Ride Guide for Ride Day
The following guidelines apply for Bike New York's Harlem Valley Rail Ride, Long Island Harbors Ride, and Twin Lights Ride, which travel on roads open to vehicles. (Click here for safety tips for the Commerce Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, which is different due to road closures and the volume of cyclists.)
Stay safe by following these few simple rules:
Keep Your Ears Clear When Riding
Would you ever consider riding your bike blindfolded? No way! You'd miss out on the vital information you need to see while cycling, like streetlights, stop signs, and car doors opening in your path. Lots of bicyclists put themselves in danger by similarly limiting their senses, though, by cycling while wearing headphones or chatting on a cell phone. Seem harmless to you? Well, consider what those cyclists are missing out on, and you'll get the message loud: Keep Your Ears Clear!
Critical sounds you won't hear while bopping to your favorite playlist:
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Stopping at Lights and Stop Signs
Don't you hate it when you have the right of way and a driver cuts you off, or when a driver runs a red light as you are proceeding through an intersection? Now put yourself in the position of motorists who see bicyclists doing the same thing. Despite having the protection of their cars, motorists find this scary because it's so unpredictable. And, it could involve them in a crash with the cyclist or with another motorist as they try to avoid the red-light runner.
Sure, red lights and stop signs can seem inconvenient when we're riding, requiring extra energy to speed up after stopping. But running through those traffic signals is the wrong thing to do, both for your own safety, and for the larger interests of cycling. Here's why:
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The following guidelines apply for Bike New York's Harlem Valley Rail Ride, Long Island Harbors Ride, and Twin Lights Ride, which travel on roads open to vehicles. (Click here for safety tips for the Commerce Bank Five Boro Bike Tour, which is different due to road closures and the volume of cyclists.)
Stay safe by following these few simple rules:
- Stay right. Ride as far to the right side of the road as is safe. Full Explanation >
- Stay alert.
- Separate. Maintain adequate distance between you and the cyclist ahead of you, especially on downhills. If you're passing someone, call out "on your left" so they know you're coming.
- Wear your helmet. Always, all day. Helmet Safety >
- Keep your ears and eyes clear. No headphones, picture taking, or cell phone use while riding. More Info >
- Obey traffic laws. Watch for and obey stop signs and stop lights. Why?
- Right is the law. In New York State, for example, cyclists must ride near the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway or shoulder to prevent undue (and hazardous) interference with the flow of faster traffic, except when:
- making a left turn
- avoiding unsafe conditions or obstacles, like glass or gravel, near the right edge or curb
- taking an entire traffic lane that is too narrow to share with overtaking vehicles.
- Right is predictable, and predictability is a cyclist's first line of defense. Riding on the right side of a two-way road puts cyclists where other road users expect traffic, making cyclists very visible. Riding on the left or against traffic greatly increases a cyclist's chances of crashing.
- Right is considerate, and being considerate makes for a safer, smoother ride. Riding two abreast or riding in the middle of the lane makes it difficult and possibly dangerous for faster traffic (including faster cyclists) to pass safely.
- Right isn't perfect, though, so always use your best judgment.
- Ride four feet from parked vehicles, and always pass parked vehicles and slower traffic on their left.
- Ride more to the middle at blind intersections and driveways to be more visible.
- Never make a left turn from the right side of the road; move to the left side of your lane or to a left turn lane first.
Keep Your Ears Clear When Riding
Would you ever consider riding your bike blindfolded? No way! You'd miss out on the vital information you need to see while cycling, like streetlights, stop signs, and car doors opening in your path. Lots of bicyclists put themselves in danger by similarly limiting their senses, though, by cycling while wearing headphones or chatting on a cell phone. Seem harmless to you? Well, consider what those cyclists are missing out on, and you'll get the message loud: Keep Your Ears Clear!
Critical sounds you won't hear while bopping to your favorite playlist:
- Cars and trucks--particularly, speeding cars and trucks--approaching you from behind.
- Vehicles approaching an intersection with a blind spot, like cars parked on the corners.
- Trucks and construction vehicles driving in reverse into your path of travel.
- The rev of a car engine as it prepares to leave a nearby parking space.
- The click of a car door about to open into your path of travel.
- The sounds of a bus pulling into a stop behind you or pulling out ahead of you.
- Emergency vehicles approaching you from behind or crossing against a streetlight ahead of you.
- Fellow cyclists ringing a bell or calling out "passing on your left."
- Park users calling for loose dogs or children as they enter your path.
- Birdsong, chirping crickets, and friends calling out your name.
- The "oohs" and "ahs" from on-lookers as they admire your bike skills!
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Stopping at Lights and Stop Signs
Don't you hate it when you have the right of way and a driver cuts you off, or when a driver runs a red light as you are proceeding through an intersection? Now put yourself in the position of motorists who see bicyclists doing the same thing. Despite having the protection of their cars, motorists find this scary because it's so unpredictable. And, it could involve them in a crash with the cyclist or with another motorist as they try to avoid the red-light runner.
Sure, red lights and stop signs can seem inconvenient when we're riding, requiring extra energy to speed up after stopping. But running through those traffic signals is the wrong thing to do, both for your own safety, and for the larger interests of cycling. Here's why:
- Traffic laws are designed to maximize predictability for everyone, so that all road users know what to expect from each other at busy places like intersections. Running red lights and stop signs makes things unpredictable. Cyclists endanger themselves when they put themselves in front of motorists who have the green and are not expecting cross traffic.
- It's a bad habit that may catch up with you some day. Most cyclists think they are "careful" to scan the intersection before blowing through the red--until that day when you have something on your mind and fail to notice the cop, who then writes you a ticket--or worse, the bus approaching the intersection at speed. What's more, if you have or cause a collision while running a stop sign or red light, you may not only be unable to collect damages for your injuries, but you may be held liable for damages and injuries to any pedestrians, cyclists, or motorists involved in that crash.
- It scares and angers pedestrians, and we need them as allies to make our streets safer. Too many cyclists do to pedestrians what drivers do to cyclists--cutting off pedestrians while blowing through a red light. Not cool. Pedestrians appreciate when cyclists stop and yield to them, and a little politeness does wonders for other people's image of cyclists.
- When cyclists are seen as scofflaws by other road users, cyclists' efforts to make the roads safer through better enforcement are undermined.
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