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CONTENTS

About Bicycling Street SmartsIntroduction

1. Off to a Good Start

2. Where to Ride on the Road

3. Riding Through Intersections

4. Getting Across Non-standard Intersections

5. Steer Out of Trou!e

". #sing $our %ra&es

'. Riding in Grou(s

). Riding in Rain and *ar&ness

+. Wa,s to dea! ith Tough Situations

1. Riding ith confidence



ABOUT "BICYCLING STREET SMARTS"

This compact tutorial, available as a 46-page booklet and onlineversion, will increase your safety and condence while bicycling onany road, whether you are a beginner or an epert! "ou#ll have morefun and feel better about riding, be it for pleasure, tness ortransportation! $ee below for information about obtaining copies of the printed version! This manual teaches safe bicycling techni%ues on public roads andstreets, but it#s up to you to apply them appropriately! &sers of thismanual assume full responsibly for their own actions and safety!

"Wow! Great! This easy-to-read book will make you a better, safer

cyclist.!

'! (reston Tyree, )ducation *irector

Teas +icycle oalition

"Bicycling Street Smarts covers all the bases of theIPMBA method in a short easy-to-read format. It helps give our ocers the on-road survival sills they need...!verall an outstanding boo."

- .cer *on /udson,0A(* +icycle Instructor, and (ast (resident,International (olice 1ountain +ike Association

Author2 3ohn $! Allen

ontributingeditors2

Andrew ubel, 1adeleine 5oland and onrad 'illeman

Illustrations2 eorge etseck and 3ohn $! Allen

over design2 eorge Almasi

(age layout7print82

onrad 'illeman

(age layout7Internet82

3ohn $! Allen and onrad 'illeman

$pecialthanks to2

*ave +achman, (atricia +rown, Andrew 9ischer, 3ohn9orester, 3ohn 9ranklin, (atti 1arshall, 5elson (e:a and



! /! $tancer

Bicycling Street Smarts is copyright ; <=>>, ?@@<, odale Inc! andpublished by ubel +ike1aps under license from odale Inc! All rights

reserved! 5o part of the Internet posting or print version may bereproduced in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical,including information storage and retrieval systems, ecept aspermitted by &!$! copyright law by a reviewer %uoting brief passagesor by permission in writing from ubel +ike1aps!(rint copies are available from ubel +ike1aps and at some bicycleshops, book stores, and map dealers the I$+5 number is <->><BB=-CB-@! +ulk discounts are available direct from ubel +ike1aps, whocan also provide custom versions! *ealer in%uiries are welcome!

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Bicycling Street Smarts is an u(dated and re6ised edition of Street Smarts origina!!,

(u!ished , %ic,c!ing aga7ine a (u!ication of Roda!e Inc. of 8aus /A #SA.

%, granting (erission for this (u!ication Roda!e su((orts the education and safet, of

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htt(;<<.%I$:ING.co or ca!! )-"""-2)".

http://www.bicycling.com/


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INTRODUCTION

This manual will teach you safe bicycling on public roads and streets!1ost books about bicycling begin with the selection of a bicycle andaccessories! This one is going to be diDerent! 'e#re going to start withbicyclists# attitudes about riding on the road!

The ost i(ortant factor in ho ,ou ride ,our ic,c!e is ho ,ou fee! aout it. If ,ou find

ic,c!ing en=o,a!e and reasona!, safe then ,ou>!! ant to co6er greater distances and go

ore (!aces. %ut to do so ,ou usua!!, ha6e to ride in the co(an, of cars - and sharing the

road ith cars ca!!s for an attitude of securit, and confidence.

nce you have that condence, you can safely and enEoyably take on acommute to work in city tra.c or a long day#s tour on almost any kind of

roads! Almost anyone can become a condent, streetwise cyclist! $tart outwith conditions under which you feel comfortable and work up to moredi.cult ones! This booklet will show you how!

Feep in mind that the rules of the road apply to all drivers of vehicles,regardless of vehicle type! +ut the laws themselves often describe onlywhat a bicyclist is re%uired to do, not how to do it! This manual describeshow to do it! This manual will teach you safe bicycling on public roads andstreets!

CHILDREN To ride safely re%uires the ability to process information about tra.cconditions, Eust as when driving an automobile! That skill develops withage and education! hildren are not ready to ride in tra.c until they havethe re%uisite physical and cognitive skills! 'hen a parent or guardian issatised that a child is ready, start out in easy conditions 7on %uietneighborhood streets or rural roads8 under the close supervision of someone who understands the principles of safe street bicycling taught inthis manual!



EQUIPMENT CHOICES

A few words about e%uipment -- you do need the right e%uipment to putthe ideas in this booklet to use!

YOUR BICYCLE

"our bicycle should match your riding style! There are many types of bicycles! onsider your level of skill and where you want to ride! A goodbike shop can help you make the right decision!9or comfort, your bicycle must t your body proportions like a good suit of clothes! 9inding the right frame height by standing over the bicycle is Eusta start! ther measurements are e%ually important! 9or eample, mostwomen need to take etra care to buy bikes with a short top tube, sincewomen#s average upper-body length is shorter in proportion to leg length

than men#s!ranks, handlebar stem, handlebars and saddle can be changed to t youbetter! A good bike shop will help you select the parts that are right foryou when you buy a bike!5ew or old-faithful, your bicycle must be in good working order! The gearsmust shift reliably, and the brakes must work smoothly! If you aren#t surethat your bike is in top shape, take it to a %ualied mechanic at a goodbike shop!

HELMET

A helmet is a bargain in inEury prevention! 'earing a bicycle helmetwhenever you ride can reduce your risk of a serious head inEury by >BG! Agood helmet reduces the risk of a fatal bicycling crash to about the samelevel as a car driver#s for the same amount of time spent at either activity75ational $afety ouncil and /! Fatteler 1inutes of the Helo-ityonference, +remen, ermany, <=><8! 1ake sure your helmet is snug,level, and covers your forehead, or you won#t be ade%uately protected!

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

A rear-view mirror can be helpful when maneuvering in tra.c! A small,helmet-mounted mirror gives a wide eld of view and good isolation from

road shock! Aim it along the side of your head, looking directly back! "oushould see your left ear in the right side of the mirror! "ou#ll need a coupleof weeks to learn to use the mirror! If it still doesn#t work well for you afterthat length of time, consider a handlebar-end mirror instead!

BICYCLING GLOVES

9ingerless cycling gloves improve your comfort on long rides bycushioning your hands against road shock from the handlebars! They alsoprotect your hands in case of a fall!

TOOLS

A small tool kit, tire patch kit and frame pump -- and the knowledge to use



them -- will get you back on the road when your bike has a at tire orother common minor breakdowns! 1ost on-road repairs are simple andeasy to learn!

BAGGAGE

A frame-mounted water bottle lets you drink as you ride -- important onany trip of more than an hour! A small handlebar bag or rack-mount bagwill hold your tools, etra clothing, maps and other items you take withyou on your rides! A bag on the bike is a far better choice than abackpack, which will leave your back hot and sweaty in warm weather!

LOCK

+uy a good lock! 0ock your bicycle#s frame and any %uick-release parts, ortake them with you!

OFF TO A GOOD START

0et#s look rst at how you get onto your bicycle! If you climb onto it theright way, you get %uicker, safer starts and a more e.cient riding position!'e#ll also take a look at how to get oD smoothly so you#re positioned tostart again %uickly!

STARTING AND STOPPING

'hen you get onto your bicycle, rst stand over the frame in front of the

saddle! /old the brake levers so the bike wonJt roll! A steady bike lets youget into position to mount!5ow, using either foot, gently turn the crank backwards until the pedal is at? oJclock position K forward and high! If the crank wonJt turn easily,carefully adEust the gear levers until the chain runs straight!nce your foot is on the pedal in the ? oJclock position, youJre ready to getmoving! 0et go of the brakes and push down on the pedal! The rst pedalstroke starts the bicycle moving and lifts you up to the saddle! 'hen theopposite pedal comes up to top position, put your foot on it for the secondpedal stroke!'hen youJre coming to a stop, stand on one pedal, and slide forward oD the saddle! 0ean the bicycle a little to the side and place your free foot onthe ground! 'hen stopped, raise one foot and its pedal into the ? oJclock



starting position!5o matter what type of pedals you use 7see below8, put only one foot onthe ground hen you stop! The other foot waits on its pedal in the ?oJclock position, ready for a %uick start!

Thread a toe strap as shown, fromoutside to inside of the pedal! 0eavethe end hanging loose so you canpull it to tighten the strap!

As ,ou s!o to a sto( shift don to a !o

starting gear. On a derai!!eur-e?ui((ed ic,c!e the gears shift on!, hi!e ,ou@re

sti!! turning the (eda!s (!anning ahead

(a,s off.

