Confident Road Cycling

There are lots of good websites out there for how to ride in traffic. I've tried to boil this down to a few essentials and have posted them in the Skills section of my Resources page.

Riding confidently in traffic has both a book-knowledge side and a putting-it-into-practice side. To address both the lecture and the lab, I've reviewed a "how-to" site and recommended a class where you can practice these skills.

The "how" site is from BC Canada. Bike Sense has great graphics and sound suggestions. In between the detailed explanations are bullet points such as "Never make a left turn from the right side of the road, even if you are in a bike lane." This page is easy to follow and has lots of great suggestions for riding more confidently.

The class is something I've probably posted on and on about: ABC's Effective Cycling Classes. These classes normally cost $60 but are offered by ABC at $35. Deeper discounts are available for certain groups. Check out the website to see if you can take advantage of a further discount.

I've also added BRAG's Safety Pledge (scroll to the bottom of this page) which is a great 16-point summary of good things to do when on the road, and particularly on the road with cars and other bikes. The etiquette it suggests is simply another way of telling cyclists how to be safe.

In future posts, I'd like to share some of my personal experiences with "Keeping a Straight Line", "Stealth Flamboyancy" (making myself obvious while pretending I'm invisible), and maybe stir something up with "Wearing a Helmet".