Rules to follow while riding (please add to list)

[NoCO2]

Was thinking about this recently and wanted to know what your take on it was. As far as bicycling safety on the road is concerned what are some of the general rules you follow while riding? I have compiled a list of the general things I do while riding at the bottom of this post and I think it might be a neat idea to sort of build a list with everyone's rules so that we can all stay as safe as possible during our commutes.

One rule I've been contemplating doing is moving to sidewalks when going up long steep hills that cause me to drop below 10mph. It seems like it would be a reasonable thing to do if I can, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk, which means I shouldn't. What is everyone's take on this?

• Stay as close the right side of the road as possible
• Make sure to use proper hand signals when turning and stopping
• Use proper lighting to make yourself as visible as possible, blinking tail light during all hours and headlight in the dark (or during the day if you want extra visibility)
• Wear a helmet at all times while on the bike, you need your brain
• Move into turn lanes if traffic is behind you to allow cars to pass more easily
• Slow down for stop signs, if no cars continue moving through, if cars are present, stop and follow normal stop sign proceedures
• Stop at all red lights
• Don't ride past cars on the shoulder at a light, stop behind the car ahead of you to avoid causing them to have to pass you again.
• Plan routes to stay on low traffic, slow speed limit roads
• Wear bright colors to stay more visible

Let me know what more you guys can think of and I'll add them in

[Volones]

I know you are asking for things to build onto your list, but I simply must dispute a couple of your entries.

1) Stay as close to the right side of the road as possible.
It is more safe (and follows the letter of the law) to stay as close to the right side of the road as practical, not possible. The difference may only be a few inches at times, and might be quite a bit more at other times, but I strongly advise against riding through the trash on the shoulder of the road and/or riding too close to a steep shoulder, as neither are safe for the cyclist.

2) Slow down for stop signs, .......
NEVER, but never run a stop sign, ever. This behavior is most often brought up by car-centric people when they enter into a discussion about sharing the road (or not sharing it) with cyclists. This point allows them to say that since bicyclists don't stop at the stop signs then they shouldn't be on the road. PLEASE follow the laws, please! I really can't stress this enough, as it does infuriate many drivers. And yes, I know that the vast majority of drivers do the exact same thing you're describing and complain about it when cyclists do. If you don't want to put a foot down, then restart, try a track-stand, it's a great way to impress people and a decent conversation starter with drivers.

With your lighting, I would add putting an LED hiking headlamp with blinking capability on your helmet so you can direct the signal where you are looking. It will amaze you how quickly drivers get on their brakes when you look at them with it. It saved me from getting 't-boned' countless times, and only costs about $20 for a really nice one.

[ttoyoda]

I used to ride a bike as my only mode of transport around greater boston and am still alive. I only got knocked off the one time my front brake was not working (I was going to the bike shop for parts) and I rear-ended a police car. I managed to get my feet out the the toe-clips, land on my feet and stay upright.
The cops did not notice. My comments are based on boston behavior of driver and bikers.

Stay as close the right side of the road as possible

I disagree, because then people will drive right next to you at your speed instead of passing by. I prefer to assert my right to exist. It discourages bullies. Also, people coming out of driveways between rows of parked cars have no hope in seeing me. I cannot expect them to not pull out in front of me if I have made myself invisible. Even worse are people OPENING car doors.

Don't ride past cars on the shoulder at a light, stop behind the car ahead of you to avoid causing them to have to pass you again.

That puts me between two cars and I can get crushed. I always pullup to the front.
Again, you have a right to be on the road.

Make sure to use proper hand signals when turning and stopping

I don't take my hands off the controls. I need both brakes to stop quickly. I am not going to have time to reach for them if the feces impinges on the impeller. Unless you meant giving drivers the finger to get them to back off their little aggression games, like trying to squish me against parked cars.

