The essential guide for new commuters

[classic33]

It's a good idea to do it sometimes, plus whenever you see or feel something in the tyre, but what commuter makes time to do it every ride?

I did, and I was doing it eight times a day. Working split shifts at the time.
Quick check can save time later.

 

[mjr]

a tyre inspection is hardly going to take you more than an hour

Not an hour, but a good five minutes to look properly, what with the gymnastics of holding the bike up and looking behind/below the rear mudguard (the front wheel is easy, granted), plus time to hoick out anything found. When commuting, either I'm going to work, so I want to get on and don't want to start riding or working with messy hands, or I'm going home and want to get on/in.

But I stand corrected: some commuters clearly do this dance every time

super glue up small cracks

Oh please no, not the super glue - a fine way to ruin a tyre with hard lumps. Use rubber.

Quick check can save time later.

It might, but it probably only wastes time now, unless you're running tyres that stick rubbish to them like softer Spesh ones.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Not an hour, but a good five minutes to look properly, what with the gymnastics of holding the bike up and looking behind/below the rear mudguard (the front wheel is easy, granted), plus time to hoick out anything found. When commuting, either I'm going to work, so I want to get on and don't want to start riding or working with messy hands, or I'm going home and want to get on/in.

I apologise. I didnt know that some people found it so hard to lift one side of their bike up a few mm of the floor and slowly rotating the wheel. I also apologise for wasting 5mins of your precious time to save you 10mins or maybe more of fumbling with punctured tyres and inner tubes at the side of the road as some tyres are exceptionally hard to remove and put back on the wheels.

 

[ianrauk]

It's a good idea to do it sometimes, plus whenever you see or feel something in the tyre, but what commuter makes time to do it every ride?

I do, before or after every commute and I have full mudguards.
It's doesn't take more then a couple of minutes.

 

[mjr]

I apologise. I didnt know that some people found it so hard to lift one side of their bike up a few mm of the floor and slowly rotating the wheel.

Are you always so sarcastic? It's not the lifting, it's the lifting while looking under the bottom of the rear mudguard that is the slow/difficult action. Easy if on a workstand but tedious in a cycle park.

I also apologise for wasting 5mins of your precious time to save you 10mins or maybe more of fumbling with punctured tyres and inner tubes at the side of the road as some tyres are exceptionally hard to remove and put back on the wheels.

None of mine are harder than 10 minutes, at least not with my levers :shrug: - and if I need it fixed quicker, there's always the sealant canister. 5 minutes a day to save 10 minutes every couple of months doesn't seem like a great trade.

 

[2clepto]

"if I was on a duel carriageway I would always hold primary in the inside lane to encourage motorists to overtake in the outside lane, and to stop people squeezing past in the inside lane (while undertaking someone in the outside lane)." i ride in a city everyday and i would never do this. i rarely ride on dual carriageways but if i do its outside of rush hours and its a meter from the kerb or so.

listening is they key for me. and looking back. for instance, if there is a lot of traffic sound coming from the rear and it sounds say up to 200 meters off ill look back quick and if both lanes are being used by vehicles ill move in closer to the kerb. if the sounds are very close behind because i haven't paid attention for ten or 20 secs ill just move into the kerb. drivers come by close, there is space for everyone (slim but safe imo) and as well as my own safety i dont want to cause vehicles to crash through dodging me in primary if they haven't see me you know. avoiding shocking inexperienced or inattentive drivers is my aim.

on a bike, its quite easy, if your a driver to understand what a vehicle is doing behind, with respect to them slowing, descending the gears, braking sounds sometimes, engine changes in tone, to know if a vehicle is slowing behind me readying to move into the outside lane once the faster car has passed themselves and me.

I just dont trust some drivers enough to be ready to move into the outside lane once they've seen me, if im riding primary. their previous collective driving doesn't warrant trust, they've got music blaring, chatting to friends, texting, kids in back, rushing to work and on and on.

sorry for criticizing im just reading through some threads.

edit spelling.

 

[mjr]

"if I was on a duel carriageway I would always hold primary in the inside lane to encourage motorists to overtake in the outside lane, and to stop people squeezing past in the inside lane (while undertaking someone in the outside lane)." i ride in a city everyday and i would never do this. i rarely ride on dual carriageways but if i do its outside of rush hours and its a meter from the kerb or so.

