Duke said:What best practices do you recommend for this type of
road? Can you still use the little flag on the bike - are
they effective? How about an safety-orange hunter type
vest? Also note that I work from 6am-3pm, so while there
is less traffic in the morning, it is usually dark.
I'm not a big believer in the flags -- they are kind of a
hassle to ride with. The probably do improve your
visibility, so that's a plus.
I used to commute 52 miles/day (round-trip) 2-3 times a
week in good weather, now I'm reduced to a 12 mile/day
commute to the ferry dock because my job location changed.
My 52 mile commute had every kind of traffic - country road
with the occasional 85mph motorist, and packed urban with
average car speeds at 15-20 mph. My current commute is
straight through the downtown of a small city with a lot of
outbound commute traffic.
Wearing something easily visible (like the vest) sounds like
a good idea. It probably would not hurt to put a blinkie or
two on the back and front of your bike either.
I think the most important thing is to focus on riding
safely. To me that means riding predictably, without sudden
excursions left or right. Signal your changes. When you come
to a traffic situation, ask yourself what you would do if
you were in a car, and place your bike appropriately -- for
instance, I think passing a line of cars on the right is not
very safe -- if I were in a car, it would be harder to see a
cyclist coming up on my right, so I either wait for the line
to move, or pass on the left, depending on the situation.
Don't make left turns from the right lane (get into the left
turn lane). Don't block cars trying to right turn on red if
you can help it. Don't switch from sidewalk to street and
back - the cars won't be able to figure out what you're up
to. Pay attention to what's going on around you -- don't be
the only one left moving when everyone else has pulled over
for an ambulance. If you run a red light, be prepared to
have a previously invisible Hummer take you to your reward.
You didn't give your location (and there's no reason to
reveal personal information in this newsgroup if you don't
want to), but you should become familiar with the traffic
laws pertaining to bicycles in your area. Most places in the
US, they boil down to "operate your bicycle as a vehicle in
traffic". Some locations have restrictions, such as bike
lanes (bikes must stay in the bike lane, mostly) or blue
zones for busy intersections, or bridges where bicycles are
prohibited.
Try riding your route at a less busy time than rush hour
once or twice, to become familiar with it and to be ready
for the normal parts of the ride - stop signs, lights,
parked cars, etc. You can't change your route, but maybe you
can change the time you travel if you're not comfortable
with traffic at 6am or 3pm. Being a lazy slug, I am thinking
of changing your work schedule to something in the 10am-7pm
range, you, on the other hand, might want to consider
something earlier than 6am as a start time if there's any
flex in your schedule.
My bet is, that once you've done the 5mi commute once or
twice, you won't want to go back. With enough ride time, you
might get fast enough to go home for lunch.
