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Tag Archive for: CyclingSavvy

Aiming for good bicycle lighting

November 11, 2022/4 Comments/by John Allen

We are now in the time of short days and long nights, and so it’s a good time to talk about bicycle lights.

And there’s good news. Thanks to efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs), bicycle lights can be bright while drawing meager power from a small battery or generator.

Even better news — they won’t draw all the cash out of your wallet.

Like the horsepower race…

The trend can go to excess. Some of today’s bicycle headlights have product names like “Atomic”, and I kid you not, “Blinder” — only too true. Brighter, brighter, brighter… 200, 400, 1000 lumens. (The lumen is a measure of light output.)

The lumen war reminds me of the mid-20th-century horsepower race among big American cars. As in “my car is better than yours because it has a V8 engine with more horsepower!”

Why beam pattern matters

Lumens count light in every direction, but it matters in which direction the light goes. Any bicycle headlight bright enough to light your way should have a special beam pattern, like a car headlight, for at least four reasons:

  • Efficiency:  There is no point in using electrical power to produce wasted light.
  • Clarity: Light thrown upward illuminates dust, fog, mist, rain, snow — washing out the bicyclist’s view of the riding surface.
  • Glare reduction: a headlight that spews light upward glares into the eyes of oncoming bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians. Stray light from a properly-designed headlight is still bright enough to reveal you.
  • Even illumination: a well-designed, shaped headlight beam tapers down in brightness closer to the bicyclist, avoiding a hotspot.

Good bicycle lights have shaped beam patterns

A good beam pattern looks more or less like this, if you shine the light at a wall:

Shaped beam of a well-designed bicycle headlight
Shaped beam of a better bicycle headlight

Germany’s bicycle lighting standard recognizes this. Several brands of bicycle lights with a shaped beam pattern are available, meeting the German standard. Increasingly, the German standard is being adopted by manufacturers in other countries as well.

Still, many bicycle headlights being sold in the USA have a round beam pattern like the one shown below. These headlights cannot illuminate the riding surface evenly without glaring at eye level and above.These lights are appropriate only for off-road riding, and even then not when there is oncoming traffic.. Some lights do let you switch beam patterns.

Round beam glares into people's eyes unless aimed low
Round beam glares into people’s eyes unless aimed low

Any bicycle headlight should throw some light to the sides, to render the bicyclist visible to cross traffic.

Aiming a headlight

For a shaped beam to work correctly, the cutoff needs to be just below horizontal. Check out this video of the beam from my headlight as I walk my bicycle toward my garage. The flat top of the beam slowly rises up the garage door.

Aiming a taillight

A taillight’s beam pattern is less critical. Drivers who can approach at speed will be directly behind you. Aim a taillight level and directly to the rear. As the video shows, you test aim by rolling the bicycle away from a wall. The center of the beam should stay in the same place. The taillight should throw light to the sides too, but need not be as bright there. The headlight and any side-facing reflective material will also be visible from the sides.

What about flashing mode?

A flashing headlight is useful in daylight and at dusk but should be avoided in full darkness for three reasons: 1) it’s difficult for motorists to judge your speed and location from a flashing light; 2) a flashing headlight announces that you are on a bicycle = SLOW. This could inspire motorists to violate your right-of-way. 3) an ultra-bright white LED on a flash pattern could cause a seizure in someone who is vulnerable them.

A flashing taillight also announces that you are on a bicycle, and that is a good thing for motorists to recognize when approaching from behind. It’s best to use a rapid flash pattern for the taillight. If you have two taillights, you can use one on flash mode and one on steady mode.

Good bicycle lights for daytime use?

Some bicyclists, especially those who ride on rural roads, use lights during daylight hours, to be more visible. To be noticed, lights have to be much brighter during the day than at night. Any light used for both day and night should have a different mode for each.

