Safety Tips Originally Published in the Flat Tyre

Many WW routes have regroups listed on the ride sheets (e.g. LDT, FFS).  We try to place regroups where there is room to get off the roadway, but use common sense and caution as well. Remember not to block traffic or hinder cars that are turning.  It’s safer and more courteous to pull well off the road.  Even on individual rides, call out when stopping and pull as far off the road as possible so as not to block cars or other cyclists.

One frequent safety complaint I receive is from riders being passed dangerously. Please avoid passing on a rider’s right side whenever possible! Passing on the right side often startles a rider and most riders’ first reaction when startled is to move right. Communication is the key. Let the person in front of you know when you are passing, but especially in the rare instance when you must pass on their right. 

When riding with a group, position your bike directly beside or behind your companions. Do not partially “overlap” your wheels because a sudden change of course would cause the trailing bike (and probably others) to crash. For a vivid example of what can happen, see this short YouTube video The Danger of Overlapping Wheels.

Last month, the Turn at the Front column talked about common bicycle mechanical failures. Mike Khaw mentioned some safety issues related to those failures that are worth noting.

The second most common mechanical failure mentioned in that column is a broken cable. When that happens with externally routed cables, don’t try to ride to a bike shop while holding onto your broken cable. One slip and it may easily get all tangled up in your bike, bringing it to a screeching halt and throwing you off the bike! Find a way to safely secure the broken cable to the bike before riding to help.

Similarly for flat tires, don’t try to ride on them to the bike store, especially with a flat front tire. The moment you attempt a turn, the tire will tend to roll, sending you sprawling onto the pavement. You need to either fix the flat and pump up the tire, or get a car ride to the bike store to get it fixed.

A number of years ago on his way to his clarinet lesson, my son was riding his bike in the bike lane north on Mary Avenue toward the Don Burnett Bridge when the driver of a van suddenly opened her door right in front of him, causing my son to crash. He ended up going to the hospital with a broken collarbone. (The driver did not admit any fault in the crash.)

California Vehicle Code 22517 puts the fault of a dooring crash completely on the motorist opening the door. But that can be little consolation for the cyclist getting severely injured.

There’s been some discussion about this risk on our WWBC list. Here’s some basic advice. When there is a bike lane that goes along a row of parked cars (like on Mary Avenue), stay to the far left in the lane, or better yet, move left out of the bike lane altogether to give more room between you and the parked cars. As you ride, keep a watchful eye on the parked cars. If someone has just parked or if you see a car’s brake lights, give the car a wide berth. But more generally, scan the cars to see if there are people in them and be very cautious when you see someone in a parked car.

For more info and tips, see the article in Road Bike Rider or see the article California ‘dooring’ Law Places Liability with Motorists for more info on the legal aspects.

As the day warms we often strip off our extra clothing. In the last few years we have had two riders get their jackets tangled in their back wheels. The first instance resulted in a frustrating hour of cleaning bits and pieces of clothing from the rear cassette but no crash. The second was much worse, resulting in a crash and broken leg! Make sure your gear is stowed safely with no chance of it getting into your wheel. Don’t ride with a jacket tied around your waist. And when you stuff a jacket into a back jersey pocket, make sure it is completely contained and doesn’t have a sleeve hanging down that can get caught in the rear wheel.

As we transition from the wintry, wet days into the spring season optimal for long rides, it is time to make sure your bicycle is in good shape. Study your bike and see if it is in good condition and ready to ride. If you have been putting off that tune up or trying to stretch that worn tire just a few more miles, now is a good time to get these maintenance items done. How many miles are on those tires? When was the last time you had your shifting cables changed, or checked your chain for stretch? Are your brake pads worn down? Have you cleaned off the grit on your bike acquired while riding on wet roads?

Most rides will not stop while you fix a flat, nor is the ride leader expected to change your tire for you! Many of our organized rides are in more remote areas where a mechanical issue may be much more problematic, so be prepared and get your bike in top shape!

On a recent WW group ride, there was a rock in the bike lane on foothill. Most people went around it, but a cyclist near the back of the group hit it directly, getting quite a jolt. Luckily, he managed to not crash, but did get a pinch flat. On a LDT ride a while back, a large pack of riders were entering onto a bike path, with a pole in the middle of the entrance. One cyclist later reported “this pole suddenly came at me and knocked me down.” Unfortunately, this cyclist sustained some minor injuries that kept him off the bike for a few weeks. Both of these incidents might have been averted with proper communication.

Communication is very important when bicycling in a group. When you see a hazard ahead or a car coming up behind (or in front on a narrow road) please communicate that to your riding partners. Usually a verbal signal is best such as "car up" or "rock" or "gravel." At other times pointing out a hazard with a hand signal is best (remember that when biking we always point at the hazard). The important thing is COMMUNICATE!

My motivation for this month’s safety tip comes from the New Year’s Day bicycling crash experienced by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. You can read more about it here.

In short, Sam was cycling toward an intersection with no stop sign in his direction. An SUV driving on the cross street with a stop sign, came to a stop, then proceeded through the intersection right in front of Sam, presumably not seeing him. Sam smashed into the SUV. Sam was completely in the right, but ended up with fractures to two of his vertebrae and his sternum, major scrapes on his body, bruises on his face and a swollen lip. The SUV had a smashed rear window (from Sam’s head). The SUV driver was issued a citation for failure to yield.

The booklet California Bicycling Street Smarts, which was recently distributed at the Holiday Party has a section addressing this kind of situation.

MAKING EYE CONTACT

How do you test that a driver has seen you? Here's an example. Suppose that you are on a main street, riding toward an intersection. A car is approaching from the right in the cross street, where there's a stop sign. How do you handle this situation?

As you approach the intersection, look into the car window and make eye contact with the driver to ascertain that the driver has seen you. Watch for the car to slow down more than it would if you weren't there.

If you look into the driver's window and the driver isn't looking at you, then be very cautious. ... Slow down, and call out to get the driver's attention [or ring your bell].

I heartily recommend reading Street Smarts as it provides useful information for cyclists at all skill levels. It will make you a safer rider with information such as where on the road to ride (not always on the far right), how to handle standard and non-standard intersections, riding in groups, and other useful topics. The generic (not California specific) version is available online. If you did not receive a physical copy but would like one, please contact Bill Sherwin with your mailing address.

If you are like me, you tend not to ride on days when it is raining. But with all the rainy days at this time of year, we often ride after a day with heavy rain. At this time of year, there are places with wet leaves on the ground that are SLIPPERY! Late in the fall, we had a club member break her hip after taking a fall caused by sliding out while running over a clump of wet leaves. So, after a rainy day, or while riding through a damp canyon, be especially careful around wet leaves on the road.