PENNSYLVANIA

BICYCLEDRIVER’SMANUAL

PUB 380 (4-18)

PENNSYLVANIA

BICYCLEDRIVER'S

MANUAL

PRODUCED BY THEPA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Significant portions of this publication are reproduced under license agreementfrom Rodale Press, Inc., publishers of "Street Smarts—Bicycling's Traffic SurvivalGuide." Copyright 1988 by Rodale Press, Inc. Such portions are used with thespecific permission of Rodale Press, and all rights are reserved with respectthereto.

FOREWORDThis manual will teach you safe bicycling on public roads and streets.

To do so requires the ability to process information about trafficconditions on a continuous basis, as you ride along, just as when drivingan automobile. That skill is far more developed in residents age 16 andolder because they are more likely to possess a Pennsylvania Driver'sLicense.

However, keep in mind that the Rules-of-the-Road apply to drivers ofvehicles regardless of the drivers age or vehicle type. If after reading thismanual, you wish to apply the instruction but are under age 16 or do notpossess a valid Pennsylvania Driver's License, it is recommended thatyou commence cycling in traffic only if you are in the company ofsomeone who does possess a license and/or understands the principlesof safe street bicycling taught in this manual.

You can download the full version of this publication at:www.penndot.gov

Click on "Forms and Publications"

Additional copies of this publication can be obtained through thefollowing sources:

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Sales Store(717) 787-6746

Pennsylvania Department of TransportationBureau of Highway Safety & Traffic Engineering Office

Safety Management Division(717) 787-6853

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SECTIONS OF TITLE 75 (VEHICLE CODE) PERTAINING TOPEDALCYCLESTitle 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes contains the laws which govern theoperation of vehicles on Pennsylvania roads. In Pennsylvania, a bicycle is considered avehicle and, as such, is governed by a general set of rules (common to all vehicles) anda specific set of rules (designed for bicycles). The following annotated list provides allof the important sections of the Vehicle Code which a Pennsylvania bicyclist shouldknow. Keep in mind that the laws themselves often describe only what a bicyclist isrequired to do, not how to do it. This manual addresses how to bicycle safely andefficiently by following the rules of the road.

Pedalcycle: A vehicle propelled solely by human-powered pedals. The term does notmean a three-wheeled human powered pedal-driven vehicle with a main driving wheel20 inches in diameter or under and primarily designed for children six years of age oryounger.

Comment: Pedalcycle is the legal terminology for a bicycle in Pennsylvania.

CHAPTER 31 - OPERATION OF VEHICLESSubchapter B - Traffic Control Devices

Section 3112. Traffic-control signals.(c) Inoperable or malfunctioning signal.— If a traffic-control signal is out of operationor is not functioning properly, vehicular traffic facing a:(1) Green or yellow signal may proceed with caution as indicated in subsection

(a)(1) and (2).(2) Red or completely unlighted signal shall stop in the same manner as at a stop

sign, and the right to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable aftermaking a stop at a stop sign as provided in section 3323 (relating to stop signsand yield signs).

Comment: Standard traffic signals sometimes do not detect bicycles. You may beunable to pass through a signalized intersection because the green signal is neverreceived. When faced with this problem, you may treat the signal as malfunctioningand take the following steps to safely proceed through the intersection. First,determine that the signal will not detect you. Try to position the bicycle directly overthe saw cuts in the pavement behind the white painted “stop bar” at the head of thelane. These cuts, which often take the shape of an elongated hexagon, contain theloop wires that detect vehicles. If no cuts are evident, you may have to guess theirlocation. Wait for a complete cycle of the signal through all legs of the intersection.If you still believe that the signal will not detect you, treat the red signal as a stop signand proceed through the intersection only after yielding the right-of-way to allintersecting traffic (including pedestrians) that may be close enough to constitute ahazard during the time when you are moving across or within the intersection orjunction of roadways.

CHAPTER 33 - RULES OF THE ROADSubchapter A - General Provisions

Section 3303. Overtaking vehicle on the left.The following rules shall govern the overtaking and passing of vehicles proceedingin the same direction, subject to the limitations, exceptions and special rules statedin this chapter:

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(1) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the samedirection shall pass to the left of the other vehicle at a safe distance and shallstay to the left of the other vehicle until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.

(2) Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of anovertaken vehicle shall not increase the speed of the vehicle until completelypassed by the overtaking vehicle and shall give way to the right in favor of theovertaking vehicle on suitable signal.

(3) The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a pedalcycle proceeding in the samedirection shall pass to the left of the pedalcycle within not less than four feet ata careful and prudent reduced speed.

Comment: This section includes the requirement that motor vehicles provide fourfeet of distance between themselves and the pedalcycle when they choose toovertake. It is the motor vehicle operator’s responsibility to provide thisdistance by proceeding with due care and at a prudent reduced speed.

Section 3307. No-passing zones.(a) Establishment and marking.— The department and local authorities maydetermine those portions of any highway under their respective jurisdictions whereovertaking and passing or driving on the left side of the roadway would be especiallyhazardous and shall by appropriate signs or markings on the roadway indicate thebeginning and end of such zones and when the signs or markings are in place andclearly visible to an ordinarily observant person every driver of a vehicle shall obey thedirections of the signs or markings. Signs shall be placed to indicate the beginning andend of each no-passing zone.

(b) Compliance by drivers.— Where signs and markings are in place to define a no-passing zone as set forth in subsection (a), no driver shall at any time drive on the leftside of the roadway within the no-passing zone or on the left side of any pavementstriping designed to mark a no-passing zone throughout its length.

(b.1) Overtaking pedalcycles.— It is permissible to pass a pedalcycle, if done inaccordance with sections 3303(a)(3) (relating to overtaking vehicle on the left) and3305 (relating to limitations on overtaking on the left).

Comments: This means that motor vehicle operators may, with due care, overtake acyclist in what would normally be a no-passing zone. This allows motor vehicledrivers to avoid excessive delays on long hills or rural two-lane roads. This sectiondoes not require that cyclists move onto the shoulder or ride further to the right thanis practicable.

CHAPTER 33 - RULES OF THE ROADSubchapter C - Turning, Starting, and Signals

Section 3331. Required position and method of turning. (a) Right Turn.— The driver of a vehicle intending to turn right shall approach the turnand make the turn as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.

(b) Left turn.— The driver of a vehicle intending to turn left shall approach the turn inthe extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the direction of travelof the vehicle. Whenever practicable, the left turn shall be made to the left of the centerof the intersection and so as to leave the intersection or location in the extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction as the vehicle on theroadway being entered.

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(c) Compliance with traffic-control devices.— The department and local authoritieson highways under their respective jurisdictions may cause official traffic-controldevices to be placed and thereby require and direct that a different course from thatspecified in this section be traveled by turning vehicles and when the devices are soplaced no driver shall turn a vehicle other than as directed and required by the devices.

(d) Two-way left turn lanes.— Where a special lane for making left turns by driversproceeding in opposite directions has been indicated by official traffic-control devices:

(1) A left turn shall not be made from any other lane.

(2) A vehicle shall not be driven in the lane except when preparing for or making aleft turn from or into the roadway or when preparing for or making a U-turnwhen otherwise permitted by law.

(e) Interference with pedalcycles.— No turn by a driver of a motor vehicle shallinterfere with a pedalcycle proceeding straight while operating in accordance withChapter 35 (relating to special vehicles and pedestrians).

Comments: People on bikes, as well as in motor vehicles, must make the right turn asclose to the curb as practical and the left turns are to be made from the left lane.Motor vehicles can and do “right-hook”’ cyclists by partially overtaking them (notcompleting the passing maneuver) and then performing an right turn that cuts off thecyclist’s lane of travel. This maneuver can cause a collision with the cyclist throwingthem off their vehicle and under the wheels of the motor vehicle. The correct actionis to fall in behind the cyclist and make the right turn from that position.

Section 3336. Method of giving hand and arm signals.— All signals given by hand andarm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner except asindicated for pedalcycles and motorcycles and the signals shall indicate as follows:

(1) For a left turn, the hand and arm shall be extended horizontally.(2) For a right turn, the left hand and arm shall be extended upward, except that

operators of motorcycles and pedalcycles may also be permitted to signal aright turn by extending the right hand and arm horizontally.

(3) To stop or decrease speed, the left hand and arm shall be extended downward.

CHAPTER 35 - SPECIAL VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANSSubchapter A - Operation of pedalcycles (bicycles)

Section 3501. Applicability of traffic laws to pedalcycles.(a) General rule.— Every person riding a pedalcycle upon a roadway shall be grantedall of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of avehicle by this title, except as to special provisions in this subchapter and except as tothose provisions of this title which by their nature can have no application.

(b) Application of subchapter.— The provisions of this subchapter apply whenever apedalcycle is operated upon any highway or upon any path set aside for the exclusiveuse of pedalcycles subject to the exceptions stated in subsection (a).

Comment: Bicycles are considered vehicles under Pennsylvania Laws and must obeyall the rules of the road which apply to vehicles. These are the "responsibilities"mentioned above. The "rights" refer to the roadway space required to operate thebicycle in a safe, lawful manner.

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Section 3502. Penalty for violation of subchapter.Any person violating any provision of this subchapter is guilty of a summary offenseand shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $10.

Section 3503. Responsibility of parent or guardian.The parent of any child and the guardian of any ward shall not authorize or knowinglypermit the child or ward to violate any of the provisions of this title relating to theoperation of pedalcycles.

Section 3504. Riding on pedalcycles.(a) Use of seat by operator.— A person propelling a pedalcycle shall not ride otherthan upon or astride a permanent and regular seat attached to the pedalcycle.

(b) Number of riders.— No pedalcycle shall be used to carry more persons at one timethan the number for which the pedalcycle is designed and equipped, except that anadult rider may transport a child in a pedalcycle or in a child carrier which is securelyattached to the pedalcycle or in a trailer which is towed by a pedalcycle.

Section 3505.(a) General rule.— Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), every personoperating a pedalcycle upon a highway shall obey the applicable rules of the road ascontained in this title.

Comment: This statement reiterates the necessity for cyclists to conform to theexpectations of other road users in order to ensure the safety of all.

(b) Operation on shoulder.— A pedalcycle may be operated on the shoulder of ahighway and shall be operated in the same direction as required of vehicles operatedon the roadway.