You might ask “isn’t the round beam pattern better for daytime use?” Well, no. To make a shaped-beam headlight work as a daytime running light, re-aim it a bit higher. A shaped-beam headlight also generally has a wider beam pattern than one with a round beam pattern, making it stand out for drivers farther from straight ahead.

More general information

More general information about lights can be found in John Brooking’s article on this blog.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/taillight-aim-wide.jpg 356 702 John Allen https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Allen2022-11-11 13:09:052022-11-11 22:18:18Aiming for good bicycle lighting

Bicycle Portland, Maine

July 30, 2022/0 Comments/by John Allen
Pamela Murray welcomes you to the Maine lighthouse bicycle tour
Pamela Murray welcomes you to the Lighthouse Tour

Bicycle Portland, Maine and the surrounding area, August 25-28 (Thurs.-Sun.). Pick and choose among any or all of these events:

  • 6-lighthouse coastal tour,
  • lobster dinner on the beach,
  • overnight camping trip,
  • CyclingSavvy bike handling and street skills  sessions. 

Let us know if you need help finding accommodations for the nights of Aug. 25 and 26. We may be able to help. But the overnight for the tour August 27-28 is free at the People’s Perch in East Baldwin, Maine, a unique and friendly spot with camping accommodations. Then also, there’s a 200-foot water tower which you may climb, safely belayed. Great view…

Bicyclists arrive at the People's Perch in East Baldwin, Maine with its 200-foot water tower.
Bicyclists arrive at the People’s Perch

Click here for a form to contact us and sign on. We’ll soon get back to you by phone or e-mail.

And click here to register for the CyclingSavvy course. Truth and Techniques session is over Zoom on August 19; then Train Your Bike August 25. Both of these are prerequisites for the Tour of Portland, August 26, but see the course listing for alternative options.

It’s going to be a great time, so bicycle Portland, Maine and the Portland area with us!

Maine is a beautiful place that I paradoxically want to hoard to myself and share with everyone I meet.

John Hodgman

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/lighthouse-square-300.png 306 306 John Allen https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Allen2022-07-30 18:14:252022-07-30 21:22:19Bicycle Portland, Maine
Franklin St Portland ME

3-Part Workshop: Portland ME

August 26, 2022/0 Comments/by John Brooking
Hybrid Hybrid Event

August 26, 2022 @ 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT

$95 Full course
  • Google Calendar
  • iCalendar
  • Outlook 365
  • Outlook Live
Cancellation Policy
What to Bring

Truth & Techniques:
Friday, August 19, 4 PM – 7PM over Zoom

Train Your Bike:
Thursday, August 25, 2 – 5 PM
at Mill Creek Shaw’s Plaza, South Portland

Tour of Portland:
Friday, August 26, 2 – 5 PM
from Monument Square, Portland

Instructors:

John Brooking

207-831-2735

johnbrooking4@gmail.com

John Allen

781-856-4058

View Organizer Website

johnsallen68@gmail.com

Pamela Murray
704 352-0072
https://cltspokespeople.org
[email protected]

Maximize your cycling experience!

The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road group ride experience.

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 Tour of Portland is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features a cyclist might find in their 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.

Locations:

Truth & Techniques: on Zoom, link will be provided to registrants

Train Your Bike:

ME, South Portland, Mill Creek Shaw’s Plaza

150 Waterman Street
South Portland, ME 04106 United States
+ Google Map

Tour: Monument Square, Portland – Click on link for map.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Franklin_Cropped.jpg 793 1273 John Brooking https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Brooking2022-03-26 20:40:222022-08-14 21:24:473-Part Workshop: Portland ME
Franklin St Portland ME

3-Part Workshop: Portland ME

August 25, 2022/0 Comments/by John Brooking
Hybrid Hybrid Event

August 25, 2022 @ 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT

$95 Full course
  • Google Calendar
  • iCalendar
  • Outlook 365
  • Outlook Live
Cancellation Policy
What to Bring

Truth & Techniques:
Friday, August 19, 4 PM – 7PM over Zoom

Train Your Bike:
Thursday, August 25, 2 – 5 PM
at Mill Creek Shaw’s Plaza, South Portland

Tour of Portland:
Friday, August 26, 2 – 5 PM
from Monument Square, Portland

Instructors:

John Brooking

207-831-2735

johnbrooking4@gmail.com

John Allen

781-856-4058

View Organizer Website

johnsallen68@gmail.com

Pamela Murray
704 352-0072
https://cltspokespeople.org
[email protected]

Maximize your cycling experience!