While I disagree with various bits of advice from other posters to this thread, I agree with that quote from @thomas about dual carriageways. I'm pretty slow compared to most but I hold primary in the left lane in such situations UNLESS the lane is so wide (>5.3m) that my dynamic envelope (1m width) plus a safe passing gap (1.5m) plus a typical car's width (3m) fits in before the centre line - that's 5.5m but I'd be OK with 20cm overhang of the shoulder line. Riding a metre from the kerb makes too many nobber motorists think they can squeeze past and I suspect that people riding that far left in dodgy-width lanes is part of why sideswipes are a top ten cycling collision type.

on a bike, its quite easy, if your a driver to understand what a vehicle is doing behind, with respect to them slowing, descending the gears, braking sounds sometimes, engine changes in tone, to know if a vehicle is slowing behind me readying to move into the outside lane once the faster car has passed themselves and me.

But you can also get to recognise the sound of an approaching motorist who is going to have a go at squeezing past in-lane regardless and swerve to the kerb before they make contact, but that's the time to move left IMO, not anything that can be mistaken as signalling encouragement to pass.

 

[darrentaytay]

Brilliant and very helpful document, great effort.

Thanks for this

 

[CrackPuffin]

I really liked this read - though now I am panicing about crashing into someone or being crashed into when I am on my bike - any advice of insurance and what I really need. I commute about 24.2 miles a day, 5 days a week for work and the odd weekend ride for fun. Got a Hybrid Trek FX 7.3 2013 model.

 

[mjr]

any advice of insurance and what I really need

Unless there's something special in your needs that I've missed, see the recent discussion https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-insurance-do-i-need.198093/ - insurance ranges can change from month to month, so it's best to look for recent tips.

 

[CrackPuffin]

Unless there's something special in your needs that I've missed, see the recent discussion https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-insurance-do-i-need.198093/ - insurance ranges can change from month to month, so it's best to look for recent tips.

Thanks for this response and the one of my own post! Helped a lot!

 

[jade1981]

I'm not a new cycling commuter (6 months since my electric bike purchase) but I will say i'm always learning something new on my trips to and from work and I think safety is so so important when it comes to cycling particularly at rush hour times like I do, however it hasn't put me off I just think the best thing to do is raise awareness of safety when cycling really liked this!

 

[edrobbin]

The bible of commuting - good effort.

I stumbled across the phrase that included the word 'courtesy'. In my books this is one of the most important things to be aware of. Driver in the same traffic jam they've been in every day for years, WVM pulling a fast one at the dodgy junction - all of them hate cyclists with a passion. Cyclists need to do everything they can to keep these guys on our side. Overtly giving someone space, a thumbs up or a wave if a driver does the tiniest thing in your favour - all contributes to them thinking 'actually, not all cyclists are that bad'.

RLJ'ing - does the exact opposite - increases WVM's hatred of all things 2 wheel. If nothing else is heeded from this excellent guide, be courteous, and don't RLJ

 

[AnthonyC]

As a commuter you really can't shortcut safety. Chances of you getting hit by a car are very slim, but if you're out there on your bike 5 days a week those chances start adding up. I'd say a defensive style is what you need, always look well ahead for cars that are breaking / pulling out of a driveway / opening a door into the road etc. Not sticking too close to the curb is important too, indeed, we have as much right to occupy a lane as any other user (if not more). But where possible, I prefer cycling a bit further and taking roads that are light on traffic.

Also, it's just going to take time for cyclists to become accepted by the less patient on the road. Unfortunately Britain has missed about 40 years of development on this front, but countries like the Netherlands went through similar friction in the 70s when the car arrived in large numbers, and it took lots of arguments, accidents and protests to finally change things for the good.

 

[mjr]

Not sticking too close to the curb is important too, indeed, we have as much right to occupy a lane as any other user (if not more).

I agree. It just gives you a bit more room to use if someone does something silly. I think it's worth practising emergency turns a few times (reverse what that US article says about left-turns, though!), just in case someone tries to left-hook or right-cross you.

But where possible, I prefer cycling a bit further and taking roads that are light on traffic.

Indeed. It's generally nicer and less polluted, too.