Safe cycling routes are misunderstood. The best thing is taking the lane so you are actually visible. If you take the lane, most streets become very safe and mundane in my experience. Four lane roads are even better than two lane because people can easily merge around you, you can stay out of dooring range and be very visible to traffic. On two lane roads people tend to get a little angry if you take the lane, although that is what you absolutely must do because the alternative is riding in the door zone and people squeezing you passing in the same lane.
In an area where motorists are used to bikes being on the roads this is an effective approach. I nearly got killed in Portland trying this. Apparently they aren't used to share the road with bike. Which was surprising to me given the city's reputation. I'm much more comfortable doing this in the Bay Area where there a hundreds of bikers on the roads at pretty much all times.
Taking the lane (vehicular cycling) often works well in slow-moving traffic, but it breaks down in when there is a large speed differential between the cyclist and car traffic. Effectively, you are in the way and drivers won't expect you to be there.
For these faster roads it is necessary to have dedicated cycling infrastructure, including Dutch-style safe intersections. Otherwise only risk-tolerant or desperate people will cycle.
It isn’t like I am invisible. Drivers routinely merge for a bus or ubereats vehicle or other obstruction. It is certainly safer than the alternative of not taking the lane and having these cars with the speed differential try and pass you in the same lane as you. This is what always happens unless you take up space and force the lane change to merge.
And yet, after the crash, the driver will claim that "I didn't see them, "They came out of nowhere", or "They swerved in front of me". The best part is that the cop will just believe them.
Of course separated is better but you don’t always have that available. And when it isn’t, taking the lane is safer than what most people do in mixed traffic which is to ride on the far right side in the door zone and to have cars attempt to pass them in the same lane.
Comments
Safe cycling routes are misunderstood. The best thing is taking the lane so you are actually visible. If you take the lane, most streets become very safe and mundane in my experience. Four lane roads are even better than two lane because people can easily merge around you, you can stay out of dooring range and be very visible to traffic. On two lane roads people tend to get a little angry if you take the lane, although that is what you absolutely must do because the alternative is riding in the door zone and people squeezing you passing in the same lane.
In an area where motorists are used to bikes being on the roads this is an effective approach. I nearly got killed in Portland trying this. Apparently they aren't used to share the road with bike. Which was surprising to me given the city's reputation. I'm much more comfortable doing this in the Bay Area where there a hundreds of bikers on the roads at pretty much all times.
I manage in LA county
Taking the lane (vehicular cycling) often works well in slow-moving traffic, but it breaks down in when there is a large speed differential between the cyclist and car traffic. Effectively, you are in the way and drivers won't expect you to be there.
For these faster roads it is necessary to have dedicated cycling infrastructure, including Dutch-style safe intersections. Otherwise only risk-tolerant or desperate people will cycle.
It isn’t like I am invisible. Drivers routinely merge for a bus or ubereats vehicle or other obstruction. It is certainly safer than the alternative of not taking the lane and having these cars with the speed differential try and pass you in the same lane as you. This is what always happens unless you take up space and force the lane change to merge.
> It isn’t like I am invisible
And yet, after the crash, the driver will claim that "I didn't see them, "They came out of nowhere", or "They swerved in front of me". The best part is that the cop will just believe them.
Separated bike infrastructure saves lives.
Of course separated is better but you don’t always have that available. And when it isn’t, taking the lane is safer than what most people do in mixed traffic which is to ride on the far right side in the door zone and to have cars attempt to pass them in the same lane.