Strategies For Avoiding Road Hazards

[Zif]

The roads around my house are pretty chock full of pot holes and blind corners. Do you guys have any tricks of the trade for dealing with less than ideal cycling areas? I can get out of town to better areas within a few miles, but I'd prefer not to feel like I need to drive out to have a good ride!

 

[Dora M]

All I can say is: drive slower and be more careful than usual. Also, have your bike checked out on a regular basis for wear and tear, unless you can fix your bike yourself if something get loose or lost. Where I live, some of the roads in town don't have any bitumen, which proves to be extra challenging during the rain season. The idea is to circumnavigate any potholes filled with water, as you can never be sure how deep they are. Sometimes, the best idea is to get off your bike and push it until you reach a safer ground.

 

[gavinfree]

If you know that road hazards are around, then the only thing you can do is slow down and make sure to avoid them. Likewise, a properly maintained bike can help you avoid most consequences from hitting a pothole or two along the ride. Most cities feature some old and broken down roads that pose a danger to cyclists, so it's not always easy to avoid having to cycle near or even though these obstacles.

 

[joshposh]

I don't know about your local laws, but is there anyway you can report these hazards in order for them to be fixed? I'm sure there is a state building in your area that specializes in road and highway management. Most things in this world won't be addressed until someone complains about it. Or better yet get organized and have a bunch of cyclist complain about it

 

[pinkride]

Nothing you can do if the road is in a bad condition. In that case all you must go slower than usual and be extra careful in case you fall into a bump or something.

 

[9lines]

You should keep up with the rules and you get yourself moving around. Sometimes you are unable to avoid the potholes but you have to get moving. Avoid traffic on this roads and you can be out when there is less traffic. Otherwise you will find yourself getting annoyed and stopcycling altogether. Potholes damage our bikes but we need to keep up with the spirit.

 

[neednoexcuse]

If the condition of the road is bad, you should avoid riding your bike at full speed. Most people don't care about the road condition and they ride their bike at the normal speed. I always cut down the speed of my bike to almost half if I see a road with a bad condition. I would recommend the same thing to you. You should always be careful.

 

[chelsknits]

We have a lot of potholes around here and I just try to slow down and steer around them. The more you ride on the road, the better you'll get to know it and you'll be able to remember where the potholes are so you can get around them.