who passed us safely with no drama. But not only do we get a great majority of drama-free interactions, we also sometimes have good interactions! At least I do. I hope you do too. Let’s try to remember some of them.
CyclingSavvy “stay back” gesture
To start, there are many positive situations that happen too often for me to remember specific instances. For example, I may need to hold back a motorist in an unsafe passing situation, then release them afterwards. If I have held them back with the CyclingSavvy “stay back” gesture, left arm diagonally downward, palm back, I like to release with a friendly wave. That’s usually the end of the situation. That typically happens up to a half dozen times on my 5-mile commute.
If they’ve had to stay behind me a longer-than-normal time, I try to make my gratitude more pronounced by not just waving, but turning my head and mouthing “Thank you” as I wave. Occasionally, I’ll be rewarded with an obviously friendly short beep. A few weeks ago, I even got a thumbs-up!
That reminds me of at least once in the past when someone slowed next to me after a turn to say he appreciated that I knew the hand signals and used them.
We talk about this kind of communication a lot in the CyclingSavvy classroom session. I like to say that communication is the most useful thing that most cyclists never do. One of the things motorists sometimes say they dislike about cyclists is how often they seem to be oblivious to what is going on around them. While I think it’s probably not always true that they’re completely oblivious, many do seem unaware of how much communicating would help the situation. They are shy about interacting with motorists, or don’t even know how.
A motorist thanked me for preventing him from making an unsafe pass on this road!
I always try to tell the story in my classroom presentation about my trip to a seafood restaurant in a nearby coastal town, which I blogged about here a few months ago. Spoiler alert: The motorist behind me for 1/2 mile or so actually thanked me for actively holding him back when passing was not safe, and of course releasing him when it was.
This bicyclist may not realize he is tempting motorists to pass too closely
In a recent conversation about this topic with my wife, she said that whenever she happens to be behind me on my bike when she’s in her car, she appreciates how clear I am about my intentions, by my lane position and signaling. I’ve had several other people say the same thing over the years. From the opposite perspective, someone told me once that what she finds most difficult about dealing with cyclists on the road is not getting any indication from them of what she’s supposed to do. I think part of that confusion is how many cyclists hug the edge as close as they can even in an unsafe passing situation, subconsciously tempting following motorists to do just what the cyclist fervently hopes they don’t. Ever since I heard that, I’ve tried even harder to be clear in such situations.
Sometimes we can read too much into a situation. For example, we’ve all experienced motorists gunning their engines as they pass. It always sounds aggressive, like they’re expressing impatience towards us. But years ago, someone on a mailing list pointed out that it could just be that this is the way engines sound when the driver is trying to get back up to speed quickly, especially if they are going uphill. Maybe, just possibly, it’s not about us!
Closely related is the common aphorism which I would express in this context as: “No need to attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by carelessness or misunderstanding.” Sometimes the motorist may actually be unaware of what they did. Pursuing a discussion with a motorist is often unproductive, but on occasion, it has ended well.
Two months ago on a 4-lane road, a motorist passed me somewhat closely (not completely in the next lane), at what felt to me to be a high rate of speed. I admit that I was ticked off enough that I kept an eye out for the distinctive pickup truck, and saw it in a parking lot a few blocks up. I decided to approach it, and the driver was still sitting in it, so I calmly asked her about it. She was unable to tell me how fast she was going, but was very apologetic. She explained that she had been the second car behind me, and didn’t realize I was there until the car ahead of her changed lanes to pass, so she was a little startled. She then told me that she used to ride a motorcycle, but stopped after having gotten in a crash. I still feel she could have been more careful, but she apologized multiple times, and we left on good terms. I hope she is more careful in the future.
Once a “student driver” car passed me and did something I didn’t like, I forget exactly what. Maybe passed a little close, or honked. I happened to catch up to them at the next light and asked what that was about. The teacher in the passenger’s seat said that they hadn’t meant anything bad by it, and that I certainly had the right to be riding where I was.
Another time two guys in the car I caught up with at their apartment building lot told me that as a bicyclist, I had more right to the road than they did! That’s not exactly correct, but I’ll take it.
Of course, every once in a while, a motorist is undeniably a real jerk. Even then, it’s possible that they are just a jerk to everyone, not just you on your bike. Riding an arterial road past some interstate ramps a few years ago, I heard some honking quite a distance behind me, and looked back to see a car driver apparently harassing another car driver. When the harasser passed me, my annoyance was immediately replaced with great amusement by this bumper sticker on the back of the car he (yes, he) was driving:
His wife’s car? If so, he was certainly proving her point! Maybe he was already put out by having to drive her car around with that sticker on it.
