Safety Tips For Beginners

antiskeptic

Given a number of threads dealing with new bikers getting into it for the benefits offered when commuting, perhaps a thread aimed at safety tips from those with more experience with commuting .. to those with less. Like this (from Seamus) dealing with riding along a line of stopped traffic.

Look out for right turns up ahead - some cars are liable to jump out of the queue in frustration, even if they're 100+m away from the turn.

2. As you figured out, don't rely on indicators to tell you what people are going to do (but do watch them).

3. Watch out for cars suddenly doing U-turns. These are next to impossible to predict and I'm sure a number of regulars here will tell their stories of colliding with them.

4. Once the queue starts moving, stop overtaking and rejoin the traffic flow.

5. Above all, keep your speed down. If the traffic is stopped, then any progress, even if it is at 20km/h, is better than no progress and better than being splattered on the road. Your ability to react safely to sudden occurences will be much better at slow speeds.

1. Try and put an open-car-drivers-door-width between you and the line of cars your passing. Doors open for ashtrays to be emptied or for the driver to step out so as to remove a suit jacket on a warm day or because the driver has bumped the car in front and steps out to deal with the "accident".

2. When filtering between stopped lines of traffic going in the same direction - say approaching a set of red lights on a dual carraigeway - be wary of passenger doors opening. Schoolkids being let out is a common one. Once, a bikecop filtering in front of me stopped, knocked on the passenger window of a car and told the passenger to put on his seatbelt - he'd seen the belt hanging unused through the car windows whilst filtering slowly between lines of traffic. Impressive. But you should be looking at activity in cars whilst filtering: if you are looking you'll see the passanger shifting as they go to remove belt/open door. Clearly, you have to going slowly enough to observe this.


3) As a general rule, I tend to ride in one or other wheel track of the car in front. If there is an object lying in the middle of the road the car driver will simply pass over it ... and you'll miss it by virtue of your position. If the object is lying in his car wheel track he'll steer to avoid it and you'll be alerted by his action. I've seen all sorts flash by me over the years - a dead badger being the largest object .. but bricks, lumps of wood and rocks have passed to one side too. You also tend to be on the clear bits of road this way too.


4) Carrying on from above. On a single lane road the general position to take up would be the driver-in-fronts' right hand wheel track - you'll be about 2/3 of the way out between kerb and white line. This provides drivers pulling out of side roads more opportunity to see you too. In the "slow" lane of a dual carraigeway you should track the same wheel as above, the drivers side wheel.

In the "fast" lane of a dual carraigeway I prefer to run in the track of the left wheel of the car in front. It opens up more escape routes and tends to discourage drivers behind undertaking you. You get better visibility up the road too.


5) Part of the logic of above road positioning has to do with creating a "safety zone" around yourself - an overall goal to be aiming to achieve. Consider a single lane with you positioned near the white line (instead of hogging the kerb): you're away from parked cars (and what appears from behind them), side roads on the left .. and you won't be encouraging car drivers behind to overtake you if you happen to be keeping at a safe speed (if hogging the kerb you look like a learner and are almost indicating to the driver behind that he should overtake you)

6) Play the odds. Seamus points out an example of this above. Pottering at slow speeds between lines of stopped traffic is playing the odds: progress for minimal risk. Weaving in and out through moving traffic and ending up stopping at a set of red lights 200 yards further up isn't playing the odds: no discernable progress for high risk. The gains to be made whilst commuting haven't to do with riding fast - they have to do with trickling gently through the jams and predicting what's the best route to take through the mess.


7) Part of the predicting armoury involves learning what the traffic light sequences are on your daily route. When you do learn them, you'll frequently find that the best thing to do on a particular stretch is to potter along with the moving traffic (rather than whizzing past it in the buslane). You'll arrive at at the next red light knowing that it'll change to green before you have to put your feet down. The bikers who blasted off from the previous set of lights and left you in his wake won't have gained a thing on you. He's consumed more tyres, petrol, chain/sprockets and brake pads that you - as well as running more risk.


