Everyone else here is going to suggest the Cyclecraft book as a good start, so I won't repeat what
they say. They're right though.
dannyfrankszzz said:
[...] the fear element.
Might be overcome by gaining an understanding of the different causes of collision between cars and
cyclists, and the relative likelihood of each type of accident. Helped for me, at least.
Surprisingly perhaps, the major cause isn't being hit from behind in normal, flowing traffic. Does
anyone have a good link for this?
Quoted message said:I know this is negative thinking but it does cause me to be ultra cautious and defensive when I
ride. Accident avoidance is far more important than being in the right but tasting tarmac.
Normally, when I ride I try to hug the kerb as much as possible
This isn't necessarily the right thing to do at all times - it encourages silly overtaking from
behind, and doesn't leave enough of a safety margin for you to move into if you need to take evasive
action. Not to mention the fact that the gutters are full of glass, road chippings, potholes,
gratings, dead badgers and other detritus.
That said, being hit from behind is *not* one of the most common causes of injuries to
adult cyclists.
Quoted message said:but when there is a parked car I have to veer out and while doing so I always turn my head to look
at the driver - just to make it clear in their mind that I'm moving out.
Darting in and out of parked cars is probably quite a bit less safe than taking a path that any
following drivers can easily predict, but you seem to have the negotiation bit down pat. Being in
the main traffic stream and keeping away from the parked cars' doors is most definitely the Right
Thing to do in these circumstances, and if there's another block of parked cars within a few bike
lengths ahead, then you probably want to stay where you are, even when passing the gap. It's just
more predictable.
You can get shifting a little if you feel you're holding anyone up, and if the gap is much bigger
than 10 or so bike lengths, I'll sometimes shift into it in line with the parked cars' right-hand
wheels (UK) in order to let a few pass.
Quoted message said:This seems to have a better effect and makes the driver slow down when they realise that I'm aware
of them.
Probably more to do with the psychological impact of direct eye contact and your asserting yourself
more than anthing to do with them being deeply insightful into the needs of another road user. But
hey, it works and you should make use of it. Remember that car drivers aren't really that aware of
what's going on in the first place, what with their restricted vision and hearing inside that
insulated tin box of theirs. Up until the point you started negotiating your way out they probably
thought you were a piece of broken glass in the gutter or a road sign or a dead badger or something.
Seriously though, some drivers *aren't* watching out for anything smaller than a motor car. I find
that a good hard stare at traffic emerging from side roads tends to a) get me noticed a tiny bit
quicker, and b) tells me that they're more likely to have actually noticed me than not. You can't
always rely on that though.
And as for being polite, assertive, and clear about your intentions, nothing beats it. A smile and a
wave if they're being helpful helps spread the good vibes further.
Quoted message said:I dream about the UK becoming like Holland and the Netherlands where cyclists ride with no fear.
There's a little article over at lesberries.co.ukheresy.htmlOpen ↗ that
mentions the comparative safety of the two countries. It's worth a read, perhaps.
Quoted message said:Anyway, sorry to be on a bit of a downer but I guess I just wanted to know how everybody else
deals with it.
By not letting it affect me too much if someone else does something silly on the road, and by trying
to understand what the problems and causes that affect us as cyclists. It doesn't take much nerve
really to cycle just as assertively as necessary - if it did, I wouldn't be doing it, natural coward
that I am - and once you start, the confidence gained starts feeding back on itself positively.
Then again, I'm in the unusual position of having started to cycle as an adult, which may mean that
I had fewer ingrained fears to start with. Hope this is all helpful.
(And that Cyclecraft book that everyone else is probably mentioning iin this thread right now was
quite handy too)
--
Andrew Chadwick <And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see it's path
