Street Riding Tips
Lanes: Street Riding Tips
Here’s a video of a bike rider navigating Ross Rd. in South Palo Alto. First, you’ll see them do it the safe way, and then the unsafe way.
When you see a bike symbol with an arrow, a “Sharrow”, it is telling cyclists where to ride in the road.
3 tips for biking with others in the flow of traffic.
- Ride with the flow (same direction cars are going).
- On larger streets, ride to the right but not so far that you run into hazards on the road or in the gutter. Remember, you can always pull over if you’re uncomfortable being on the road, or if it looks like a vehicle is about to turn right in front of you.
- On narrow roads that don’t have enough room for a car to safely pass you, you should “Take The Lane”. “Taking the lane” means riding 6-8 feet from the dangerous door zone. The Door Zone is where a car driver could suddenly open the door on you.
Has this ever happened to you or anyone you know?
When you take the lane, ride towards the center of the lane. Car drivers will wait behind you until they have 3 feet in the road to pass. If you ever feel unsafe when taking the lane you can use your hand signal and pull over to let the car driver pass. You can do the same thing if it ever looks like a vehicle is about to turn in front of you.
