Fall & Winter Cycling Tips

I just started riding my bike regularly this summer, and now that it's getting cold, I thought I'd see what the internet has to say about bike commuting when it gets cold.

It turns out there's a lot of information out there, many written by people who live in much colder weather than Philadelphia- at least judging by their advice to follow dog-sled tracks. And if you are actually interested in commuting in places like Alaska, I've included links to more comprehensive resources below.

• Ride more slowly when it is wet or icy. Pump the brakes, keep your weight stable and on the back wheel, and don't lean into turns as much. Watch out for extra-slippery hazards like trolley tracks, manholes, grates, etc.

• Dress in layers. A simple way to think of layering is the three-layer approach: the innermost layer is the base layer (or underlayer), the middle layer is for insulation, and the outer layer is the wind/rain/snow protection layer.
  

• You don't have to go buy expensive outdoor gear to dress comfortably. While more expensive waterproof shells can offer better protection against rain and more ventilation, it's easy to find a cheap nylon shell or windbreaker. Check at your local department store, thrift store, or general clothing store. These Tips on Thrifty Dressing for Winter show you how to put together a full-body cold-weather outfit for under $40.

• In full winter, cotton underlayers will absorb sweat and then make you cold (unfortunately, that includes t-shirts). If you're getting cold on your commute, try synthetic or wool fabrics as an underlayer, like work-out clothes, which pull moisture away from your body. Thin synthetic pants can be pulled over jeans or work pants and then taken off when you get to work- especially if you get the snap-off kind.

• Key body parts to protect while winter bicycling are your hands, feet, and face.

• Be predictable! In winter weather it's harder to break, and visibility is worse. That means it's harder for cars to see you, and stop before hitting you. Avoid going the wrong way down one way streets, weaving, and blowing intersections.

• Use lights. Whenever visibility is bad, even if it's not raining or snowing, lights will make you more visible to cars. They are legally required -and a good idea for safety- when it's dark out. Extra tip: Using rechargeable batteries can save you a lot of money.

• Consider alternate routes for bad weather. Some roads might have more dangerous spots, steep hills that feel unsafe, or motorists that are prone to drive too fast even when roads are slippery.
  

• Fenders are great for keeping you, and your bike, clean in nasty weather. They can range from inexpensive snap-on kinds to more expensive, stylish ones.

For more info:
-SF Bike Coalition's helpful Wet Weather Riding video
-BIY, Bike-It-Yourself: Bike Through Winter- More extensive tips than are listed here.
-Chicago Bike Winter's comprehensive list of tips and resources for riding in winter.
-Bike Toronto has Cold-Weather How-To's for Bicycle Choice and Equipment, Maintenance, and Keeping Warm and Dry.

My first fall

On the way to work this morning, I got caught in trolley tracks on Spruce St while trying to pass another cyclists, and got sent skidding onto the street. I was looking ahead to see what was in front of him, and didn't pay attention to the tracks right in front of me until I was on the ground.

Luckily, apart from landing on my leg, both my body and my bike were fine. And luckily, the cyclist in front of me stopped to make sure I was OK and make me feel better.

Since I write for this education blog, I was told I should try to make my fall into a 'learning experience'. I've been riding across that intersection all summer, but the combination of being distracted and the slippery road were enough. It seems really easy to fall off your bike (and perhaps it's inevitable that we all do), but there are lots of tricks to make your ride as safe as possible- I've tried to post many of them the Commuting Tips sidebar. So when I head home this afternoon I'll make sure to look immediately in front of me before turning or shifting lanes.

And for when you do fall, things like wearing a helmet can make you safer.

In fact, I was fittingly on my way to work so that I could finish writing our Fall & Winter Weather Cycling Tips. After this morning, I moved the 'watch out for extra-slippery hazards like trolley tracks' advice to the top.

What do you know about Bike Cops?

An article yesterday on Philly Bike Police Officers helping patrol the G20 inspired me to read more about Bicycle Police programs. I'm probably not the only one who passes by Bike Police Offices without really thinking anything about them.

