The Bicycle Workshop

How to keep biking as the days get shorter.

Biking in the late summer, early fall is my favorite time. The days get hot but the mornings and afternoons are crisp. Maine at it’s finest. The only bugger is that my commute ride can start to bump into low light situations. That’s not a big deal, but one that needs to be tackled head on.

The law says you have to have lights on your bike on the road. A white one in front and a red one in back, each visible at least 200 feet away. Reflectors are required too and are not enough on their own.

Most bike/car collisions occur because the cyclist created a dangerous situation and the leading one is being invisible. A bike on the road at night, without adequate lights and reflectors is clearly more likely to get hit by a car.

So if you don’t have it already, you will need to get yourself some gear. Here is a list of the things to get and why they matter.

Lights: A basic headlight is 2 – 3 watts and is enough to be seen but not to see with. Look at a 10 watt or higher halogen light on the front. They throw a good beam and motorists notice them. Get a rechargeable model that will last for at least your whole commute time. Most have a battery that goes in a water bottle holder, which works well. Then get a second headlight. This should be a little LED blinky light. It should also go on the front of your bike. It helps approaching cars realize you are a bike, not a motorcycle in the distance. It’s also your back up light.

On the back, get a red LED light. Flashing or steady is fine. But realize, that on the road, they look like a motorcycle taillight far in the distance, so you need to do more.

Check out a reflective/lighted ankle strap. Mine cost about $12 at LL Bean. It didn’t look like much in the store but it is amazing on the road. Plus, no other thing on the road has a motion like a cyclist’s foot going up and down while pedaling. It’ll get noticed.

Reflectors on your pedals are great. Again, it’s the pedaling motion. Motorists notice it right away. You also want them on the front, back and sides. Some tire sidewalls have reflectors built in, which work really well. Otherwise stick some reflectors in your spokes. It’s an unmistakable motion going down the street. Remember reflective tape too, it’s lighter and more versatile than the plastic reflectors and can work where others cant.

Don’t forget your body. A bright lime green/yellow jersey or jacket is an essential riding accessory in low light. As it goes to no-light though, put on a reflective vest or jacket over it. The goal here is to be seen.

Do you drive a car? Do you ever pass cyclists? Then read this.

Even if you are a cyclist but find, like many of us, that you spend the large majority of your travel time behind the wheel of your car, please take a few moments and read this. Your cyclist neighbors’ life could depend on it. It’s probably been quite a while since you took your drivers test and got your license. Where there questions about bikes on the test then? There are now. And what about the new law that just passed for cyclists; L.D. 1808, have you read it? Few have, but here is your chance.

Motorists are what scare bicyclists more than any other thing out there. Nothing makes me feel more vulnerable than a car driver passing me far too close or slowing down and turning right in front of me. I always think to myself, “If I was in my car, they wouldn’t do that!” I’ve had folks do many rude and stupid and occasionally mean things to me on a bike, but most, I believe, were done out of ignorance.

To start with, let me say: A bicyclist fares best when he/she drives and is treated as the driver of a motor vehicle. The rules for bikes are the same as the rules for cars. Lights, signals and riding in the road are all identical. That’s the law. The bicyclist who drives on the wrong side of the road, has no lights, doesn’t signal and so on is breaking the law and should be stopped and educated. But realize that for years we taught kids to ride on the left side of the road. Then we realized our mistake and switched sides, but we taught a lot of people the wrong thing. Imagine if we had done that teaching people to drive cars.

So what’s a motorist to do? Just play nice. I teach cyclists to ride 18” to the LEFT of the white line, when there is no decent shoulder. Why? The most experienced cyclists and the crash data support that this is the safest spot. So as a motorist, slow down a little and give them some space as you pass them. Oh, and you DON’T need to honk at us. We already know you’re there.

How much room should you give? The new law says 3 feet.

If that means you have to cross the center line and it’s a double yellow line, L.D. 1808 says you can cross it momentarily if it’s safe to do so. Please do so.

Also, we don’t ride on the sidewalk because in almost every town in Maine, that would be illegal. Bikes approach motor vehicle speeds, so bikes need to be on the road. If a child is on training wheels, that’s another story. Most bikes go faster than you think.

You might see a cyclist in the middle of the lane at an intersection too. That’s also the safest, and legal place to be.

The bottom line is the person on that bike most likely holds a valid drivers license too. If we all follow the same rules it’s safer for all of us. So when you are driving and see a cyclist, think of them as a skinny, slow moving car, and act accordingly. In other words, play nice.

To see all of L..D 1808 please go to http://www.bikemaine.org/ld1808_about.htm.