8) Use buslanes whenever they benefit you. I've not been in them for a while now (using the M50) but spent many years using them on a daily without getting any grief from cops. Just treat lanes with respect: don't blast by stopped lines of traffic, don't ride up a bike/car cops arse, move out of the lane when spotting a cop up ahead (he'll ignore you when you get to him), show you're paying attention when squeezing between a bus at a busstop and the line of stopped traffic beside it - by doing so slowly and gingerly. I tend to keep 1/3 lane width from the kerb in order to increase the distance between me and the line of cars to my right. I expect that one will suddenly decide to zip into the buslane to get to their exit up ahead. Folk doing so are often stressed/in a hurry: not the best combination for good car driving.

I've lost count of the amount of times I've seen a rider (usually an inexperienced-looking one it must be said) riding in the buslane whilst hugging the side of the line of cars their right. Lethal.

9) In dark, wet winter weather, your headlight gets lost in a sea of other headlights. Before I gave up daily town commuting I considered supplimenting things by using one of those rapid flashing white LED bicycle lights for tight town riding . The glance a car driver makes before pulling out will catch this as nothing else.

10) If you get proficient at one thing let it be wet weather (front) braking. Because heavy-handed use of the front brake in the wet usually causes the front end to lock up - leading to sphincter-loosening moments as the front ends slides away to one side - folk tend to avoid going there. But your front brake is the one that stops motorcycles (the back being supplimental). You can give the front brake far more welly than you think - so long as you do it properly. It's a matter of practicing on wet - but clean and well surfaced roads - so that you have an idea what to do on the greasy, tar-lined roads you'll encounter during your commute. Google how to do it and practice doing it. Essentially it involves remembering that:

- gradually increased braking force should be applied rather than snatching the brake on in a panic. Gradual application shifts weight onto the front tyre allowing it to "bite" into the road. Once bite is established you can add more braking force. Which increases grip. It's a continuous movement leading up to quite hard braking.

- if you do lock up the wheel and the front end dives away sickeningly, releasing the brake is the magic solution - the front will right itself. You have to release as soon as you feel the front let go - so be watching for it during your practice



11) Don't be in a hurry commuting. You'll only get to the next red light quicker.

12) Don't become one of those moany bikers who blame "cagers". Make it your goal never to be clipped - no matter how bad the car driver is. Make it your goal that you're going to compensate for his weakness, hurry, selfishness, lack of concern, etc. ...with your proficiency. Make it your target that you're going to take control of your environment so that your safety is down to you and no other. Decide that it's a game of life and death that you're going to win - not any cager.

And take what comes with it. If you get clipped, if you have a near miss, if you get a fright ... then it was YOU who was to blame. YOU didn't play the game as good as it needed playing that time. And thank God or your lucky stars that you've got another chance to demonstrate your skill.

EvilMonkey

Good post.
Read This Is Your Bike and Rodcraft
Get Training
Ride often and have fun! :cool:

Idleater

I can't add much off the top of my head, other than agreeing with both of the above posts.

The best nugget of 'information'/'advice' I have is that you can build up a good idea of what other people (drivers or pedestrians or even animals) do by applying the standard stereotype for them.

eg, mpv = mother turning around to shout at rowdy kids in the back.
BMW/Merc = tosser on the phone
Galanza = boy racer more concerned with going fast in a straight line to notice anyone else
etc etc.

You build up these pictures as you gain experience on the road.

While you are not right on some occasions, doing the above does train you to subconciously look out for _anything_ strange about what x driver in front of you is going to do/has just done.

It probably relates directly to the safety zone alluded to above.

McCrack

Excellent posts here

A couple of things I can add...

When skipping past stopped traffic be very cautious of pedestrians (or lemmings as I like to call them) walking out between to cross the road. Pay particular attention when the vehicle you are passing is large like a van/truck/bus because you cant see if the lemming is walking out in front of it. We have all seen them, they look one way but dont look the other.

Also when skipping past stopped traffic and youre just about to get to the top (say at lights) be careful when positioning in front of the first car, watch to see if the lights are going to change because if they do change suddenly the vehicle first to move (& he may be impatient) may not see you as you turn in front of him.