But lately, I've become really interested in the idea of police on bicycles. Ok, fine...I have to admit that my interest is partly because I find the idea of a high speed bicycle chase really exciting. Imagine a movie-style chase scene, full of explosions and crazy stunts, except instead of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover crashing through office buildings in a car, they're on bikes! The closest video that I found on YouTube was this cool bicycle chase through the alleys of Bangalore.

So I looked into whether 'high speed chases' are in the Bicycle Police Office handbook. The International Police Mountain Bike Association, a non-profit that provides "the best, most complete training for public safety bicyclists", lists some of the skills that are important for Police cyclists. No crashing through buildings, but the skills that these officers learn are still impressive:

• Maneuvering through heavy traffic and advanced low speed maneuvers;
• How to ascend and descend curbs, stairs, and other environmental obstacles;
• Knowing what tactics to use in a pursuit and how to dismount quickly and perform an arrest or fire their sidearm;
• Offensive and Defensive Measures like the bike as a barrier, foot pursuits, use of force, and weapon retention drills.

But being a Bicycle Police Officer is about more than just cool bike skills. The G20 article gets at one of the main strategic reasons for Police Officers on bicycles: they are able to navigate busy urban areas like traffic snarls and large crowds, which keep police in cars from being effective (such as the crowds expected in Pittsburgh this weekend). Bicycles often have an advantage in these city environments, where suspects can slip away through traffic, down alleys, into the urban landscape.

An essay by a professor at Babson College, The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Bicycle Police, highlights three main strategic reasons for Bicycle-mounted Police, including the one listed above: 1) navigating urban areas; 2) the open nature of the bicycle that makes bike patrol officers more in touch with their surroundings and more approachable by citizens; and 3) the ubiquitous nature of the bicycle allows it to travel most anywhere, largely unnoticed. "These advantages of bicycle patrol suggest that it is now more than a periodic fad," writes Professor Petty, "and should be considered a permanent part of police patrol and travel tactics".

So what is the life of a Bicycle Police Officer like? And what kind of stories do they have? Check back for more info soon, while I search for a Bike Cop to interview (maybe I'll get to learn some of those Bike Police skills...)


For more information, read the Brief History of Police Cycling which was above, as well as an informative article about the essay from the Bicycle Transportation Examiner. And the photos in this post come from this action-packed slideshow from Examiner.com.

Spruce/Pine Bike Lanes Photo Of The Day

Spruce/Pine Bike Lanes Photo Of The Day- Mayor Nutter confronts a van driver to get out of bike lane:

Even with the occasional stopped vehicle, these bike lanes will be incredibly helpful. Read more about this morning's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, and see more photos (including the above driver running to move his van) at our Philadelphia Bicycle News blog.

To Stop or Not to Stop- On Biking Rules' new Street Code for Cyclists

Up in NYC, the bicycling/walking/public transit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives has created a great new campaign: Biking Rules- Creating a new Street Code, written by cyclists, for cyclists. Their pocket-sized booklet has lots of information on commuting tips, covers the laws and rights of cyclists, and what to do in a crash. And there's a sweet online route planner on their website, Ride the City, which gives you multiple routes graded from 'safer' to 'most direct'.
One of the most interesting parts is that Biking Rules, like the Bicycle Coalition's I Bike PHL Pledge, encourages urban cyclists to follow the rules of the road. From the 'street code':

Here's a simple proposition for NYC cyclists: always yield to pedestrians. As our potential to cause harm increases on the street, so does our responsibility to others. Slowing down and giving someone the respect they deserve will go a long way towards fostering a sense of shared responsibility that will ultimately make NYC streets better for cyclists, pedestrians and even drivers.

Cyclists, as the fastest-growing commuter group in NYC, are the most obvious ambassadors for calmer and more livable streets. Cyclists often know, in painful detail, the fear and havoc that automobiles can bring to NYC streets. Let's not pose a similar threat to pedestrians in the walking capital of the world. Instead, let's seize this opportunity to usher in a new era of safer, saner travel.

The two italicized lines are what really stuck out to me when reading this. Cyclists say they find it inconvenient to stop at lights or stop signs, especially when they've grown used to not stopping. But the logic here is that 'calmer and more livable streets' are created by calmer and more respectful cyclists.