USING CLIPLESSPEDALS ORTOECLIPS

lipless pedals, or toeclips andstraps, are your Lfeet belts!L Though not necessary, theyincrease pedaling e.ciency andsafety! +ut learning to use themre%uires practice! +e sure tomaster the release motion beforeusing them on the road! Thread toeclips and straps asshown in the illustration - from theoutside to the inside of the pedal!

0eave the end of the strap stickingout like a oppy dog ear - don#ttuck it back into the buckle! Tighten the strap by pulling on theend, and loosen it by pushing thebuckle outward with your thumb!

AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES

*o not try to sit down on the saddle with both feet on the ground before

you start! If you can do this, your saddle is too low! 1ake sure your saddleheight is adEusted properly 7a good bike shop can help you8! A saddle that#stoo low 7or too high8 can cause knee inEuries and makes it harder to pedal!(ushing the bike along with a foot, like a scooter, or leaping onto a bikefrom the side, like a horse, are not as steady or safe as the pedal-stepmethod described earlier in this chapter!

SUMMARY

(ractice the pedal-step method until youJre comfortable with it! aise the

saddle if it is too low! Also, practice shifting your gears as you stop, soyouJll have good acceleration when you start again! "ouJll be rewarded with



smoother, safer and %uicker starts!

WHERE TO RIDE ON THE ROAD

'e#ve all seen bicyclists who wander from left side to right, who go from

the sidewalk to the street and who weave in and out between parked cars!9rom moment to moment, nobody can tell what these bicyclists are aboutto do! (edestrians Eump back, and car brakes s%ueal as such bicyclistsapproach!n the other hand, we#ve seen bicyclists who seem to blend into the tra.cow smoothly and eDortlessly! "ou always know where they are headedand what to do around them, whether you#re on a bicycle, in a car or onfoot! They make bicycling look easy - but aren#t they taking a riskM Isn#t itsafer to avoid the tra.c as much as possibleM



PART OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN

'ith very few eceptions, the safest ay to ride is as part of thetrac, going with the ow of the normal tra.c pattern! +icyclists who ridethis way get where they#re going faster and, according to scientic crashstudies, have about ve times fewer crashes than bicyclists who make uptheir own rules 73! 9orester )Dective ycling! ambridge, 1A, 1IT (ress,<==N8!enerally, the more you follow the normal tra.c pattern, the safer andmore predictable you become! The rules of the road set up a pattern forevery situation, telling which driver has the right of way! $ometimes youhave to wait for other drivers - for eample, at a stop sign - but sometimesthey have to wait for you! +icyclists have the same rights - andresponsibilities - as motorists!

In this way, the rules of the road protect you by making it clear what you#regoing to do net!

Intersection co!!isions are the ost coont,(e caused , rong-a, riding. The

otorist in the side street is !oo&ing !eft here

the traffic nora!!, coes fro.

If ,ou ride in 6io!ation of the traffic !as

,ou great!, increase ,our ris& of a crash.

$ou a!so a, gi6e u( a!! of ,our rights. If

,ou get into a crash the courts i!! a!ost

a!a,s find that it as ,our fau!tB

#iding right begins ith ridingon the right. $ome bicyclists thinkthey#re safer on the left, where they

can see cars coming, but riding onthe left is actually one of thebiggest causes of car-bike crashes!

If you ride on the left, both you andthe oncoming driver must come toa complete stop to avoid head-oncollisions! 'hen you ride on theright, drivers behind you only haveto slow to your speed - and they

have much longer to react! Also,drivers and pedestrians about topull out from side streets andcrosswalks will be looking towardyou - in the direction tra.cnormally comes from!

WHERE IS THE ROAD EDGE?

5ormally, slower tra.c keeps to the right, and faster tra.c passes on theleft! $ince your bicycle is usually slower than other tra.c, you usually ridenear the right edge of the road! +ut how far to the rightM



enerally, the usable width of the road begins where you can ride withoutincreased danger of falls, Eolts or blowouts! A road may have a gravelshoulder, its edge may be covered with sand or trash or the pavement maybe broken! *on#t ride there! loser to the center, there#s better pavement,which is swept clean of sand and debris by the passing cars! The right side

of the road begins here!1ost bicycle crashes are simple falls or are caused by haOards in front of you! Train your eyes to scan the scene ahead, and be wary of blindspots!Feep your eyes moving - you have to look up at the tra.c and also downat the road for potholes and cracks! "ou may sometimes need to slow downin order to spot haOards in time!ide far enough into the lane to avoid the risk from blindspots! If you ridetoo close to parked cars on your right you can#t see around them into sidestreets and driveways! A pedestrian, car or bicycle could come out frombetween the parked cars! *rivers in side streets might nose their cars outin front of you to look right and left! And the door of a parked car couldopen in front of you!

+y riding a safe distance from roadside haOards, you increase yoursafety! 'hen you ride correctly, the motorist in the driveway 7a8 seesyou the motorist overtaking you 7b8 will not take the easy way out andskim by your elbow and the car door 7c8 is no threat!



'here there are parked cars, the usable width of the street begins about Nfeet out from them - or from a wall, hedge or other obstruction! As youapproach a blind intersection or driveway, you should be even farther fromthe edge of the road - imagine a car hood poking out! $on%t ride in thedanger &one' nly if you are riding very slowly - less than B miles per

hour - can you safely ride within reach of the car doors even then youmust be attentive to opening doors and your reduced visibility to crosstra.c!$ure, many people - even some bicycling LepertsL - will tell you, LAlwayskeep as far to the right as possible,L and, L0ook out for opening car doors!L+ut at speeds above B miles per hour, you can#t stop in time to avoid a cardoor! Then your only choices are to hit the door or to swerve out into thestreet - maybe into the path of a passing car! Avoid this problem by ridingoutside the reach of car doors!

*on#t weave between parked cars, where you become invisible toovertaking drivers and must repeatedly reenter the tra.c ow!

*on#t weave in and out between parked cars! If you weave to the rightafter passing a parked car, it will hide you from drivers approaching frombehind you! Then you have to pop back out into the path of overtakingtra.c when you reach the net parked car! (ut yourself in the place of adriver a couple of hundred feet behind you! ould this driver see youMIt%s much safer to ride in a predictable( straight line, whereeveryone can see you! 1otorists don#t mind slowing down for a predictable,visible bicyclist nearly as much as they mind a bicyclist who swerves out infront of them!

EXTRA-WIDE LANES

IIf the road has a paved shoulder or an etra-wide right lane, don#t ride allthe way over at the right edge! Instead, keep riding in a straight line N or 4feet to the right of the cars! $tay at a steady distance from the left side of the right lane!If you stay all the way over at the right edge in an etra-wide lane, yougive up your escape Oone to the right, and you#re much more likely to becut oD by a right-turning car! 'hen this happens, it#s harder for you toavoid a crash! +y the time you see the car, it will be blocking your path! If you#re closer to the car, you can turn with it and avoid a crash!



In a wide lane, you are safer if youstay N to 4 feet to the right of thecars! "ou can turn to avoid a crashif a motorist makes a right turnfrom your left side!

If you hug the curb, the car isacross your path before you see it!

There are two important eceptions to this rule2 'hen you are Eust past asharp hillcrest, motorists behind you cannot see you, so it is best to keepto the right until you have picked up some speed! In several &!$! states, it#s

legal for bicyclists to ride on some high-speed limited-access highways!/ere, you can ride at the right side of the shoulder, avoiding the wind blastfrom big trucks! )cept at the rare on- and oD-ramps, limited-accesshighways have no cross tra.c, so there#s no problem with turning cars orpedestrians!

RIDING IN A NARROW LANE

In a wide lane, there#s room for cars to pass you! +ut in a narrow lane, carshave to move partway into the net lane to pass you! 5arrow lanes are

common on city streets and on back roads in the country! n a narrow two-lane, two-way rural road, stay alert to strings of oncoming cars in theopposite lane, in case one pulls into your lane to pass! "ou can ride nearerthe edge of this type of road if cars are coming from only one direction at atime! Then cars from the rear can pass you without having to move as farinto the other lane!



n a two-lane highway, be alert to drivers ahead of you pulling out topass, especially if the lanes are narrow!

+ut if cars are coming from both directions, you have to take control of thesituation! "ou can#t take chances that the drivers behind you will try topass you in oncoming tra.c!lance behind you, and if there#s tra.c there too, take the rst opportunity

to merge safely to the middle of the right lane! Also merge to the middle of a narrow right lane at a blind curve where there might be oncoming tra.c!n a right curve in a narrow lane, this techni%ue makes you visible earlierto the drivers behind you! The driver behind you will have to slow and follow you! It helps to make aLslowL signal 7left arm etended downward8 to indicate that you#re awareof the car behind you and that it#s unsafe to pass! *on#t let an impatientdriver cause a crash!

n a multilane road with narrow lane, ride in the middle of the rightlane!



