Hopefully by now you’ll have made your first few rides to work and are getting used to the route.
Commuting is not the same as a lazy Sunday ride along a dedicated path, there’s a lot more going on so you need to pay attention. Keep a lookout for potential hazards, don’t just look just ahead of your front wheel, scan the road ahead for obstacles like glass, potholes, manholes, rocks and parked cars. Spotting hazards in plenty of time gives you time to react and avoid them. Your ears are safety devices too, they will warn you of cars approaching from behind.
When riding around the city centre or shared paths, there’s pedestrians, scooters, children, dogs and other cyclists to avoid. These things can be unpredictable so keep your eyes open and keep in mind people following behind you. Don’t suddenly stop or turn without indicating.
When cycling on the road, think about your positioning. Ride about a metre from the kerb, it gives drivers a subconscious indication that this is the minimum distance you want them to give you when passing. It will also give you space to move into if a car does pass closely. Hugging the gutter only encourages cars to try and squeeze past you. It’s also where all the debris and glass gathers so you’ll get more flat tyres.
When passing parked cars, allow plenty of room for opening doors. It’s one of the biggest dangers out there. If you’re riding past a row of parked cars, keep riding a straight course, if there’s a gap, move slightly left if you want, but don’t weave in and out of the gaps. This keeps you visible to drivers behind you and discourages them from trying to overtake just as you are pulling out to pass the next parked car. Keeping a steady course is safer for everyone even if you’re “taking the lane”. Don’t leave it to someone else to misjudge it.
Be cautious at intersections, make sure drivers have seen you before entering an intersection. Some drivers seem to only watch out for things that might hurt them, not for things they might hurt themselves.
Over time you’ll develop your own “spidey sense” and become in tune with the traffic around you. There’s more tips to make your ride safer and less stressful that we will touch on in future posts.
Check out the rest of the Commute by Bike series
- A series to help start your bike commuting journey
- Choosing a bike for commuting
- You and bike commuting
- What stuff do you need for bike commuting?
- Route planning for bike commuting
- Safety tips for bike commuting
- Motivation when you start bike commuting
- Pimping your ride for a bike commute
- What clothes do you need for bike commuting?
- Maintaining your bike for commuting
- Watch-outs for bike commuting
- Coping with road rage when you commute by bike
- Going electric or going alternative for your bike commute
- So you’re a bike commuter. What next?
