In the world of cycling a salmon is a rider who rides against traffic… don’t do this!
Many riders do this, especially new riders and their reasoning seems sound: they would rather see traffic coming towards them so they can react, rather than getting hit from behind. Unfortunately, you put yourself in more risk by doing so.
There are two key reasons why riding with traffic is a better alternative. First is the issue of passing. When you are riding with traffic and a car is behind you, if they can’t immediately pass they can simply slow down until they have the opportunity to do so. Compare to riding against traffic where the cyclist could be forced off the road if there is not enough space for both car and bike.
Despite being able to see oncoming traffic, you can still be hit while riding against the flow. Say for example you are in a residential area riding at 15mph and the speed limit is 35mph. If you are hit from the rear, you lessen the speed of the impact by 15mph for a total of 20mph. Riding against traffic however, the velocities add and you then have the force of 50mph… a big difference!
Some commuters are fortunate enough to work in a building near a bike rack. Some employers even offer indoor storage for bikes. Most of us however have to figure out where to store our bike for up to 8 hours a day while we slave for the wage.
Sometimes this requires a little creativity. If you simply can’t bring it inside, try to find a place to chain it up at your building, preferably where potential thieves won’t notice it in passing. Railings, street signs, even newspaper vending machines which are no longer in use are good choices.
Your best bet is to find a spot in your office where it won’t be in anyone’s way. In the spirit of “it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission”, I recommend just bringing it in and move it if someone complains rather than ask about it first and potentially be told no.
If you choose to commute in all types of weather you will need to be prepared. Rain can quickly take the fun out of a ride, and getting to work soaked is fun for no one (unless you work in a waterpark).
Proper rain gear is good to have. I’ve tried all sorts of gear from rain capes to various ponchos, but I find the best solution has been an actual rain suit that you wear over your clothing. The protection and freedom of motion if offers can’t be beat. Prices range from $10 for something you can only get a couple uses out of, to a couple hundred for an extremely high quality set. The only thing I’ve yet to really solve is how to keep my head dry, the hood never stays on your head due to the wind, and rarely fits over a helmet anyhow. To solve this I will bring a small towel with me to dry my head when I arrive.
Of course on a bike, rain comes from below as much as from above, so a set of fenders is almost mandatory if you ride in bad weather. You can find several varieties depending on your needs, some attach more or less permanently, others are designed to be easy to mount and remove as needed.
A look at the daily life of a bike messenger in NYC. As someone who rides in a small town I couldn’t even imagine riding like this. I’d certainly hit a pedestrian!
I think most people use a backpack to carry their belongings to work when they first start commuting; I certainly did. A backpack however is not very optimal for riding a bike. If you carry enough weight, they will cause back strain and almost any pack will cause your back to sweat when it gets hot outside.
A much better alternative is to let your bike carry the gear for you. There are a number of bags made for bike of varying sizes. If you have very little to carry, a handlebar bag might be enough. To any other sort of bag though, you’ll need to get a rack for your bike. Rear bike racks come two ways: the traditional kind which mount to the seat-stays and to the rear dropouts, or a more recent variety that clamps to your seat post. With a rear rack you can then carry a trunk bag or a set of panniers. The range from very small to cavernous depending on your needs.
One constant while riding a bike is the need to be aware of cars and their location. I’ve read opinions both ways about mirrors, some people swear by them, others think they are not that helpful. After 2 years of commuting I recently got one and think it’s very handy to have.
You can get various types, some fit to your handlebars, both MTB and drop bars. Others attach to either your helmet or your glasses. Mine replaces the left plug on my drop handle bars. It is nice to be able to see at a quick glance if there is a car beside me. If you get one, be sure not to rely on it completely. As a rule, I trust the mirror to tell me when a car is present, but if i don’t see a car, i always look over my shoulder to be 100% sure.
Safety should be your #1 concern when riding a bike. Making sure your bike is safe to ride is extremely important and thankfully also easy to do.
If you have purchased a bike from a local bike shop recently, chances are you are good to go. If you are planning to ride to work on a mid 70’s Schwinn that you just excavated from the garage, you’ll want to give it a little TLC first. Even if your bike is safe to ride, a tuneup can make the bike much more enjoyable to ride by making sure your wheels are straight and gears shift as they should.
If you purchased your bike from a store like Target or Wal-Mart, you should do a tune up before getting out on the road. While they might be fine right out of the store, these bikes often come poorly adjusted and can benefit from some work.
If you are uncomfortable doing bike repairs, by all means take it into your local bike shop. Any good shop will know what to check to make sure you are road worthy and prices on basic maintenance is usually very reasonable.
May is right around the corner, and that means Bike Month is almost here!
I’ve you have been wanting to ride a little more often, ride to work, or start riding at all; May is the month to do it. May 17-21 has been declared Bike to Work Week, and May 21 is Bike to Work Day. Everyone should try and get in on the fun. Fair warning though, if you start riding your bike to work, it may start an unhealthy obsession with all things pedal-powered.
To help everyone who want’s to start commuting, I’ll be posting a tip every day during May which will help get you going. To keep up, follow Velobration on the RSS feed or on Twitter.
May is right around the corner, and that means Bike Month is almost here!
Jason Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza on Seinfeld 