I recently read a really simple approach to this issue from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, who call running lights and stop signs an issue of 'right-of-way theft'. They talk about re-establishing the concepts of 'right of way' and 'yield': "In San Francisco, at least, these essential concepts are largely lost, from decades of overly tolerant enforcement and overly selfish roadway users. We all grew up understanding 'take your turn'."

Waiting at a light isn't as hard as it seems- in fact, it's a lot less stressful, and safer, than trying to weave your way across moving traffic. And, like Biking Rules explains, it makes traveling our streets safer and less stressful for everyone else too. Of course, following the Street Code doesn't replace the importance of advocacy and education efforts to make safer streets; but giving respect can only help cyclists get more respect in return.

In fact, even in a city designed specifically for bikes, I'd imagine they would still need some sort of stop lights. Take a look at Amsterdam: it's one of the most bike friendly cities in the world, and it has bicycle traffic lights. Of course, it's probably true bicyclists probably run those as well.

Picking a Route: You've got enough to worry about already!

Riding a bike through the city can be easy, fun, and relaxing- but it can also be stressful and difficult. That's why simple steps like planning a route can make a huge difference. You've got enough to pay attention to when you're riding in the city without worrying about where you're going. Or whether your route will be safe for cycling. Try taking a quick look at a bicycle map before you leave for your destination. Like the bicycle map embedded in this article, which has bike lanes and street directions.

Adding an extra 5 or 10 minutes to your ride to take a calmer route can make you safer, and less stressed. In fact, going a little out of your way to be in a bike lane or a less traffic-filled street can actually make your commute faster. It's also important for safety- a calmer route will decrease your chances of getting into a high-speed accident.


View Philadelphia Bike Lanes in a larger map

Some tips for picking a route:

1. Increase time on safe bike lanes, and decrease time on busy streets. As we all know, certain streets get a lot crazier than on others, which increases your stress and the chance of a crash. Take bike lanes where possible, but not if the road is too crazy, motorists ignore the bike lane, or there are so many stopped cars that you're weaving in and out all the time.

2. Riding on streets without bike lanes can be calmer and safer, when you position yourself safely and assertively on the road to keep cars from pushing you around. Click the link for our helpful article on how to use assertive lane positioning to stay safe and calm.

3. Use different routes for different situations. It can be helpful to know how to avoid traffic when rush hour it's rush hour, or minimize hills if you're feeling tired. Your morning and afternoon commutes don't have to be the same. Afternoons are a great time to explore new routes!

4. Think about bad pavement, road conditions, and crime. If you find yourself bumping around a lot, try a different street next time. Plus, you only have to forget to notice a pothole once for it to throw you off your bike. As for crime, make sure you're taking a route where you feel comfortable.

5. Ask other cyclists. The Bicycle Coalition's Maps Webpage has interactive commuter recommended routes, a bike-map wiki, and a user-updated bike hazards map.


If you're looking for more ideas or information, Ride Safely: Rule #1 Build a Safe Route is an article where I got a lot for this post!

Bike Lane Stencils on Spruce St.

John at the Bicycle News Blog caught up with the workmen laying down bike lane stencils on Spruce St. on friday and took some photos:

PARKing Day Photos

Last Friday, Sept. 18th was PARKing Day. We set up outside Studio 34 at 45th and Baltimore, joining with Neighborhood Bike Works to promote their Bike Parts Art Show that evening.

All over the country, and the world, people took over parking spaces for the day and turned them into parks. The purpose was not to protest parking spaces (ironically, it took a while to find parking near our PARKing Day spot), but rather to show the different possibilities for using urban spaces, and especially our streets. Although a lot of passerby also thought we were selling plants.

Read more in the City Paper's Review, and a Philly specific video from the Phila Daily News (with some sweet PARKing Day T-shirts). Check out lots more photos, and upload your own, at the World PARKing Day Flickr Group.









Setting up the spot.

Playing Scrabble while Ben got ready to grill up some food.