The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road group ride experience.

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 Tour of Portland is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features a cyclist might find in their 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.

Locations:

Truth & Techniques: on Zoom, link will be provided to registrants

Train Your Bike:

ME, South Portland, Mill Creek Shaw’s Plaza

150 Waterman Street
South Portland, ME 04106 United States
+ Google Map

Tour: Monument Square, Portland – Click on link for map.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Franklin_Cropped.jpg 793 1273 John Brooking https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Brooking2022-03-26 20:40:222022-08-14 21:24:453-Part Workshop: Portland ME
Franklin St Portland ME

3-Part Workshop: Portland ME

August 19, 2022/0 Comments/by John Brooking
Hybrid Hybrid Event

August 19, 2022 @ 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT

$95.00 Full course

Tickets

The numbers below include tickets for this event already in your cart. Clicking “Get Tickets” will allow you to edit any existing attendee information as well as change ticket quantities.
Tickets are no longer available
  • Google Calendar
  • iCalendar
  • Outlook 365
  • Outlook Live
Cancellation Policy
What to Bring

Truth & Techniques:
Friday, August 19, 4 PM – 7PM over Zoom

Train Your Bike:
Thursday, August 25, 2 – 5 PM
at Mill Creek Shaw’s Plaza, South Portland

Tour of Portland:
Friday, August 26, 2 – 5 PM
from Monument Square, Portland

Instructors:

John Brooking

207-831-2735

johnbrooking4@gmail.com

John Allen

781-856-4058

View Organizer Website

johnsallen68@gmail.com

Pamela Murray
704 352-0072
https://cltspokespeople.org
[email protected]

Maximize your cycling experience!

The full CyclingSavvy Course INCLUDES Truth & Techniques (classroom session), Train Your Bike (bike handling) session, and our signature on-road group ride experience.

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 Tour of Portland is an experiential tour of our city’s roads. The course includes some of the most intimidating road features a cyclist might find in their 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.

Locations:

Truth & Techniques: on Zoom, link will be provided to registrants

Train Your Bike:

ME, South Portland, Mill Creek Shaw’s Plaza

150 Waterman Street
South Portland, ME 04106 United States
+ Google Map

Tour: Monument Square, Portland – Click on link for map.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Franklin_Cropped.jpg 793 1273 John Brooking https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Brooking2022-03-26 20:40:222022-08-14 21:24:413-Part Workshop: Portland ME
dooring demonstration

3-Part Workshop, Charlotte NC April 15-17

April 15, 2022/0 Comments/by Pamela Murray
Hybrid Hybrid Event

April 15, 2022 @ 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT

$95.00 3-Part Course

Tickets

The numbers below include tickets for this event already in your cart. Clicking “Get Tickets” will allow you to edit any existing attendee information as well as change ticket quantities.
Tickets are no longer available
  • Google Calendar
  • iCalendar
  • Outlook 365
  • Outlook Live
Cancellation Policy
What to Bring

Full Course Includes:

Truth & Techniques (classroom)
Virtual via Zoom (a link will be emailed to attendees)
Friday, April 15, 4 – 7 PM

Train Your Bike (bike handling skills)
Midwood Baptist Church at 2029 Mecklenburg Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Saturday, April 16, 2 PM – 5 PM

Tour of Charlotte (on-road session)
Okra Yoga at 1912 Commonwealth Avenue see venue map and instructions.
Sunday, April 17, 2 PM – 5 PM

Instructor:

Pamela Murray

980 288 4801

View Organizer Website

pamlikestobike@gmail.com

Enhance your cycling experience!