If you hug the edge, you are likely to get s%ueeOed out!&nderstand that the law is on your side! The law gives you the right to usethe road, the same as a motorist, and to make other tra.c slow down foryou sometimes! The driver approaching from the rear is always re%uired toslow and follow if it#s not possible to pass safely!It may seem dangerous to make a motorist slow for you, but it#s not! The

usual reason that bicyclists feel unsafe on narrow roads is that they do nottake control of the situation! emember, the drivers behind you don#t haveroom to pass you safely anyway! If you ride all the way over at the right,you#re inviting them to pass you where the road is too narrow and, toooften, you will get s%ueeOed oD the road! If you show clearly that it#s notsafe for drivers to pass you, they#re unlikely to try!+ut be courteous! 'hen it becomes safe for the car behind you to passyou, give the driver a wave-by signal! If you block tra.c for more than ashort time, common courtesy suggests, and the law normally re%uires, thatyou pull to the side and let the tra.c by when you can safely do so!n a road with two or more narrow lanes in your direction - like many city

streets - you should ride in the middle of the right lane at all times! "ouneed to send the message to drivers to move to the passing lane to passyou! If you ride all the way to the right, two cars may pass you at the sametime, side by side, and s%ueeOe you oD the road!

RIDING IN A BIKE LANE

A well-designed bike lane should encourage you to ride in the correctposition on the road when you go slower than the cars! It should alsoencourage you to move left, out of the bike lane, before an intersection if

you are going straight or turning left! *on#t be lulled into riding in thedanger Oone close to parked cars you often need to ride along a bike



lane#s left edge! emember that motorists will cross the bike lane to parkand pull in and out of driveways! (ass on the left whenever possible! If locallaws permit passing on the right, do so only very slowly and where a carcould not possibly turn right! "ou may be in a motorist#s blind spot a cardoor could open, or a pedestrian could be Eaywalking between the cars!

5ever pass a long truck or bus on the right! emember2 don#t hesitate toleave the bike lane when necessary for your safety - all the guidelinesabout lane position in this book apply whether or not there is a bike lane!

WHEN YOU GO FASTER THAN CARS

&sually, cars travel faster than bicycles, but not always! A row of cars mayhave slowed in a tra.c Eam! r you may be riding down a hill where youcan keep up with the cars!If you#re going as fast as the cars, pull into line with them! 'hen riding

down a hill at high speed, you need more room to steer and brake!+esides, it#s dangerous to ride along net to the right side of a car! Thedriver could turn right or edge closer to the curb without ever seeing you! The safest position in tra.c doesn#t depend on whether you#re riding abicycle or driving a car! It depends on how fast you#re going and whereyou#re headed!

'hen going as fast as the cars, you#re much safer if you ride in themiddle of the tra.c lane where the driver behind you can see you!

The driver net to you has not seen you and could turn or merge right!

As !ong as ,ou &ee( u( ith the car in front of ,ou sta, in !ine ith it. If ,ou egin to fa!!

ehind (u!! to the right. %ut if ,ou>re tra6e!ing faster than the car (ass on the !eft =ust as if

,ou ere dri6ing a car ,ourse!f. *ri6ers e0(ect to e (assed on the !eft so the, !oo& ac& to

the !eft efore the, (u!! out.



+efore you pass, look back for tra.c to make sure that you can pullsafely into the passing lane! Feep your distance from the side of the caryou#re passing! *on#t sneak along net to it! (ut yourself where the driverwill look for you! If you#re passing a big truck or bus, give it even more

clearance - B or 6 feet - since it could move farther before you could getout of its way! 'hen you#re nished passing, move back into the rightlane!

$ometimes the car, bus or truck you#re passing will pick up speed whileyou#re still net to it! Then Eust keep the same position in the lane, andbrake lightly if necessary to fall back! 'hen you#ve fallen behind, lookback to the right for tra.c, then merge back to your normal position inthe right lane!

n a street with multiple right-turn lanes or heavy, slow tra.c, you maymove left more than one lane to pass slower tra.c!

SUMMARY

1any cyclists believe they are safer and more comfortable riding furtherto the right than this booklet recommends! They fear being passeduncomfortably close by a motorist, or feel intimidated by impatientdrivers! iding too far to the right is very dangerous for several reasons!It puts the cyclist in the danger &one of poor sightlines and opening cardoors it gives motorists an opportunity or even invitation to attempt aclose pass and it takes away the cyclist#s escape route to the right in theevent of the unepected! The correct lane positions described in thisbooklet are the safest and most e.cient! *o not be intimidated! Takeresponsibility for your own safety, even if other tra.c must occasionallyslow and follow you! "our correct position on the road follows a sensible set of rules, the sameas for a car driver2 keep to the right if you#re going slowly, but pull to theleft to pass! The way you carry out these rules is a little diDerent - aseplained here - since your bicycle is narrow and usually slow! Anunderstanding of road positioning makes the diDerence between the

rider who weaves and wanders and the one who blends smoothly andsafely into the tra.c ow!



RIDING THROUGHINTERSECTIONS

Intersections are where all of your tra.c-riding skills come together! If you

ride smoothly through the intersections, you can handle almost any ridingenvironment!At intersections, move to the correct lane position depending on whichway youJll be going! ften, youJll need to move away from your normalposition near the right side of the road! If youJre turning right, keep to theright! +ut if youJre turning left, move to the center of the road! If youJregoing straight, go between the right- and left-turning tra.c!

RIGHT TURNS

ight turns are easiest! 3ust stay in the right lane, look around for tra.c



Turning your head to look back is a signal, too! In slow, crowded tra.c,you need to keep your hands on the handlebars, ready to brake! "ou canusually move into line with the cars while signaling only with a turn of thehead! 'hatever signal you use, always make sure that the driver behindyou has noticed your signal and made room for you!

ross a lane in two steps one to cross the lane line and the net to crossto the other side of the lane!*o not change your lane position until you#re sure that the driver hasmade room for you! 1ost drivers will, but there#s no guarantee! "our signaldoesn#t make it safe to change lane position! nly the driver#s response toyour signal makes you safe!If you begin your lane change early enough to deal with two drivers, you#llalmost always succeed if the rst driver doesn#t make room for you, thesecond one almost certainly will! $o anticipate turns and plan for them intime!

In high-speed highway tra.c, drivers may not have time to react to you! Then you need to wait for a gap in the tra.c and move across all of thelanes at once!

LEFT TURNS

To prepare a left turn, change lanes until you reach the left-turn position intra.c! As you move toward the center of the street, this is where no carson your left will go straight ahead! If the lane carrying left-turning tra.calso carries through tra.c, ride at its left side! If it#s a left-turn-only lane,

ride at its right side or in its center, depending on its width! n anordinary two-lane street, turn left from Eust to the right of the centerline!It may seem dangerous to move to the middle of the street, but in fact,the middle is the best position for a left turn! 'hen you#re in the correctposition, all the tra.c you have to deal with is in front of you! $ince you#reto the left of the through tra.c coming from behind you, you don#t have tolook back while making your left turn! "ou can concentrate on the tra.cfrom the left, right and front! "ou may have to cross more than one lane to reach the left-turn position!ross each lane in two steps! 'ith one step, cross the lane line so you#re Eust inside the net lane! 'ith the net step, cross to the far side of the

lane! At each step, look back and get a driver to make room for you!'hen in position for your turn, yield to tra.c from the left, right and



straight ahead! $o you don#t have to come to a stop, you may move slowlyout to the middle of the intersection, the same way cars do! Then you canget moving faster when there#s a gap in the tra.c! (ass an oncoming left-turning car right side to right side!'hen turning left, don#t let left-turning cars behind you pass you on the

right! 'hile waiting, keep near the middle of the lane or make a slowsignal with your right hand! As you enter the intersection, ride straightahead a short distance so the left-turning cars behind you can pull to yourleft!

orrect paths for left turns2 )eft turn only lane* bicyclist 7a8 has turnedleft from near the middle of a narrow left turn lane! )eft and throughlane* 'ait for a tra.c light near the middle of a left and through lane, soa motorist won#t sneak past on the wrong side! +icyclist 7b8 has turnedleft from the left middle of a left and through lane! +o special turnlane* bicyclist 7c8 turns from near the centerline of a two-way, two-lanestreet and enters the inner lane of a four-lane street to avoid right-turning car entering the outer lane!

If you don#t make it to the left-turn position by the time you reach theintersection, don#t force the situation! o straight through the intersection!



1ake your left turn at the net intersection, or cross to the other side of the street, double back and make a right turn!It#s also okay to make a left turn as a pedestrian! This way, you can turnleft legally at a Lno left turnL sign or handle tra.c situations you feel arebeyond your abilities! At the far right corner of the intersection, come to a

complete stop! $o not serve left, it#s never safe because you wouldhave to look for tra.c in all four directions at once! Instead, stop and walkto where you can safely reenter the tra.c ow!

GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH

oing straight through an intersection is easy compared with a left turn! "ou may have to change lanes, but not usually as many!hen going straight through( stay out of a right-turn-only lane.1ake sure right-turning tra.c passes you on your right! If there#s a lane

marked for right turns and through tra.c, ride near its left side! "ou maysometimes have to merge into the second or third lane from the curb toavoid the right-turning tra.c!

Feep to the left of right-turning tra.c when going straight through anintersection! *o not go to the right of tra.c unless you are turning right!'hen you approach an intersection where cars are waiting for a stop signor tra.c light, never pass the rst car! "ou never know for sure when or inwhich direction that car will move! +esides, while you#re passing the car, itmay hide a pedestrian or other haOard!

The most di.cult intersection to ride straight through is the one that lookssimplest - on a small, two-lane street! Tra.c in the right lane goes in three



diDerent directions - right, straight and leftP $till, on a street with parallelparking, the empty space between the parked cars and the corner servesas a right-turn lane! *on#t wander right, into this space! Feep goingstraight ahead!n a street without parking, pull a little farther into the lane to discourage

right-turning drivers from passing you on the left! 'ith a little nesse, youcan position yourself Eust far enough from the curb so cars can pass youon the right to make a legal right turn on red!$ome motorists hesitate to pass between a bicyclist and the curb even tomake a right turn! 'ave them by with your right hand!

SUMMARY

"ou can ride smoothly and condently through most intersections! orrectlane position is the key! (lan ahead to change lanes well in advance if

needed, especially for left turns! )ven when going straight, you often needto adEust your position to avoid conict with right-turning tra.c! "ourpracticed ability to look back for tra.c is essential! &sing the correct laneposition keeps you visible and gets you to where you can concentrate ontra.c in front of you as you enter the intersection! +e sure to stay alert fordrivers who fail to signal, fail to yield, or change their mind about whichway to go!



GETTING ACROSS NON-STANDARD INTERSECTIONS

5ot all intersections are of the standard, LcrossroadsL type! Though thesame principles of lane positioning apply to all intersection maneuvers,some situations can be confusing and deserve a second look!

ENTERING THE ROAD

+icyclists sometimes will ride against tra.c or take unusual routes acrossintersections to get to their lane positions! *on#t do itPInstead, look for a good place to enter, where you can start out with anormal intersection maneuver2 a left or right turn, or a lane change tomerge into tra.c! The tra.c laws apply as soon as you#re on the road,and even if you have to walk your bike a short distance to a driveway, alegal start is much safer! +esides, you often get started faster, since youcan then move with the normal ow of tra.c!

'hen entering the road from a narrow driveway, ride down its middle! Apedestrian could be approaching on the sidewalk from either side, and acar could be about to enter the driveway from either direction! +y placingyourself in the middle, you can see in both directions e%ually well!



'hen entering the road, look left, but always look right aswell for pedestrians and overtaking cars!

)ven when preparing for a right turn onto a rural highway, look left, right,left, and then right again! A car approaching from your right can pull outto pass very %uickly and head for you in the lane you#re about to enter!

DIAGONAL INTERSECTIONS

Tra.c follows the usual rules at a diagonal intersection, but it#s harder fordrivers to look into the diagonal cross street behind them! +e especiallycareful of vans and trucks, which have a right rear blindspot!$ome of the turns in a diagonal intersection aren#t very sharp, so cars maynot slow down very much! +e alert to oncoming left-turning tra.c, and besure the drivers have seen you!

ON- AND OFF-RAMPS

'hen you#re riding along a road and an on-ramp comes in from the right,stay in your normal lane position! Tra.c from behind you on the ramp willrst pass to your right, and then to your left!



If passing an on ramp or oD ramp as in 7a8, ride in a straight line! )nter oreit by following the right side of the ramp as in 7b8! If a combinedroadway is short, keep your position as in 7c8, avoiding the need tomerge right and then left again! "ou may avoid having to merge across a

lane by riding the left side of a ramp as in 7d8, but then move into yournormal lane position when tra.c allows!An oD-ramp is much like a right-turn lane, ecept that the tra.c is faster!If you#re going straight and the ramp goes oD to the right, stay in yournormal tra.c position, to its left! The eiting tra.c will pass you on yourright, and the through tra.c will pass you on your left!'hen you#re passing an oD-ramp, eiting drivers may hesitate to pass youon the right! It#s eDective to stay a little farther to the left than usual andmake a left-turn signal! *rivers can see your hand signal for hundreds of feet behind you, so it#s useful even when cars are traveling at highwayspeed!A one-way roadway can have on- and oD-ramps to the left side! 'henentering on a ramp from the left, ride along its left side, then the left sideof the roadway until you can merge across to your normal lane position!'hen eiting on a ramp to the left, cross to the left before the ramp andride on the left side of the ramp until it is safe to move to your normal laneposition!$ometimes two roadways will Eoin or divide, but the total number of laneswill stay the same2 9or eample, a couple of one-lane roads can Eoin into asingle two-lane one-way road! In high-speed tra.c, it#s best to ride nearthe edge, as with ramps! 'hen entering or eiting from the left in slower

tra.c, you may ride on the right side of the left road, so you avoid havingto cross as many lanes!



TRAFFIC CIRCLES

A tra.c circle is a left-curving street with several side streets going oD tothe right! The right lane of a tra.c circle is, then, a right-turn lane used by enteringand eiting tra.c! )nter the tra.c circle in the right lane if you#re going toturn right at the rst eit! +ut if you#re going past the rst eit, changelanes to the inside as you enter the circle! ide around at the outer edgeof the inside lane! It sometimes helps to make a left-turn signal while inthe inside lane drivers then feel comfortable about passing you on theright as they eit the circle!hange back to the outside lane as you approach your eit! &se yournormal tactics and hand signals for lane-changing!

Tra.c circle or rotary intersection2 Feep to the right if you willtake the rst eit, as in 7a8! ide in the inside lane if you aregoing past the rst eit, as in 7b8 and 7c8!

+ecause of the tra.c circle#s left curve, cars go straight to turn right! 9orthis reason, it#s especially dangerous to cross an eit of a tra.c circle in

the right lane! +icyclists who always keep to the right will tell you thattra.c circles are very dangerous! n the other hand, you#ll nd it



surprisingly easy to ride around in the inside lane! *rivers don#t go veryfast there, since they follow the curve!

TWO LEFT TURNS IN A ROW

$ometimes you need to make two left turns %uickly, one after the otherfor eample, if you#re turning left at an intersection and then turning leftinto a driveway at the middle of the block!In this case, don#t head for the right side of the street after the rst leftturn! "ou may not have time to change lanes to the left again! 9inish yourrst left turn in the correct lane to begin your second left turn!

LEFT TURNS ON ONE-WAY STREETS

If a one-way street is two or more lanes wide, laws in most places allowyou to ride at either side! 'hen you make a left turn from a one-waystreet onto another one-way street, it#s easiest and safest to ride aroundthe corner on the left!

BIKE LANES AT INTERSECTIONS

+ike lanes give bicyclists a narrow lane to the right of motorists!$ometimes you must ride outside the bike lane to be safe, especially atintersections! (ass slower vehicles on the left! If you pass on the right, thevehicle you are passing might turn right without the driver ever seeing

you, and that vehicle also hides you from oncoming drivers who mightturn left in front of you!

+ike lane right turn problems!$traight-through bicyclist must The bicyclist has merged out of the bike lane in advance of the



cross paths with right-turningtra.c! 1otorist 7a8 must look leftand ahead for other tra.c andmay not see the bicyclist! If

motorist 7a8 does yield to bicyclist,left-turning motorist 7b8, who cannot see the bicyclist, may proceedinto path of the bicyclist, andmotorist 7c8 must wait! Thebicyclist, not sure if motorists 7a8and 7c8 are turning, must look bothbackward and forward!

intersection! 5ow nobody has tolook backward and forward at thesame time! 1otorist 7a8 can makea safe and legal right turn! The

bicyclist and motorist 7c8 can bothcontinue through the intersection!1otorist 7b8 can see the bicyclistand knows to yield! *ashing of bike lane stripe indicates to right-turning motorists that they shouldmerge right!

'hen turning left, merge left before the intersection as described earlierin this booklet! 'hen going straight through, don#t let right-turning tra.cget on your left and LhookL you! &nless the bike lane goes to the left of aright turn lane, this means moving left 7out of the bike lane8 before theintersection, merging into line with the cars! 'hen turning right you canusually stay in the bike lane!$ome motorists may think that the bike lane is Lyour spaceL and youshould stay in it! "our safety is more important! +ike lane or not, follow thelane positioning guidelines in this booklet!

SUMMARY

And there they are - the di.cult intersection types! nce you can handlethese, you can ride Eust about anywhere! "ou can even gure out how tohandle intersections not described here by using the principles of lanechanging and positioning on which all intersection maneuvers are based!



