Getting started - have questions

Hello! I am new to biking. I am training for a 50 mile ride the first of June. Mainly I have been using the bike at the gym, but I know it is nothing like actually getting out there. I am getting prepared! I just got some road tires for my hybrid, and a bike rack so that I can tote it around with me. I also plan on commuting to work when I can.

However - I am intimidated by a few things. First of all, since I have not done much biking in a long time I am a little sketchy on the rules of the road. I have a bike map and have planned out routes, but some areas I want to bike are not on there - like roads. What is the deal with biking on roads? Can you bike on any road even if there isn't a bike lane?

Another thing holding me back is that even though I have a friend to bike with, she can't go with me all the time, and she bikes more at a leisurely pace, while I am in pretty good shape and want to push myself a little more. So, I figure finding a group to go out with will help me to get miles on and learn the rules of the road. But - I don't have any idea how to find one!
Thanks!

Welcome! Might help if you generally tell us where you are. Most states treat bikes as vehicles (except for limited access roads - e.g. highways - and that isn't true in all states). So - yes, you can generally bike on the road even if there's not a bike lane (we didn't even bring out bikes to Hilton Head because I made the mistake of looking at the laws and seeing the "if there is a bike path you muse use it" requirement).

As far as groups - we might know. You could also ask a local bike shop - sometimes they have show and go rides, or know who does.

CA

Oh, duh! I am in Madison, Wisconsin. It's an avid biking community, I just need to get in the loop!

I'm not from Madison, but I visited one time and there's a women's ride on Thursday nights (I think) out of the Trek bike store. Or at least there was a few years ago. They were very welcoming, even though some of them were very fast and I and my friends weren't. :)

Looky here!

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Originally Posted by Lucky, Fabulous

First of all, since I have not done much biking in a long time I am a little sketchy on the rules of the road. I have a bike map and have planned out routes, but some areas I want to bike are not on there - like roads. What is the deal with biking on roads? Can you bike on any road even if there isn't a bike lane?

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Since you're in Wisconsin, this is easy. You're a vehicle. Vehicles go on roads, not on sidewalks. (legally, you're allowed to ride bikes on sidewalks here but I find sidewalk riding very unnerving, so I'd rather dismount and walk the bike... too hard to see and hitting a pedestrian is not something I want to do) Interstates in WI prohibit bicycles, so don't ride on them. If a town tries to tell you they have a law that you can only ride on sidewalks or some such, it's an illegal law. Towns can't override state law in WI *g*.

WI doesn't have a cyclist's manual. Snitching the PA one is fine, since the rules of the road are the same. The laws aren't identical, so if there are PA law cites, ignore them. There is *very* little that is different for bikes and cars (mostly signals) so if you can drive a car, you can manage a bike.

There are a lot of organized rides and clubs in the city. I have no idea which ones are good, since I bike to get around.

In every day English (thanks to a strong Bicycle Federation)...

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/safety/ve...ycle/rules.htm

and in legaleze...

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/safety/ve...s/bikelaws.pdf

This is really helpful, thank you guys so much! I think I would like to sign up to do a women - only ride to get started, but since I am a newbie I am very intimidated! I know there is etiquette to riding in a group, but I have no idea what it is! Any suggestions?

Check with your local bicycle club or shop and see if either offers a new riders clinic. Many of your concerns should be addressed at such a class. Good luck and have fun!

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Originally Posted by Lucky, Fabulous

However - I am intimidated by a few things. First of all, since I have not done much biking in a long time I am a little sketchy on the rules of the road. I have a bike map and have planned out routes, but some areas I want to bike are not on there - like roads. What is the deal with biking on roads? Can you bike on any road even if there isn't a bike lane?

Another thing holding me back is that even though I have a friend to bike with, she can't go with me all the time, and she bikes more at a leisurely pace, while I am in pretty good shape and want to push myself a little more. So, I figure finding a group to go out with will help me to get miles on and learn the rules of the road. But - I don't have any idea how to find one!
Thanks!

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What you migh want to do is check in your community and see if anyone is offering one of the League of American Bicyclists' bike safety courses...

Essentially, as far as bikes and traffic go, here are the basic principles:

• The public roads are built and maintained for the people, and anyone may use them by legitimate means for the purpose of transportation. In every state, cyclists recognized as and given the same legal standing as drivers of vehicles. In essence, you’ll be treated best by fellow drivers when you act like a driver – drive your bike under the same rules that you would drive your car:
  
• Drive on the right side of the roadway; never on the left, and never on the sidewalk.
  
• Obey all traffic signs and signals.
  
• When you reach a more important or larger road than you are on, yield to crossing traffic.
  
• When you intend to change lanes or move laterally on the roadway, yield to traffic in the new lane or line of travel. Never move laterally (sideways) on the roadway without checking behind you first to be sure the way is clear.
  