Comment: A bicycle may be operated on either a shoulder or on the roadway (the travellanes). The locations will be based upon traffic volume, the physical condition of thetravel lanes or the shoulder, traffic speed, the bicyclist's intended direction, and othersafety factors.

(c) Slower than prevailing speeds.— A pedalcycle operated at slower than prevailingspeed shall be operated in accordance with the provisions of Section 3301(b), unlessit is unsafe to do so.

[3301(b). Vehicle proceeding at less than normal speed.Upon all roadways, any vehicles proceeding at less than the normal speed of trafficat the time and place under the conditions than existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curbor edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicleproceeding in the same direction or when preparing for a left turn at an intersectionor into an alley, private road or driveway. This subsection does not apply to a driverwho must necessarily drive in a lane other than the right-hand lane to continue onhis intended route.]

Comment: Taken together, 3505 (c) and 3301 (b) state that slower vehicles should keepto the right, which is the normal expectation of all road users, while permittingbicyclists to make movements consistent with their intended route. This languagedoes not require a bicyclist to ride on the shoulder or on the white fog line. A bicyclistmay operate on the roadway and ride in the center of the rightmost lane whenappropriate or to avoid hazardous road conditions. See generally pages 9-10.

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(d) One-way roadways.— Any person operating a pedalcycle upon a roadway, whichcarries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may rideas near the left-hand curb or edge of the roadway as practicable, exercising due carewhen passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.

Comment: Bicycles may ride in the left lane of a one-way street which contains two ormore lanes. However, this does not apply to pedalcyclists on freeways. See Section3511(d), below.

(e) Limitation on riding abreast.— Persons riding pedalcycles upon a roadway shallnot ride more than two abreast, except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for theexclusive use of pedalcycles.

Section 3506.No person operating a pedalcycle shall carry any package, bundle or article which preventsthe driver from keeping at least one hand upon the handlebars.

Section 3507. Lamps or other equipment on pedalcycles.(a) Lamps and reflectors.—Every pedalcycle when in use between sunset and sunriseshall be equipped on the front with a lamp which emits a beam of white light intendedto illuminate the pedalcycle operator's path and visible from a distance of at least 500feet to the front, a red reflector facing to the rear which shall be visible at least 500 feetto the rear, and an amber reflector on each side. Operators of pedalcycles maysupplement the required front lamp with a white flashing lamp, light-emitting diode orsimilar device to enhance their visibility to other traffic and with a lamp emitting a redflashing lamp, light-emitting diode or similar device visible from a distance of 500 feetto the rear. A lamp or lamps worn by the operator of a pedalcycle shall comply with therequirements of this subsection if the lamp or lamps can be seen at the distancesspecified.

Comment: Many car-bike crashes occur at night and involve a poorly illuminatedbicyclist. Bicyclists should understand that headlamps serve two purposes: a)primarily, they advise other road users of their presence (vitally important to preventunsuspecting motorists from cutting across the paths of cyclists they cannot evendetect), b) secondarily, illuminate the bicyclist's path.

(b) Audible signal devices.— A pedalcycle may be equipped with a device capable ofgiving a signal audible for a distance of at least 100 feet except that a pedalcycle shallnot be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a pedalcycle any siren.

(c) Brakes.— Every pedalcycle shall be equipped with a braking system which willstop the pedalcycle in 15 feet from an initial speed of 15 miles per hour on a dry, leveland clean pavement.

Section 3508. Pedalcycles on sidewalks and pedalcycle paths.(a) Right-of-way to pedestrians.— A person riding a pedalcycle upon a sidewalk orpedalcycle path used by pedestrians shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian andshall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian.

(b) Business districts.— A person shall not ride a pedalcycle upon a sidewalk in abusiness district unless permitted by official traffic-control devices, nor when a usablepedalcycle-only lane has been provided adjacent to the sidewalk.

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Section 3509. Parking(a) Sidewalks.(1) A person may park a pedalcycle on a sidewalk unless prohibited or restricted by

an official traffic-control device.(2) A pedalcycle parked on a sidewalk shall not impede the normal and reasonable

movement of pedestrian or other traffic.

(b) Roadways.(1) A pedalcycle may be parked on the roadway at any angle to the curb or edge of

the roadway at any location where parking is allowed.(2) A pedalcycle may be parked on the roadway abreast of another pedalcycle or

pedalcycles near the side of the roadway at any location where parking isallowed.

(3) A person shall not park a pedalcycle on a roadway in such a manner as toobstruct the movement of a legally parked motor vehicle.

(4) In all other respects, pedalcycles parked anywhere on a highway shall conformwith the provisions of Subchapter E of Chapter 33 (relating to stopping,standing and parking).

Section 3510. Pedalcycle helmet for certain persons.(a) General rule.— A person under 12 years of age shall not operate a pedalcycle orride as a passenger on a pedalcycle unless the person is wearing a pedalcycle helmetmeeting the standards of the American Standards Institute, the American Society forTesting and Materials, the Snell Memorial Foundation's Standards for ProtectiveHeadgear for Use in Bicycling or any other nationally recognized standard forpedalcycle helmet approval. This subsection shall also apply to a person who rides:(1) upon a pedalcycle while in a restraining seat attached to a pedalcycle; or(2) In a trailer towed by a pedalcycle.

Comment: The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation strongly recommends thatall bicyclists wear approved helmets whenever they ride.

(b) Helmet to be labeled.— Any helmet sold or offered for sale for use by operatorsand passengers of pedalcycles shall be labeled in accordance with the standarddescribed in subsection (a), which shall constitute the manufacturer’s certification thatthe helmet conforms to the applicable safety standards.(1) Sale of helmet.— No person shall sell or offer for sale for use by an operator

or passenger of a pedalcycle a helmet which is not of a type meeting therequirements established by this section.

(2) Waiver of fine.— If a person receives a citation issued by the proper authorityfor violation of subsection (a), a district justice, magistrate or judge shall dismissthe charges if the person prior to or at his hearing displays evidence of acquisitionof a helmet meeting the standards prescribed in subsection (a) to such districtjustice, magistrate or judge. Sufficient evidence shall include a receipt mailed tothe appropriate court officer which evidences purchase or transfer of such ahelmet from another helmet owner, evidenced by a notarized letter.

(3) Exemption.— This section shall not apply to a child under 12 years of age whocan produce a statement from the family’s church authorities attesting that it isagainst the tenets of the family’s religion to wear a helmet.

(c) Civil actions.— In no event shall a violation or alleged violation of subsection (a)be used as evidence in a trial of any civil action; nor shall any jury in a civil action beinstructed that any conduct did constitute or could be interpreted by them to constitute

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a violation of subsection (a); nor shall failure to use a pedalcycle helmet be consideredas contributory negligence nor shall failure to use a pedalcycle helmet be admissible asevidence in the trial of any civil action.

(d) Penalty.— Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, any violation of subsection(a) is punishable by a fine, including all penalties, assessments and court costsimposed on the convicted person not to exceed $25. The parent or legal guardianhaving control or custody of a person under 12 years of age whose conduct violatesthis section shall be jointly and severally liable with the person for the amount of thefine imposed.

(e) Definitions.— As used in this section, the term “wearing a pedalcycle helmet”means having a pedalcycle helmet of good fit fastened securely upon the head with thehelmet straps.

Section 3511. Pedalcycles prohibited on freeways.(a) General Rule.— No person shall ride a pedalcycle on a freeway.

(b) Exceptions.—(1) The department and local authorities, on highways under their respective

jurisdictions, may issue permits for a procession or event prohibited undersubsection (a) upon a determination that:(i) The pedalcycle procession or event is of national, state or regional

interest; and(ii) the results of an engineering and traffic study indicate that the

procession or event can be conducted with safety.(2) On State-designed freeways, pedalcycles may be authorized under the following

limitations.(i) The pedalcycler is 16 years of age or older and is accompanied by a

pedalcycler 18 years of age or older.(ii) A written request for review of the freeway route based on the potential

unavailability of a reasonable alternate route is made to the department.(iii) The department determines that no reasonable alternate route exists.(iv) The department publishes a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin

authorizing pedalcycle access to the freeway. The notice shall constituteapproval for the persons authorized under subparagraph (i) to ride apedalcycle on the State-designated freeway.

(c) Action by Local Authorities.— Action taken by local authorities regardingpermission to use pedalcycles on freeways under their jurisdiction shall be:(1) by ordinance of the local governing body; or(2) by a commission or public official authorized to act on specified matters.

(d) Operation on Shoulder.— If the department authorizes pedalcycle access to afreeway, the pedalcycle shall be operated upon the shoulder of that freeway wheneverpracticable.

Comment: Bicycles may be permitted on freeways in Pennsylvania with permission ofthe Department. The applicant must submit a written request (form) to theDepartment for review. In addition, Section 3511(d) requires the bicycle to be riddenon the shoulder of the freeway.

Section 3513. Civil immunity for lenders of pedalcycle helmets.No person or organization who or which lends to another person or organization apedalcycle helmet, as described in section 3510 (relating to pedalcycle helmets for

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certain persons), shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act oromission, except any act or omission intentionally designed to harm or any grosslynegligent act or omission resulting in harm to another.

CHAPTER 37 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONSSubchapter A - Offenses in General

Section 3705. Opening and closing vehicle doors.— No person shall open any door ona motor vehicle unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done withoutinterfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open ona side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary toload or unload passengers.

Comment: The operator of a parked vehicle has to proceed with due care when openinga door into traffic. Opening a door and interfering with the movement of traffic,including bicycle traffic, is punishable as a summary offense.

ACT 36 of 2016 or the Dave Bachman Act

Section 1. Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding asection to read:

Subsection 1358.1. Share the Road plate.