Cycle lanes (I know were not supposed to). Personally I use them in very slow/gridlocked traffic. I find it safer than skipping on the outside but if you do use them dont obstruct cyclists and be conscious when passing a bus particularly close to a bus stop as some bus drivers will open the doors to let passengers off.

Cuddlesworth

When driving over cats don't hit the front brake as you tend to slide along with it. I suppose the same applies for road kill.

antiskeptic

A handy one.

1. Your going to spend a fair bit of time with your visor open whilst moving - especially if you, like me, find you prefer it this way around town. Which means you're going to get stuff in your eyes. You can prevent some of the problem by observing when dirt is likely to be flying and closing your eyes for a moment until the... er... dust settles. A bus sweeping by you is a common one around town commuting - they stir up the air leaving swirling dust in their wake. If you don't duck your head/take a long blink then you'll get a face full.

When it happens - as it inevitably will, there's a trick which generally removes dirt from your eye with the minimum amount of effort. It'll probably take a bit of practice to stop reacting in the normal way to stuff in your eye.

a) when the dirt/midge hits your eye don't blink ..and if you do blink, don't blink hard and if you do blink hard ... open your eye and don't blink again. This keeps the dirt/fly where it hit rather than getting it buried into the recesses of your eye socket.

b) Keeping your eyes open, turn your head in the direction of the contact point of the dirt. That is to say: if the dirt contacted your eyeball on the right of centre then turn your head to the right. Ditto if left of centre. Keep your eyes looking as straight ahead as you can - for obvious reasons.

c) Your eyes will be a bit watery from riding with visor open and will be a little more watery from the dirts impact. By turning your head and allowing the air to steam over the surface of your eye, you can cause the dirt/tears to wash out of your eye altogether - where a gentle dab with a gloved finger will move it out of harms way.

Esel

Consider every other driver on the road to be a complete idiot, who is always liable to do the wrong thing at the wrong time.

McCrack

antiskeptic wrote: »

A handy one.

1. Your going to spend a fair bit of time with your visor open whilst moving - especially if you, like me, find you prefer it this way around town. Which means you're going to get stuff in your eyes. You can prevent some of the problem by observing when dirt is likely to be flying and closing your eyes for a moment until the... er... dust settles. A bus sweeping by you is a common one around town commuting - they stir up the air leaving swirling dust in their wake. If you don't duck your head/take a long blink then you'll get a face full.

When it happens - as it inevitably will, there's a trick which generally removes dirt from your eye with the minimum amount of effort. It'll probably take a bit of practice to stop reacting in the normal way to stuff in your eye.

a) when the dirt/midge hits your eye don't blink ..and if you do blink, don't blink hard and if you do blink hard ... open your eye and don't blink again. This keeps the dirt/fly where it hit rather than getting it buried into the recesses of your eye socket.

b) Keeping your eyes open, turn your head in the direction of the contact point of the dirt. That is to say: if the dirt contacted your eyeball on the right of centre then turn your head to the right. Ditto if left of centre. Keep your eyes looking as straight ahead as you can - for obvious reasons.

c) Your eyes will be a bit watery from riding with visor open and will be a little more watery from the dirts impact. By turning your head and allowing the air to steam over the surface of your eye, you can cause the dirt/tears to wash out of your eye altogether - where a gentle dab with a gloved finger will move it out of harms way.

Um very practical kudos but if you like to ride with your visor open taking in the wind I suggest wearing a pair of shades to act a barrier to the dirt flying in.
Also here's great advice if you decide to buy a pair, dont put them on before you slide your helmet on, put the helmet on first and then pop on the shades...otherwise the shades can get caught.

:cool:

reece

(1) Breath through your nose with mouth closed (helps stop visor fogging up).

(2) Don't open visor past nose level especially facing on coming traffic, unless you wanna become a pirate with a cool eye patch.

(3) If its wet avoid breaking hard when turning/avoiding obstacles (still in pain over that one).

(4) Beware of taxi drivers sudden urge to pull in to pick up a fare.