Slow down for stop signs, if no cars continue moving through, if cars are present, stop and follow normal stop sign proceedures

Stop unless no cars are around at all to see you run the stopsign (that gets their vigilante juices flowing), and you can see clearly enough to be sure of that. Otherwise slow down to check the coast is clear. Don't go thru stopsigns at 30 MPH.

And to add on to your list:
Carry a boating compressed gas horn on your handlebars. When you are on a bike path, the nitwit with the headphones who rollerblades from left to right to left across the whole width of the bike path at 4 miles per hour cannot hear you no matter how loudly you shout "ON YOUR LEFT" Keep back when you blow the horn, the rollerblader may flail about and fall down when reality intrudes.

If or when car drivers menace or try to hurt you using the car as a weapon, get their plate and call the police. That is felony assault. Bikers need to assert their right to ride, and send drivers a message not to mess with them.
If you have an inexpensive way to record video of your surroundings while you ride that is ideal. That way Atilla the soccer mom gets to visit the big house.

[Lazarus]

I think folks have summed it up pretty nicely. The key IMO is ride defensively. Hugging the curb only opens you up to people trying to squeeze by when there is no room. If you have to make an evasive maneuver, due to road debris or holes etc, you have no where to go. The tighter the lane the more of it you should take.

I also disagree with the not passing on the right. Cars will always be passing you. This morning traffic was backed up 2 miles. I passed cars that I never saw again. So there were some drivers I did not have to deal with. Bikes have the right to share the road.

In general I ride like I would want bikes to do if I was in a car. I don't blow through lights, weave in and out of moving traffic, hop from sidewalks to road and vice versa. Safety is number one so if you need to take the whole lane then take it. Plan your route to make it as bike friendly, even if it's a longer route, as possible and be respectful of traffic but don't let them push you around. Alway expect a car to turn in front of you, especially if you are coming up on a right hand turn, or run a red light.

On more thing that I always do that seem to help is I alway make eye contact with any threat. The car on the side street or the car that is stopped to turn in front of me.

[NoCO2]

Ok, well I should clarify the stop sign thing. I didn't mean just blow through it. I always put on the brakes and slow down, but unlike a car I don't actually come to a full stop, even less if there is no one waiting. The only time I come to a full stop is if there is a line of cars behind me and I can safely pull over and let them all pass. I know we have similar rights to the road, but that doesn't mean I like 10 cars passing me at 45mph less then 1 foot away (yes, most pass me with almost no room for my left shoulder to move out of line).

Also, I agree with the fact to ride to the front of the line. I know many people who do this and I do it too, sometimes, however, if there is a long line just sitting at a light I don't do it because then they just have to pass me again which is very nerve racking. I do it in traffic though, if they are all just stopped for no good reason then I pass right by, but otherwise I try to obey the laws like every car on the road and it's earned me enough respect so far to not be run over.

I agree with you on stoping at lights between cars. I usually will pull off to the side and wait behind the car that was in front of me at lights. I don't like pulling to the front for the aforementioned reasons, but at the same time I don't want to be crushed so I usually just pull up behind the car in front of me, as far over to the side as I feel comfortable, and if there is a raised curb I pull up to that so I don't have to get off my saddle.

Great suggestions though guys, it's interesting to hear people's thoughts on these things because I think it really just varies from region to region and the riding conditions, but in general I think you guys are all correct in your own circumstances.

[SVOboy]

In some places the law for cyclists is that stop signs are yields and red lights are signs,

[dcb]

A good bike resource is bikeforums.net , though there is plenty of noise there too, and some fixie facination that I will never understand But "taking the lane" seems a valid strategy under many circumstances.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

In some places the law for cyclists is that stop signs are yields and red lights are signs,

Yes I wish more states would follow the examples of Idaho.

[NoCO2]

...what if there is no law specifying what bikes should do in that situation for your state? Does it just fall under what cars should do?

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by NoCO2

...what if there is no law specifying what bikes should do in that situation for your state? Does it just fall under what cars should do?

What situation?