Me and my son? :D
It’s always nice of course to have friendly interactions that just arise organically, rather than out of a potential negative interaction. The one that stands out in my mind is the motorist who complimented me one snowy winter day because he had seen me out there every day, and just wanted to tell me that he admired my tenacity. (I think he may have been a fair-weather cyclist himself.)
Friendly interactions also happen with other non-motorized users. For example, it’s always nice to stop for pedestrians and have them thank you as they cross. I especially hope that when I do this in our busy Old Port area where the tourists roam, it gives them a positive image of our city, so friendly that even the cyclists stop to let them cross! :-)
Most recently, just a few weeks ago a “roadie” in full kit passed me on my morning commute and complimented my on my new CyclingSavvy jersey that I was wearing that day. (Thanks, Gary Cziko!)
Just another day biking in traffic. :-D
John Brooking modeling the new CyclingSavvy jersey. If you would like one, consult the sizing charts at hubbubonline.com to determine your size, then email Gary Cziko at gcziko@gmail.com. They are fitted jerseys, so you can order a size or two higher if you want a more relaxed fit.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/john-stories-from-road.jpeg400300John Brookinghttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngJohn Brooking2017-10-18 11:30:332018-08-27 21:00:01Stories From the Road
Happy Cubs fans flood the streets near Wrigley Field. The energy is palpable as they cheer the team towards a World Series victory. I’m elated as my folding bike and I squeeze our way out of the crowded Addison ‘L’ (subway) station.
When I booked this trip, riding my bike in Chicago seemed as farfetched as the Cubs winning the World Series. I was in Chicago to celebrate my friend’s wedding. As a St. Louis Cardinals fan, my gut instinct was Wrigleyville would be a nice quiet centrally located place to stay.
I couldn’t have been more wrong–about the Cubs, or where I’d find myself riding my shiny new Brompton around the Windy City.
♦♦♦
Shortly after completing CyclingSavvy, I pulled up on my Brompton to St. Louis’ Maryland Plaza Tuesday Night Ride. Our regular sweep, Harold Karabell, asked if the latest addition to my fleet was going with me to Chicago. I unenthusiastically responded, “I guess.”
A thought bubble over my head would have read:
“Clearly he’s up past bedtime. I could never bike in a big city where they drive like that.”
To prepare for my trip I sat down with Chicago Transit Authority timetables and maps. One place would be hard to reach by transit alone. The night before the wedding, there was a gathering for dessert at a restaurant in Skokie. Bus service was infrequent and terminated at 8 PM. This left me with a gap of nearly two miles from the Yellow Line ‘L’ station to the restaurant.
I considered Harold’s suggestion that I go by bicycle. Now that I had a Brompton, if I felt uncomfortable at any time I’d have the option to fold the bike and order a Lyft.
OK. I’d at least try my hand at mapping a bike route to meet my friends in Skokie. A Chicagoland adventure would be the ultimate test of what I learned in CyclingSavvy.
After a decade of cycling for transportation, going by bicycle was already a natural part of vacation for me. I’d found my way around smaller cities like Albuquerque, Kansas City and Madison, WI. I’ve also been to Chicago numerous times and navigated by ‘L’, bus, Metra, and walking.
I scoured satellite images and bicycle maps to see what options I had for riding through Skokie. Settling on a route of primarily neighborhood streets, I wrote myself directions to the restaurant. Now I was excited. I eagerly hoped to add greater Chicago to the list of cities I’d biked.
♦♦♦
An Amtrak and subway ride later, my Brompton and I are happily settled in my Chicago Airbnb. The moment of truth had arrived. That evening I’d find my way from Wrigleyville to Skokie’s Old Orchard Mall to meet my friends, hopefully without resorting to the use of a car.
Brompton and me on the ‘L’
Cue sheet and transit pass in hand, I head north with my bike on the ‘L’. At the Dempster-Skokie stop, I carry my bike down a few steps to exit the platform. I roll up the right leg of my jeans, take a few deep breaths, and head out onto a four-lane road.
Trepidation welled up inside me, as my little bike and I took our place in traffic on a big road in a big city. Traffic is light and the lane to my left is available to pass me. My center-of-lane position and dynamo lights communicate that a slow-moving vehicle is in the right hand lane.