What makes CyclingSavvy different from any other course is our deep dive into unique strategies for mastering even the most intimidating and complicated scenarios. You’ll be blown away by the places you can ride a bike without being a road warrior!

Truth & techniques is a virtual classroom session offered over Zoom. Train Your Bike is a bike handling skills class taught in a parking lot. The tour is an experiential on-road session where it all comes together. The classroom and bike handling sessions are required for participation in the tour.

On the Tour of Charlotte, we’ll travel as a group, stopping to survey and discuss each exercise location. After observing the feature, discussing the traffic dynamics and the best strategies for safe and easy passage, participants ride through individually and regroup at a nearby location.

Learn more about CyclingSavvy in-person classes here.

Train Your Bike Location:

NC, Charlotte, Midwood Baptist Church

2029 Mecklenburg Ave
Charlotte, North Carolina 28205 United States
+ Google Map

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20171112_142725.jpeg 720 1280 Pamela Murray https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png Pamela Murray2022-03-14 18:00:072022-04-07 15:25:023-Part Workshop, Charlotte NC April 15-17

Join Us at the Philly Bike Expo!

October 28, 2021/0 Comments/by John Allen

The American Bicycling Education Association is pleased to announce that we’ll be at the Philly Bike Expo. So mark your calendars!

Our booth at the Philly Bike Expo
We’re back! This was our booth in 2019.

Founded in 2010 by Bilenky Cycle Works, the Philly Bike Expo promotes “the fun, function, fitness and freedom to be found on two wheels.” The event fosters relationships between the cycling community and dedicated companies and organizations.

Bilenky hosts the event so we can all “admire the artisans whose craft enables us to ride two-wheeled art, to applaud the activists whose tireless efforts further our cycling infrastructure and to explore cycling as a fun and efficient transportation alternative.”

We’ll be sharing a booth in the Expo Hall with the Lehigh Valley CAT-Coalition for Appropriate Transportation.

Concerned about Covid? There is information online about the Expo’s Covid Protocol. We are vaccinated, will be masked, and consider the risk acceptable.

Pam Murray’s bike, home from errands…

Street Smarts — and a raffle.

The recently published Bicycling Street Smarts, CyclingSavvy Edition will be available at the CyclingSavvy/CAT booth. Yes, autographed by the author!  And we’ll be raffling off copies. The grand prize winner also gets a full scholarship to a CyclingSavvy course, online or in person.

We’re having workshops too!

Two of us are giving presentations on Sunday:

John and a friend rode Spruce Street.

Pamela Murray, The Bike Life, Sunday. 1:30 PM — Pam rides over 6,000 miles per year for transportation, fitness and recreation. She is a CyclingSavvy instructor and Bicycle Benefits Ambassador, and leads bike rides for vacation and camping.

John Allen, Riding Philly Streets, Sunday, 3 PM. Videos and discussion of tactics to meet the challenges of Philly riding. In and out of the bike lane! Getting a smile from a SEPTA bus driver!

Click to zoom in for details about the ride.

And a bike ride…

We are also organizing an unracer bike ride. It will leave at 7:30 AM on Saturday from the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial (just downriver from the Girard Bridge), and will arrive at the Convention Center in time for you to check in for the opening of the exhibit hall.

We hope to see you in The Cradle of Liberty!

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PBE-featured.png 310 594 John Allen https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Allen2021-10-28 17:56:592021-10-28 22:28:51Join Us at the Philly Bike Expo!
Bicycle drivetrainKeri caffrey for ABEA

Shifting Gears to Accelerate Quickly

August 26, 2021/4 Comments/by John Brooking

Welcome to the next in our series of beginner articles. In this one, I’ll introduce the topic of how to use your gears.