The department shall design a Share the Road registration plate. Upon application of anyperson, accompanied by a fee of $40, which shall be in addition to the registration fee, thedepartment shall issue the plate for a passenger car or truck with a registered grossweight of not more than 14,000 pounds or a motor home. The fee shall be usedexclusively to maintain the department's central office position of Bicycle and PedestrianCoordinator and to fund highway pedalcycle signage approved by the department.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DVSPubsForms/BMV/BMV%20Forms/mv-917.pdf

STREETSMARTSBICYCLING’STRAFFICSURVIVALGUIDE

by John S. Allen

STREETSMARTSBICYCLING’S

TRAFFIC SURVIVAL GUIDEby John S. Allen

The Introduction and following chapters of the Pennsylvania BicycleDriver's Manual are from the Rodale Press publication "StreetSmarts,” by John S. Allen, with illustrations by George Retseck and

project management by Pat Brown. Project management at thePennsylvania Department of Transportation was by David Bachman;formatting for this Web edition was by Nicole Ryan and John S. Allen

Information from "Street Smarts" was provided by Bicycling Magazine, apublication of Rodale Press, Inc. of Emmaus, PA. Rodale publishes booksand magazines in the fields of health and fitness, gardening, woodworking,sewing and crafts. For more information about Bicycling Magazine or theother publications of Rodale Press, please call 800-666-2806 or write to

Rodale Press, Inc., Department R Emmaus, PA 18098

Pub 380 (6-99)

1

The most important factor inhow you ride your bike is howyou feel about it.

If you find bicycling enjoyableand reasonably safe, then you'llwant to cover greater distances andgo more places. However, to do so,you usually have to ride in thecompany of cars—and sharing theroad with cars calls for an attitude ofsecurity and confidence.

Once you have that attitude, youcan safely and enjoyably take on acommute to work in city traffic or along day's tour on almost any kind ofroad. Almost anyone can become aconfident, streetwise cyclist. Thisbook will show you how.

EQUIPMENT CHOICESA few words about equipment—

you do need the right equipment toput the ideas in this booklet to use.

YOUR BICYCLEYour bicycle should match your

riding style. Choices range from anultra-lightweight, fast road-racingmachine to a rugged all-terrain bike.Consider your level of skill andwhere you want to ride. A. good bikeshop can help your make the rightdecision.

For comfort, your bike must fityour body proportions like a goodsuit of clothes. Finding the rightframe height by standing over thebike is just a start. Other measure -ments are equally important. For

INTRODUCTIONMOST BOOkS ON BIcYclING BeGIN WITh INSTRUcTIONS ON hOW TO SelecT A

BIcYcle AND AcceSSORIeS. ThIS ONe IS GOING TO Be DIffeReNT. We ARe GOING

TO START BY TAlkING ABOUT A MORe SIGNIfIcANT AcqUISITION: ATTITUDe.

CONTENTS1. Off to a Good Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. Where to Ride on the Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3. Riding Through Intersections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

4. Getting Across Non-Standard Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5. Steer Out of Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

6. Using Your Brakes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

7. Riding in Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

8. Riding in Rain and Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

9. Ways to Deal with Tough Situations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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example, most women need to takeextra care to buy bikes with a shorttop tube, since women's averageupper-body length is shorter inpropor tion to leg length than men's.

Cranks, handlebar stem,handle bars and saddle can bechanged to fit your better. A goodbike shop will help you select theparts that are right for you when youbuy a bike.

New or old-faithful, your bicyclemust be in good working order. Thegears must shift reliably, and thebrakes must work smoothly. If youaren't sure that your bike is in topshape, take it to a qualified me -chanic.

HELMETA helmet is a bargain in injury

pre vention. Wearing a bicyclehelmet whenever your ride canreduce your risk of a serious headinjury by 85%. A good helmet willprotect against most of these. Itreduces the risk of a fatal bicyclingcrash to about the same level as acar driver's, for the same amount oftime spent at either activity (NationalSafety Council and H. Katteler:Minutes of the Velo-City Con -ference, Bremen, Germany, 1981).

REAR-VIEW MIRRORA rear-view mirror can be helpful

when maneuvering in traffic. Asmall, helmet-mounted mirror givesa wide field of view and goodisolation from road shock. Aim italong the side of your head, lookingdirectly back. You should see yourleft ear in the right side of the mirror.You'll need a couple of weeks tolearn to use the mirror. If it stilldoesn't work well for you after that

length of time, consider a handl -ebar-end mirror instead.

BICYCLING GLOVESEvery bicyclist take a fall sooner

or later, and puts out a hand tobreak the fall. Unless you weargloves, the pave ment willsandpaper your palm. Fingerlesscycling gloves improve your comforton long rides by cushioning yourhands against road shock from thehandle bars.

TOOLSA small tool kit, tire patch kit and

frame pump—and the knowledge touse them—will get you back on theroad when your bike has a flat tire orother common minor breakdowns.Most on-road repairs are simple andeasy to learn.

BAGGAGEA frame-mounted water bottle

lets you drink as you ride—im port -ant on any trip of more than an hour.A small handlebar bag or rack-mount bag will hold your tools, extraclothing, maps and other items youtake with you on your rides. A bagon the bike is a far better choicethan a backpack, which will leaveyour back hot and sweaty in warmweather.

3

PREPARING TO STARTWhen you get onto your bicycle,

first stand over the frame in front ofthe saddle. Hold the brake levers sothe bike will not roll. A steady bikelets you get into position to mount.

Now, lift your right foot and put itinto the pedal. Turn the crankbackwards until the pedal is at 2o'clock position—forward and high.Backpedal gently. If the crank willnot turn easily, adjust the gearlevers until the chain runs smoothly.

When the pedal is in the 2o'clock position, you are ready toget moving. Let go of the brakes andpush down on the pedal. The firstpedal stroke starts the bike movingand lifts you up to the saddle. Whenthe opposite pedal comes up to topposition, put your foot on it for thesecond pedal stroke. If you do notget your foot into the pedal on thefirst try, ride along with the pedalupside down until you build upspeed. Then put your foot into thetoeclip.

Chapter 1:

OFF TO A GOOD STARTlet us look first at how you get on your bicycle. If you climb onto it the

right way, you get quicker, safer starts and a more efficient riding

position. We will also take a look at how to get off smoothly so you are

positioned to start again quickly.

USING CLIPLESSPEDALS OR TOECLIPS

Clipless pedals and toeclips areyour "feet belts"—they increasepedaling efficiency and safety.However, until you are used tothem, leave them loose in stop-andgo traffic. Practice removing yourfoot from the pedal as you stop.

Thread toeclips and straps fromthe outside to the inside of thepedal. Leave the end of the strapsticking out like a floppy dog ear—do not tuck it back into the buckle.Tighten the strap by pulling on theend, and loosen it by pushing thebuckle outward with your thumbs.

Clipless pedals are usuallyeasier to use than toeclips—but themotion to release your foot isdifferent, so practice it a few timesbefore you use one of thesesystems out on the road.

When you are coming to a stop,stand on the right pedal, and slideforward off the saddle. Lean thebike a little to the left side and placeyour left foot on the ground. Whenstopped, raise your right foot and itspedal into the 2 o'clock startingposition.

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No matter what type of pedalsyou use, put only one foot on theground when you stop. The otherfoot waits on its pedal in the 2o'clock position, ready for a quickstart.

As you slow to a stop, shift downto a low, starting gear. On aderailleur-equipped bike, the gearsshift only while you are still turningthe pedals.

AVOIDING COMMONMISTAKES

Many bicyclists like to sit downon the bike's saddle before theystart, with both feet on the ground—a common mistake. People get intothis habit as children, ridingtricycles. On a tricycle, your feetreach the ground, because thepedals are ahead of you. On abicycle, the pedals are underneathyou, so the saddle has to be higher.

People with the tricycle habitalways keep their saddles too low.They cannot develop much power,because their legs do not straightenout enough.

There are a couple of othercommon mistakes people make ingetting onto their bikes. Somepeople push the bike along with afoot, like a scooter. Other peoplestand next to the bike, then leapover it, the way you mount a horse.However, a bicycle is not a tricycle,a scooter or a horse.

Practice the pedal-step methoduntil you are comfortable with it.Raise the saddle if it is too low. Also,practice shifting your gears as youstop, so you will have good acceler-ation when you start again. You willbe rewarded with smoother, saferand quicker starts.

5

PART OF THETRAFFIC PATTERN

With very few exceptions, thesafest way to ride is as part of thetraffic, going with the flow of thenormal traffic pattern. Bicyclists whoride this way get where they aregoing faster and according toscientific crash studies, have aboutfive times fewer crashes thanbicyclists who make up their ownrules (J. Forester: Effective Cycling.Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 1985).

Generally, the more you followthe normal traffic pattern, the saferand more predictable you become.The rules of the road set up apattern for every situation, tellingwhich driver has to wait. Sometimesyou have to wait for other drivers—for example, at a stop sign—butsometimes they have to wait foryou.

Chapter 2:

WHERE TO RIDEON THE ROADWe have all seen bicyclists who wander from left side to right, who go

from the sidewalk to the street an who weave in and out between

parked cars. from moment to moment, nobody can tell what these

bicyclists are about to do. Pedestrians jump back, and car brakes

squeal as such bicyclists approach.

On the other hand, we have seen bicyclists who seem to blend into the

traffic flow smoothly and effortlessly. You always know where they are

headed and what to do around them, whether you are on a bicycle, in

a car or on foot. They make bicycling look easy—but are, they not

taking a risk? Is it not safer to avoid the traffic as much as possible?

Intersection collisions are the mostcommon type caused by wrong-wayriding. The motorist in the side streetlooks left, where traffic normallycomes from.

6

In this way, the rules of the roadprotect you by making it clear whatyou are going to do next.

Riding right begins with riding onthe right. Some bicyclists think theyare safer on the left, where they cansee cars coming, but riding on theleft is actually one of the biggestcauses of car-bike crashes.

If you ride in violation of thetraffic laws, you greatly increaseyour risk of a crash. You also maygive up all of your rights. If you getinto a crash, the courts will usuallyalmost always find that it was yourfault!

If you ride on the left, both youand oncoming drivers must come toa complete stop to avoid head-on

collisions. When you ride on theright, drivers behind you only haveto slow to your speed—and theyhave three times as long to react. Inaddition, drivers and pedestriansabout to pull out from side streetsand crosswalks will be lookingtoward you—in the direction trafficnormally comes from.

WHERE IS THE ROADEDGE?

Normally, slower traffic keeps tothe right, and faster traffic passes onthe left. Since your bicycle is usuallyslower than other traffic, you usuallyride near the right edge of the road.However, how far to the right?

Generally, the usable width of

By riding a safe distance from roadside hazards, you increase your safety. At a),the motorist in the driveway sees you; at b), the motorist overtaking you will nottake the easy way out and skim by your elbow; at c), the car door is no threat;and at d), the motorist behind can see you.