A few blocks later I signal and turn onto a quiet residential street. Several more turns through the neighborhood and I wait at a light to cross an arterial road in front of Old Orchard Mall. The light changes. With a few more pedal strokes I arrive at my destination. I’m smiling ear-to-ear.
Bromptons make multi-modal travel easy
I did it! I can proudly add Skokie to the list of places I’ve biked.
A dessert “event”
Fortified by a fruit-filled chocolate piñata, I’m ready to retrace my path back to the ‘L’. I read over the directions once more as I unfold my bicycle. It’s well past 10 PM and the streets are empty. I easily navigate back through neighborhood streets and come to a two-way stop sign. I signal my intention to stop as a car pulls up behind me.
If they don’t turn I’ll encourage them to pass on the other side of the intersection. I’ve nearly stopped as I hear a “beeeeeep” coming from behind me. I’m startled, and land on my feet in an ungraceful dismount I hope no one caught on video.
She rolls down her window.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said. “I didn’t expect you to stop.”
I showed her what the stop hand signal looks like and wished her a nice night.
I pedal on uneventfully retracing the remainder of my route. After a quick jughandle turn, I happily find myself back at the ‘L’. I fold up the Brompton and board the train back to the apartment for the night.
I can’t wipe the grin off my face.
I’ve successfully biked in an metro area where I loathe driving a car.
Those 3.6 miles were as transformative as ditching training wheels as a child.
I used savvy cycling in Chicagoland and nothing happened! Yes, one motorist honked at me. She was confused and apologetic. I’m on the top of the world. Next stop Los Angeles? New York? Boston? London?
Clearly, the skills I refined in CyclingSavvy will serve me well, even in big cities with intimidating traffic.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/sweet-success-in-skokie.jpeg353400Katherine Tynanhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngKatherine Tynan2017-10-04 11:30:512018-08-27 21:01:31Sweet Success in Skokie
It was a Friday night of a holiday weekend. I was on my way (by bike, of course!) from my suburban office into downtown Portland, Maine, to lead July’s First Friday Slow Ride. The sun was out, temperature perfect, and traffic not terribly congested. I was in a good mood.
The first half of this trip is on a four-lane arterial called Outer Congress Street. Because of narrow lanes and paved shoulders ranging from sketchy to none, I was riding in the middle of the rightmost travel lane to give myself space. This also helps motorists behind me know well in advance that a lane change will be required. Most motorists don’t even take their feet off the gas to change lanes to pass me.
I’ve written before about one section of this road. I sometimes get guff here from motorists because the paved shoulder is generally four to five feet wide and next to a curb. What they surely don’t see are the drain grates, or the trash on the shoulder. It must look to some drivers like a bike lane. It’s not. It’s too narrow, with no pavement markings or signage.
The road during our conversation. The upper left shows the paved shoulder that that the motorist probably assumed was “the bike lane.” The bottom right is where I heard him make the call.
It was in this section that an older man driving a pickup truck in the lane next to me first slowed to my pace and then told me I needed to move over. I replied that I did not. We went back and forth a few times before he drove on. Shortly thereafter he moved into the right lane ahead of me and turned right.
No cussing, no honking, no close pass. It went well, as such encounters go.
The road he turned onto came back out to the main road another mile up. To my surprise, there he was again, waiting to turn right back onto the main road as I approached.
I was close enough that he waited for me to pass before turning. Thank you! But then he came up on my left again. Again he insisted that I needed to move over. This time he threatened to call the police.
“Go right ahead,” I responded. I was getting annoyed. “They’ll tell you I’m right.”
Another mile up the road I approached a red light and got in line in the through lane. Who did I notice on my left, in the left turn lane, but my friend the pickup truck driver. His passenger side window was down. I could clearly hear him on his phone, telling someone about this guy on a bike in the “middle of the road.” He just wanted them to know about it, “in case he gets hit.” Thanks. I think.
I didn’t say anything more. The light turned green, and we went our separate ways. Thankfully, no police car ever appeared. I turned off that road another two miles up, and that was the end of it.
The Result
When I described the experience on Facebook, people expressed interest in seeing the transcript of the presumed 911 call, so I called the police department to ask about it. Yes, the helpful city employee said, she was able to locate that call. A transcript would cost $50, but she could email me the summary for free, with the caller’s information redacted. Here it is:
Official police summary of the call about me.
First, a few minor corrections:
As noted above, there was no bike lane. He just assumed it was a bike lane. (Because that’s where bikes are supposed to be, right?)
To be precise, I was in the middle of the lane, not the middle of the road (the latter would be the centerline).
