Tolerence for high traffic volumes

[Mr. Bloom]

Ditto to Traffic Skills 101. Since you've taken it, I encourage you to pursue more of the Bike League curriculum

Take some of your fuel cost savings and invest in LOTS of bright lights and reflective tape...and set an example for folks who under-illuminate themselves.

ETA: In looking at the map, it seems that you're well situated with Lanes that can at least get you across the river to one of the greenways...May not be the straightest route, but would keep you out of a lot of the riskier "downtown fringe" where the traffic is less disciplined and faster moving.

I believe that, if you're visible, predictable, courteous, and assertive, you should have no problem...but comfort grows with time and experience.

[Mr. Bloom]

Out of curiosity...how long is your current commute by car?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You'll do great! Read "The Art of Urban Cycling" by Robert Hurst. It really helped me deal with summer beach/tourist traffic, which is maybe not as bad a city traffic, but it has its moments (I call people leaving the beach "sun drunk")!

I highly recommend this book too. It totally changed the way I ride in traffic, and I feel way safer and more in control of my own wellbeing. It's largely about recognizing dangerous situations before you get into them, and choosing a safer alternative for yourself. Lots of stuff I had never thought about before, and stuff that seems counter-intuitive until you really think about it.

[Catrin]

btw, I think it's easier to do traffic by yourself, so not having a riding partner is a good thing. the best thing about heavy traffic is: THEY are all slower! YAAAY! sometimes you can actually keep up with traffic. You will find that if you are careful, congestion on a bike can be very pleasant (as opposed to being trapped in a car)

I am fortunate because I never actually SEE congestion - I walk in my office long before most people leave home. This is certainly good to think about though - especially if I decide to change my working hours for the summer

......Take some of your fuel cost savings and invest in LOTS of bright lights and reflective tape...and set an example for folks who under-illuminate themselves.

ETA: In looking at the map, it seems that you're well situated with Lanes that can at least get you across the river to one of the greenways...May not be the straightest route, but would keep you out of a lot of the riskier "downtown fringe" where the traffic is less disciplined and faster moving.

I believe that, if you're visible, predictable, courteous, and assertive, you should have no problem...but comfort grows with time and experience.

Yeah, it is the experience that I am lacking. I rode like a wild woman last summer, but on country roads. Dealing with huge farm equipment and the occasional car full of rednecks shouting complimentary things at me is a different thing than downtown traffic. I can't hear what they are saying anyway so I choose to believe they are compliments and I smile at them

The only part I am really concerned about is getting across the actual downtown to the White River trail - I am on the opposite side of downtown from it. There is a poorly designed bike lane or two... There is another bike/ped facility under construction but I don't think the northern bit is complete. There is a bit of a dicey neighborhood to ride through from 30th to get to Guion Rd (for those in the area) - but the last half of the ride wouldn't be much of a problem - at least I don't think so

Out of curiosity...how long is your current commute by car?

It takes me about 20-25 minutes from my front door to my office door - that includes a 2 block walk from the garage. There isn't much traffic at 5:30 am nor at 3:30 pm.... It would take longer to ride it - I can't ride that fast

I highly recommend this book too. It totally changed the way I ride in traffic, and I feel way safer and more in control of my own wellbeing. It's largely about recognizing dangerous situations before you get into them, and choosing a safer alternative for yourself. Lots of stuff I had never thought about before, and stuff that seems counter-intuitive until you really think about it.

Thanks for the book recommendation, I will check it out! Eventually I do want to try this - with only 14 miles to go it seems a shame not to try it out. Even if I only did it once or twice a week, it would certainly be a good thing!

[PamNY]

Catrin, I don't know if this is relevant in your situation, but I was a much happier cyclist when I started walking the bike through a couple of difficult intersections.

I don't usually do it, but it was liberating for me to decide I could choose.
Good luck with your commute.

[Catrin]

Catrin, I don't know if this is relevant in your situation, but I was a much happier cyclist when I started walking the bike through a couple of difficult intersections.

I don't usually do it, but it was liberating for me to decide I could choose.
Good luck with your commute.

I am glad to hear that others do this as well I tend to do this if I have to stop for a red light as it does still take me a couple of seconds to get started - I figure this is less frustrating for the drivers behind me.

Right now I am just getting my bike legs back after my injuries, I will try this it will be later in the spring.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Pam- great advice.
I will just hop off my bike and WALK across an intersection if it seems too dangerous. Pedestrians seem to get a lot more respect from cars, and you are more visible walking across on a crosswalk with the light in your favor. Temporarily transforming into a pedestrian is a great tool in our bags of tricks!