7

the road begins where you can ridewithout increased danger of falls,jolts, or blowouts. A road may havea gravel shoulder, its edge may becovered with sand or trash, or thepavement may be broken. Do notride there. Closer to the center,there is better pavement, which isswept clean of sand and debris bythe passing cars. The right side ofthe road begins here.

Most bicycle crashes are simplefalls or are caused by hazards infront of you. Train your eyes to scanthe scene ahead, and look for blind -spots. Keep your eyes moving—youhave to look up at the traffic anddown at the road for potholes andcracks.

Ride far enough into the lane toavoid the risk from blindspots. If youride too close to parked cars on yourright, you cannot see around theminto side streets and driveways. Apedestrian or bike could come outfrom between the parked cars.Drivers in side streets might pulltheir cars out into your street to lookright and left. And the door of aparked car could open in front ofyou.

Where there are parked cars,the usable width of the street beginsabout 3 feet out from them—or froma wall, or other obstruction. As youapproach a blind intersection ordriveway, you should be even

farther from the edge of the road—imagine a car hood poking out. Do

not ride in the danger zone!

Do not weave in and outbetween parked cars. If you weaveto the right after passing a parkedcar, it will hide you from driversapproach ing from behind you. Thenyou have to pop back out when youreach the next parked car. Putyourself in the place of a driver acouple of hundred feet behind you.Could this driver see you?

Sure, many people—even somebicycling "experts"—will tell you,"Always keep as far to the right aspos sible," and, "Look out for open -ing car doors." However, at speedsabove 5 miles per hour, you cannotstop in time to avoid a car door. Youronly choice is to swerve out into thestreet—maybe into the path of apassing car.

It is much safer to ride in a pre -dictable, straight line, where every - one can see you. Motorists do notmind slowing down for apredictable, visible bicyclist nearlyas much as they mind a bicyclistwho swerves out in front of them.

EXTRA-WIDE LANESIf the road has a paved shoulder

or an extra-wide right lane, do notride all the way over at the rightedge. Instead, keep riding in astraight line 3 or 4 feet to the right of

Don't weave between parked cars, where you become invisible to overtakingdrivers.

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the cars. Stay at a steady distancefrom the left side of the right lane.

If you stay all the way over at theright edge of the shoulder, you aremuch more likely to be cut off by aright-turning car—and when thishappens, it is harder for you to avoida crash. By the time you see the car,it will be blocking your path. If you

are closer to the car, you can turnwith it and avoid a crash.

There is only one important ex -ception to this rule: In severalstates, it is legal for bicyclists toride on high-speed limited-accesshigh ways. Here, you can ride at theright side of the shoulder, avoidingthe windblast from big trucks.Except at the rare on-and off-ramps, limited-access highways

have no cross traffic, so there is noproblem with turning cars orpedestrians.RIDING IN ANARROW LANE

In a wide lane, there is room forcars to pass you. However, in anarrow lane, cars have to move

In a wide lane, you are safer if youstay just to the right of the cars. Asshown in a), you can turn to avoid acrash.

In b), the car is across your pathbefore you see it.

On a two-lane highway, be alert todrivers ahead of you pulling out topass, especially if the lanes arenarrow.

9

partway into the next lane to passyou. Narrow lanes are common oncity streets and on backroads in thecountry.

On a narrow two-lane, two-wayroad, stay alert to strings of carsfrom the front, in case one pullsinto your lane to pass. You can ridenear the edge of this type of road ifcars are coming from only onedirection at a time. Then cars fromthe rear can pass you withouthaving to move as far into the other

lane.However, if cars are coming

from both directions, you have totake control of the situation. Youcannot take chances that thedrivers behind you will try to passyou in on coming traffic.

Glance behind you, and if thereis traffic there, too, take the firstopportunity to merge safely to themiddle of the right lane.

Also, merge to the middle of theright lane at a blind curve where

On a multi-lane road with narrow lanes, a), ride in the middle of the rightlane. You are likely to be squeezed out, b), if you hug the edge.

10

there might be oncoming traffic. Ona right curve in a narrow lane, thistechnique makes you visible earlierto the drivers behind you.

The driver behind you will haveto slow and follow you. It helps tomake a "slow" signal (left armextended downward) to indicatethat you are aware of the carbehind you and that it is unsafe topass. Do not let an impatient drivercause a crash.

Understand that the law is onyour side. The law gives you theright to use the road, the same as amotorist, and to make other trafficslow down for you sometimes.Since you do not have eyes in theback of your head, you cannot beex pected to keep track of the trafficbehind you at all times. The driverapproach ing from the rear is al -ways re quired to slow and follow ifit is not possible to pass safely.

It may seem dangerous tomake a motorist slow for you, but itis not. The usual reason thatbicyclists feel unsafe on narrowroads is that they do not takecontrol of the situation. Remember,the drivers behind you do not haveroom to pass you safely anyway. Ifyou ride all the way over at theright, you are inviting them to passyou where the road is too narrowand, too often, you will getsqueezed off the road. If you showclearly that it is not safe for driversto pass you, they are unlikely to try.

In any case, narrow roads arenot usually places where motoristsdrive very fast. It is dangerous todrive fast on narrow roads becausethere is so little room for error.Motorists expect to have to slowdown for all sorts of reasons.

However, be courteous. When it

be comes safe for the car behindyou to pass you, give the driver awave-by signal. If you block trafficfor more than a short time, the lawrequires you to pull to the side andlet the traffic by.

On a road with two or morenarrow lanes in your direction—likemany city streets—you should ridein the middle of the right lane at alltimes. You need to send the mess -age to drivers to move to thepassing lane to pass you. If youride all the way to the right, twocars may pass you at the sametime, side by side, and squeezeyou off the road.

WHEN YOU GOFASTER THAN CARS

Usually, cars travel faster thanbicycles. However, not always. Arow of cars may have slowed in atraffic jam. Or you may be ridingdown a hill where you can keep upwith the cars.

If you are going as fast as thecars, pull into line with them. Whenriding down a hill at high speed,you need more room to steer andbrake. Besides, it is dangerous toride along next to the right side of acar. The driver could turn right oredge closer to the curb withoutever seeing you.

As long as you keep up with thecar in front of you, stay in line withit. If you begin to fall behind, pull tothe right. However, if you arecatching up with the car, pass onthe left, just as if you were driving acar yourself.

The safest position in trafficdoes not depend on whether youare riding a bicycle or driving a car.It depends on how fast you are

11

going and where you are headed.Drivers expect to be passed on theleft, so they look back to the leftbefore they pull out.

Before you pass, look back fortraffic to make sure that you canpull safely into the passing lane.Keep your distance from the side ofthe car you are passing. Do notsneak along next to it. Put yourselfwhere the driver will look for you. Ifyou are passing a big truck or bus,give it even more clearance—5 or 6feet—since it could move fartherbefore you could get out of its way.When you are finished, move backinto the right lane.

Sometimes the car, bus or truckyou are passing will pick up speedwhile you are still next to it. Thenjust keep the same position in thelane, and brake lightly if necessaryto fall back. When you are fallen

behind, look back to the right fortraffic, then merge back to yournormal position in the right lane.

On a street with multiple right-turn lanes or heavy, slow traffic,you may move left more than onelane to pass slower traffic.

Your correct position on theroad follows a sensible set of rules,the same as for a car driver: Keepto the right if you are going slowly,but pull to the left to pass. The wayyou carry out these rules is just alittle different—as explained here—since your bicycle is narrow andusually slow. An understanding ofroad positioning makes thedifference between the rider whoweaves and wanders and the onewho blends smoothly and safelyinto the traffic flow.

When going as fast as the cars, you are much safer if you ride in the middle ofthe traffic lane. In a), the driver behind you can see you. In b), the driver next toyou has not seen you and could turn right.

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At intersections, move to thecorrect lane position de pend -ing on which way you will be

going. Often, you will need to moveaway from your normal positionnear the right side of the road. If youare turning right, keep to the right.But if you are turning left, move tothe center of the road. If you aregoing straight, go between the right-and left-turning traffic.RIGHT TURNS

Right turns are easiest. Just stayin the right lane, look around fortraffic, and go around the corner. Toavoid being squeezed against thecurb, ride in the middle of the rightlane if it is narrow, just as you wouldon a straightaway. Remember thatthe rear end of a car pulls to theright as it makes a right turn.

At a stop sign or legal right turnon red, yield to traffic coming fromthe left on the cross street. You arealways required to yield to pedes -trians in crosswalks. Bicyclistsfollow the same set of rules asdrivers do.

A right-turn signal is a usefulcourtesy to drivers who would haveto wait for you if you were goingstraight. Make your right-turn signalby pointing with your right arm.

CHANGING YOURLANE POSITION

To prepare for most intersectionmaneuvers, you need to changeyour lane position. Even betweenintersections or when making a rightturn, as just described, you mayhave to move farther into the rightlane. So far, we have gotten by witha quick description of how to lookback and check for traffic.

However, when making a leftturn, you often have to move acrossmore than one lane. It is time to gointo more detail. Before you changeyour lane position, you must alwayslook back for traffic. Your sense ofbalance is in your head, so youneed some practice to turn yourhead without swerving.

Some bicyclists change laneposition without looking back,because they are afraid of swerving.Do not trust your ears! Many carsare very quiet, and a bicyclist behindyou is quieter.

In an empty parking-lot practicearea, ride along a straight, paintedline. Turn you head to glance back,and then look forward again to seewhether you are still riding straight.To keep from swerving, think aboutthe position of your arms. If you donot turn the handlebars, you will notswerve.

Chapter 3:

RIDING THROUGHINTERSECTIONSIntersections are where all of your traffic-riding skills come together. If

you ride smoothly through the intersections, you can handle almost

any riding environment.

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Turn your head to look, even ifyou have a rear-view mirror. A mirrorcan help you to keep track of thetraffic directly behind you, but nomirror will show cars or bicyclists atyour side.

The best way to look back de -pends on your riding position. If youare sitting upright, swivel your neckand your back. If you are in a lowcrouch, duck your head sideways.Some bicyclists look over theirshoulders and some even duck theirheads underneath their arms.

GETTING A DRIVER'SCOOPERATION

So now you have looked back.What next? If there is a car closebehind you, let that car go by, anddeal with the next car.