(5) Don't be in a hurry to beat your last commuting time record - refer to bracket section of point 3 above

(6) Beware of people not giving way on roundabouts especially female drivers with kids in the car (their attention isn't always 100% on you)

(7) Be careful filtering up to the lights when there's 2 or three bikes there already.

(8) A life saver isn't just a hot blonde in a red bathing suit running slow-mo down the beach - Use it (comes in handy picking up fellow bikers wizzing by).

antiskeptic

1) Someone made the valid point about keeping an eye open for the state of the light sequence when finally filtering to a stop in front of the lead car at red traffic lights: you don't want to be manoevering in front of the car just as the lights go green. As a beginner especially, it needs to be stressed that you should be aiming to get in front of the lead car - not sitting to his side or, in the case of a dual carraigeway, sitting between two rows of cars (on a dual carraigeway). Stalling and wobbling with a row of cars on either side moving off at the same time places you in danger.

2) Whilst the general issue of road positioning was outlined earlier, there are dozens of exceptions to the basic rules - dependent upon the nature of the hazards you're dealing with. For instance:

You've a clear road ahead of you but the traffic going in the opposite direction is jammed back a good distance. The general rule says you should be positioned 2/3rds of your lane width from the kerb but in this case there is the risk of someone in the line of traffic u-turning out of it. You'll improve their ability to see you - as well creating space for yourself - if you shift to riding 1/3 off the kerb. Naturally, you'll want to drift more towards the middle when coming up to left turns in order to maintain your visibility for people coming out of those turns.

3) Around town I ride with two fingers on the front brake at all times. The shorter distances between you and everything else and the rapid appearance of hazards increases the need to be able to react swiftly - a heavily gloved hand slowing down your ability to get to the brake for perhaps that crucial 1/4 second.

4) The lifesaving look over your shoulders mentioned earlier needs elaboration. Your mirrors should be adjusted so as to give a good view behind in which case the lifesaver is the quick glance over your shoulder that you need to execute in order to ensure that nothing has crept into your blind spot (a helmet usually restricting your peripheral vistion.)

It's not a long look over your shoulder - your eyes need to be ahead. Most experienced riders will tell of the times they spend too long looking behind only to find, when they looked back, that the traffic ahead had pulled up. Spinchter clenching moments follow...

It's not something done when your beginning the preparation for a manoevre - it's the last check a split second before you execute your manoever.

It is done for just about any shifting from your current line of travel. If moving position from 1/3 from kerb to 2/3 from kerb: lifesaver. If overtaking a parked bus in the buslane: lifesaver.

antiskeptic

Kerb crawling reduces your visibility

Have a good look at the above advert. It's got a great primary message because it typifies a general car driver issue regarding observation. He's concerned about seeing what he needs to see: other cars/buses/trucks. And he's concerned about where he's got to get to.

He's not thinking bicycles or bikes or pedestrians for the simple reason that he encounters too few of these hazards for them to register on his auto-drivers consciousness.

For example. If he lived in Holland he'd have far more awareness about bicycles and mopeds because he has to traverse bicycle/moped lanes day in day out. So, even when he's away from those hazards he's automatically taking account of them during every manoevre.

Auto-driver forms a good part of the totality of the a driver. He is concooned from noise, smell, slippery roads, danger, wind ... and so hasn't got access to the various things that ensure the average biker remains alert and present on the spot. The drivers mind can drifts to job, wife, hobbies, radio, mobile... or.. in the case of women drivers, the application of full facial makeup.


The second thing to observe about the video is the driver observing. It's just a glance to the right and if the video tells you anything at all it's that this video isn't going to change the average drivers habits. Watch too (at 11 seconds or so) and you'll see why his glance doesn't pick up the rider. The rider is kerb crawling - and in doing that renders himself completely invisible to auto-driver glance

The correct place for the rider to be in this instance is close to the centre white line. In this fashion he falls right into the glance line of the driver - positioning himself (and his bikes headlight) in the same place as a cars righthand headlight. The familiar pattern (a light) registers in auto-drivers head. He see's "car". "Car" means "don't pull out"


_____________

There is a certain Catch-22 about situations when you've a car waiting to pull out from the left and an oncoming car waiting to cross in front of you into that same left turn. Stay closer to centre white line: the oncoming driver will have seen you - the guy pulling from left more possibly not.