Really cool PARKing Day Shirt design:

PARKing Day w/ Bike Coalition at 45th & Baltimore

Join the Bicycle Coalition tomorrow, Friday September 18, for PARKing Day at our stand at 45th and Baltimore! We will be setting up near Studio 34, where Neighborhood Bike Works' Bike Parts Art Show will be opening at 7pm the same evening.

For more info on PARKing Day, check out this great video from Streetfilms. Also the Parking Day Philadelphia Network has a map of where some people will be setting up.

Intersections: Walking to School and Community Safety

Intersections is a new series of articles exploring the ways that riding a bike can contribute positively to many contemporary issues, whether we know it or not. This is the first in the series.

One of our goals here at the bikePHL blog is to show that using a bicycle can simply be about using a bicycle: it's fun, helps get you in shape, and is a cheap way to get around.

Just because you ride a bike doesn't mean you need to be fighting a one-woman or one-man revolution for a car-free earth, or carry a messenger bag and have lots of tattoos, or wear reflective vests and funny spandex pants (which are, supposedly, actually very comfortable). Bicycles can serve useful purposes for everyone -regardless of categories like these- and we are trying to reach people across all groups.

So for me, I still mostly see my bike as a way to get around. But I have also started to discover that bicycling can be relevant to many contemporary issues, whether we are aware of them or not.
- - -

Last sunday the New York Times published an article, entitled Why Can't She Walk to School?, about parents' fear of letting their children walk or bike to school by themselves. From the article:

...With anxiety over transferring children from the private world of family to the public world of school, the new normal can look increasingly baroque. Now, in some suburbs, parents and children sit in their cars at the end of driveways, waiting for the bus. Some school buses now have been fitted with surveillance cameras, watching for beatings and bullying.

Children are driven to schools two blocks away. At some schools, parents drive up with their children’s names displayed on their dashboards, a school official radios to the building, and each child is escorted out...

In 1969, 41 percent of children either walked or biked to school; by 2001, only 13 percent still did, according to data from the National Household Travel Survey. In many low-income neighborhoods, children have no choice but to walk. During the same period, children either being driven or driving themselves to school rose to 55 percent from 20 percent. Experts say the transition has not only contributed to the rise in pollution, traffic congestion and childhood obesity, but has also hampered children’s ability to navigate the world.

Jan Hoffman, New York Times 9/13/2009.

I am not a parent, so even though I can empathize with parents' fear for their kids I have never experienced it. But it seems like we only make our streets more unfriendly, and less safe, by isolating ourselves in this way. Rather than spending more time by ourselves in cars and homes, I would hope we can make the streets more safe by working together to go outside and fill them with friendly neighbors.

The Walking School Bus and the Bike Train are two strategies which accomplish exactly that. Parent volunteers walk or bike with groups of children, acting as the 'driver' and 'caboose' of the train, picking up more children (and additional adult supervisors) along the route.

These strategies work by getting more people out in the streets, biking and walking. In fact, studies have shown that the streets are safer from motor vehicle dangers, and from crime, by more people using them for biking and walking. Just by the act of riding a bike around, we all make our communities safer, and stronger.

Basic (and Easy!) Skills for Confident Urban Bicycling

Being able to balance on your bike, start and stop quickly, travel in a straight line, and look back over your shoulder are all important skills for traveling on city streets. And, as you will see below, they are easy to pick up! Learning basic road skills before going out on the road will help you be safer, and be more relaxed, on the road:


~Get on, start, stop and get off properly. Starting with your body in front of the seat, lift one of the pedals about 2/3 of the way up (around 10 o'clock). Push on that pedal when you start up, and you will raise your body onto the seat while your bike starts moving. Mighk Wilson has an excellent video clip.

~Ride in a straight line. Find a quiet street with a white edge line 2-3 feet from the edge of pavement and practice riding on that line. Keep the bike on the line while using hand signals.

~Turn your head without swerving. Scanning for overtaking traffic is critical. A cyclist must be able to look over her shoulder, see and communicate with motorists in order to merge. A common mistake is to turn at the shoulder, pulling the handlebar along with your head. Practice by riding along a line on a quiet street and turning to look behind you, then back. See if you can stay on that line.