Usually, the next driver will havetime to react to your signals. If youmake your intentions clear, thedriver will usually let you into line.

Extend your left arm to signalthat you want to move to the left.Wait a couple of seconds, then lookback again to check that the driverhas slowed down or moved aside tomake room.

Turning your head to look backis a signal, too. In slow, crowdedtraffic, you need to keep your handson the handlebars, ready to brake.You can usually move into line withthe cars while signaling only with aturn of the head. Whatever signalyou use, always make sure that thedriver behind you has noticed yoursignal and made room for you.

Do not change your lane posi -tion until you are sure that the driverhas made room for you. Mostdrivers will, but there is no guar an -tee. Your signal does not make itsafe to change lane position. Onlythe driver's response to your signalmakes you safe.

If you begin your lane changeearly enough to deal with twodrivers, you will usually succeed; ifthe first one does not make room foryou, the second one almostcertainly will. So anticipate turnsand plan for them in time.

In high-speed highway traffic,drivers may not have time to react toyou. Then you need to wait for a gapin the traffic and move across all ofthe lanes at once.

Cross a lane in two steps; one to cross the lane line and the next to cross theother side of the lane.

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LEFT TURNSTo prepare a left turn, change

lanes until you reach the left-turnposition in traffic. As you movetoward the center of the street, thisis where no cars on your left will gostraight ahead. If the lane carryingleft-turning traffic also carriesthrough traffic, ride at its left side. Ifit is a left-turn-only lane, ride at itsright side. On an ordinary two-lanestreet, turn left from just to the rightof the centerline.

It may seem dangerous to moveto the middle of the street, but infact, the middle is the best positionfor a left turn. When you are in the

correct position, all the traffic youhave to deal with is in front of you.Since you are to the left of thethrough traffic coming from behindyou, you do not have to look backwhile making your left turn. You canconcentrate on the traffic from theleft, right and front.

You may have to cross morethan one lane to reach the left-turnposition. Cross each lane in twosteps. With one-step, cross the laneline so you are just inside the nextlane. With the next step, cross to thefar side of the lane. At each step,look back and, get a driver to makeroom for you.

Correct paths for left turns. a) The bicyclist has turned left from the right middleof a narrow left turn lane. b) The bicyclist has turned left from the left middle ofa narrow left-and through lane. Wait for a traffic light at the middle of such a laneunless you know which way the car behind you is going. c) The cyclist turns fromnear the center of a two-lane street and enters the inner lane of a four-lane streetto avoid the right-turning car entering the outer lane.

15

Yield to traffic from the left, rightand straight ahead; so you do nothave to come to a stop, you maymove slowly out to the middle of theintersection, the same way cars do.Then you can get moving fasterwhen there is a gap in the traffic.Pass an oncoming left-turning carright side to right side.

When turning left from the leftside of a lane, do not let left-turningcars behind you pass you on theright. While waiting, keep near themiddle or make a slow signal withyour right hand. As you enter theintersection, ride straight ahead fora few feet so the left-turning carsbehind you can pull to your left.

If you do not make it to the left-turn position by the time you reachthe intersection, go straight throughthe intersection. Make your left turnat the next intersection, or cross tothe other side of the street, doubleback and make a right turn.

It is also okay to make a left turnas a pedestrian. This way, you canturn left legally at a "no left turn" signor handle traffic situations you feelare beyond your abilities. Be sure tocome to a complete stop when youreach the far right corner of theinter section. At this point, you haveto look for traffic from all four direc -tions at once; there is no safe way todo so while you keep moving.

Keep to the left of right-turning traffic when going straight throughan intersection. Do not go to the right of traffic unless you are turning right.

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GOING STRAIGHTTHROUGH

Going straight through an inter -section is easy compared with a leftturn. You may have to change lanes,but not usually as many.

When going straight through,make sure right-turning traffic passesyou on your right. Stay completelyout of a right-turn-only lane. If thereis a lane marked for right turns andthrough traffic, ride near its left side.You may have to move into thesecond or third lane from the curb toavoid the right-turning traffic.

When you approach an intersec -tion where cars are waiting for astop sign or traffic light, never passthe first car. You never know for surewhen or in which direction that carwill move. Besides, while you arepassing the car, it may hide apedestrian or other hazard.

The more difficult intersection toride straight through is the one thatlooks simplest—on a small, two-lane street. Traffic in the right lanegoes in three different directions—right, straight and left! Still, on astreet with parallel parking, theempty space between the parkedcars and the corner serves as aright-turn lane. Do not wander right,into this space. Keep going straightahead.

On a street without parking, pulla little farther into the lane to dis cou -rage right-turning drivers from pass -ing you on the left. With a littlefinesse, you can position yourselfjust far enough from the curb socars can pass you on the right tomake a legal right turn on red.

Some motorists hesitate to passbetween a bicyclist and the curbeven to make a right turn. Wavethem by with your right hand.

When entering the road, look left, but always look right as well for pedestriansand overtaking cars.

17

ENTERING THE ROADBicyclists sometimes will ride

against traffic or take unusual routesacross intersections to get to theirlane positions. Don't do it!

Instead, look for a good place toenter, where you can start out with anormal intersection maneuver; a leftor right turn, or a lane change tomerge into traffic. The traffic lawsapply as soon as you're on the road,and even if you have to walk yourbike half a block to a driveway, alegal start is much safer. Besides,you often get started faster, sinceyou can then move with the normalflow of traffic.

When entering the road from anarrow driveway, ride down itsmiddle. A pedestrian could beapproaching on the sidewalk fromeither side, and a car could be aboutto enter the driveway from eitherdirection. By placing yourself in themiddle, you can see in both direc -tions equally well.

Even when preparing for a rightturn onto a rural highway, look left,right, left, and then right again. A carapproaching from your right can pullout to pass very quickly and head foryou in the lane you're about to enter.

DIAGONALINTERSECTIONS

Traffic follows the usual rules ata diagonal intersection, but it isharder for drivers to look into thediagonal cross street behind them.Be espe cially careful of vans andtrucks, which have a right rear blind -spot.

Some of the turns in a diagonalintersection are not very sharp, socars may not slow down very much.Be alert to oncoming left-turningtraffic, and be sure the drivers haveseen you.

ON- AND OFF-RAMPSWhen you are riding along a

road and an on-ramp comes in fromthe right, stay in your normal laneposi tion. Traffic from behind you onthe ramp will first pass to your right,and then to your left.

An off-ramp is much like a right-turn lane, except that the traffic isfaster. If you are going straight andthe ramp goes off to the right, stay inyour normal traffic position, to itsleft. The exiting traffic will pass youon your right, and the through trafficto pass you on your left.

Chapter 4:

GETTING ACROSSNON-STANDARDINTERSECTIONSNot all intersections are of the standard, "crossroads" type. Though

the same principles of lane positioning apply to all intersection

ma neu vers, some situations can be confusing and deserve a second

look.

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When you are passing an off-ramp, exiting drivers may hesitate topass you on the right. It is effectiveto stay a littler farther to the left thanusual and make a left-turn signal.Drivers can see your hand signal forhundreds of feet behind you, so it isuseful even when cars are travelingat highway speed.

A one-way roadway can haveon- and off-ramps to the left side.When entering on a ramp from theleft, ride along its left side, then theleft side of the roadway until you cancross to your normal lane position.

When exiting on a ramp to the left,cross to the left before the ramp andride on the left side of the ramp.

Sometimes two roadways willjoin or divide, but the total number oflanes will stay the same: For ex-ample, a couple of one-lane roadscan join into a single two-lane one-way road. In high-speed traffic, it isbest to ride along the edge, as withramps. When entering or exitingfrom the left in slower traffic, youmay ride on the right side of the leftroad, so you avoid having to crossas many lanes.

In a traffic circle or rotary intersection, a) keep to the right if you will take the firstexit; b) and c), ride in the inside lane if you are going past the first exit.

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TRAFFIC CIRCLESA traffic circle is a left-curving

street with several side streetsgoing off to the right.

The right lane of a traffic circle,then, is a right-turn lane used byentering and exiting traffic. Enter thetraffic circle in the right lane if youare going to turn right at the firstexit. However, if you are going pastthe first exit, change lanes to theinside as you enter the circle. Ridearound at the outer edge of theinside lane. It some times helps tomake a left-turn signal while in theinside lane; drivers then feelcomfortable about passing you onthe right as they exit the circle.

Change back to the outside laneas you approach your exit. Use yournormal tactics and hand signals forlane changing.

Because of the traffic circle's leftcurve, cars go straight to turn right.For this reason, it is especially dan -gerous to cross an exit of a trafficcircle in the right lane. Bicyclistswho always keep to the right will tellyou that traffic circles are verydanger ous. On the other hand, youwill find it surprisingly easy to ridearound in the inside lane. Drivers donot go very fast there, since theyfollow the curve.

TWO LEFT TURNSIN A ROW

Sometimes you need to maketwo left turns quickly, one after theother; for example, if you are turningleft at an intersection and thenturning left into a driveway at themiddle of the block.

In this case, do not head for theright side of the street after the firstleft turn. You may not have time tochange lanes to the left again.Finish your first left turn in thecorrect lane to begin your secondleft turn.

LEFT TURNS ONONE-WAY STREETS

If a one-way street is two ormore lanes wide, laws in moststates allow you to ride at eitherside. When you make a left turnfrom a one-way street onto anotherone-way street, it is easiest to ridearound the corner on the left.

And there they are—the difficultintersection types. Once you canhandle these, you can ride justabout anywhere. You can evenfigure out how to handle inter -sections not described here byusing the principles of lane chang -ing and positioning on which allintersection maneuvers are based.

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Beware of any slippery or loosesurface: gravel, snow, ice,leaves, oil patches, wet man -

hole covers and crosswalk mark -ings. Avoid these, or ride over themslowly. Do not turn, brake or acce -lerate. Be ready to put a foot downfor balance.

Be especially careful of diagonalrailroad crossings, trolley tracks, arow of raised lane-line dots or a stepbetween the shoulder and the travellane. Any of them can push yourfront wheel to the side and sweepyour bike out from under you. Whenyou cannot avoid them, cross themas nearly as possible at right angles.