STEERING OUT OF TROUBLE

A bicycle is a highly maneuverable machine, but it stays upright only bybeing balanced! "ou have to take etra care to stay upright and read theroad for haOards that can cause a fall!

+eware of any slippery or loose surface2 gravel, snow, ice, leaves, oilpatches, wet manhole covers and crosswalk markings! Avoid these, or rideover them slowly! *on#t turn, brake or accelerate! +e ready to put a footdown for balance!

hec& ehind ,ourse!f for traffic then cross a diagona! rai!road crossing ore near!, at

a right ang!e.

+e especially careful of diagonal railroad crossings, trolley tracks, a row of raised lane-line dots or a step between the shoulder and the travel lane!

Any of them can push your front wheel to the side and sweep your bike outfrom under you! 'hen you can#t avoid them, cross them as nearly aspossible at a right angle!

+eware of steel-grid bridge decks, which, especially when wet, will steeryour bike parallel to the gridding, making balancing di.cult! Test a griddeck at a low speed, and walk or use the bridge sidewalk if necessary!

*rainage grates with slots parallel to the road pose a special haOard! 1ostoften you will be riding to their left, but if not, be sure to avoid going overone! "our front wheel can fall into the grate, causing you to go over the

handlebars! It#s a good idea to notify the applicable road or public worksdepartment of these and other haOards, as they are dangerous to bicyclists,



and a liability issue!

Any bump, rock or pothole more than an inch high can s%uash yourbicycle#s tires at against the rims, damaging the wheels! Avoid the bumps

if you can, and walk your bike if the going gets too rough!

GOOD NEWS

Avoid a rock by turning thehandlebars to one side then correctyour balance by turning them theother way!

No for the good nes; Than&s to ,our

ic,c!e>s sa!! si7e and ?uic& steering ,ou

can (re(are ,ourse!f for situations !i&e this

one;

It#s a pleasant, two-lane countryroad, Eust wide enough for cars topass you in your lane! "ou look upat the scenery and then down atthe road! There#s a rock directly infront of you! And there#s a car Eustbehind you! "ou can#t swerve leftinto the tra.c and you don#t wantto swerve to the right, into thegravel and dirt! 'hat to doM1ake your wheels weave aroundthe rock while riding in a straightline - the rock-dodge maneuver! 3ust as you reach the rock, steer%uickly left, then right to correct

your balance, then straight again!+ecause you correct the balance%uickly, your body doesn#t havetime to follow the bike#s weave! "oucontinue nearly in a straight line! Togive yourself better odds againstrocks and potholes, go to an emptyparking lot and practice the rockdodge until it becomes easy!

QUICK TURNS



Twitch the handlebars to the left rstto start your lean to the right for a%uick right turn!

/icture ,ourse!f in another (inch; $ou>re

riding a!ong a street a((roaching an

intersection and a car on ,our !eft sudden!,

egins a right turn. $ou are aout to crash

into the side of the carB $ou ha6e to turn

?uic&!, a!ongside the car to get out of trou!e. To egin a turn ?uic&!, ,ou ha6e to

!ean ,our i&e ?uic&!,. %ut ho do ,ou do

thatC

"our bicycle balances the sameway you balance a yardstickupright on the palm of your hand! If you want to move the yardstick tothe right, you move your hand tothe left! Then, the yardstick leans

to the right, and you follow it withyour hand!

3ust the same way, if you steeryour bicycle out from under you tothe left for a moment, you can thenturn to the right! "ou must rststeer momentarily toward the caryou#re trying to avoid!

Try this techni%ue in your parking-lot practice area! At slow speeds at rst,

yank the handlebars %uickly to the left! "our bicycle will lean to the right,and then you can steer right! (ractice rst at slow speeds, then at fasterones! The faster you go, the less sharply you have to steer!



o!!ision a6oidance;Duic& turn to a6oid a car

running a sto( sign.

o!!ision a6oidance;

Duic& turn to the right

of a right-turning car.

o!!ision a6oidance;

Duic& turn ahead of a

!eft-turning car

that fai!ed to ,ie!d.

The %uick turn is useful in many situations! If a car coming toward youbegins a left turn, turn right into the side street with it! If a car pulls out of aside street from the right, swerve into the side street! It#s best to turn to theright, behind the car - but if it#s too late for that, turn left with the car! )venif you hit the car, the more nearly you are traveling in the same direction,the lighter the impact!



TOO FAST!

n a winding downhill, brake before you enter the turns, so you don#t lose

traction while turning! +ut sooner or later, you may nd yourself goingaround a downhill curve too fast! If it#s too late to slow down, a variation onthe %uick turn can get you through this situation in one piece! The usual, panic reaction is to steer straight and brake! +ut then you#relikely to go headrst oD the road before you can stop! Instead, steer withthe curve! *on#t brake! $traighten the handlebars momentarily, as in the%uick turn, to drop your bike into a deeper lean!&sually, you#ll make it around the curve - your tires have more traction thanyou normally use! If you do skid out, you#ll fall on your side and slide to astop!

If you#re going around a curve too fast, straighten the handlebarsmomentarily to drop into a deeper lean!

If you#re about to ride into a wall or over a cliD, you may decide deliberatelyto skid out! 0ean into a turn, then hit the brakes! The fall may hurt - but notas much as the alternative!

JUMP?

There is a pothole straight ahead, and no time for even a rock dodge! "ouwere so busy looking up at the tra.c that you didn#t see the pothole, and



now you#re about to trash your wheels! If only you could y ! ! !&nfortunately, you can#t y your bike like the kid in the movie )!T!, but youcan Eump your bike! /olding the pedals horiOontal, s%uat down and pull upon the handlebars! Then Eump up and yank your legs up under you! "ou#llbe past the pothole faster than reading Ls%uat-pull-Eump-yank!L "ou can#t

easily get your back wheel over the obstruction unless you use toeclips orclip-in pedals, but getting your front wheel over will usually prevent acrash! 3umping is the %uickest last-resort way to avoid a pothole or other road-surface haOard! nce you get good at it, you can even use it to climb lowcurbs or to cross diagonal railroad tracks! In your empty parking lot,practice Eumping your bike! "ou must lift rst the front wheel, then the rearwheel as it takes its turn with the bump! "our timing depends on how fastyou#re riding!

SUMMARY nce you know your emergency maneuvers, you#ll gain a much epandedsense of security, condence and style! "ou#ll be able to Lride loose,L to usethe language of alifornia all-terrain riders! It#s a sign of an eperiencedrider, and it saves you and your bicycle a lot of wear and tear!



USING YOUR BRAKES

(icture yourself on a city path! $uddenly, you notice that you#re about toride down a ight of stairs! r you#re riding on a country road and there#sa bridge out Eust a few feet in front of you! In cases like these, your bike#sbrakes could save your life! +ut even if you don#t have such a dramaticeperience, you#ll feel more condent and go faster if you#re ready to stop%uickly and smoothly!It takes practice to get peak performance out of your brakes! "ou can#t Eust Eam them on and skid to a stop as in a car! "our brakes must be in good condition to give you the most control! oodbicycle brakes work powerfully and smoothly! If your brakes are weak orgrabby, it#s time for an overhaul! +ut to get the %uickest possible stop,you also need to understand eight transfer and how it aDects yourstopping!

HOW WEIGHT TRANSFER WORKS

'hen you#re stopping - in a car, on a bicycle or on foot - your weight shiftsto the front! "ou see this happen every day! 'hen you#re running and stopsuddenly, you have to put a foot out in front of yourself to keep fromtoppling forward! In the same way, when you stop a car, it LnosedivesL asmore weight goes to the front wheels!'hen stopping your bike, the weight also goes to the front wheel! Try alittle eperiment2 'alk along net to your bike! $%ueeOe the front brakelever! The bike will stop %uickly, but the rear wheel will rise oD the ground!Also try s%ueeOing the rear brake lever! +raking will be weak, and the reartire will skid! The same things happen when you#re riding! If you rely too heavily on therear brake, the rear wheel will skid and wear out the rear tire %uickly! nthe other hand, you can go right over the handlebars if you use the front

brake too hard!/ow, then, do you get a powerful stop without riskM There#s a trick tolearn! &se the rear wheel as a signal to tell you how hard to apply thefront brake! "ou become an antilock braking system for your bicycle!

THE REAR BRAKE'S SIGNAL

(ractice on your bicycle in an empty parking lot! $%ueeOe the front leverthree times as hard as the rear, while increasing force on both brakelevers at the same time! 'ith your light force on the rear brake lever,

you#re braking the rear wheel only lightly!9or a powerful stop, s%ueeOe the brake levers harder and harder - the



front always three times as hard as the rear! The rear wheel will eventuallyskid! +ut by this time, most of the weight will be oD the rear wheel, so itwill skid only lightly! "ou won#t wear a big bald spot in the rear tire -though you will feel and hear the skid!

a8 If you use the rear brake alone, the rear wheel will skid and stoppingdistance will be long!

b8 If you use the front brake too hard, the bicycle will pitch forward!

c8 Achieve a %uick stop by s%ueeOing the front brake three times as hardas the rear brake! If the rear wheel skids, reduce force on the frontbrake!