Most bicycles in the USA these days have the chain shifting across several sprockets. Many earlier bikes, and some current ones, have actual gears inside the wheel hub, “internal gears”. We’ll discuss both kinds.

Why do bicycles have multiple gears? Multiple gears can make your riding smoother and less tiring, especially if you live in a hilly area, as well as in extremely windy situations.

The point of gears is to keep your pedaling effort and speed (“cadence”) at a comfortable level. Pay attention to your effort. If you are pushing down too hard, you need to go down to a lower (easier) gear. If you are spinning uselessly, you need to go up to a higher (harder) gear. CyclingSavvy Instructor John Allen demonstrates.

Just as with a car, low (easy) gears are for starting and moving slowly, and higher (harder) gears are to keep your engine — your legs — from turning too fast as you speed up. But there are important differences compared to shifting gears in a car.

Your bike’s drivetrain: 1) front derailer, 2) crankset, 3) chainrings, 4) rear derailer, 5) cassette made up of individual sprockets

Two shifters: what’s that about?

Many bikes have two or three front sprockets (called chainrings) at the cranks (pedals), and several sprockets on the rear wheel, giving you two shifters to think about. It would be simple if you had, say, a 21-speed bike with just one shifter that went from 1 to 21. But unfortunately, it isn’t that simple.

The good news is, using two shifters in combination is not as hard as you might think. Let’s say you have 3 chainrings (front sprockets, left shifter), and 7 in the back (right shifter, remember that both “rear” and “right” start with R). Don’t think of them as having 21 steps in a sequence (because they’re not): think instead of having 3 overlapping ranges of 7 steps each. Each chainring gives you a different range, and the rear sprockets let you make smaller adjustments within the current range.

  • If you have 3 chainrings, think of the middle one as your “normal” range, where you will spend most of your time. Start and stop in this range, generally with the back sprockets at or near 1 (easiest). The smallest (inside) chainring shifts the whole range down to be  easier, for when you are going up a steep hill or into a strong headwind. The largest (outside) chainring shifts the whole range to be harder, useful downhill or with a strong wind at your back.
  • If you only have 2 chainrings,  which one is “normal” will depend on you and on the specific gearing. Experiment.
  • If you have just 1 chainring, the preceding 4 paragraphs don’t apply. :-)

You can feel how pedaling gets harder as you move a shifter one way, easier the other way.

Homing in on the range

One way or the other, once the range is right for the conditions, just shift your back sprockets as necessary. (Remember, rear = right shifter). Start from a stop at the easy end, or near it. As you gain speed, you will notice at some point that your pedaling is no longer delivering much power; then it’s time to shift up. This is usually all with the same front chainring.

The outermost of three chainrings (at the cranks) should be used only with the outer four or five rear sprockets, the inner chainring only with the two or three innermost rear sprockets. This essentially boils down to: avoid having the front in the easiest gear while the back is in relatively a hard gear, and vice-versa. Keep easy with easy, and hard with hard.

The middle chainring can be used with any unless the chain rubs against the outer chainring when used with the smallest rear sprockets. If there are only two chainrings, the outer one can be used with more of the rear sprockets.

Shifting gears strategy

Think “how do I shift to get to the gear I need to use,“ not “am I in 7th gear or 8th gear.” It would be complicated to keep track of the sequence from gear 1 to gear 21; also, many combinations are duplicates and near-duplicates, so it is pointless. Typically, a “21-speed” bicycle will have a working sequence of 10 to 12 different gears, and a wide enough range for any terrain and level of fitness, with small enough steps to be comfortable. Use the numbers on twist-grip shifters only as a guide — lower numbers, easier.

The basic sequence is to start in a low (easy) gear, and shift to a harder one when the pedals get to turning too fast. Keep pedaling lightly and shift down as you slow down. This will allow you to accelerate briskly from a stop or a low speed.