Beware of steel-grid bridgedecks, which, especially when wet,will steer your bike parallel to thegridding, making balancing difficult.Test a grid deck at a low speed, andwalk or use the bridge sidewalk ifnecessary.

Any bump, rock or pothole morethan an inch high can squash yourbicycle's tires flat against the rims,damaging the wheels. Avoid thebumps if you can, and walk yourbike if the going gets too tough.

GOOD NEWSNow for the good news: Thanks

to your bicycle's small size andquick steering, you can prepareyourself for situations like this one. Itis a pleasant, two-lane country road,

Chapter 5:

STEER OUT OF TROUBLEA bicycle is a highly maneuverable machine, but that maneuverability

makes it quite tippable. You have to take extra care to stay upright and

read the road for the special hazards that can cause a bike to fall.

Check behind you for traffic, thencross a diagonal railroad track at rightangles.

21

just wide enough for cars to passyou in your lane. You look up at thescenery and then down at the road.There is a rock directly in front ofyou. And there is a car just behindyou. You cannot swerve left into thetraffic and you do not want toswerve to the right, into the graveland dirt. What to do?

Make your wheels weavearound the rock while riding in astraight line—the rock-dodgemaneuver. Just as you reach therock, steer quickly left, then right tocorrect your balance, then straightagain.

Because you correct thebalance quickly, your body does nothave time to follow the bike'sweave. You continue nearly in astraight line. To give yourself betterodds against rocks and potholes, goto an empty parking lot and practicethe rock dodge until it becomeseasy.

QUICK TURNSPicture yourself in another

pinch: You are riding along a street,approaching an intersection, and acar on your left suddenly begins aright turn. The side of the car isheaded straight for you! You have toturn quickly alongside the car to getout of trouble.

To begin a turn quickly, you haveto lean your bike over quickly. Buthow do you maneuver?

Your bicycle balances the sameway you balance a yardstick on thepalm of your hand. If you want tomove the yardstick to the right, youmove your hand to the left. Then,the yardstick leans to the right andyou follow it with your hand.

Just the same way, if you steeryour bicycle out from under you to

Avoid a rock by turning the handle barsto one side; then correct your balanceby turning them the other way.

In order to turn sharply to the right,twitch the handlebars to the left first tostart your lean to the right.

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Accident avoidance. a) Instant turn tothe right of a right-turning car. b)Instant turn to avoid a car running astop sign. c) Instant turn ahead of aleft-turning car.

If you are goingaround a curvetoo fast,straighten thehandlebarsmomentarily todrop into a deeperlean.

the left for a moment, then you canturn to the right. You must first steermomentarily toward the car you aretrying to avoid.

Try this technique in yourparking-lot practice area. At slowspeeds at first, yank the handlebarsquickly to the left. Your bicycle willlean to the right, and then you cansteer right. Practice first at slowspeeds, then at faster ones. Thefaster you go, the less sharply youhave to steer.

The instant turn is useful inmany situations. If a car comingtoward you begins a left turn, turnright into the side street with it. If acar pulls out of a side street from theright, swerve into the side street. It'sbest to turn to the right, behind thecar—but if it is too late for that, turnleft with the car. Even if you hit thecar, the nearer you are going in thesame direction, the lighter theimpact.

23

TOO FAST!Sooner or later, you may find

yourself going around a downhillcurve too fast. A variation on theinstant turn can get you through thissituation in one piece.

The usual, panic reaction is tosteer straight and brake. But thenyou are likely to go headfirst off theroad before you can stop. Instead,steer with the curve. Do not brake.Straighten the handlebars momen -tarily, as in the instant turn, to dropyour bike into a deeper lean.

Usually, you will make it aroundthe curve—your tires have moretraction than you normally use. Ifyou do skid out, you'll fall on yourside and slide to a stop.

If you are about to ride into awall or over a cliff, you may decideto de lib erately skid out. Lean into aturn, then hit the brakes. The fallmay hurt—but not as much as thealternative.

JUMP?There is a pothole straight ahead,

and no time for even a rock dodge.You were so busy looking up at thetraffic that you didn't see the potholeahead, and now you're about totrash your wheels. If only you couldfly. . .

Unfortunately, you cannot flyyour bike like the kid in E.T., but youcan jump your bike. Holding thepedals horizontally, squat down andpull up on the handlebars. Thenjump up and yank your legs upunder you. You will be past thepothole faster than reading "squat-pull-jump-yank."

Jumping is the quickest last-resort way to avoid a pothole orother road-surface hazard. Onceyou get good at it, you can even useit to climb low curbs or to crossdiagonal railroad tracks. In yourempty parking lot, practice jumpingyour bike. You must lift first the frontwheel, then the rear wheel as ittakes its turn with the bump. Yourtiming depends on how fast you areriding.

Once you know your emergencymaneuvers, you will gain a much ex -panded sense of security, confi -dence and style. You'll be able to"ride loose," to use the language ofCalifornia all-terrain riders. It is asign of an experienced rider, and itsaves your bike a lot of wear andtear.

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It takes practice to get peakperformance out of your brakes.You cannot just jam them on and

skid to a stop as in a car. You wouldfall off!

Your brakes must be in goodcondition to give your the mostcontrol. Good bicycle brakes workpowerfully and smoothly. If yourbrakes are weak or grabby, it is timefor an overhaul. In addition to goodbrakes, you need to under standweight transfer and how it affectsyour stopping.

HOW WEIGHTTRANSFER WORKS

When you are stopping—in acar, on a bike or on foot—yourweight shifts to the front. You seeexamples of such momentum everyday. When you are running and stopsuddenly, you have to put a foot outin front of yourself to keep fromtoppling forward. In the same way,when you stop a car, its front springssqueeze down as more weight goesto the front wheels.

Your bike does not have springs,but the weight nonetheless goes tothe front wheel. Try a little experi -ment: Walk along next to your bike.Squeeze the front brake lever. The

bike will stop quickly, but the rearwheel will rise off the ground.

Then squeeze the rear brakelever. Braking will be weak, and therear tire will skid.

The same things happen whenyou are riding. If you rely too heavilyon the rear brake, the rear wheel willskid and wear out your back tirequickly. On the other hand, you cango right over the handlebars if youuse the front brake too hard.

How , then, do you get a power -ful stop without risk? There is a trickto learn. Use the rear brake as asignal to tell you how hard to applythe front brake.

THE REARBRAKE'S SIGNAL

Practice on your bike in anempty parking lot. Squeeze the frontlever three times as hard as therear, while increasing force on bothbrake levers at the same time. Withyour light force on the rear brakelever, you are braking the rear wheelonly lightly.

For a powerful stop, squeeze thebrake levers harder and harder—the front always three times as hardas the rear. The rear wheel willeventually skid. However, by this

Chapter 6:

USING YOUR BRAKESPicture yourself on a city path. Suddenly, you notice that you are about

to ride down a flight of stairs. Alternatively, you are riding on a country

road and there is a bridge out just a few feet in front of you. In cases

like these, your bike's brakes could save your life. however, even if you

do not have such a dramatic experience, you will feel more confident

and go faster if you are ready to stop quickly and smoothly.

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time, most of the weight will be offthe rear wheel, so it will skid onlylightly. You will not wear a big baldspot in the rear tire—though you willfeel and hear the skid.

The rear wheel's skidding is yoursignal to release the front brake alittle. Once the rear wheel stopsskidding, squeeze the front brakeharder. Keep adjusting the force onthe front brake lever to keep the rearwheel just below the point ofskidding.

This is your braking techniquefor straight-ahead stops on clean,dry pavement. Under these condi-tions, the front wheel will never skid,and you can keep the bike undercontrol.

You can train yourself to releasethe brakes whenever the bike be -gins to go out of control. Practiceusing your front brake so hard thatthe rear wheel actually lifts off theground. At a very low speed, 2 or 3miles per hour, grab the front brakelever so hard that the rear wheel liftsoff. Then release the brake leverinstantly. Wear your helmet!

BRAKING UNDERPOOR CONDITIONS

Braking technique is differentwhen the road surface is slippery, orif you are turning. Under these con -ditions, the front wheel can skid. Youmust brake lightly and use the frontbrake less.

On pavement that is goodexcept for a few places, look aheadfor the slippery spots and bumps.Release the brakes as you go overthe bad spots, then increase forceagain once you are back on goodpavement.

On dirt, gravel or any surfacethat looks as though it might beslippery, test the surface by applyingthe rear brake lightly. If the rearwheel skids easily, avoid using thefront brake. Keep your speed downso that, even with your reducedbraking power, you can still stop. Inwet weather, the streets will be moreslippery and so will your rims. Drythe rims by applying the brakesahead of time. It can take 100 feetor more before the brakes begin towork normally.

When turning, you may have achoice to swerve out of danger orstop—but do not try to do both atonce. Practice braking on turns andslippery surfaces to get a feel forthese conditions.

Your training will pay off as youbecome more confident on the bike,in all types of riding situations. Younever know when you might have tostop—and the better you can stop,the more confidently you go.

Avoid turning and braking on aslippery surface. If your front wheelskids out, you will fall.

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THE SAFETY COCOONImagine a "cocoon" of space

around each bicycle in your group ofriders. It is easy to think that you cansafely pass closer to a bicycle thana car, because the bicycle issmaller. However, the bicycle canturn to the side just as fast as a car.Keep 3 feet of clearance when youare passing another bicyclist—moreat high downhill speeds.

At any time, one of your com -pan ions might be about to passyou, so be especially careful to ridestraight. You do not have eyes in theback of your head, and you cannotcon stantly trace the position ofbicyclists behind you as you ride.

When you are about to passanother bicyclist, it is your respons -ibility to do it safely. The othermembers of your group cannot readyour mind to know that you areabout to change position in thegroup. Check behind you before youchange your lane position. Call out,"On your left" to the bicyclist you'repassing, and pass on the left of theirbike.

Never sneak past another bicy-clist on the right—if you do, youforce the other bicyclist farther

toward the middle of the road with -out warning.RIDING SIDE BY SIDE

Bicyclists often like to ride sideby side so they can talk with eachother. Riding two abreast is legal inPennsylvania and most otherstates. It is okay on a straight, flatroad. There, drivers can see you frombehind, and you can usually see orhear them approach.

