G
Geezer Boy
Guest
On 25 Aug 2005 05:04:09 -0700, [email protected] wrote:
>I just read Robert Hurst's "The Art of Urban Cycling."
>
>OK, but what about *rural* cycling?
>
>I live in an small town surrounded by farmland and more small towns,
>mostly.
>
>Any books, articles, webpages, etc., about rural cycling?
>
>(Hurst did mention in his book that the "hit from behind by a motor
>vehicle"-type accidents are more likely on rural roads. That was about
>the only reference to rural cycling that I remember in his book.)
Wear a dayglo orange shirt, or if that's not enough, zip-tie a small
milk crate to a lightweight rear seatpost rack and attach an orange
triangle (slow moving vehicle sign, available at any farm supply).
Works great for me because from a distance they think it's a tractor
or wagon or Amish buggy and slow down long before they see it, or else
they hit the brakes suddenly and swerve into the left lane as they
crest a hill and see me. No one wants to hit farm equipment or a
buggy, and rural drivers are conditioned to avoid such signs, even
when drinking.
Actually they don't see me, their mind registers the orange triangle.
These are big and seen a quarter of a mile away. I haven't found
anything better and it's entirely satisfactory for all my riding,
which is rural upstate NY. The milk crates today are small (at WalMart
or K Mart) and they and the rack weight near-nothing. Very useful for
groceries or other gear you want to carry, up to 25 pounds. Cheap
also.
Geezer Boy
>I just read Robert Hurst's "The Art of Urban Cycling."
>
>OK, but what about *rural* cycling?
>
>I live in an small town surrounded by farmland and more small towns,
>mostly.
>
>Any books, articles, webpages, etc., about rural cycling?
>
>(Hurst did mention in his book that the "hit from behind by a motor
>vehicle"-type accidents are more likely on rural roads. That was about
>the only reference to rural cycling that I remember in his book.)
Wear a dayglo orange shirt, or if that's not enough, zip-tie a small
milk crate to a lightweight rear seatpost rack and attach an orange
triangle (slow moving vehicle sign, available at any farm supply).
Works great for me because from a distance they think it's a tractor
or wagon or Amish buggy and slow down long before they see it, or else
they hit the brakes suddenly and swerve into the left lane as they
crest a hill and see me. No one wants to hit farm equipment or a
buggy, and rural drivers are conditioned to avoid such signs, even
when drinking.
Actually they don't see me, their mind registers the orange triangle.
These are big and seen a quarter of a mile away. I haven't found
anything better and it's entirely satisfactory for all my riding,
which is rural upstate NY. The milk crates today are small (at WalMart
or K Mart) and they and the rack weight near-nothing. Very useful for
groceries or other gear you want to carry, up to 25 pounds. Cheap
also.
Geezer Boy