HANGING TOUGH WITH THE COWBOYS<br /><br />The early ride was great - empty roads and opportunity to talk and socialize - an hour later you find yourself alongside a 22 wheeler with only 10cm of space between the wheels and your leg, with the road dropping off the jagged left edge 18 inches down into the gravel, not to mention being blinded and choked by the diesel fumes.<br /><br />Reality check - this sport can be frightening!<br /><br />But this is an unfortunate reality for most cyclists in cities! Fighting for every centimeter of space available, dodging taxis, jumping potholes and still trying to do our interval training. The reality exists because most of us work for a living and so can only train outside of work hours between dawn and sunset.<br /><br />If you work, the ride window is pre-dawn until you go to work, and the period after work ends, until sunset. Unfortunately this period normally coincides with peak traffic flows. Invariably this means we have to get used to riding with traffic, or give up riding. But there are guidelines to becoming safer and more effective in traffic<br /><br />Be assertive<br />Do not fall prey to the "Cyclists Inferiority Complex" . Motorists are not doing you a favour by letting you be on the road. You are simply a slowly moving vehicle with exactly the same rights as a faster moving vehicle, irrespective of size. There are well-defined road rules pertaining to each. Your job as a cyclist is to abide by them. This includes observing all the rules pertaining to cars, plus a few others (like not riding abreast unless it is absolutely safe to do so).<br /><br />Ride positively<br />By riding positively and not hesitating, motorists will quickly get an impression of your skill and will not get too aggressive. <br /><br />Use handsignals<br />By using handsignals (one at a time, please) to demonstrate your intentions, you will be abiding by the rules of the road and signaling your intention to other road users. This decreases the amount of anxiety a driver will have about a cyclist doing something unexpected. (Showing the middle finger is yet to be ratified as a legit handsignal!) <br />You will also appear predictable - so ride predictably.<br /><br />Stay calm<br />If someone hoots at you or is aggressive towards you, stay calm. The phenomenon of road rage is still not totally understood, so just let them drive away - do not provoke them further by responding with aggression. <br />Try this: if someone is aggressive, just wave back pleasantly - it tends to create a bit of perspective. <br /><br />Know your strengths<br />Do not ride yourself into a coma and then start weaving all over the road through exhaustion - it tends to rattle other road users, especially other cyclists, never mind the motorists.<br /><br />Know the road<br />Be on the lookout for any potholes, narrow sections, or steep climbs so that you can change gears or effort to get through as safely as possible. <br /><br />For visible potholes, keep your hands on the bars and check the traffic around you before getting to the pothole, then bunny-hop it! <br />For steep climbs it is important to take it a bit easier beforehand so that you do not have to slow down too much, and change gears well ahead of time to avoid the loss of composure associated with dropped chains etc. <br />For narrow roads try to time your entry to a lull in the traffic (check the timing of the robots) and then go quickly through the section if it is short. For longer sections keep your ears open and check for trucks coming up behind you that will have problems getting past, and if there is obviously a space problem, do the right thing and quickly but safely m ove off the road. <br />Be visible<br />Let motorists know you are there. Wear brightly colored clothing.<br /><br />Ride sensibly<br />Be aware of the space you take up, and mind your manners on the road. If there are two or more of you then ride in single file until there is a wide enough shoulder to ride on.<br /><br />Don't try your luck<br />You weigh 150lbs, a car weighs 2 tons. Guess who wins the fight?<br /><br />Stay relaxed<br />Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of safety is staying relaxed. Be alert, but stay relaxed. This might sound impossible when you are wedged between that truck and the gutter, but one thing is for sure - if you tense up you are far, far more likely to lose control of your bike, or to overreact should something happen. Either way you are doomed. Stay relaxed and alert and trust your instincts to guide you safely through the tight spots. <br /><br />
