The warm Spring air has beckoned hordes of Portlanders onto their bikes. I’ve heard reports of bike congestion on the bridges and I think its safe to say we’ll see more people than ever on bikes this year. With more bikes on the road, I thought it would be a good time to suggest some good bike safety resources I’ve come across recently.
Joe’s Secrets
My compatriot Joe Travers, from the excellent Biking Toronto blog, recently wrote a great series called “Secrets to Cycling in Traffic”. Here they are:
1. Drivers Don’t Want to Kill You
2. Ride In A Straight Line
3. Play By The Rules
4. Avoid The “Stoplight Squeeze”
5. Signal Sensibly
6. Take That Lane
7. Make Them Think You’re Unpredictable
8. Ride With Others
Guest column on Blue Oregon
Jeff Alworth wrote a great article called The (Five Golden) Rules of the Road on the Blue Oregon blog. Here’s his rules (I also recommend reading the good comments):
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1. That guy in the car/truck/SUV is not evil.
2. Cars and trucks are much larger than bikes, and will tend to win physical encounters.
3. That guy on the bike isn’t evil.
4. Rage tends to worsen our lives, not improve them.
5. Do unto other drivers as you would have them do unto you.
Book Recommendation
And finally, a book recommendation. The Art of Urban Cycling: Lessons from the Street. Written by Robert Hurst, this is the most intelligent and detailed book on the subject I’ve ever come across. Find it at your local library.
Remember, it doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right, or what the law says people should do. All that matters is your safety. So read up, ride safe, and have fun.
[Feel free to share your own tips and links in the comments.]