The rear wheel#s skidding is your signal to release the front brake a little,transferring weight toward the rear to reduce skidding and avoidpitchover! nce the rear wheel stops skidding, s%ueeOe the front brakeharder! ontinuously adEust the force on the front brake lever to keep therear wheel Eust below the point of skidding!

This is your braking techni%ue for straight-ahead stops on clean, drypavement! &nder these conditions the front wheel will never skid, so youcan adEust the front brake to keep the bike under control! "ou can also train yourself to release the brakes whenever the bicyclebegins to go out of control! (ractice only with great care in a %uietlocation! At a very low speed, ? or N miles per hour, s%ueeOe the frontbrake lever hard enough that the rear wheel begins to lift oD the ground! Then release the brake lever instantly! 'ear your helmetP

BRAKING UNDER POOR CONDITIONS

+raking techni%ue is diDerent when the road surface is slippery, or if



you#re turning! &nder these conditions, the front wheel can skid! "ou mustbrake lightly and use the front brake less!

Avoid turning and braking on aslippery surface! If your front wheelskids out, you#ll fall!

On (a6eent that is good e0ce(t for a fe

(!aces !oo& ahead for the s!i((er, s(ots

and u(s. Re!ease the ra&es as ,ou go

o6er the ad s(ots then increase forceagain once ,ou>re ac& on good (a6eent.

n dirt, gravel or any surface thatlooks as though it might beslippery, test the surface byapplying the rear brake lightly! If the rear wheel skids easily, avoidusing the front brake! Feep yourspeed down so that you can stillstop in time to avoid haOards!

In wet weather, the streets will bemore slippery and so will yourrims! *ry the rims by applyingthe brakes ahead of time! It cantake <@@ feet or more before thebrakes begin to work normally!

'hen turning, you may have a choice to swerve out of danger or stop -but don#t try to do both at once! (ractice braking on turns and slipperysurfaces to get a feel for these conditions!

n a long, steep downhill grade, use both brakes e%ually to contol speedand avoid overheating either rim! If the slope is etremely steep, the riskof pitchover is increased, so ride slowly to avoid the need for a %uick stop!

SUMMARY

"our training will pay oD as you become more condent on your bike in alltypes of riding situations! "ou never know when you might have to stop -and the better you can stop, the more condently you can go!



RIDING IN GROUPS

'hether you#re touring, training or Eust eploring country roads, ridingwith friends can add a lot of fun to your bicycling! 'ith a local bicycleclub, you can meet people and share information about routes,e%uipment and bicycling events! In addition, athletically inclinedbicyclists often push themselves harder and improve more when trainingtogether!+ut you can spoil the fun if you run into one of your companions! +ike-bike crashes are Eust as common as car-bike crashes, so it#s a good ideato give some attention to safe group riding!

THE SAFETY COCOON

Imagine a LcocoonL of space around each bicycle in your group of riders!It#s easy to think that you can safely pass closer to a bicycle than a car,because the bicycle is smaller! +ut the bicycle can turn to the side Eust asfast as a car! Feep N feet of clearance when you#re passing anotherbicyclist - more at high downhill speeds!At any time, one of your riding companions might be about to pass you, sobe especially careful to ride in a straight line! "ou don#t have eyes in theback of your head, and you can#t constantly trace the position of bicyclistsbehind you as you ride!'hen you#re about to pass another bicyclist, it#s your responsibility to do itsafely! The other members of your group can#t read your mind to knowthat you are about to change position in the group! heck behind youbefore you change your lane position! all out, Ln your leftL to thebicyclist you#re passing, and pass on the left!5ever sneak past another bicyclist on the right - if you do, you force theother bicyclist farther toward the middle of the road without warning!

RIDING SIDE BY SIDE

+icyclists often like to ride side by side so they can talk with each other!iding two abreast is legal in most places! It#s okay on a straight, at road! There, drivers can see you from behind, and you can usually see or hearthem approach!$ide-by-side bicyclists occupy a whole lane! n a multilane road with lighttra.c, cars can pass in the net lane! n a narrow road or with heaviertra.c, be courteousP *on#t make drivers wait for you! (ull into a single linewell before cars reach you! It takes only one thoughtless rider out to the

left of the group to endanger the whole group! all out, Lar backL to letthe group know it#s time to single up!



A rear-view mirror helps you to check on the cars behind you! 'ith amirror, you can ride side by side more often and still pull back into a singleline to let the cars pass you!5ever ride side by side on a hilly or winding road! *on#t make yourself intoa last-moment surprise to a motorist coming around a curve or over a

hilltop!

INTERACTING WITH OTHER ROAD USERS

$ome bicyclists fall for a Lherd instinctL when riding in groups - as if thegroup protected them, or there#s nobody else on the road besides thegroup! It#s tempting to play Lfollow the leaderL in a group of bicyclists -tempting but dangerous!'hen preparing a lane change or turn, you must look out for yourself! Itcan be safe for the bicyclist ahead of you to change lane position, but not

safe for you, since cars or other bicyclists could be approaching from therear! "ou must look back for them Eust the same as when you ride alone!0ook left, right, and left again for tra.c at stop signs - don#t follow therider ahead of you into an intersection! The only eception is in a tightly organiOed, small group that movescompletely as a unit! The rst and last riders are understood to be on thelookout for the entire group! *on#t count on this service unless it#sunderstood in advance!'hen crossing lanes, a line of bicyclists should LsnakeL across, one at atime, each rider in turn! This way, you leave a safe passage for cars! Aragged line of bicyclists blocks the entire lane!

L$nakingL across a lane, the cyclists can allow the passing car to makeits right turn, while they turn left! )ach cyclist looks back before crossingthe lane!1ake a neat, straight line when waiting at intersections! roups of

bicyclists who pile up at intersections block the road! This practice isunnecessary, discourteous and dangerous!



'hen you stop to rest, to read your map or to wait for companions, pullcompletely oD the road! It#s surprising how many bicyclists fail to observethis simple caution!

DRAFTING AND PACELINE RIDING

'hen you ride close behind another bicyclist, you don#t have to work ashard! The bicyclist in front of you serves as a windbreak, reducing your airresistance! )perienced bicyclists take advantage of this eDect, draftingeach other in a paceline!In a paceline, each bicyclist works hard for a little while at the front, andthen drops back to the rear along the left side of the line of riders! 0argegroups may ride in two lines side by side - a double paceline, with theleaders dropping back along the outside, right and left!A well-coordinated paceline is poetry in motion, but drafting is always a

little risky! To take advantage of the windbreak eDect, you must follow therider ahead of you closely but you must never let your front wheeloverlap that rider#s rear wheel! If the wheels touch, you suddenly can#tbalance and you#ll almost certainly take a %uick, hard fall! ther ridersbehind you may land on top of you! ide in a paceline only if you#vedeveloped good control over your bike, and you know that the otherbicyclists can also manage the situation safely!)veryone in a paceline must ride smoothly, with no %uick braking orswerving! 0ook past the rider in front of you2 *on#t stare at his or her rearwheel! Try to anticipate the moves the lead rider will make! The lead ridershould announce road haOards2 Llass,L L*og right,L Lar up,L and

maneuvers2 L$lowing,L L0eft turn!L The last rider should announce LarbackL when a car is about to pass the group! /and signals aren#t a goodidea in a tight paceline group - it#s more important to keep both hands onthe handlebars!



9our types of pacelines! The two at the left are relatively easy, but thetwo at the right re%uire a well-coordinated group of epert riders!'hen you pull in behind another rider to draft, call out Ln your wheelL sohe or she will know you#re there!

RACING

There#s a maEor eception to these rules of cooperation2 In a mass-startroad race, riders often swerve deliberately to make it hard for others!1eanwhile, other riders lurk behind, drafting each other until the nalminutes when they sprint all-out for the nish line! The tactics of a race -drafting and solo sprints, cooperation and competition - make it ecitingfor the racers and spectators!+ut leave this kind of ecitement for the racers! 'hen riding in a group,focus on cooperation, not competition! ela and enEoy your rideP

SUMMARY

roup riding can add a new dimension to your bicycling! )cept in thespecial situations of the paceline or mass-start race, the rules of the roadapply to you with other bicyclists Eust as they do with motorists!emember to keep the safety cocoon around you, be predictable, anddon#t follow another bicyclist into a dangerous situation! The rewards of increased enEoyment of bicycling with others are well worth the etraattention!

