Here’s the situation.  You’re riding your bicycle on a road with a narrow lane (by law in some states this is a lane less than 14ft in width).  Most city streets meet this “narrow road” criteria as well as many rural roads with no shoulders. The key to safety is to maximize your visibility to motorists by being on a location [...]

First a quick quiz – choose the BEST answer. A cyclist is riding in the center of the lane, she’s doing this because: a) she has the legal right to do so, b) she wants to be seen by the cars behind her, c) she’s being a “road hog”, jerkette, etc. Drum roll… The answer is B! Option A is [...]

1.3 million people live in San Antonio, TX – the seventh largest city in the United States. There are 3 active League Cycling Instructors in San Antonio. Yeah, we have our work cut out for us. No doubt our success, then, relies upon our ability to find great partners that can help us support cycling education in San Antonio. VIA Metropolitan [...]

At the end of August, I successfully taught my first Traffic Skills 101 class to six enthusiastic San Antonio cyclists.  This bicycle safety course is taught by League Cycling Instructors and is part of the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling program.  It was a great experience on many levels: I got to spend a lot of time sharing my [...]

Google recently announced that Google Maps now supports bicycling as a method of transportation when requesting directions to a location.  Google says the system will generate a bicycle-friendly route by considering factors like traffic levels, hills, existing bicycle facilities and more. I used the feature to see what route it would generate between my house and workplace.  I was impressed [...]

As a continuation of Part One, let’s take a look at two more powerful bicycle tail lights that I’m convinced will improve your visibility and contribute to your safety on the road. CatEye TL-LD1100 The TL-LD1100 is Cateye’s top-of-the-line bicycle tail light with 10 super bright LEDs – six that point rearward (aligned in two rows of three) and two [...]

I have earned the official designation of “salt monster on two wheels.” I’m not really kidding, either. When I arrive home after my bicycle commute, there are sometimes egregious amounts of salt on my helmet straps, bicycle bag or anywhere else my salt exuding body has touched. It’s at times fascinating but mostly just gross. Here are a few tips [...]

In late May, I stayed overnight in Austin, TX to attend the League of American Bicyclists’ Traffic 101 class. The class was supported by members of the Austin Cycling Association and REI which provided a conference room free of charge. The class was nine hours long – 4 hours of classroom instruction and 5 hours of “on the road” training. [...]

As a follow-up to my original article, The Art of Being Conspicuous, here’s a video demonstrating how bicycle lighting really helps to make you stand out so that drivers are much less likely to be surprised by your presence on the road.Also, keep in mind that while many bicycle lights claim to offer 10 or more hours of service this [...]

…or, how to survive riding your bicycle in the dark. Reflectors are just one part of being conspicuous As a bicycle commuter, riding in the dark (especially in the morning) is a simple reality. For me, its a choice of making myself visible to a small number of cars in the dark on my commute to work or waiting for [...]