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Whether you commute to work, or just ride aimlessly around, taking your bike onto city streets means putting yourself in danger. To help out, here are a list of rules you should follow.
1) Always assume drivers do not see you, and thus are about to run you off the road.
2) Follow traffic laws as if you were in a vehicle. Don’t be a cliche “I own the road and therefore the rules don’t apply to me” cyclist.
3) Always shave your legs before wearing spandex. As bad as spandex is, hairy spandex is worse. Go here for more on leg shaving.
4) Always wear eye protection (See rule 5). A pollen laden bumblebee hitting your eyeball at a combined speed of 40mph is a day killer.
5) Wear intimidating sunglasses. If people are scared of you, they are more likely to give you the right of way.
Have a rule you feel should be added to this list? Let me know.
6. Remember that physics always trumps traffic lawa.
Wear a helmet.
And lights. Make sure you can see where you're going, and that they can see you. They've got lights. You should, too.
Good additions!
Ride as if you are invisible (you are) is my #1 tip. Hi-vis yellow jacket, cover the bike in reflective tape and lights. You can't be too visible out there. And even so, I still seem to have at least one mishap per year.
Always signal before you turn. I often even signal that I'm proceeding through a light, as Chicago drivers have heavy feet, and will try to manuever around me.
Feel unsafe? Take the lane. It's perfectly legal, and on narrow city streets lined with parked cars, I often do in order to avoid getting doored.
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