Tigger

lights on, beams if its sunny
loud exhausts save lives
observation observation observation
read up as much as you can on roadcraft
dominate yer lane / don't leave them the room to overtake you in your lane or to undertake you
yellow jackets and white helmets are very helpfull they think yer the cops handy for beginners
the cars will tailgate you will turn right without looking or indicating to try to kill you will change lanes witout warning as you filter will undertake you and try to stop you getting back in be ready
do filter get to the front its safer but be aware that kids dogs and many who should know better will run (yup run) out into stopped traffic

plan ahead and get lessons oh and if you have been riding for 9 months without an issue please raelise you are now the most vunerable you have been since you startyed because yer relaxed you think you are brilliant and thats when it happens

Esel

Countersteering.

From Wikipedia:

Even more so than on a bicycle, mastering the technique of consciously countersteering is essential for safe motorcycle riding, and as a result is a part of the safe riding courses run by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. At the higher speeds that motorcycles commonly attain, it becomes increasingly impractical to steer by taking advantage of the minute and random corrections needed to maintain balance.
Much of the art of motorcycle cornering is learning how to effectively "push" the grips into corners and how to maintain proper lean angles through the turn. When the need for a quick swerve to one side suddenly arises in an emergency, it is essential to know, through prior practice, that the handlebars must be deliberately pressed away on that side instead of being pulled. Many accidents result when otherwise experienced riders who have never carefully developed this skill encounter an unexpected obstacle.

According to the Hurt Report, the path between straight-line motion and free equilibrium turn requires an initial steering motion opposite that of the steady turn. In accidents, most riders would over brake and skid the rear wheel, and under brake the front when greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to counter steer and swerve was essentially absent. Because of this, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation teaches countersteering to all students in all of its schools, as do all motorcycle racing schools. However, countersteering is not taught in driver education classes, nor in science classes. Countersteering is not a question on motorcycle rider "license" tests, which use deceptive language and defective images that falsely appear to show that motorcycles steer just like automobiles.(citation needed)
Keith Code, director of California Superbike Schools, who teaches countersteering, states that steering involves pushing the handle bars in the opposite direction of the motorcyclists wishes to travel. This begins the turn, and the bike leans as it turns. Deliberately turning the bars in the opposite direction of travel is known as counter steering. To go right the rider must turn the bars to the left,to go left, turn the bars to the right. Counter steering is the only way to direct a motorcycle to steer accurately. In essence, motorcycle steering is backwards from most other forms of transportation. The California Superbike Schools use the "No BS Bike", with stationary handlebars, to prove that it's impossible to ride a bike by "leaning" or "body shifting", without countersteering. The practice of countersteering was observed and described over 100 years ago by Wilbur Wright, of the Wright Brothers, pioneers of the aerospace industry, who owned a bicycle factory in Dayton, Ohio.
Confusion results from the shortness of the initial countersteering input required to get the bike to lean, which is only 0.500 seconds in average curves. Gentle turns might require only 0.125 seconds, while sharp turns might require 1.000 seconds of countersteering at corner entry.

thehomeofDob

I must say anti, this is a positive approach, much preferred to your negitivity earlier. People are going to get on a bike whether or not someone on the internet tells them not to, getting them well equipped is essential. Brilliants points everyone. I would second Roadcraft - a brilliant book. If you actually practice each chapter for a long time, and not just read it, you'll see massive improvements in your riding. The skills in the book nead to be second nature.

Tigger

esel wrote: »

Countersteering.

From Wikipedia:

er thats how you steer a bike always sounds trickier than it is

Quint

Sort of mentioned before, but when driving past cars stuck in traffic, be careful of them letting out other cars from side roads. They stick their front out and look the other way, they're not ready to look left for a bike

Tigger wrote: »

er thats how you steer a bike always sounds trickier than it is

It's actually easy when you do it. The bike leans perfectly, it's cool!

Esel

Tigger wrote: »

er thats how you steer a bike always sounds trickier than it is

Eh yeah, but this is a thread of tips for beginners!