~Balance and control the bike at slow speeds. Learning to balance and turn at slow speeds will give you control of your vehicle in a congested environment. This is especially useful when you are in a bike lane and encounter a stopped vehicle (which happens to me all the time on the Chestnut St. Bridge). Being able to slow down and look behind you will make it easier to merge, or at least get around obstacles, safely.

If you're already an expert on this stuff, check out our article on Using Lane Positioning to Stay Safe; or, Be Assertive, Not Aggressive.


If you're working on learning to ride, here's some great instructions for how to ride a bicycle from wikiHow.


Most of this post comes directly from the very informative Commute Orlando Blog.

How your location on the road can keep you safe; or, Be Assertive, Not Aggressive

One of the main reasons that bicyclists feel unsafe riding on city streets is that they don’t feel there’s enough space for them to stay safe. If you try to ride as far to the right as possible, when cars pass you it feels like you’re getting pushed off the road- or into parked cars.

Riding on city streets, it is best to stay to the right if there is enough space (or if there's a bike lane...such as the soon-to-be-striped, buffered lanes on Spruce and Pine!).

But remember: the farther from the curb you ride, the better motorists can see you- whether they're in your lane, oncoming, or on cross streets. Riding farther from the curb keeps cars from passing dangerously close, and from turning right immediately in front of you. It gives you more room to avoid car doors, debris, and potholes. Avoid the door zone video.

And it makes you feel comfortable, which is important for safety too! As the video above mentions, even if you’re far enough away from a car door that it won’t hit you, a suddenly opening door could scare you and cause you to swerve into traffic.

If drivers don't have room to pass you safely, they shouldn’t try. As a vehicle on the road, you have the right to take enough space in the road to be safe- which means riding a safe distance from the curb or from parked cars. If you ride all the way over to the right, you invite cars to pass you where the road is too narrow and where you will get squeezed off. Motorists don't mind slowing down for a predictable, visible bicyclist nearly as much as they mind a bicyclist who swerves out in front of them. That’s what we mean by “Be Assertive, Not Aggressive”.


Taking The Lane

Often, taking enough space in the road for your own safety means 'taking the lane', or riding in the middle like a car. It's safest to take the lane when: you're moving at the speed of traffic; there isn’t enough space for cars to pass you safely; or you're avoiding potholes or the doors of parked cars. If you come to a dangerous area, such as a bend in the road that you can't see beyond, ride in the middle of the lane to be more visible. Always check behind you before taking the lane.

While taking the lane, there's nothing wrong with slowing down or pulling over to let an impatient driver pass you. If a driver is being unsafe, it's better to let them get out of your way than stay behind you where they're dangerous. Similarly, if a line of cars builds up behind you, there's nothing wrong with letting the cars pass and then taking the lane again. This will make you safer, less anxious, and show courtesy to drivers.

If this still sounds scary, check out our Basic (and Easy!) Skills for Confident Urban Bicycling.

Dictionary of Bike Commuter Slang?

There are a growing number of bike commuters these days, and more bicyclists means more bike personalities. Just like the train or the bus, you see the same group of people if you ride the same route everyday-- some of them eccentric, some of them entertaining, some some of them annoying.

Matt at the BikeHacks.com blog has writen down some of the characters that we all encounter in a handy Dictionary of Bike Commuter Slang. Here's an entertaining selection of personalities that I recognize from my own commute, but there are many more in the full article:

Basket Gal: This is the gal that is rocking a front basket with all sorts of stuff in it, most often including a helmet. Basket gal must believe that as soon as she starts to fall or gets hit by a car, that in the split second before she hits the ground she will be able to, in one swift motion, reach down into her basket, scoop out her helmet, fling it onto her head and snap the buckle before her dome meets the ground.

Euro Guy: Okay, I admit, I have never ridden a bike in Europe before, but I have a stereotype of a European racer in my head. That stereotype is of someone sporting one of those short billed goofy cycling hats. Extra points are awarded if fancy European cycling companies are advertised on said goofy hat.

