Rules to follow while riding (please add to list)

[ttoyoda]

but unlike a car I don't actually come to a full stop,

In Boston cars do not come to a full stop either.

[skyl4rk]

some small town strategies:

drive on neighborhood streets instead of major thoroughfares, there are often good routes parallel to major streets

look for paths through the woods or across cul-de-sacs to avoid traffic and stay on no traffic streets

I never use left turn lanes at stoplights, I will take a right and pull a u-turn or get on the sidewalk and use the pedestrian lights, even dismount to walk across

I avoid four lane streets and streets with stoplights but sometimes there is no other way.

cut across parking lots and use sidewalks through parks if visibility is good and no traffic around or few pedestrians

don't race, ride slow and easy, pedal a little and coast a little, you will get there.

use flat handlebars to ride upright so you can look around easily

I don't wear a helmet but i ride pretty slow. i come from europe where almost no one wears a helmet and there are far more bikers on the road, but people are pretty relaxed about biking for the most part, not racers. Go ahead and wear one, i'm just saying I would not make it a hard and fast rule

yup leds and flashers the more the better, i like the flashing red headlamp idea

watch out when there is glare early am or late pm, assume you are invisible

drive defensively, anywhere within the curbs is the death zone, relax only when you are out of the death zone

If I have traffic behind me I will skip over to the sidewalk, i know that is not always possible and some folks want to assert there rights, but I try not to let teh cagers have a chance to hit me

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

use flat handlebars to ride upright so you can look around easily

I don't wear a helmet but i ride pretty slow. i come from europe where almost no one wears a helmet and there are far more bikers on the road, but people are pretty relaxed about biking for the most part, not racers. Go ahead and wear one, i'm just saying I would not make it a hard and fast rule

watch out when there is glare early am or late pm, assume you are invisible

If I have traffic behind me I will skip over to the sidewalk, i know that is not always possible and some folks want to assert there rights, but I try not to let teh cagers have a chance to hit me

Skipping from road to sidewalk to road makes you kind of unpredicitable. If it a dangerous section of road then I agree

YMMV

[NoCO2]

Great suggestions skyl4rk. I've also been asking around on a few of the Atlanta bike messenger boards what kind of rules people in the city tend to follow and they all seem to agree that you can pretty much do whatever you want, so long as your watching traffic way ahead of you (much like when your hypermiling) and that you just stay aware of your surroundings at all time. I know riding in the heart of Atlanta is a lot different then it is in my area, even as urban as it is, but the same rules should apply regardless of where you ride so keeping an eye well ahead of (and behind) you will generally keep you from getting in any situation you could avoid if you had only been watching people's driving behavior.

I've also come to agree with the curb thing, being a "death zone". I used to kind of scoot over a little and drop into the concrete part between the road and curb to sort of signal to cars that I knew they were there and that I was aware they wanted to pass, but the other day I did that and nearly clipped the curb because some jack@** apparently thought I shouldn't be on the road so he took my moving over as "o, yay more room for me", and he moved over too. When he passed he almost brushed my shoulder with his mirror...I think I'm going to start wearing a helmet cam so I can get license plate numbers on these people...

[Who]

A couple of thoughts about riding on roads. If the shoulder is inconsistent or hazardous, try and stay inside the white line in the lane. Once you cross over it, in many if not all jurisdictions you need to yield to oncoming traffic to come back over it.

I also tend to do a small weave when out in the country riding solo and I know that there is traffic approaching from behind. Probably well less than a foot but I've found it tends to keep car mirrors much farther from my elbows. I'm a randonneur (we do time limited rides from 200 to 1200 kms) and a fellow rider had mentioned this technique and I thought it was stupid until I tried it.

[Volones]

Originally Posted by Who

I also tend to do a small weave when out in the country riding solo and I know that there is traffic approaching from behind. Probably well less than a foot but I've found it tends to keep car mirrors much farther from my elbows. I'm a randonneur (we do time limited rides from 200 to 1200 kms) and a fellow rider had mentioned this technique and I thought it was stupid until I tried it.

I'd prefer to use the tail-gunner for that purpose, but they're a bit too heavy for everyday use.

[Tango Charlie]

When you guys are out on the roads, and you see some ignoramus riding on the left side of the road, please do me a favor and tell them that you ride WITH traffic, not AGAINST it. Sheesh. Don't they teach anything in school nowdays? It's a pet peeve of mine. Seems like I'm seeing more and more of it.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by Tango Charlie

When you guys are out on the roads, and you see some ignoramus riding on the left side of the road, please do me a favor and tell them that you ride WITH traffic, not AGAINST it. Sheesh. Don't they teach anything in school nowdays? It's a pet peeve of mine. Seems like I'm seeing more and more of it.

Yes that is a problem. With more and more folks getting on the bike they don't think to look up the rules or go to a bike shop to find resources on just what is the safest way to get from point a to b.

[Skroober]

I disagree with riding as far to the right side as possible. In fact in Wisconsin they want you at least three feet away from the edge of the road, or on a narrow road in the center. Cars have to know you are on the road and that you have a right to be there. If you are as far right as possible cars will pass you while barley giving you any room.

[offroad1994]

I would add to get a BLUETOOTH headset and wear it while riding. Most phones have hands free bluetooth. You can just hit the button and say DIAL 911 to get emergency response. Hopefully you never need to do this.

I like the airhorn idea. That will get attention fast. Maybe a pulsating airhorn that keeps emitting noise until you say stop.