Rules of the Road
and riding in groups.
Before you start your ride, there are a few
things you need to check first.
Make sure your equipment is sound and in good
working order.
The League of American Bicyclists has developed
the
ABC Quick Check,
which will help you be certain your bicycle is safe before you
head out on a ride.
Be prepared with tools, a spare tube and/or
patch kit - as well as a way to inflate the tire - before you leave
for your ride.
If you don't know what tools or tube your specific bicycle
needs, you should visit a local bicycle shop to learn. Even if you do not have the skills to
fix the problem, you should
have the tools. Some one else might come along and be able to
help you, and what they have might not be what you need.
Wear what is comfortable for you.
You don't have to wear spandex and a racing
jersey to ride, you can wear what ever works for you. Casual rides
should be just that, casual. If you are racing, then that
is when you will want performance clothing. One thing you should always have on longer
rides, when you are out long enough for a change in weather, is a
light, packable jacket. This can be a life saver.
The minimum nutritional items you should
take on a ride is drink, food and money to buy more of both.
Every person is different, so you will have to
learn what you - personally - need for different lengths and types of
rides. Even a supported ride only has rest stops to refill water
bottles and foods every so often, and some times you need something
earlier or you might not like what they have at the rest stop.
Riding a bicycle should always be fun. It
is only as dangerous as you make it. The dangers come about when
you are competing in a race or are taking greater risks, like riding
technical mountain bike trails or riding aggressively on the road.
As long as you ride assertively, and with determination in your
posturing, you will likely have very few, if any, issues during your
ride. Remember, bicycling is inherently safe and should always
be fun.
Rules of the Road:
Be predictable.
When a driver is approaching
you, they have already set an expectation as to how you will behave
and what their reaction will be.
This expectation is based on either their interactions with cyclists,
or what they feel they would do if they were in your position.
In most cases though, you are setting a new example for the
motorist, and it will carry on to the next cyclist they meet.
The more predictable we, as cyclists are, the better our rides will
be.
Law
Tennessee State Law says that
you should ride as far to the right as safely possible.
Remember, this is as far as safely possible. If you need to take
the whole lane to be safe, do it. However, you have to hold your
line. When the car passes, you shouldn't scare away, unless of
course they motorist is not giving you a safe amount of room. Hold your line
and stay in the middle of the road if that's
what you need to do to be safe. You have every right to use the
road just as motor vehicles. If you live in another state,
you need to find out what the law pertaining to right of way by
contacting your state's department of transportation.
How
Ride your bicycle the same way
you drive your car. Bicyclists are bound to the same rules and
laws that automobile drivers must follow. A bicycle is a
vehicle, and you have the same rights.
The universal hand signs in the
United States are the same ones you learned driving. These signals are very valuable, especially
when they are used with verbal signals.
You can also point to the right for a right
turn.
Lane Positioning
Where you choose to ride on the road determines
the way driver's see you. The best practice is to split the lane
into thirds.
Just as if you are driving your car, you would stay in the far right
hand side (C - first third of the lane). When you decide to make
a left turn, you should look over your shoulder to the left, making
sure the lane is clear, signal your movement, then move into the
inside third of the lane (A). From there, you should scan over
your shoulder again, making sure all is clear, signal your turn, and
stay in the (A) section of the road making sure to keep that line
through the turn. Once you have completed the turn, then you can
move back into the first third (C) area of the lane.
One thing to keep in mind is blind spots. Just because you can
see the driver, doesn't mean they can see you.
Here is a layout of an intersection.
Think about how you would position yourself for:
- Going straight through the intersection
- Making a left turn
- Making a right turn
- What you would do if you missed your turn
- How you would interact with motor
vehicles when you need to make a turn, lane change, etc.
You are a role model
Anytime you encounter other
vehicles, you are making an impression on that person's beliefs.
If you run a stop sign, or cut a corner, pass on the right, etc, you
are giving the impression you don't care. If you are courteous
to drivers, in most cases, they will reciprocate.
You can visit these links for
more information.
League of American Bicyclists
Bamacyclist
Florida Bicycle Association
Riding in groups
Riding in groups adds a whole
new set of rules.
When you see large groups of people riding
shoulder to shoulder and 6 inches from the
person in front of them, rolling at 35mph, (like the Tour de France) they are experienced in
doing so. Drafting is a very difficult technique that requires a
lot of practice and trust in the persons around you.
You have to know learn the riding style of the
person you are drafting behind, and that all goes back to being
predictable. Once you learn the nuances of their style, you can
sit 6 inches off their wheel and roll at 35mph in a aerodynamic
paceline.
Now, I'm not saying you
shouldn't draft, it's really fun, and fast. But you should know
there are great risks involved.
ok, no more lecture.
Communication is key.
Verbal
There is no perfect phrase that
you must say in order to not be shunned by the masses. As long
as you get the point across, that's all that matters. As you
ride more and more, you'll hear the most common ones, and soon it will
become second nature.
It does not matter how you do it, as long as it works.
Some of you might have ridden in groups or clubs and heard phrases
like "on you left" or "Car Back!" These phrases are common in
all of road cycling.
If you are in a large pack, you are responsible
for the safety of the pack. If you are in a long line of
cyclists, you might even be part of a chorus of "Car Back!", just to
make sure everyone up the line hears it and is prepared to be passed
by a car.
Physical
These can be anything from just
pointing at an object in the road, to flicking an elbow to let the
second man in the pace line know you are pulling off and it is his
turn to pull.
Sometimes even body English can be all you
need. When you are approaching a yield sign, the person in front
of you might slow a bit, then step up on the pedals, climb out of the
saddle, and power off through the intersection. They don't need
to say anything, if you trust they know you are behind them and they
know you are there following like a lemming. In most cases
though, you won't be in the position.
How to manage intersections, stop lights, and
passing.
This can be tricky. Here is a reference
to a motorcycle safety website that rivals anything the bicycle
industry has.
Sunset HOG
Riding a bicycle should always be fun. It
is only as dangerous as you make it. The dangers come about when
you are competing in a race or are taking greater risks, like riding
technical mountain bike trails or riding aggressively on the road.
As long as you ride assertively, and with determination in your
posturing, you will likely have very few, if any, issues during your
ride. Remember, bicycling is inherently safe and should always
be fun.
The more predictable you are, the better your
rides will become. Guaranteed.