[indysteel]

I agree that walking your bike through a dangerous intersection is a useful tool, but what Catrin said--that she does this when stopped at red lights generally--does give me a bit of pause. If, objectivley, she's having trouble getting started from a stopped position, e.g., at a red light, then it might be useful to work on that skill before trying to commute or ride in urban traffic. It's not really desirable to walk your bike through every intersection at which you get stopped after all, at least not in my opinion.

If she just has the perception that she's slow to start and annoying to traffic, then it might just be a confidence thing, but that's something you definitely need in order to deal with traffic effectively, too. Riding in traffic does take a certain mindset--not overconfidence mind you, but a healthy degree of assertiveness. For instance, when I'm going through an intersection with traffic behind me, I figure they're just going to have to deal with the slight delay. I'll get out of there way when it's safe for me to do so. If they're annoyed, then oh well.

Catrin, just to be clear, I'm not trying to make you feel bad for walking your bike through intersections; I just want to encourage you to continue working on your handling skills so that, objectively, you're a better cyclist and so that you feel more confident. I certainly don't want to sound unsupportive, as I think the progress you've made in just over a year's time is quite admirable.

I would add that I tend to think some of your bike handling issues are going to be easier to resolve when you get the Gunnar. It's likely going to be substantially lighter and more nimble than your LHT. Not that the LHT isn't a great bike, but I think it takes a bit more finesse to handle it.

[Catrin]

Good points Indy, and at this point I am unsure if it is a confidence thing or if I am really a little slow at starting at intersections. I AM trying new ways of starting my bike as the seat-post is higher and is going to get higher than it is.

I had no problem at intersections when my saddle was much, much too low I am now working on the starting thing again, but I can't go back to the old way as I do not want more injuries. This is the primary reason why I want to put off any commuting experiments until late spring or very early summer. This is not a problem with my lightly-traveled country roads, but urban roads are a different animal.

[Mr. Bloom]

Is this Gunnar a roadie? Would you consider getting a commuter to commute?

[Catrin]

Is this Gunnar a roadie? Would you consider getting a commuter to commute?

I would use my LHT for commuting - she can handle anything! She is a bomb-proof comfy tank

The Gunnar is based on a cyclocross frame and will be my go-fast bike, but I don't think I would want to use her as a commuter. There is no way I could afford another bike this year...

[OakLeaf]

Procedural question:

on a multi-lane highway, there's likely to be a considerable distance between the traffic lane and the crosswalk. When you do choose to walk the intersection, how do you get from one to the other - and how do you re-join traffic once you've reached the other side? It just seems dangerous, to me - particularly (presumably) re-joining traffic from a wheelchair cut facing perpendicular to traffic.

[PamNY]

Procedural question:

on a multi-lane highway, there's likely to be a considerable distance between the traffic lane and the crosswalk. When you do choose to walk the intersection, how do you get from one to the other - and how do you re-join traffic once you've reached the other side? It just seems dangerous, to me - particularly (presumably) re-joining traffic from a wheelchair cut facing perpendicular to traffic.

I've only done it in the city, where there's sidewalk. I move to the right just before the intersection. To rejoin traffic, I walk the bike into the street and wait till it's clear. I'm usually crossing a multi-lane road on a smaller street, not rejoining a multi-lane road.

I do it only in really odd situations -- in one case, the bike lane (on the right) just goes away and a lot of cars are turning right. I have no idea what bikes are legally supposed to do. I guess taking the lane would be legal, but New York drivers are not expecting that.

What most cyclists do -- and it's probably illegal -- is go into the crosswalk before the light changes (a time-honored New York custom) to get ahead of the cars, but this particular intersection has heavy pedestrian traffic.

[Catrin]

Procedural question:

on a multi-lane highway, there's likely to be a considerable distance between the traffic lane and the crosswalk. When you do choose to walk the intersection, how do you get from one to the other - and how do you re-join traffic once you've reached the other side? It just seems dangerous, to me - particularly (presumably) re-joining traffic from a wheelchair cut facing perpendicular to traffic.

Where I ride there are no sidewalks or cross-walks...

[PamNY]

Where I ride there are no sidewalks or cross-walks...

Catrin, so isn't it fairly easy to pull over, cross as a pedestrian, and then rejoin traffic? In case I ride in the country...