[Closed] Some good tips here on how to ride safely in traffic

Maybe Jeremy clarkson should have a read. 😀

Amazes/scares me how many people I see change lanes etc without looking behind (people on bikes just the same as in cars or walking -stepping in the road- I guess)

My worst one is cycling in town in a bad mood, makes me do stupid things.

Great tips

3. Allowing a car to pull up next to you at a junction

If a car manages to pull up next to you at a junction, then when it comes to move off you are going to be in a dangerous, narrow position. Instead, when you see a junction up ahead, you should move into the centre of the lane you are in. This prevents cars from forcing you into a horrible position and allows you to move off safely. I made this error during the training course and the instructor was less than impressed!

Assume everyone in a car is an elderly retarded moron.

beefheart - Member
Assume everyone in a car is an elderly retarded moron[b]/young cocky git/on the phone/not looking/v8 driving stw user getting the limit out of their £200 per corner rubber/hater of cyclists/human[/b].

FIFY

It's one of the things that was drilled in to me when I did my direct access, many years ago.
The lifesaver is just that, & I've never forgotten it.

a car driver is trained to look to the right for people overtaking.

Ha ha ha. No.
The number of times im in the middle of the lane with my right hand fully extended to indicate im turning right and people STILL overtake me. They're not even looking where they're going, let alone looking in their mirrors to see whats going on behind them.
Assume the car around you is going to do something stupid EVERY time and take control of your road space is the way forward.
Despite all this Clarkson hoo ha, I cant see attitudes on the road changing anytime soon.

this should be taught to car drivers, not just cyclists.

the problem is that 'im all right jack' is almost the default attitude, in all of life, not just on the road.
people only care about themselves.

My worst one is cycling in town in a bad mood, makes me do stupid things.

I had a friend who was a bit like that - really aggressive if he rode angry. I remember one particular occasion that put a stop to that - he was so intent on having a run in with a driver that as he approached a very busy roundabout, he fully intended to just blast into the flow, cutting it fine and causing a reaction. He stood, pelted out over the junction markings and his chain snapped, sending him over the bars and straight into the path of a car, which thankfully stopped with it's left wheel a few inches from his head. But it was bloody close.

I still ride angry from time to time and there's definitely a little devil on my shoulder when I do...

I meant to add a little bit of advice I heard from Obree on the Cycle Show - wobble. According to him, if you give it a little wobble when cars are approaching from behind, it makes the drivers more cautious and they give you a bit more room.

I've tried it - sometimes it works, sometimes you just make yourself look like you're drunk or simply can't/shouldn't ride a bike.

^ I don't necessarily wobble, but I do stand on the pedals while chucking the bars from side to side and still going in a straight line. Works a treat.

Remember something from a couple of years back when the compulsory helmet debate was in full swing. Someone had researched the topic and found that how fast and close cars pass you is a strong indicator of likelihood of an accident - no surprises there.

But the interesting bit was that, like wobbling a bit, drivers were more cautious passing female cyclists. Apparently they thought they were less predictable than lycra clad road warriors, so gave them a wider berth.

So punchline was that if the government was serious about reducing cycling accidents, rather than making helmets compulsory, they should make wearing of a long blonde wig compulsory 😆

I have long hair and cars dont seem to give me any more space, maybe I should shave my legs and wear a skort ?

peronslly I loved the little hazard battons that you used to see attached to rear mudguards, they stuck out and I guess were both a reflective but also supposed to help car drivers give you more room as they go past. Anybody know what they were called?

I think [url= http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/ ]this[/url] is really worth reading by both cyclists and drivers.

found it, a safety wing. dont suppose they worked but very .... errrr... quaint. 😉

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I think I observe most of the tips in the article, but do wonder what I was like when I started commuting to work 7/8 years ago.

Things that make me throw sense out of the window and ride like a loon are:
- when having a bad day
- if seriously annoyed at other road users (including other cyclists)
- when racing other cyclists... particularly if they're running reds and I'm chasing them down

The problem with cycling is it's too much fun and sometimes having fun gets in the way of good cycling.

British Cycling also had an 'Effective Traffic Riding' leaflet: