Quote:
Originally Posted by Pujafdaf
Just found this article from other place so I copied it here hope it will helpful.
As a cyclist you will encounter lots of challenges when you are out. Safe cycling is about being totally aware of your surroundings and trying to anticipate what other road users are likely to do. Your first priority when out cycling is your own safety. Safe cycling means using your head and this means not necessary following the rules.
Take cycle lanes for example. Many drivers believe that when they are available cyclists should use them, they don’t understand that some cycle lanes can be dangerous for cyclists to use in certain situations.
A cycle lane full of pot holes or broken glass (not uncommon in the city) or where there are rows of parked cars is a danger and will make safe cycling difficult. You have to cycle where you are safest. If this means coming out of a cycle lane then you must come out of it. This may lead to angry drivers remonstrating with you. It’s important you don’t get involved in any arguments with drivers, there’s little to be gained from it.
Most motorists are perfectly reasonable and happy to accommodate cyclists. Some however, are hostile to cyclists. Arguing with these people is pointless because their built in hostility will prevent them from seeing things your way. Just ignore any abuse that may come from such people.
A little thought can enhance your bike safety enormously. Plan your route carefully before setting off on a journey. There will usually be a number of options available to cyclists that are not available to cars. Don’t assume you have to ride on a main road for your entire journey. You may be able to ride in back streets away from rush hour traffic. My own route to work takes me away from the main road for large parts of the journey. I’m happy to do this because it adds to my bike safety.
When getting on your bike switch on. You need to absorb as much information about what is going on around you as you can. You then need to disregard what’s irrelevant and pay attention to things that may effect you. Safe cycling means learning how to read the road. Look as far ahead as possible and read the road. As a cyclist you are vulnerable to the conditions of the road; keep an eye on the road as well as watching what’s going on around you. I’ve hit a few potholes in my time because I wasn’t paying attention to the road.
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Agreed, just recently when I was riding through the downtown area I had a person who was waiting to cross the street call me an effen a-hole because I was not riding in the bike lane. The reason that I was not in the bike is because it has on street parking on it's right side and just about every spot had a car in it. And as we know the best way to avoid getting doored is to not be where the door is going to be when/if it opens.
I also have another bike lane near where I live that one part goes around a curve and I have seen way too many motorists drift into that bike lane. The rest of that bike lane is usually full of broken glass. The bike lane on the opposite side of the road it again runs along on street parking. And again if there are any cars parked in the on street parking spots I wait until I have passed the very last parked car before I enter the bike lane.
As the article says my safety comes first.
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