Good cyclecraft

[Scintilla]

Some good advice for all about strategies to make your riding easier, safer, and much less stressful on the urban roads. Great to show this to non-cyclists, family members, and even local police.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/272643165[/vimeo]

[Scintilla]

Why is the vimeo link not posting?

[find_bruce]

Vimeo code should just be the number at the end of the url

Code: Select all

[vimeo]272643165[/vimeo]

to give you
272643165

It doesn't work for me, but I think that is due to various settings on my PC

[fat and old]

Google is your friend

Vimeo help page

https://help.vimeo.com/hc/en-us

[Scintilla]

Yes, I tried just the number at first. That did not work for me, so I posted the whole link

Anyway, watch the video; it is a great set of strategies and advice for safer road riding. People might poo-hoo John Forester's ideas on 'vehicular cycling' but it does work to gain space and respect on the roads with minimal grief from other drivers. This video shows how it works and I apply it in times of high traffic threat.

Ride Wider; Stay Safer!

[Nobody]

Some good advice for all about strategies to make your riding easier, safer, and much less stressful on the urban roads. Great to show this to non-cyclists, family members, and even local police.

Thanks for posting.

This may be good advice in others countries. But in Australia, riding in the dead centre of the lane may cause those minority of motorists who think that all cyclists should be run down - for the usual bogus reasons - to see red. So may cause (more) punishment passes, or in some very rare and extreme cases, a deliberate ram. It also reduces the chance of car coming up from behind, that doesn't see a cyclist until the last few seconds, to perform an emergency swerve/brake manoeuvre successfully. It only takes one foolish/distracted/ignorant/impaired/tired/incapable driver to destroy one's life.

Best to avoid mixing it with car traffic as much as possible. But if unavoidable, then the left hand car wheel position is far enough out to avoid most problems, but less likely to paint a target on you for the ignorant fools. Also get some very bright flashing lights, front and back for daytime use, to give drivers plenty of notice. I also find a mirror is useful.

The below site is motorcycle specific, but the principle still applies as a general attitude toward safety.
https://nosurprise.org.uk/

I'm sure there will be some that disagree with my opinion. But I've known two people on these forums that have been deliberately rammed. One with video evidence to prove it. Australia is most likely the worst country on earth when it comes to drivers' general attitude towards cyclists.

[Scintilla]

Some good advice for all about strategies to make your riding easier, safer, and much less stressful on the urban roads. Great to show this to non-cyclists, family members, and even local police.

Thanks for posting.

This may be good advice in others countries. But in Australia, riding in the dead centre of the lane may cause those minority of motorists who think that all cyclists should be run down

I have been applying this sort of approach, in Melbourne, on suburban main roads of speed limits up to 70 kmh, for the past 10-15 years. Yes, the default position is the left-tyre track, but in times of heavier traffic, risks of close-shaves, or when the lane narrows, I will ride in the centre-lane position, or even wider to ensure passing is done in the next lane.

On hilly 80 kmh roads it does at times become trickier in peak period. But I have also used this sort of approach to deal with the problems of close-shaves on many country roads (100 kmh) since about 1980. It works extremely well with the long-distance truckies, they show great respect. Riding wider gives a clear signal (from a long distance away) to drivers approaching that, yes, they really must..... 'change lane to pass'.

It works for me. YMMV

When I ride wider I have a much less stressful ride.

[human909]

That has been my experience. I extremely rarely get close passes riding in the centre or right wheel track of the lane.

You are more visible and passing needs to be a deliberate act.


I've definately copped abuse from motorists for taking the lane but I'd prefer to cop abuse than to have a "I think there is enough space" pass when there isn't enough space.

(My understanding is that that vast vast majority of collisions aren't deliberate.)