I was not wearing a backpack, only using a pannier on a rear rack.
On a humorous note, do you see the Call Type? “PERSONS BOTHERING.” I don’t know which direction that’s supposed to imply, but it’s probably safe to say that it went both ways! My friend Alice Persons found it especially amusing.
Why Does It Happen?
I’m fascinated by the thinking of people on this topic. Why did that person–and sometimes it seems most of society–assume cyclists belong at the edge of the road? Why will strangers presume that it’s OK to get in your face and yell at you? While I’m not a sociologist, I have some theories:
Culture of Speed. Every car commercial romanticizes the ideal of driving fast on the open road, unimpeded by other traffic.
We live in a do-it-now world. We don’t like to be delayed. Cyclists are guilty of this, too, when they ride up on the right of a half-dozen cars waiting at a red light to get to the front.
Lack of understanding. Most motorists don’t bike in traffic. They don’t understand the consequences of riding on the edge: The close passing, insufficient buffer space, inconsistent available width, debris hazards, and lack of vantage around corners.
What most people do know is that there’s some law about bicycles needing to be “as far right as possible.” Actually, that’s NOT the law anywhere in America. But people confronting you on the road are not in the mood to quibble.
Unfortunately, not one person in 100 knows anything about the many exceptions such laws always have. No state’s traffic laws obligate you to endanger yourself for the convenience of another.
Purpose of roads. Most people believe “roads are for cars.” Most motorists remain oblivious to the fact that they are beneficiaries of both the Good Roads Movement and a concerted effort in the early 20th Century to redefine streets as places for cars rather than people. This effectively transferred the safety burden from drivers of fast, deadly vehicles onto people who were “foolish enough” to venture onto the street without the protection of a car.
It has become “common sense” that “bikes and cars don’t mix” and that roads are intended only for cars, and pedestrians and bicyclists just need to be careful and stay out of the way in order to be safe.
Purpose of bikes. When autos became ubiquitous in the 20th century, bikes were relegated to toy status. Still, adults continue to rediscover biking for fitness and recreation, and to a lesser extent for transportation. Unfortunately, our land use patterns and economy are still not well suited to bicycle transportation outside of urban centers. The bicycle is still largely seen by non-cyclists as recreation.
Bicycling for transportation is often seen as an undesirable last resort, unless you’re an enthusiast who does it by choice, in which case it’s still just a “hobby.” Not that that has any legal bearing on your right to use the road.
So with all that cultural conditioning, a motorist (who is “delayed” by a bicyclist in the middle of the travel lane when there’s a “perfectly good” three-foot paved shoulder) wonders why:
Why should I have to change lanes when they could just move over?
Don’t they have somewhere else to ride than on this dangerous road at rush hour?
Isn’t it illegal to hold up traffic like this?
They’re going to get hit!
And besides, how rude!
Keeping Your Cool
This can be hard at first. While the techniques we teach in CyclingSavvy work great for minimizing road conflict, there will always be motorists whose lack of understanding makes them want to “driversplain” to you that you’re doing it all wrong, or even what a terrible and selfish person you are.
Ever notice how dogs bark when you walk by their yards? “Stay out of my territory!” When motorists honk at you just because you’re on the road, it’s the same thing. CyclingSavvy co-founder Keri Caffrey coined the term “territorial honking” to describe motorists who want to Make Sure You Know Just How Unhappy They Are that you’re in “their” space. It can be frustrating, especially when you’re pretty sure you know more about bicycling in traffic than they do, especially after taking CyclingSavvy.
I’ve made good progress since I started biking to work 15 years ago. I manage to keep my cool most of the time, as long I’m not actually endangered by someone’s action, especially intentionally.
I can count the number of times I’ve given the one-finger salute in the last half dozen years on, well, one finger. But even that’s too much. The ideal response is not to respond, unless you’re asked an honest question.
As you may have noticed from my story, I’ve yet to achieve that blissful state of savvy nirvana. But I have managed to habituate myself to responding most of the time with a friendly “Hi!” and full hand wave, which maybe disarms them.
It can be tempting to think that you can educate them. Don’t bother. That’s not what they want. They’re mostly sounding off because they had to slow down. It’s not socially acceptable to honk at other motorists, even when one motorist has to slow down for normal actions of others, such as waiting to turn left. Those situations are considered normal, in a way that a bicycle in the road is not, for all the reasons I listed above. And to some people, not being normal is apparently the greatest offense of all.
Whatever you do, don’t escalate. This will not make it better, and could very well make it worse.