When accelerating from a stop, you may need to shift as often as once per second. This keeps your cadence in the sweet spot and accelerates you quickest. You have something in common with a big semitrailer truck — listen to it as it accelerates. The driver shifts through multiple gears, because the truck also has a narrow range of engine speed which optimizes power production.

Gear range wide enough?

Is your bicycle’s easiest gear easy enough? That depends on the terrain where you ride, and on your fitness. On most bicycles, it is possible to replace rear sprockets and widen the range. There is no shame in using an easy gear. It shows that you know how to take care of yourself.

No matter how many speeds your bicycle has in theory, you can use only one at a time! “21-speed” does make a nice advertising slogan, though, doesn’t it?

Derailer Complications

Most multi-gear bicycles in North America use derailers at the cranks and the rear wheel. Those mechanisms push (derail) the chain to one side or the other, from one sprocket or chainwheel to another. The derailer at the rear wheel has pulley wheels to take up slack in the chain produced by the different-sized sprockets. (Clever, right?)

A derailer system has some complications:

  1. Shifting works only when the chain is moving forward! If you shift without pedaling, including when stopped, you will get a lot of grinding once you start pedaling, as the chain finds its way to the right spot. That is tough for the chain and sprockets, and embarrassing for you. If you did not shift down before stopping, the bicycle will be in a high gear and starting will be hard.
  2. To shift smoothly as you slow down, keep spinning the pedals but without putting any force on them. When accelerating or holding speed, reduce force on the pedals momentarily as you shift.
  3. You backpedal to step forward off the saddle when coming to a stop. (See our post about starting and stopping.) Finish shifting before you stop. If the chain and derailers are not aligned, the chain will jam as you backpedal. Test by backpedaling lightly. Sometimes you can adjust the shift levers even after stopping.

Internal Gears

Instead of a derailer, some bicycles have gears in the hub of the rear wheel, or sometimes at the cranks. Usually a shifter and cable connect to the internal mechanism; some two-speed hubs shift by backpedaling. 3-speed internal-gear hubs were very popular in the mid-20th century. Now 7 and 8-speed internal-gear hubs are common, and some have even more speeds.

An internal-gear hub shifts best when the chain is not moving, just the opposite of a derailer system. Coast or backpedal slightly for a moment while you shift. You don’t need to worry about downshifting while slowing to a stop; you can do that after you stop. It’s one less thing to concern yourself with. The sprocket can be changed with internal gears, in case you find that the range is too easy or too hard (usually, too hard). More about internal-gear hubs.

Shifting gears – Summary

Now that you know how shifting works, keep the goal of consistent cadence in mind as you ride. If your bicycle has more than one chainring, remember that the easy range is for uphill or headwind, hard one for downhill or tailwind. Middle (if you have 3) is for all other conditions. Use the sprockets at the rear wheel to adjust within the range as necessary. Easier gears are also good for creeping along while maintaining control, and being ready to accelerate, for example if a red light turns green before you reach it.

The idea is to keep your feet turning at a constant rate. A follow-up article will help you feel in your legs what that rate needs to be.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/bike-drivetrain-01.jpg 682 1011 John Brooking https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Brooking2021-08-26 14:45:512022-03-13 22:41:38Shifting Gears to Accelerate Quickly
Ian Whiting backtracks to get behind a big rigIan Whiting

Control-and-Release Strategy with Ian Whiting

July 31, 2021/7 Comments/by John Allen

My friend, CyclingSavvy graduate Ian Whiting, rides a lot on shoulderless Massachusetts highways. Big rigs also use them. Ian likes to shoot video as he rides. I am pleased to host his videos here on the Savvy Cyclist. There are already Savvy Cyclist posts about how to be safe when cycling around big trucks in urban traffic, but now Ian will show us a couple of examples of CyclingSavvy control-and-release strategy for the open road.

What is control-and-release strategy?

CyclingSavvy control-and-release strategy is to control the travel lane when passing is unsafe, releasing control by moving over to the right when passing becomes safe. This strategy is about cyclists’ engaging actively with motorists, and it is about release as much as it is about control. Ian’s video shows a couple of different ways to release on the same uphill stretch, with oncoming traffic and a restricted sight line over the hilltop. Both clips in the video start at the same traffic signal. Here’s the location in Google Maps.

Pulling over

In Ian’s first clip, he starts out on a green light; the truck catches up with him partway up the hill. He pulls over into a convenient driveway entrance to let the truck pass. There is nothing unusual about this – except – A second truck was following the one he pulled over to let pass. There’s a lesson in that: cyclists should always check before re-entering the roadway, even after only pulling aside briefly. What you saw behind you is now in front of you, but you might not have seen everything that was behind you.

The “loop-the loop” – not a conventional control-and-release strategy!

In the second clip, Ian is waiting at the traffic light when a big rig pulls up behind. He does a “loop the loop” — a U turn, backtracking, and another U turn to get behind the truck. This is not a conventional control-and-release strategy, but it works. Clever!

I advise using the loop-the-loop technique only when traffic is stopped, and passing would be illegal. In Ian’s video, he is first in line at a red light. The loop-the-loop is practical only when you can easily reach a lane for traffic in the opposite direction — so, almost always on a two-lane highway, though also on a multi-lane highway if you are waiting to turn left. You need to check for illegal passing, but also for traffic in the lane where you will backtrack — including traffic turning into that lane.

Generating goodwill

The loop-the-loop technique probably won’t generate goodwill to the same extent as pulling over. The truck driver will probably think that you decided to turn around and go back where you came from. But either way, it works better to be behind the big rig than in front. Well, except for the truck’s diesel smoke. But you would get that anyway, only at a different time.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/whiting-backtrack.jpg 679 1077 John Allen https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Allen2021-07-31 18:00:002021-07-31 19:18:41Control-and-Release Strategy with Ian Whiting
Happy cyclingSavvy group

Webinar Starts Today

December 9, 2020/0 Comments/by John Allen

In a few short hours

CyclingSavvy’s free one-hour Zoom webinar, Introduction to CyclingSavvy, starts today:

6 PM Pacific time
7 PM Mountain time
8 PM Central time
9 PM Eastern time

Because of demand, the American Bicycling Education Association has purchased lots more Zoom room.

California CyclingSavvy Instructor Gary Cziko will present. The Webinar will include live chat with three other instructors, and a Q&A session. If you can’t make it, ABEA will be posting a recording. We’ll announce where YouTube has placed it, once we know.

Bike club/organization members

Your club’s requested donation of $100 will give all club members free access to the Zoom Webinar for Bike Clubs and Group Rides, being held at the same time next Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

Club leaders, register here. Choose the Benefactor level. Include your organization’s name in the “Company” box. Note that your club is a Webinar Sponsor in the “Comments” box.

Donations will pay for work being developed exclusively for club and group cycling. Here’s a preview of the new online Group Ride Leader course currently in development:

Here are the sponsoring organizations as of December 8, 2020. Yours can still be on this list!

  • Bicycle Club of Irvine (CA)
  • Big Orange Cycling (CA)
  • Cincinnati Cycle Club (OH)
  • Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists (AZ)
  • GS Andiamo (CA)
  • Major Taylor Cycling Club Los Angeles (CA)
  • Riverside Bicycle Club (CA)
  • San Diego Bicycle Club (CA)
  • Velo Club La Grange (CA)
  • WeeklyRides.com (NC)
https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/52509228_1496747777124705_786802399053348864_n.jpg 680 960 John Allen https://cyclingsavvy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CS-logo_xlong-header.png John Allen2020-12-09 10:55:382020-12-09 11:38:13Webinar Starts Today
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CyclingSavvy is a program of the American Bicycling Education Association. Our mission is to provide programs and resources for the education of bicyclists as drivers of vehicles, and bicycling-related education for traffic engineers, transportation planners, law enforcement professionals, educators, and the general public.

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