I cycled in Houston since 1974, and I’m familiar with Forester’s “Effective Cycling” advice. Still, the shift from flat, straight, wide Houston roads to North Raleigh’s hilly, winding, narrow roads has increased my anxiety regarding drivers’ over-the-hill visibility and stopping.
I’m thinking that a streamer on a tall, thin pole would help http://www.catchthewind.com/windsocks/antenna_spinsocks.html
Beyond the basic “Effective Cycling” stuff, are there things cyclists can do
to further reduce even the rare incidence of “motorist overtaking” collisions?
Answer from Dr. Bikelove:
Being predictable is the best precaution that you, as the operator of a bicycle
(or other vehicle), can take to avoid having someone violate your right of way.
Other road users need to notice your vehicle before they can begin predicting
what your path will be. Merely being visible isn’t sufficient; you need to be
conspicuous (“obvious to the eye or mind”) enough that other road users will
recognize you and your vehicle as something that they may need to give way to.
Apparent motion, shape, and the light from your vehicle are all factors that
affect conspicuity.
Conspicuity can be improved with a flag attached to a pole.
When evaluating pole mounted bicycle flags, consider these factors:
Pole flags designed specifically for bicycles are available commercially.
Here are some pages for bicycle flags that I just happened to come across on the
web:
http://www.expressflags.com/bicycle_safety_flag.htm
http://www.gettysburgflag.com/Bicycle_Flags.html
http://www.pro-am.com/Catalog/Exec/product.asp?product_id=662
http://www.besafeinc.com/bikeflag.shtml
Hi, I am sponsoring an event in Chapel Hill. I will have a display for promoting biking, so can I get any handouts on cycling safety? Thanks!
Answer from Dr. Bikelove:
There are some informative brochures about bicycling that can be downloaded and
printed from the Internet. Such brochures can be handed out at events or
meetings of any size, and can also be left at stores or given to people that you
meet. These brochures are all:
Fred Oswald, a bicycling instructor, has put together two great brochures.
The first one is for kids, and the second is for adults;
“Bike Safety for Kids – A Parent’s Guide”
Tips for Bicycle Driving
Florida DOT has a really good series of brochures, including “Share with Care”
and “Seeing and being seen”. These brochures have a “Local distribution
courtesy of” block in which a local organization can stamp their own name and
contact info.
BikePlan Source has a brochure with a limited, but important, target audience;
transportation planners. “Improving Local Conditions for Bicyclists” details
some simple improvements for bicycling which should be part of every community’s
plans. Most of these improvements are inexpensive and require a minimum of
specialized bicycle planning. They can help ease conflicts and congestion for
all modes of transportation—cars, bikes, and even pedestrians.
I’m thinking about commuting by bicycle at least one day a week. Do you have any suggestions or tips?
Answer from Dr. Bikelove:
Here’s my favorite tip: during the years that I’ve been bike commuting,
I’ve found that being able to take a shower at work is nice, but not necessary
if you:
The following suggestions were written by Steve Goodridge (who recently bought a
bike trailer so that he could drop his child off at daycare on the way to work)
and edited by Dr. Bikelove (who sometimes bikes to work, but always works to
bike)
For many more suggestions and tips about bike commuting in the Triangle (and
other places), check out the
Triangle Roadway Bicycling Links page
Last Revised 5/ 5/07