Click to view Officer Kirby Beck’s presentation
What if you are stopped by police? Pull over, and respectfully discuss the situation. Know the law and be able to talk briefly about it. You probably know a lot more than the cop about bicycling, but don’t lecture. As lawyers say, the side of the road is not the place to litigate your case.
Retired police officer Kirby Beck gives solid advice in this video. He describes how to report an incident–and you should, if you were endangered–and how to respond to an officer if you’re pulled over. Bike lawyer Bob Mionske offers cautionary advice in How to Handle a Traffic Ticket.
CyclingSavvy will make your cycling easier and less stressful. But unfortunately, you will occasionally encounter jerks, or at least misinformed individuals with strong opinions.
On the rare occasions someone is rude, I always remember how I typically have no problems at all on the road. I hope that’s true for you, too. Enjoy the ride!
Oh yeah, we had a great Slow Ride that night too!
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bicyclist-in-road.png260400John Brookinghttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngJohn Brooking2017-08-30 11:30:292018-08-27 21:14:29911: Someone's Riding a Bike in the Road!
It’s a lovely day! You decide to bike. After you grab your water bottle, lock, bike shorts, gloves, clip-in shoes, spare tube, pannier, reflective vest, lights, rain jacket, ID, money, helmet, air pump, levers, tools, cell phone, basket, charger…
The joy has left you. It’s too much work. You hop in your car instead.
I know this routine because it’s happened to me. A LOT. Just thinking about preparing to leave for a ride was exhausting.
Well! No pun intended, but I decided to break this cycle. From now on, I’d have a more “just do it” approach.
I decided to test my new resolve with a weekend trip to Kansas City. I was driving there and would take my bike on my car, but leave the car in a free lot and get around town on my beloved Frenchman “Pierre,” a vintage 1973 Peugeot Mixte.
Riding Pierre would make my trip more economical, and let me enjoy KC in the best way possible.
Pierre in Kansas City, prior to his meltdown
Before I left home, I ensured Pierre’s tires were aired up. I took only a basket, lock, lights and helmet. Nothing else! I bike in regular clothes. Travel light, that’s my goal.
Prior to my trip, I asked my Airbnb hosts if there were bike racks in front of building. They couldn’t remember, but said I could bring my bike up to my loft. While I would have use of an elevator, this made me even more determined to travel light.
Biking around KC was easy. I stopped any time I wanted to enjoy views I would have easily missed in a car.
On my last day I wanted to visit a highly recommended vegan bake shop. It was a little far but I didn’t care. The weather was perfect. I’d be able to bike off calories after I devoured pastries.
With very little traffic, I felt like I had the roads to myself. I was just enjoying my time when the unexpected happened: A bolt on the pedal crank broke! Suddenly Pierre was unrideable.
I was stuck on the side of the road in a town where I knew no one. I was too far from my Airbnb to walk the bike back. My first thought was to chastise myself: “I should have packed my tools and extra bolts!”
Yeah, right. Even if I had tools, would I have been able to fix Pierre? What to do?
I remembered someone telling me that I could Uber a car that can carry a bike. Uber! I’ll Uber! I got my phone and ordered a car to come get me. I locked up Pierre to get him later. I didn’t need to order a special vehicle though it was available. In less than five minutes, my Uber driver arrived. Twenty-five minutes later I was in my car, picking up Pierre.
Not once did I regret not packing “everything” in the event something happened. This was a small hiccup in a fun weekend ride.
Over-planning for the worst could be the worst thing that happens to you on a ride. I ride more since I’ve stopped worrying about what I “should” bring on trips. I don’t even worry about what I wear. You’ll often see me in flip flops and a skirt. This has been a life changer!
There are a few things I always bring: A fully charged cell phone, bike lights and a helmet. But everything is really not necessary. Most things I can get at my destination & leave there, or arrange to get later.
“Anything is fixable except death,” my mom says. So true! These days, anything is a cell phone call away.
Goodies from Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee
OH! I made it to that vegan bake shop, with Pierre. He was resting comfortably on the bike rack ready to get back home. He has since recovered from his injuries and is back on the road.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/monica.jpeg450450Mónica Lloriánhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngMónica Llorián2017-08-09 12:00:012018-08-27 21:17:16The Art of "Just Do It"
Passing strangers at the Minneapolis airport last Monday were probably a bit amused at my enthusiasm. I’d just gotten off the phone with a Wall Street Journal reporter. We talked about cyclist conspicuity. (Some of us get excited about such things.)