RIDING IN RAIN AND DARKNESS



If you use your bicycle for transportation, sooner or later you#ll nd thatyou have to ride at night or in the rain! Though statistical studies show

that it is more dangerous to ride under these conditions, they also showthat the overall crash rate for bicyclists who ride regardless of weather islower than that for bicyclists who ride only on ne days 7see 3erroldFaplan, 7see 3errold Faplan, Lharacteristics of the egular Adult +icycle&ser,L 9ederal /ighway Administration, <=CB8! $kill and correcte%uipment make it easy to ride with condence!

NIGHT RIDING

To ride at night, you need lights! )ven when streetlights show you theway, you need lights so other people can see you against the glare of carheadlights!A white headlight identies the front of all vehicles! A bicycle is alwaysre%uired by law to have a headlight at night! A front reector, such asthose sold on new bicycles, is not su.cient!A red taillight may be re%uired, though sometimes a rear reector ispermitted as a substitute! It#s a good idea to use both a taillight and rearreector!

TYPES OF BICYCLE LIGHTS Three maEor types of lights are available for bicycles2 small battery lights,generator systems and high-powered battery systems! hoose your lightsdepending on where you ride!$mall battery lights are most useful for riding under streetlights! Aim theheadlight level, so it looks as bright as possible to people ahead of you!echargeable batteries will cut the cost of operating small battery lights!/ardware stores and electronics stores sell these batteries and chargers!&nlike small battery lights, a good generator system is bright enough tolight your way on dark roads! It#s the best choice for long-distance touring,

since you may not be able to buy or recharge batteries! 1ost generatorsystems go dark when you stop riding a disadvantage in stop-and-go cityriding! $ome generator systems have a battery backup that keeps themlighted when you stop!/igh-powered battery lights are brightest of all! They#re best for nightriding under demanding conditions2 on dark roads or oD-road! They#remore epensive and heavier than other bicycle lights, and they needrecharging fre%uently!'hen riding at night, carry spare bulbs and batteries for your lights! It#salso a good idea to carry a small battery light as a spare to get you home

in case your main lighting system fails!



1ount a generator or high-powered battery light low, so its beam patternetends longest and reveals surface irregularities!

Aim taillights and small battery headlights level! Test aim by rolling thebike toward and away from a wall! The center of the beam should stay atthe same height!

USING REFLECTORS

The no-ecuse headlight2 A ashlightstrapped to the handlebar stem witha bungee cord is legal, and su.cientfor city use!

*on>t ride at night ithout a rear ref!ector

and (eda! ref!ectors or ref!ecti6e an&!e

ands. a&e sure that ,our ref!ectorsaren>t oscured , aggage or dirt.

Ref!ectors or& e!! for dri6ers

a((roaching fro ehind ,ou. Ref!ectors

a!so continue to or& if ,our tai!!ight u!

has urned out or if ,ou>re sto((ed and

,our generator !ights go out.

It#s a good idea to use additionalreectors beyond those sold witha new bicycle! 1ost bicycle shopscarry reective leg bands and

vests! Adhesive-backed strips of reective material are also soldfor the bicycle frame and fenders! The rear reector sold on newbicycles isn#t as bright as it couldbe it has three panels to reectto the left, right and center! Alarge automotive reector isbrighter directly behind youwhere it#s really needed! +e sureto aim your rear reector directly

back! If it#s tilted up or down, itmay not work at all!



*on#t consider front and side reectors to be a substitute for a headlight!(edestrians stepping oD the sidewalk in front of you have no headlightsand won#t see your reectors! 1otorists pulling out of side streets ahead of you also won#t see your reectors, because these cars# headlights throwtheir beam straight ahead - across the road in front of you!

Test your nighttime e%uipment2 /ave someone ride your bike past you atnight and check to see how well your systems work!

NIGHT-RIDING TACTICS

'hen riding at night, you can#t see drivers inside their cars to make eyecontact, but you can ash your headlight at them by twitching thehandlebars! 9lash your headlight when you need to get the attention of adriver pulling out of a side street!In some cities, the risk of theft and physical attack at night in dark, empty

places like parks, pedestrian overpasses and industrial areas is generallygreater than the risk of crashes on streets in residential and businessdistricts with a reasonable amount of tra.c! hoose routes accordingly!ural riding at night is the most demanding of your e%uipment andtechni%ue! 1ost generator lights are not bright enough to allow you to ridedownhill at full speed on an unlighted road! $tay within the limitations of your lights!5arrow, shoulderless rural roads with moderate to heavy tra.c have abad record for nighttime bicycle crashes! n the other hand, %uiet ruralroads can be very pleasant to ride at night! 3ust be sure that yourheadlight is powerful enough to show you the way, and your taillight and

reectors are su.cient to alert overtaking motorists!At night there are generally fewer drivers on the roads but of thesedrivers, a much larger percentage are drunk drivers! A useful trick on anunlighted road is to look at your shadow as a car approaches from behind!If the shadow moves to the right, the car is passing to your left!

RIDING IN WET WEATHER

iding in wet weather can be miserable, but if you e%uip yourself well, youcan stay comfortable!

1any bicyclists carry no wet-weather gear, and they get soaked! $omebicyclists try to use raingear borrowed from the coat rack at home! 0ongraincoats and ponchos tangle with the spokes or frame! A hood isdangerous, because it can block your view when you turn your head!ubberiOed rain suits get as wet inside as out, because they don#t letperspiration evaporate!A bicyclist#s rain cape is a ne solution, along with fenders on your bike! The rain cape is like a poncho but tailored to t you in your riding positionon the bicycle! It#s small and light to carry, and relatively inepensive tobuy! It has loops at the front, which you can hook over your thumbs or

over road-bike brake levers, etending forward like a little tent! A waiststrap holds down the back of the cape! The cape should be bright yellow,



to make you more visible to drivers! The rain cape allows ventilation underneath, and so it#s the best solutionon a warm, rainy day! +ut with the rain cape, you need a pair of full-lengthfenders on your bicycle! They keep dirty water and mud from ying upunder your cape! A mudap on the front fender, or toeclip covers, will

keep your feet dry, and a helmet cover will keep your head dry!/igh-tech rain suits of ore-Te or other materials that LbreatheL can alsodo the Eob, especially when e%uipped with air holes to allow for cooling!1any have reective stripes to enhance your visibility! "ou still should usefenders to keep road dirt oD you and your bicycle! "our riding techni%ue needs some modication in wet weather! im brakeswork poorly if the bicycle has steel rims - stopping distances may beincreased by <@ times! It helps to wipe the rims dry by applying the brakesin advance, well before you need to stop!Aluminum rims or a hub brake improve wet-weather braking! ne of theseis advisable if you ride much in wet weather! heck with your bike shopabout the best choice!In the rain, pay special attention to metal surfaces such as manholecovers or steel-grid bridge decks, painted tra.c markings, wet leaves andoil slicks! They#re all especially slippery! Avoid riding through puddles if you can#t see the bottom - a puddle can hide a pothole!'hen you get home, it#s a good idea to relubricate your bicycle#s chain tohelp prevent rust!

SUMMARY

iding at night is reasonably safe if you e%uip yourself correctly! "ou mustuse at least a headlight and rear reector! A taillight and additionalreectors can make you more visible, and are re%uired by law in someplaces! +rightly colored clothing can also help, as can reective strips onyour baggage, clothing, or helmet! eective patches on the backs of yourgloves allow you to make a ashing turn signal by rotating your wrist!If you are properly e%uipped, riding at night is not much diDerent fromriding in daylight hours, though some situations are better avoidedbecause of increased risk of physical attack or of a crash! To ride comfortably in wet weather, you need to e%uip your bicycle with

fenders, and carry rain clothing! Also be aware of the reduced traction andpoorer brake performance in wet weather! )%uip yourself, use reasonablecaution and don#t let messy conditions keep you oD your bike!



WAYS TO DEAL WITH TOUGHSITUATIONS

0et#s face it - some tra.c situations go beyond the normal rules! 'henthe tra.c system begins to break down because of overcrowding, poorplanning and disrespect for the law, you may have to LbushwhackL yourway through the mess! "ou can emerge safe and maintain the respect of other road users if you#re careful! /ere are some situations where you have to take theinitiative!

WHEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS DON'T TURN

Always stop and wait for red lights! "ou not only ensure your safety, butyou also increase respect for cyclists as law-abiding road users!+ut some tra.c lights don#t turn green until they receive a signal from ametal detector buried in the pavement! $ome of these detectors do notrespond to bicycles! "ou can recogniOe the detector by a s%uare or octagonal pattern of thin

lines in the pavement, where slots were cut for the detecting wires! Thedetector is most sensitive if you ride along one of the wires! 7$ometimes,



SIDEWALK AND BIKEPATH RIDING

1any people consider sidewalks a safe place to ride because cars don#ttravel on them! &nfortunately, sidewalks aren#t safe! $tay oD them, eceptwhere you have no choice! Trees, hedges, parked cars, buildings and doorways create blindspotsalong a sidewalk, which is too narrow to allow you to swerve out of theway if someone appears! A pedestrian on the sidewalk can sidestepsuddenly, or a small child can run out from behind an adult! 5ever pass apedestrian until you have his or her attention!And cars do use sidewalks - at every driveway and cross street! $incethere are no clear rules for travel on a sidewalk, your only choice is to ridevery slowly and look in all directions before crossing a driveway or street!A bike path can sometimes provide a useful shortcut, and it can be

pleasant and scenic! &se it with caution! )ven if you are supposed to havethe right of way, the path may be too narrow for safe maneuvering!(edestrians are unpredictable, and intersections are often haOardous! Abike path can get crowded with inline skaters, dog walkers and careless,ineperienced bicyclists! 1ost bike paths are no place for a fast ride orhigh-speed commuting trip!

AVOIDING THE MOVING BLINDSPOT

n your bicycle, you can see over most cars! "ou#ll become used to this

advantage! *on#t let it fool you, though! "ou can#t see over a large $&H,van, truck or bus! 1oving blindspots lurk behind these tall vehicles!$uppose that you#re riding on a two-way, four-lane street! "ou#ve mergedto the inside lane, because you want to turn left! "ou signal your left turnand continue to move forward! "ou see only one other vehicle on thestreet2 a van, coming toward you in the opposite passing lane! It stops tolet you turn left! an you make your turn safelyM

The moving blindspot2 1otorist 7a8 has stopped as a favor to thebicyclist who is turning left! The bicyclist and motorist 7b8 have both



seen the entire road at one time or another, but they have never seeneach other!

5oP $ince you are moving forward, a blindspot behind the van is movingtoward you! A car could be passing the van in the outside lane, and youwould never see that car! If you were to cross in front of the van, youcould be met with a terrible surprise!

ARE YOU INVISIBLE?

(eople will often tell you to Lride as if you were invisible!L That advice onlymakes sense where you#re actually hidden by a blindspot! To ride all thetime as if you were invisible, you would have to pull oD the road whenevera car approaches from behind! "ou would also have to stop and wait untiltra.c clears before crossing any intersection!

Instead, ride to mae sure you%re visible. 'ear bright-colored clothesday and night, and use lights and reectors at night! ide in the correctlane position where you can be seen! Also, test to make sure that drivershave seen you! This is the safest way to ride!

MAKING EYE CONTACT

/ow do you test that a driver has seen youM /ere#s an eample! $upposethat you are on a main street, riding toward an intersection! A car isapproaching from the right in the cross street, where there#s a stop sign!

/ow do you handle this situationMAs you approach the intersection, look into the car window and make eyecontact with the driver to ascertain that the driver has seen you! 'atch forthe car to slow down more than it would if you weren#t there!If you look into the driver#s window and the driver isn#t looking at you,then be very cautious! )ven if the car is stopped at the stop sign, a driverwho doesn#t know you#re there has no reason to stay stopped! $low down,and call out to get the driver#s attention! (roceed only when you#re surethat the driver is waiting for you!

DEALING WITH RUDE DRIVERS



To call the bluD on a driver inchingout from a stop sign, check behindyou for tra.c, then keep pedaling asyou move farther into your lane!

To call the bluD on a driverthreatening to turn left from ahead of you, move into your lane to makeyourself more visible, then right toprepare your escape if necessary!

Soe dri6ers tr, to cut across in front of

,ou. The, inch out fro a dri6ea, or

sto( sign and treat ,ou as if ,ou ha6e no

right to the road.

These drivers seem moredangerous than they actually are!1ost drivers who play thesetricks are only trying to bluD you! They inch forward with one footon the gas pedal and the other onthe brake pedal, waiting to seewhether you#ll stop!

iving in to this bullying will slowyou down and leave your self-esteem in shambles! $tand up foryour rights! *on#t let rude driversspoil your trip! utbluD them!/ere#s how!

'ith a little eperience, and afterlearning the emergency brakingtechni%ues in this booklet, you#llhave a good idea of your bike#sstopping distance in any

situation!

"ou outbluD a driver by making itclear that you don#t intend tostop! ontinue to move forward -and keep pedaling, since yourturning pedals are a clear signalto the driver! 1eanwhile, gureout when you#ll have to hit thebrakes, in case the driver pullsout in front of you anyway!

In === cases out of <@@@, thedriver will stop and wait for youbefore you have to brake! 1oveon past the car! In the odd casethat the driver doesn#t stop, you#llbe prepared to brake in time!

The real danger at intersectionsis from drivers who run stop signs

or red lights without even slowingdown, or who stop and then start



again without looking! +ut thesedrivers are rare crashes tend todeplete their numbers!

REPORTING BAD DRIVERS

If a motorist inadvertently or maliciously causes you to feel threatened orattempts to harm you, make note of the license plate number and, if possible, a description of the driver! In some places you can report theincident to the *epartment of 1otor Hehicles! If the oDender is acommercial driver, inform the driver#s employer! "ou may be able to reportthe driver#s employer to the *epartment of 1otor Hehicles or the licensingagencies that regulate trucking! "ou may also be able to press criminalcharges for assault if you believe the driver attempted to hit you or threw

something at you, or assault and battery if you were struck by the car orsome other obEect!

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH

After any fall or crash, seek appropriate medical attention, and beforeyour net ride, have a %ualied mechanic check that your bicycle is in safeworking order!1ost bicycle crashes don#t involve other people, and can be prevented bygood bicycle handling techni%ues! These crashes typically result from the

bicyclist#s losing control on a bad surface or hitting a ed obEect 7see1oritO, 'illiam, Adult Bicyclists in the United States - Characteristics andRiding Experience, Transportation esearch +oard, <==>8! +ut if you are ina crash involving another person, rst get appropriate medical attentionfor all parties! ather as much information at the scene as possibleincluding the other parties# names, addresses and insurance information!Feep in mind that you may not discover an inEury, or damage to your bike,until later! $eek the advice of an attorney, especially if there is any disputeas to who was at fault! +e wary - many people including police o.cers andinsurance o.cials do not understand bicyclists# rights to the road and thismay cause them to have a bias against you! 9or this reason, do not

apologiOe or say anything that could be interpreted as an admission of fault and do not say that you are not hurt - you may not realiOe that youare inEured until later! If the investigating o.cer takes a driver#s version of what happened and it diDers from yours, politely insist that the policeo.cer also record your version!

REDUCING FRICTION BETWEEN BICYCLISTSAND MOTORISTS

The main way bicyclists annoy motorists is by performing unpredictablemaneuvers this booklet warns against!



9earful instruction - Lalways keep away from tra.cL - is passed down tochildren by parents who don#t know much about bicycling - the blindleading the blind! 9rom about <=N@ to <=6B, few adults rode bicycles in5orth America, and that was long enough for incorrect ideas aboutbicycling to become deeply rooted!

ertainly, children shouldn#t be allowed to ride bicycles in heavy tra.c,any more than they should be allowed to drive cars! +ut that doesn#tmean that adult bicyclists should have to ride like children! There will always be people in cars who yell, Let oD the road!L *on#t letthem bother you! (osition yourself to encourage drivers to maneuveraround you correctly! If most bicyclists in your community use incorrectmaneuvers, drivers will have some trouble understanding your correctmaneuvers! "ou need to make especially clear signals! 'ith eperience,drivers will discover that they have an easier time with bicyclists who usecorrect maneuvers! The number of adult bicyclists is increasing, and in the long run, moredrivers will come to understand that it makes sense to share the road!+icycles use less road space than cars every person who chooses to ridea bicycle rather than drive is reducing tra.c problems!

SUMMARY

"our awareness of tough situations will help you anticipate and avoidproblems and deal with problems that are unavoidable! +e courteous andrespectful to other road users to avoid friction, but rmly assert your legalright to ride in the manner that is safe! Always be prepared to use your

emergency maneuvers!



RIDING WITH CONFIDENCE

+icycling combines practical transportation with enEoyable and healthfuleercise! nce you have learned the techni%ues described in thisbooklet, your condence, safety and enEoyment will increasetremendously!

+icycling is fun, and it#s a great feeling to be condent of your knowledgeand skill to use your bicycle to go where you want to, and keep yourself safe!

orrect bicycling as described in this booklet re%uires only a normal adult level of sill( the same as for driving a motor vehicle. Inmany ways, bicycling is similar to driving a motor vehicle! 'ith minoreceptions, bicyclists have the same rights and follow the same rules asmotorists!

The bicycle does diDer from most motor vehicles in some ways - it isnarrower, and usually slower! The brakes are controlled diDerently, youmust balance to steer, and you put a foot on the ground when you stop! If you#ve made it through this booklet, you#ve learned how to accommodatethese diDerences!

"ou#ve learned the techni%ues for tra.c operation applicable to a narrow,i l t k hi l th t i ll l th th t . Th t .

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