Side-by-side bicyclists occupy awhole lane. On a multi-lane roadwith light traffic, cars can pass youin the next lane. On a narrow roador with heavier traffic, be courteous!Do not make drivers wait for you.Pull into a single line well beforecars reach you. it takes only onethought less rider out to the left of thegroup to endanger the whole group.Call out, "Car back" to let the groupknow it is time to single up.

A rear-view mirror helps you tocheck on the cars behind you. Witha mirror, you can ride two abreastmore often and still pull back into asingle line to let the cars pass you.

Never ride two abreast on a hillyor winding road. Do not makeyourself into a last-moment surprisecoming around a curve or over ahilltop.

Chapter 7:

RIDING IN GROUPSWhether you are touring, training or just exploring country roads,

riding with friends can add a lot of fun to your bicycling. With a local

bicycle club, you can meet people and share information about routes,

equipment, and bicycling events. In addition, bicyclists often push

themselves harder and improve more when training together.

however, you can spoil the fun if you run into one of your companions.

Bike/bike crashes are just as common as car/bike crashes, so give

some attention to safe group riding.

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DEALING WITH OTHERROAD USERS

Some bicyclist fall for a "herdinstinct" when riding in groups—as ifthe group protected them, or there isnobody else on the road besides thegroup. It is tempting to play "followthe leader" in a group of bicyclists—tempting but dangerous.

When preparing a lane changeor turn, you are on your ownlookout. It can be safe for thebicyclist ahead of you to changelane position, but not safe for you,

since cars or other bicyclists couldbe approaching from the rear. Youmust look back for them just thesame as when you ride alone. Lookleft, right, and left again for traffic atstop signs—do not follow the riderahead of you into an intersection.

The only exception is in a tightlyorganized, small group that movescompletely as a unit. The first andlast riders are understood to be onthe lookout for the entire group. Donot count on this service unless it isunderstood in advance.

When crossing lanes, a line ofbicyclists should "snake" across,each rider in turn. This way, youleave a safe passage for cars. Aragged line of bicyclists blocks theentire lane.

Make a neat, straight line whenwaiting at intersections. Groups ofbicyclists who pile up at inter -sections block the road. Thispractice is unnecessary, dis court -eous, and dangerous.

When you stop to rest, read yourmap, or wait for companions, pullcom pletely off the road. It is sur -prising how many bicyclists fail toobserve this simple caution.

DRAFTING ANDPACELINE RIDING

When you ride close behindanother bicyclist, you do not have towork as hard. The bicyclist in front ofyou serves as a windbreak reducingyour air resistance. Experienced bi -cyclists take advantage of thiseffect, drafting each other in a pace -line.

In a paceline, each bicyclistworks hard for a little while at thefront, and then drops back to therear along the left side of the line of

"Snaking" across a lane, the cyclistscan allow the car passing to make itsright turn, while they turn left. Eachcyclists looks back before crossing thelane

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riders. Large groups may ride in twolines side by side—a double pace -line, with the leaders dropping backalong the outside, right and left.

A well-coordinated paceline ispoetry in motion, but drafting isalways a little risky. To take advan -tage of the windbreak effect, youmust follow the rider ahead of youclosely; but you must never let yourfront wheel overlap that rider's rearwheel. If the wheels touch, yousuddenly cannot balance and youwill almost certainly take a quick,hard fall. Other riders behind youwill land on top of you. Ride in apaceline only if you have developedgood con trol over your bike.

Everyone in a paceline must ridesmoothly, with no quick braking orswerving. Look past the rider in frontof you; Do not stare at his or herrear wheel. Try to anticipate themoves the lead rider will make. Thelead rider should announce roadhazards: "Glass, " "Dog right," "Car

up," and maneuvers: "Slowing,""Left turn." The last rider shouldannounce "Car back" when a car isabout to pass the group. Handsignals are not a good idea in a tightpaceline group—it is more importantto keep both hands on the handle bars.

When you pull in behind anotherrider to draft, call out “On yourwheel” so he will know you’re there.

There is a major exception tothese rules of cooperation: In amass-start road race, riders oftenswerve deliberately to make it hardfor others.

Meanwhile, other riders lurkbehind, drafting each other until thefinal minutes when they sprint all-out for the finish line. The tactics ofa race—drafting and solo sprints,cooperation and competition—makeit exciting for the racers and spectators.

However, leave this kind ofexcitement for the racers. Whenriding in a group, focus oncooperation, not competition. Relaxand enjoy your ride!

Four types of pacelines. The two at the left are relatively easy, but the two at theright require a well-coordinated group of expert riders.

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NIGHT RIDING.To ride at night, you need lights.

Even when streetlights show youthe way, you need lights so otherpeople can see you against theglare of car headlights.

A white headlight identifies thefronts of all vehicles. All statesrequire a bicycle to have a headlightat night. Pennsylvania also requiresa rear reflector visible from 500 feet.

TYPES OFBICYCLE LIGHTS

Three major types of lights areavailable for bicycles: small batterylights, generator systems and thehigh-powered battery systems.Choose your lights depending onwhere you ride.

Small battery lights are mostuseful for riding under streetlights.Aim the headlight so it looks asbright as possible to people aheadof you. Nickel-cadmium recharge -

CHAPTER 8:

RIDING IN RAINAND DARKNESSIf you use your bicycle for transportation, eventually, you will find that

you have to ride at night or in the rain. Though statistical studies show

that it is more dangerous to ride under these conditions, they also

show that the overall crash rate for bicyclists who ride regardless of

weather is lower than that for bicyclists who ride only on fine days (see

Jerrold kaplan, "characteristics of the Regular Adult Bicycle User,"

federal highway Administration, 1975). Skill and correct equipment

make it easy to ride with confidence.

able batteries will cut the cost ofoperating small battery lights. Mosthardware stores sell these batteriesand chargers for them.

Unlike small battery lights, agood generator system is brightenough to light your way on darkroads. It is the best choice for long-distance touring, where you may notbe able to buy or recharge batteries.Most generator systems go darkwhen you stop riding; a disad van -tage in stop-and-go city riding.Some generator systems have abattery backup that keeps themlighted when you stop.

High-powered battery lights arebrightest of all. They best for nightriding under demanding conditions:on dark roads or off-road. They aremore expensive and heavier thanother bicycle lights, and they needrecharging frequently.

When riding at night, carry sparebulbs and batteries for your lights. Itis also a good idea to carry a smallbattery light as a spare to get youhome in case your main lightingsystem goes on the blink.

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USING REFLECTORSDo not ride at night without a

rear reflector and pedal reflectors—and make sure that your reflectorsare not obscured by baggage or dirt.Reflectors work well for driversapproaching from behind you; theycontinue to work if your taillight bulbhas burned out, or if your stoppedand your generator lights go out.

It is a good idea to use additionalreflectors beyond those sold with anew bicycle. Most bicycle shopscarry reflective leg bands and vests.Adhesive-backed strips of reflective

material are also sold for the bicycleframe and fenders. The rear reflec-tor sold on new bicycles is not asbright as it could be; it has threepanels to reflect to the left, right andcenter. A large automotive reflectoris brighter directly behind you whereit is really needed. Be sure to aimyour rear reflector directly back. If itis tilted up or down, it may not workat all.

Do not consider front and sidereflectors to be a substitute for ahead light. Pedestrians stepping offthe sidewalk in front of you have noheadlights and will not see your

Aiming your lights. a) To alert drivers, flash headlight by twitching thehandlebars. b) Mount a generator or high-powered battery light low, to cast thelongest beam. c) Aim taillights and small battery headlights level. Test aim byrolling the bike toward and away from a wall. The center of the beam should stayat the same height.

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reflectors. Motorists pulling out ofside streets ahead of you also willnot see your reflectors, becausethese cars' headlights throw theirbeam straight ahead—across theroad in front of you.

Test your nighttime equipment:Have someone ride your bike pastyou at night and check to see howwell your systems work.

NIGHT-RIDINGTACTICS

When riding at night, you cannotsee drivers inside their cars to makeeye contact, but you can flash yourheadlight at them by twitching thehandlebars. Flash your headlightwhen you need to get the attentionof a driver pulling out of a sidestreet.

In some cities, the risk of theftand physical attack in dark, emptyplaces like parks, pedestrianoverpasses and industrial areas is

generally greater than the risk ofcrashes on streets with a rea -sonable amount of traffic, inresidential areas and busi nessdistricts. Choose routes accord ingly.

Rural riding at night is the mostdemanding of your equipment andtechnique. Most generator lights arenot bright enough to allow you toride downhill at full speed on anunlighted road. Stay within thelimita tions of your lights.

Two-lane, shoulderless ruralroads with moderate to heavy traffichave a bad record for nighttimebicycle crashes. On the other hand,quiet rural roads can be verypleasant to ride at night if yourheadlight is powerful enough toshow you the way.

At night, there are generallyfewer drivers on the roads; but ofthese drivers, a much largerpercentage are drunk drivers. Auseful trick on and unlighted road isto look at your shadow as a carapproaches from behind. If theshadow moves to the right, the caris passing to your left.

RIDING INWET WEATHER

Riding in wet weather can bemiserable, but if you equip yourselfwell, you can stay comfortable.

Many bicyclists carry no wet-weather gear, and they get soaked.Some bicyclists try to use rain gearborrowed from the coat rack athome. Long raincoats and ponchostangle with the spokes or frame.Rubberized rainsuits get as wetinside as out, because they do notlet perspiration evaporate.

The no-excuse headlight:A flashlight strapped to the handle barstem with a bungee cord is legal forcity use.

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A bicyclist's rain cape is a finesolution, along with fenders on yourbike. The raincape is like a ponchobut tailored to fit you in your ridingposition on the bicycle. It is smalland light to carry, and relatively in -expensive to buy. It has loops at thefront, which you can hook over yourthumbs or the brake levers, extend-ing front like a little tent. A waiststrap holds down the back of thecape. The cape should be brightyellow, to make you more visible todrivers.

The rain cape allows ventilationunderneath, and so it is the bestsolution on a warm, rainy day.However, with the rain cape, youneed a pair of full-length fenders onyour bicycle. They keep dirty waterand mud from flying up under yourcape. A mud flap on the front fenderor toeclip covers will keep your feetdry.

High-tech rainsuits of Gore-Texor other materials that "breathe" cando the job too, especially whenequipped with air holes to allow forcooling. Many have reflectivestripes to enhance your visibility,too.

