Roadie Tips To Stay Alive...

Eye contact doesn't mean squat. When I used to ride my motorcycle people would stare right at me even looking like they were following me with their eyes and then would cut out and make a left nearly killing me. One time someone did that and then we they saw me after coming half way out into the lane they raised their hands up in the air (off the wheel) in an "oh shit" mode I had to cut into the oncoming lane or face a painful event. We were the ONLY two vehicles on that road at the time and still I almost got nailed.
 
It gets hard to make eye contact in the summer days when the car's window is rolled up and you've got sun glare off the windows & your glasses. In those cases I'll give them the staredown and watch their front wheel for any movement.
 
Had my closet call yet and almost got t-boned by a car going probably 60mph in a 40. I was running a red light and he was going for the yellow, so it would have been my fault. Strangley, I don't think my heart rate even jumped :hmmm:
 
When on the road I always use a hacked helmet mirror that I attached to my old M Frames. Yeah I look dorky but my morning commute is into Woodbury and there's not alot of margin for error. I also have a blinky on my seatbag, one on my pack, and now one on the back of my helmet. People I work with say I look like a x-mas tree riding in and I answer is always "yeah but you saw me"
 
I live in Jersey City, so no matter which way I travel I have to ride through some traffic to get anywhere worth riding. Most of the way in fact has traffic. So far my closest calls were pedestrians.

Peds who stepped into the street without looking (I guess they were expecting a larger object to alert their attention). Opening car doors (got my heart racing but managed to avoid). And a ped that was walking in the bike lane and not watching where he was walking, when trying to go around at a decent clip he turned and stepped into me.

I've had jitney buses cut me off, but I don't trust them to begin with so it was pretty expected.
 
JumpinJosh said:
I live in Jersey City, so no matter which way I travel I have to ride through some traffic to get anywhere worth riding.
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Can you put your bike in/on the car and get to a safe road to peddle to suburbs? Or bring bike to work and ride after work, assuming work is not busy roads as well.
 
Figure i would add a couple of things here both are applicable to road or trail riding.

Carry an ID or get a Road ID
Carry a cellphone-while you may want to detach completely it is worth having one on you, especially if you or others crash.
 
If you are on a sketchy DH section of road..or any DH section for that matter please don't take your hands off the bars to wave at me. I understand what's going on and don't take any offense to not being waved to at all.
 
Had my first road accident last night but luckily i'm ok. Got right hooked on River Rd in Edgewater and took a nice tumble over a Mercedes hood. Just some road rash and a quad contusion. God i hate that road, if only there was a better way to get up to the palisades park by the GWB. Guy was turning right into an abandoned parking lot so i didnt anticipate it and it was too late to react. Dunno if he had his blinker on or not but i'm guessing not. I didnt exchange info with him since i was ok but what's the proper protocol for something like this? I'm sure it's been posted before so just a link would be good. Thanks. At least the guy was nice and apologetic and stopped and made sure i was ok.

So now i've wrecked badly on all 4 bikes that i own. Hopefully i'm done ...until i get a new bike.
 
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gmb3 said:
Had my first road accident last night but luckily i'm ok. Got right hooked on River Rd in Edgewater and took a nice tumble over a Mercedes hood. Just some road rash and a quad contusion. God i hate that road, if only there was a better way to get up to the palisades park by the GWB. Guy was turning right into an abandoned parking lot so i didnt anticipate it and it was too late to react. Dunno if he had his blinker on or not but i'm guessing not. I didnt exchange info with him since i was ok but what's the proper protocol for something like this? I'm sure it's been posted before so just a link would be good. Thanks. At least the guy was nice and apologetic and stopped and made sure i was ok.

So now i've wrecked badly on all 4 bikes that i own. Hopefully i'm done ...until i get a new bike.
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Glad you're ok- that's an awful road to have to ride.
Good that he was apologetic and stopped.

I'm sure that there will be others who can chime in better,
but I'd say at the very least exchanging info is a good idea in case.
In the moment with the adrenaline you might feel fine,
but it may be different the next day.
Or you might notice your frame is bent.

Curious to hear what others have to say on what to do here.

(And I assume the bike is okay?)
 
Ouch, glad to hear you're ok. Yea that road is horrible to ride. I'm not sure the exact protocol, but I'd imagine it's the same as if you were to get into car-car accident.
 
yeah i guess i shoulda exchangd info. Oh well. Good news is the next day i actually still feel ok. Since my "road" bike is a heavy low end klunker (02? Giant FCR3), it actually faired pretty well. think i just need to true one wheel and replace a bent crank. I was able to ride home no problem with the rear brake opened. I think the frame's fine but even if not, i paid 300 bucks for this bike so whatever. Pic not mine but that model.
P1010652.jpg
 
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I just passed by an accident on 9W. It looks like a cyclist was struck at the intersection of Clinton Road in Tenafly. I passed by after the fact, but it looked as if a group of riders (looked like they were roadies in kits) were going straight and a car making the left on to Clinton struck one or more of them. Do not know who was at fault, but I didn't see any blinky's and it was like 8:40pm and dark. Let's be careful out there and be safe. They will probably be cracking down on cyclists on 9W because they keep getting run over 🙄
 
soundz said:
I just passed by an accident on 9W. It looks like a cyclist was struck at the intersection of Clinton Road in Tenafly. I passed by after the fact, but it looked as if a group of riders (looked like they were roadies in kits) were going straight and a car making the left on to Clinton struck one or more of them. Do not know who was at fault, but I didn't see any blinky's and it was like 8:40pm and dark. Let's be careful out there and be safe. They will probably be cracking down on cyclists on 9W because they keep getting run over 🙄
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I see a lot of guys out there in the evening with no lights...sometimes no helmets :hmmm:
 
Here is today's tip -

the cicadas are getting so loud, that the cars are sneaking up more than ever.

be alert out there.

note this does not happen on subways, as they can not get past the citibike parking. you may replace 'they' with either cars, cicadas, or firetrucks.
 
fidodie said:
Here is today's tip -

the cicadas are getting so loud, that the cars are sneaking up more than ever.

be alert out there.

note this does not happen on subways, as they can not get past the citibike parking. you may replace 'they' with either cars, cicadas, or firetrucks.
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where are you hearing them? Haven't heard a peep (chirp?) yet around here...
 
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