Fate of Civilization Guy: What this guy knows is obviously key to the survival of civilization because he can’t wait until he has arrived at his destination or stop his bike to speak on his cell phone. He has to endanger himself and everyone around him by riding while talking on his phone and riding at the same time.

Gerbil Gal: This is the gal that is constantly in her lowest possible gear, on flat ground, spinning madly and who looks like a gerbil spinning on a wheel. It’s comical in that the legs are spinning at mad RPMs, but she is barely moving forward (the 10 second mark in the video is classic . . . )

Hipster Guy: It seems that any bike blogger worth his salt likes to pick on hipsters, so why should I be any different? This is typically a guy wearing jeans, Chuck Taylors, and in recent months a fedora instead of helmet. Said guy might be in an independent coffee shop drawing up designs for a fedora shaped helmet right now. A tank top or T-shirt that is way too small is also worn so that tattoos may be displayed. Most often these riders have either a brightly colored chain, extremely narrow handlebars, or an aerospoke. If you hit the trifecta they are rocking all three.

Huge Calf Guy: This is the guy who appears to have the calves of a minotaur. They are freaking huge, almost as out of proportion as Popeye’s forearms . . . and yes I am jealous.

Mad Max Guy: These guys are not commuters, rather they are food delivery riders. Typically they are riding the wrong way down one way streets, are not wearing a helmet (except for the Dominos Delivery guys), and are riding bicycles that look they could immediately be used for a Road Warrior film.

Reflecto Guy: This is the guy who is covered head to toe in reflective gear. He will often purchase one of those reflective vests worn by members of road construction crews and will wear reflective pant guard protectors on both ankles. I am pretty sure I will look like him in about 10 more years.

“So you think you are better than me?” Guy: This is the guy who you pass and within a short time he passes you back, only to slow down his pace once again. Rarely do I pass a person with the intent to make a statement. However many people, perhaps due to competitive nature, feel you are dissing them by passing them and obviously say to themselves, as Izzy Madelbaum does, “So you think you are better than me?” Ironically once he passes you, he assumes his previous pace and you pass him again. Depending on the size of his ego, this might happen until you decide to pump the big beat and put him out of his misery.

Tin Man Guy: This is a guy riding a bike that is crying out in agony for lubricant.

Read the rest of the article.

It might just be the undergraduate English Major in me, but I find the idea of a 'bike commuter slang' really cool. The fact that someone can write a Dictionary of Bike Commuter Slang shows us that there's an growing culture (or sub-culture, if you want) of bike commuters that the slang had to develop out of. If we need new language to describe them, it shows that bike commuters are a growing presence on our city streets.

And most importantly, if there are so many different types of bike commuters, it means that there are a lot of different people riding bikes.

Everything you always wanted to know about bike locking (*but were afraid to ask)

It recently came to my attention that the Guide to Locking Your Bike in Philadelphia that we wrote on this blog last month is a little too long to be accessible. If you are looking for comprehensive, understandable tips for keeping your bike safe, read the older article. For a quick list of tips, keep reading below.

Tips for Locking Your Bike in the City

What Locks To Get
-Buy the smallest lock that serves your purposes: Tight fitting locks make it harder for a thief to use their tools.

-U-locks: Buy a strong steel-alloy lock with a flat key (tubular keys are easy to pick). Register the lock if it comes with a warranty/insurance.

-Cables and chains: The thicker, the better.

How to Lock
-Using two different types of locks will make your bike a smaller target, because it will take two different tools to steal.

1. Use your U-lock to secure the frame and rear wheel to the rack.
2. Use a cable lock or cable loop to secure the front wheel to the frame, rack, and/or U-lock.
3. Alternatively, you can remove your front wheel and lock the frame and wheels to the rack.
4. Always make sure the frame (and at least one wheel) is locked! Otherwise you'll come back to a wheel with no bike attached.
   

-The tighter the lock up, the harder it will be for a thief to break it:

• Little or no space in the middle of your U-lock will help prevent prying it open.
• Leave as little slack as possible in your cable to chain to prevent lock being smashed open against wall or sidewalk.

