Pedal etiquette
When riding in the city, cyclists should use their senses and their common sense to stay out of trouble
When spring weather meets hundreds of kilometres of cycling routes in this fair city of ours, cyclists get out their rides and let the rubber hit the road.
And as responsible and polite riders we must mind our manners when cycling about. Why? Because collectively it is up to us to improve the image — and correct the perceptions — of the Ottawa cyclist.
It’s a fine line discussing perceptions. If pedestrians and car drivers base perceptions on real-life observations, then the perceptions may be true. If they’re true, then the following is true of road cyclists: we don’t stop at stop signs; we ride the wrong way on one-way streets; we ride on sidewalks narrowly missing (and most often scaring) pedestrians; ride three-or-more abreast on larger roads; and the list goes on.
Now before I get inundated with emails saying, “Yeah, but …”, this column isn’t about the cars or pedestrians and their error-ridden ways, it’s about us, the cyclists, and how we’re to act when cycling.
The great thing about the future is that our politicians and city staff have been adding more cycling lanes all over the city. The benefits vary from helping the environment to providing a healthier lifestyle to those going from A to B.
The more bikes there are on the road, the more we’ll have to work together to get along.
Automobile drivers and pedestrians will have to do their part, and cyclists as well. Here are some etiquette and safety tips for the urban cyclist. Stick to these habits and the perception will change.
❚ Never ride your bike against traffic. Way too often I see cyclists zipping the wrong way down the street in a reckless fashion. I get that they may feel safer facing traffic, but a whopping 20 per cent of car-bike collisions result from riding the wrong way. Car owners are used to looking toward the oncoming traffic to see if the way is clear. So ride with traffic and you’ll be safer.
❚ Try not to swerve. When travelling on the right side of the road, you’ve no doubt noticed the sewer drains. Nothing frustrates an automobile driver more than leaving room for the cyclist on the right only to have same cyclist weave way left into the lane to avoid a drain. Watching enough, you’ll notice they’ll do this manoeuvre over and over again. Instead, stake your claim to the 50 centimetres from the curb’s edge and ride in a straight line. If you’re too far over you’ll be backing up cars behind you, when you don’t really need to.
❚ Don’t cut corners. When riding with traffic and you plan to cross all lanes to turn left onto a street, do it properly. Automobile drivers do the same mistake as well … cutting corners. You don’t want to cut too hard left, narrowly missing a car pulling up to the stop sign.
❚ Know when to ride in the middle lane. More for safety, always look ahead to see if you’ll need to go around a parked car. Plan for it early enough so you can safely merge with traffic before pulling over to the right again.
❚ Signalling. Don’t get on these chariots unless you know how to communicate to those around you. It’s surprising how often pedestrians or automobile drivers rely and appreciate a cyclist signalling their intentions. Just ensure you’re using the correct one. Oh, and try to use more hand signals and less finger ones. ❚ Riding abreast. When you’re allowed to do so, do it, as sometimes it gives the group more presence and peace of mind. However, when you’re not allowed and automobile traffic is suffering because of a blatant disregard for the rules of the road, you’re being impolite. Ann Landers would be sad. So riding to and from work or just on a weekend outing, stay to your single lanes when it’s mandatory. Besides, many find cycling beside each other can lead to distractions such as failure to hear what’s lurking behind you.
❚ Confrontation. Nobody likes it and it wrecks everyone’s day. If it’s between your bike and their car, the car will win. There are sadly enough headlines to confirm this fact. You flip a driver the bird, they slam on the brakes or worse. Nobody wants “I was in the right” carved as their epitaph. If a driver does something wrong and gives you the dreaded one-finger salute, just wave and smile at them like they’re an old friend. It will confuse and de-fuse them.
❚ Share the path. Multi-use pathways are for all: pedestrians, families, in-line skaters and skateboarders. So ride carefully and refrain from cycling past others at warp speed.
❚ Keep off the sidewalks. Bikes are to ride in bike lanes and designated pathways. Making a game out of pedestrians ducking for cover from your iron steed is not only impolite, it’s just mean. Drive where you’re supposed to and be cognizant of the pedestrians around you.
All cyclists (yes, and drivers) need to remember the 1960s folksong Kumbaya (associated with human and spiritual unity, closeness and compassion). If we ride this way, manners and polite behaviour will spread throughout the land … just in time for the spring weather.