Your riding technique needssome modification in wet weather.Rim brakes work poorly if thebicycle has steel rims—stoppingdistances may be increased by 10times. it helps to wipe the rims dryby applying the brakes in advance,well before you need to stop.

There are several ways aroundthe problem of wet-weather braking,among them special leather-facedbrake shoes, aluminum rims or ahub brake. One of these isadvisable if you ride much in wetweather. Check with your bike shopabout the best choice.

In the rain, pay special attentionto metal surfaces, such as manholecovers, painted traffic markings, wetleaves, and oil slicks. They are allespecially slippery. Avoid ridingthrough puddles if you cannot seethe bottom—a puddle can hide apothole.

When you get home, it is a goodidea to relubricate your bike chain,to help prevent it from rust.

Equip yourself, use reasonablecaution, and do not let messy condi -tions keep you off your bike.

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WHEN TRAFFICLIGHTS DO NOT TURN

Always stop and wait for redlights. You not only ensure yoursafety, but also increase respect forcyclists as law-abiding road users.

However, some traffic lights donot turn green until they receive asignal from a metal detector buriedin the pavement. A bicycle does nothave enough metal to make many ofthem work.

Recognize the detector by asquare or octagonal pattern of thinlines in the pavement, where slotswere cut for the detecting wires. Thedetector is most sensitive if you ridealong one of the wires.

If your bike does not trip thedetector, you have to wait for a carto do it, or else you have to gothrough the red light. Going throughthe red is not against the law,because the light is defective. Referto Sections of Title 75 (Vehicle Codein this pamphlet) pertaining topedalcycles Section 3112.

Detectors are made that work for

bicycles, at little or no additionalcost. Federal design guidelinesexist for these detectors. If you putenough pressure on your local andstate government, bicyclists canavoid the crashes and the city canavoid the lawsuits, which mayfollow.

GETTING THROUGHTRAFFIC JAMS

Traffic jams do not have to stopyou—that is one of the biggest ad -van tages of bicycling in the city.However, in the tight quarters of atie-up, take extra care. Stopped carsin a traffic jam present the samehazards as parked cars: blindspots,doors and unpredictable starts andturns.

If there is an open passing lane,use it rather than thread betweencars. If the street is completelyplugged, pick your way forwardslowly and with your hands on thebrake levers. Remember, any cardoor could open!

CHAPTER 9:

WAYS TO DEAL WITHTOUGH SITUATIONSlet us face it—some traffic situations go beyond the normal rules.

When the traffic system begins to break down because of

overcrowding, poor planning and disrespect for the law, you may have

to "bushwhack" your way through the mess.

You can emerge safe and maintain the respect of other road users if

you're careful. here are some of the common situations where you

have to take the initiative.

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If you are in a traffic jam, youcan be sure that the cars will notmove, since they have nowhere togo. However, if there is an opendriveway or parking space intowhich a car could turn, you have toassume that it will. Look to seewhether the car's front wheels areturned. Move away from the side ofthe car as you pass, and try to getthe driver's attention as youapproach the front of the car.

When cars are stopped, but notcompletely bumper to bumper, bevery wary of cars from other lanescutting across in the gaps. Stop andlook before you move out into a gap.Be especially careful if the vehicleyou are passing, like many vans,does not have a hood you can seeover.

Do not pass a long truck or busin a traffic jam unless there is a full,open lane next to it. If you ride closeto the side of such a vehicle, it maybegin to merge toward you, leavingyou no way to escape.

As you approach an inter -section, change lanes to the sameposition as you would in normaltraffic. Before you cross in front of acar to change lanes, make eyecontact with the driver even if thecar is stopped. When you reach anintersection, wait behind the first carat the traffic light. Do not move upnext to that car; drivers do notalways use their turn signals, so youdo not know for sure which way thecar will turn when the light turnsgreen.

These traffic-jam tactics arereasonably safe, but in some cities,it may not be legal for a bicyclist topass on the right or ride betweenlanes of traffic. On the other hand, it

is usually legal for you, or any driver,to cautiously disobey normal trafficrules when the road is "obstructed."SIDEWALK ANDBIKEPATH RIDING

Many people consider sidewalksa safe place to ride because cars donot travel on them. Unfortunately,sidewalks are not safe. Stay offthem, except where you have nochoice.

Trees, hedges, parked cars,buildings, and doorways createblindspots along a sidewalk, whichis too narrow to allow you to swerveout of the way if someone appears.A pedestrian on the sidewalk cansidestep suddenly, or a small childcan run out from behind an adult.Never pass a pedestrian until youhave his attention.

In addition, cars do usesidewalks—at every cross streetand driveway. Since there are noclear rules for travel on a sidewalk,your only choice is to ride veryslowly and look in all directionsbefore crossing a driveway or street.

A bikepath should be used withcaution. Even if bicycles are sup -posed to have the right of way, thepath may be too narrow for safemaneuvering. Pedestrians are justas unpredictable, and intersectionsare often hazardous. A bikepath canget crowded with roller skaters, dogwalkers, and careless, inexper-ienced bicyclists.

A bikepath can sometimesprovide a useful shortcut, and it canbe pleasant and scenic. However,do not ride on it jut because it isthere. Most bikepaths are no placefor a fast ride or commuting trip.

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AVOIDING THEMOVING BLINDSPOT

On your bicycle, you can seeover most cars. You will becomeused to this advantage. Do not let itfool you, though. You cannot seeover a large van, truck, or bus.Moving blindspots lurk behind thesetall vehicles.

Suppose that you are riding on atwo-way, four-lane street. You havemerged to the inside lane, becauseyou want to turn left. You signal yourleft turn and continue to moveforward. You see only one othervehicle on the street: a van, comingtoward you in the opposite passinglane. It stops to let you turn left. Canyou make your turn safely?

No! Since you are movingforward, a blindspot behind the vanis "moving toward you." A car couldbe passing the van in the outsidelane, and you would never see thatcar. If you were to cross in front ofthe van, you could be met with aterrible surprise.

ARE YOU INVISIBLE?People will often tell you to "ride

as if you were invisible." That adviceonly makes sense where you areactually hidden by a blindspot. Toride all the time as if you wereinvisible, you would have to pull offthe road whenever a car ap -proaches them from behind. Youwould also have to stop and waituntil traffic clears before crossingany intersection.

Instead, ride to make sure youare visible. Wear bright-coloredclothes by day, and use lights andreflectors at night. Also, test to makesure that drivers have seen you.This is the safest way to ride.

How do you test that a driver hasseen you? Here is an example.Suppose that your are on a mainstreet, riding toward an intersection.A car is approaching from the rightin the cross street where there is astop sign. How do you handle it?

MAKING EYECONTACT

As your approach the inter -section, look into the car window,and make eye contact with thedriver to ascertain that the driverhas seen you. Watch for the car toslow down more than it would if youwere not there.

If you look into the driver'swindow and the driver is not lookingat you, then be very cautious. Even ifthe car is stopped at the stop sign, adriver who does not know you arethere has no reason to stay stopped.Slow down, and call out to get thedriver's attention. Proceed only whenyou are sure that the driver is waitingfor you.

DEALING WITH RUDEDRIVERS

Some drivers try to cut across infront of you. They inch out from adriveway or stop signal and treatyou as if you have no right to theroad.

These drivers seem more dan -gerous than they actually are. Mostdrivers who play these tricks areonly trying to bluff you. They inchforward with one foot on the gaspedal and the other on the brakepedal, waiting to see whether you'llstop.

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Giving in to this bullying will slowyou down and leave your self-esteem in shambles. Stand up foryour rights. Do not let rude driversspoil your trip. Outbluff them. Hereis how.

With a little experience, and afterreading the chapter on emergencybraking in this booklet, you will havea good idea of your bike's stoppingdistance in any situation.

You outbluff a driver by making itclear that you don't intend to stop.Continue to move forward—andkeep pedaling, since your turningpedals are a clear signal to thedriver. Meanwhile, figure out whenyou will have to hit the brakes, incase the driver pulls out in front ofyou anyway.

In 999 cases out of 1,000, thedriver will stop and wait for youbefore you have to brake. Moveright on past the car. In the odd casethat the driver does not stop, you willbe prepared to brake in time.

The real danger at intersectionsis from drivers who run stop signs orred lights without even slowingdown, or who stop and then startagain without looking. However,these drivers are rare; crashes tendto deplete their numbers.

REDUCING FRICTIONBETWEEN BICYCLISTSAND MOTORISTS

The main way bicyclists annoymotorists is by doing unpredictablemaneuvers this booklet warnsagainst.

Fearful instruction—"always keepaway from traffic"—is passed downto children by parents who do notknow much about bicycling—the

To call the bluff on a driver inching outfrom a stop sign, check behind you fortraffic, then keep pedaling as youmove farther into your lane.

To call the bluff on a driver threateningto turn left from ahead of you, moveinto your lane to make yourself morevisible, then right to prepare yourescape if necessary and increaseyour speed.

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blind leading the blind. From about1930 to 1965, few adults rodebicycles in the United States, andthat was long enough for incorrectideas about bicycling to becomedeeply rooted.

Certainly, children should not beallowed to ride bicycles in heavytraffic, any more than they should beallowed to drive cars. However, thatdoes not mean that adult bicyclistsshould have to ride like children.

There will always be people incars who yell, "Get off the road." Donot let them bother you. Positionyourself to encourage drivers tomaneuver around you correctly. Ifmost bicyclists in your communityuse incorrect maneuvers, driverswill have some trouble under -standing your correct maneuvers.You need to make especially clearsignals. With experience, drivers willdiscover that they have an easiertime with bicyclists who use correctmaneuvers.

The number of bicyclists isincreasing, and in the end, moredrivers will come to understand thatit makes sense to share the road.Bicycles use less road space thancars; every person who chooses toride a bicycle is reducing trafficproblems.

Produced by thePennsylvania Department of Transportationwww.penndot.gov

Information from “Street Smarts” was provided by Bicycling Magazine, apublication of Rodale Press, Inc. of Emmaus, PA. Rodale publishes booksand magazines in the fields of health and fitness, gardening, woodworking,sewing and crafts. For more information about Bicycling Magazine or theother publications of Rodale Press, please call 800-666-2806 or write to:

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Pub 380 (3-18)

Tom WolfGovernor of Pennsylvania