Where to Lock To
-Lock your bike to a fixed, immovable object that cannot be broken or cut.

• Check to see if a sign pole can be pulled out of the ground, or if the sign can be easily removed from the top.
• Chain link fences can easily be cut, some cross-bars on scaffolding can be easily removed.
• Don't lock to a tree! Trees are our friends, and regular locking to a tree can hurt and eventually kill it.

-Use a well-lit area with a lot of foot traffic and where your bicycle can be seen easily. It's even better if you can see it!

-Lock where there are other bikes. Chances are pretty good that there will be a less secure bike right near yours, and thieves will go for the easiest target.

-Lock up your bike even in your garage, apartment building hallway, or college dorm. If you have a sense of security and become a little lax, that's when a thief will take advantage.

Other Tips
-Quick releases work for thieves too! Take quick-release components with you, switch out the quick-release, or find a way to lock them.

-Watch out for each other! If you see someone messing with a lock or bike, don't assume it's the owner. If you see something suspicious, look for and notify a local authority or store security guard.

-If your bike gets stolen: Write down the identifying marks and serial number of your bike. If your bike is found this will help you prove that it’s yours. For more on how to find your serial number, stolen bike registries, and where to look for your bike, check our earlier article.


Video tutorial: Hal Grades Your Bike Locking

Safe Left Turns in the City

One of the most intimidating moments of bike commuting always comes when I'm cruising along the bike lane on a big road, and then suddenly a left turn comes up. (I still get overwhelmed every time I'm rolling down Spruce in the morning and have to turn left onto 38th St).

There are multiple lanes of traffic whizzing by on your left. You can't, or don't feel comfortable, forcing your way across to the left turn lane. And if there aren't any friendly motorists who will let you through (they do exist!), sticking your arm out to signal a left turn won't accomplish much. What do you do?

Making left turns can be easy. Probably the most common advice I give people who are new to bike commuting is to make box turns, rather than dealing with merging.

The wonderful CommuteOrlando blog has put together a great flash-animated guide to making a variety of left turns. I've put the tips for the two left turns most useful on Philly streets:


Box Turn: If you come up to a left turn and you're not ready to merge over, or feeling nervous about it, or new to bike commuting, or whatever, this is an extremely easy option. Instead of turning left, just go straight! When you get to the opposite corner, stop in the lane or bike lane, and turn 90 degrees to the left. Then you're ready to go, without having to make a potentially intimidating left turn! Just make sure you're ready to ride when the light changes.



Tips for Standard Left Turn: Sometimes it just doesn't feel possible to get over in time to turn. But Keri's Commute Orlando article on Left Turns makes the point that traffic travels in packs. If you plan ahead, and time it right, you can often merge over when the road is empty between packs of cars.

And don't be scared to take the lane when you have the opportunity, even if you've still got half a block to go before the intersection. As Keri explains, this "technique only requires overcoming the belief that you need to always be riding in the right lane". Read Commute Orlando's Getting the Road to Yourself for more on using traffic patterns to make your ride safe and stress-free.



Big thanks for CommuteOrlando for putting together such a great resource! Check out the article for flash animations on how do these turns, and others which are suited to really big, more highway-like roads.

Certified Car-Free: A Rider's Perspective

Bicycle Coalition intern Max Rosen-Long sat down with TD Bank Bike Philly rider (and Bicycle Coalition member) Julie Cristol to get her thoughts on riding car-free for a morning.

Julie Cristol, 49, was born and raised in Philadelphia and has been riding a bike in Philadelphia since 1988.

What can you tell me about TD Bank Bike Philly?

It’s really fun. The first year I found it to be very emotional, which really surprised me. We took off down the Parkway, and I just felt overwhelmed, like I was going to cry. Because it was so wonderful to be there without any cars. And it made me realize that everyday when I’m biking I’m tense and I’m worried about the cars- I’m always wondering if someone’s gonna not see me, or get angry at me, yell at me, honk at me, whatever it is. I don’t constantly think that I’m tense, but to ride down the parkway with all of those other bikers and no cars, it was just this overwhelming feeling of joy, and I practically started crying...


Read the rest of the interview here.