• When approaching an intersection, position yourself with respect to the direction of your destination – Right turners are next to the curb, left turners are near the centerline, straight through drivers are between these positions.
  
• Ride in the right-most lane that’s going in the direction you want to go.
  
• Between intersections, position yourself according to your speed relative to other traffic. Parked drivers are at the curb, slow drivers are next to them, and fast drivers are near the centerline. Never overtake on the right, generally overtake on the left.

Another good checklist is the "5 Bes"...

1. Be predictable. Not only is traffic law created to offer predictability among roadway users, drivers also respect a cyclist who knows what he or she is doing and is predictable in traffic. Following the rules of the road will make you predictable. Maintain a straight line of travel on the right-hand side of the road; do not weave between parked cars. Ride with, not against, traffic. Maintain a smooth, steady, confident pace. Following the laws will increase your predictability and safety. Abide by traffic control devices; stop at stop signs; and follow the normal right-of-way rules to determine when it is your turn to go. In fact, it is important to maintain your right-of-way when you have it. Abiding by the right-of-way rules makes you predictable and gives you a clear right to the road. Also, be wary of the motorist who waves the bicyclist to move first through an intersection, even though the cyclist does not have the right-of-way. If that motorist changes his or her mind, he or she still has the right-of-way, and the bicyclist could be at fault in the event of a crash. In this situation, a stopped vehicle may hide another moving vehicle.
   
2. Be alert. Knowing your surroundings is another way to remain predictable. Start by using your ears to hear if vehicles are approaching from the rear, but don't rely on them. Look over your shoulder to the rear (both to the left and to the right) for traffic while keeping your bike in a straight line of travel to more closely monitor what is going on behind you and prior to a lane change. Employ scatter vision to assess the situation in front of you, such as dogs, kids playing, or cars pulling out of driveways. Keep an eye out for cars pulling into your lane or onto the roadway. Make eye contact with drivers while you look for other hazards. Watch motorists who may cut in front of you and take a right turn when you are traveling straight through an intersection. The first indication of a motorist's intent to cut you off may be the turning front wheels, so learn to be alert to these subtle signals. Other potential hazards include parallel-slatted sewer grates, slippery manhole covers, oily pavement, gravel, railroad tracks, potholes, and ice.
   
3. Be visible. The law says ride as far to the right as practicable, but this does not mean you have to ride close to the curb or in the gutter. If you are riding far enough away from the curb, merging cars and traffic entering the roadway will have an easier time seeing you. If you maintain a straight line just to the right of the path of motor vehicle travel, the motorist's view of you is less likely to be blocked by parked cars. Do not ride in a motorist's blind spot. Dress in bright colors and be sure to use reflectors and lights for night, dawn, or twilight riding.
   
4. Be assertive. Plan to take the right-of-way when you have it. If a car looks as if it will turn left in front of you as you proceed through an intersection, continue pedaling, look at the driver and be prepared to make an instant turn to the right if indeed the driver acts illegally and fails to yield to you.
   
5. Be courteous. Yield the right-of-way as required by law. Always yield to pedestrians. Exercise good etiquette on paths and trails, and do not stop and block the trail. When you wave at other drivers, use all the fingers on your hand, not just the middle one.

Tom

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Originally Posted by PscyclePath

Be assertive. Plan to take the right-of-way when you have it. If a car looks as if it will turn left in front of you as you proceed through an intersection, continue pedaling, look at the driver and be prepared to make an instant turn to the right if indeed the driver acts illegally and fails to yield to you.

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I love this bit. Especially the "continue pedaling" part. Drivers take cues, sometimes without consciously noticing. "Not pedaling" means "bike stopping" means "I have time to go" to the driver, and that's in part how left hooks happen (driver makes a left turn onto the cyclist traveling in the other direction).

Sometimes I drop in an easier gear and pedal faster as I near an intersection, without necessarily going faster, just to make myself appear faster to drivers. (But that's a bit extreme in the "defensive riding" department.)

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• When you wave at other drivers, use all the fingers on your hand, not just the middle one.

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Really funny. :D

If you've ever ridden a motorcycle... welp, you're as invisible, and going a lot slower.

I would recommend starting with a low-traffic road and/or at a very low-traffic time... and imagining what you'd do if there were more traffic. Getting to know your route when there's little traffic can really help the confidence - you know where there might be issues... you can figure out escape routes, etc. I'm a pretty serious weenie - I simply can't always make myself do the left turn as if I were a motorcycle. But I know exactly my route for those times, too.

It takes tiem and practice to get used to even the very mellow traffic I ride in... and I don't want to learn from *mistakes* if they're going to cost me injury or death. So I try to make the mistakes on Saturday mornings when the cars aren't there.