Here’s her story, published today in The Wall Street Journal Online. American Bicycling Education Association and its CyclingSavvy program were both mentioned. While the article primarily explored research into a number of clothing and lighting options, the reporter also mentioned the concept of lane positioning, which we teach in CyclingSavvy. I explained to her that being relevantis often as important as being conspicuous. (Stay tuned! This is the topic for my next blog post, which will run July 12.) CyclingSavvy Instructor John Allen was also interviewed for the article.
I suppose it’s all well and good if some people want to wear neon clothing and use some of the gadgets the story covered — and in some circumstances some of them certainly will help. But do we really have to dress like a science project every time we ride our bikes? With CyclingSavvy strategies you’ll find that you can usually just ride in normal clothing in the daytime, and use regular headlights and taillights at night.
In other news…
Congratulationsto CyclingSavvy Instructor Bill DeSantis (Professional Engineer for VHB, based in Providence, RI) for being named new chairman for the Bicycle Technical Committee (BTC) of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD). This committee explores, reviews and recommends new or modified traffic signs, pavement markings and traffic signals relevant to cycling on our public roads and paths. Approved devices are included in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is what the federal government and most states adopt as the official standards for traffic controls. Five CyclingSavvy Instructors now serve on the BTC: Bill DeSantis, DeWayne Carver, John Allen, John Schubert and myself.
Bill DeSantis discovers another CSI program that doesn’t involve bicycling.
By now you may be getting the idea that the CSIs who represent ABEA know a thing or two about bicycling. They are recognized as authorities on bicycling safety and education. As a result, they are leading the conversations on bicycling safety and transportation design at a national level.
Update 7/2/2017:
We realize that the Journal piece is behind a paywall, and not wishing to run afoul of fair use laws, we won’t copy the entire story. But a few highlights and quotes:
Research into fluorescent leggings and ankle lights found both are better recognized as being associated with cyclists than fluorescent shirts or jackets or regular headlights. (But I think a motorist approaching from behind is going to see the large area of your torso from a greater distance, assuming a similar color. Depending on which direction you need to be seen from, it may be more important to be seen from a greater distance, or recognized from a shorter distance.) Ankle lights truly do sound like a good addition to your regular tail-light and headlight set-up.
While I wasn’t quoted extensively for the article, I was fortunate to literally “get in the last word.”
“Mighk Wilson, executive director of the Orlando, Fla.-based nonprofit American Bicycling Education Association, says certain strategies can make a rider more visible. One tip in the association’s classes on cycling skills is riding in the center of a lane rather than on the edge, so drivers don’t try to squeeze past or turn in front of you.
“Most important, really, is your positioning on the road, which then enhances your use of those lights and makes you more relevant,” Mr. Wilson says.”
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/mighkw.jpeg400400Mighk Wilsonhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngMighk Wilson2017-07-01 18:24:042018-08-27 21:20:34CyclingSavvy & ABEA Conspicuous (& Relevant) in The Wall Street Journal
The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road experience — Tour of Waltham.
Truth & Techniques (classroom session) and Train Your Bike (bike handling) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session, and you may sign up for individual sessions — see their listings to do that.
Train Your Bike – Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 9 AM – Noon at MacArthur School
…Lunch break…Pizzi Farms deli and ice-cream stand is just across the street.
Tour of Waltham – Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 1 PM – 4:30 PM from MacArthur School
The Tour of Waltham is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features (intersections, interchanges, merges, etc.) a cyclist might find in his/her travels. The students travel as a group, stopping to survey and discuss each exercise location. After observing the feature, discussing the traffic dynamics and the best strategy for safe and easy passage, the students ride through individually and regroup at a nearby location.
Train Your Bike (bike handling) and Truth & Techniques (classroom session) are included in this 3-part workshop. Completion of these two sessions is required before taking the Tour session.
The ticket below gives the time for the first (classroom) session, but it is for the full three-part course, including the Tour of Waltham session.
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/20170806_141756.jpg7201280John Allenhttps://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cs-xlong-header-01.pngJohn Allen2018-11-22 13:21:382020-02-13 20:58:07Three Part Course: Waltham MA – May 2020
Look at the incidents at one-way left-to-right cross streets. In one of these, a motorist ahead of me pulled over to the right curb just past the intersection. In the other, a motorist behind me turned right. Neither used turn signals. The driver who merged right delayed me, and I delayed the one who turned right.
In this segment, the driver did use a turn signal, but it was so far around on the other side of the car, I couldn’t see it.
basket, charger…
