SoCalCycling.com

cyclodoe · Guest

Cycling is such a great sport--so many ways to enjoy the outdoors and your own body--I love it. There are just a few useful rules that could make it SAFE as well, uaually when you are riding on the bike trail or road. The first and most important would be to call your intent to pass someone. Give them plenty of time to react. Don't pass unless it is safe--If you have to slow down, so be it because safety should be the primary goal.
I ride recreationally around town, on the road and the bike trails and always call my intent but sadly only around 1 in 10 riders also do this. Sometimes riders come up so fast that they can catch you off guard and it could spell disaster. Nevermind the blood, what about the equipment?
Why is this so difficult for people?
Another concern is that people actually race on the streets. Its not safe to do this--people have been horribly injured. Cycling is inherantly dangerous and we all know that sooner or later you will have an accident, and I agree that I will take the risk, BUT I would feel so much better if courtesy were shown on the road. I invite comments. DN

Guest · Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:58 pm Post subject: Re: Rules of the road

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:12 am Post subject:

Rules? we don need no stinkin rules! Mad

Seriously though, sorry to break the news to you but you're wrong.
Why? well let's see, how do u warn people?

When i rode on the track we learned to yell"STAY" because if u yell "on your left"some people then move left! Why? sometimes all they hear is "left" so they think u r telling them to move left.

So let's assume miraculously everyone knows"STAY"
How far away do we yell? how loud? What if its windy?

Why do u need a warning anyway? Shocked

If u have problems being overtaken by another cyclist you are REAL lucky you didn't take driver training when i was in school,.
back then we were taught to give a tap on the horn when coming up behind a cyclist.

Guest · Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2006 5:40 pm Post subject:

Not only that, but you should look behind you once in a while and pay attention to what's going on.

chinocyclist · Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 15 Location: Chino Ca

It is too bad to have to say this but the days of " on your left" are over. I have found " on your left " only results in the knucklehead doing two things; a.) getting startled and going in who knows what direction other than straight b.) moving left. The only method to pass safely is to time your pass, set it up and pass as quickly as you can. You can usually tell an experienced rider and then the safest way to pass is sit on their wheel for a couple of seconds so they know you are there, pull alongside when it is safe, make a little conversation i.e. where you headed etc. and then move on.
Too many people using bicycles for transportation that don't have a clue about cycling, riders beware. Let's not even get into the language barrier....