How to ride like a pro

I am putting together this blog posting to give advice to new bikers out there on best behavior and best practices while biking. I don’t know if I consider myself a “pro”, but I have been riding bikes and riding RAGBRAI for over 12 years at the time of this posting.

Trail Etiquette

The proper way to ride trails is always ride on the right side of the trail even if you think you are the only person on the trail. There’s always a bad biker that will sneak up and pass you on your left and not say anything. You’ll want to be farthest away from them for safety. Speaking of, always announce your intentions. When passing walkers, or other riders, always say “on your left” or somehow let them know you are passing. Ringing a bell will work too. When you do pass them stay to the farthest on the left side of the trail. Sometimes they don’t hear you or they are listening to their earbuds. Best to give them the most space for safety.

When it comes to passing do not pass on a blind corner. If you can’t see the trail around the corner then hold back until you get to the next clearing. The time you pass on a blind corner will be the time you run into another biker you didn’t see.

If you happen to ride with a friend on the trail, you normally ride side by side. But if there is an incoming biker then you need to get in front of your friend or fall back, do not continue to ride side by side. You do not know the experience level of the incoming biker and it is considered rude and dangerous to not move out of the way.

When you need to take a break and stop, make sure you and your bike are off the trail. This is especially true with larger groups. Park your bike off the trail and remain off the trail until you need to leave. Treat the trail like a road. You wouldn’t hang out in the middle of street when there’s car traffic, treat it the same way here.

Riding in traffic

When riding on the roads ride to the right side of your lane about three feet away from the white painted line. Be cautious when passing parked cars, there may be someone inside getting ready to open their door. Pass parked cars with more distance to clear an open door in case that happens.

When it comes to stop signs always make a full and complete stop. The driver behind you will have nothing to complain about and it also improves our image to drivers.

Make sure to use hand signals when you need to turn. The “official” way to use hand signals is by using your left arm. Point to the left to signal you are turning left and make a right angle with your hand pointing up to signal you are turning right. The problem with this is that a lot of drivers do not know what the right hand signal means. As an alternative, you can point to the right with your right arm to signal you wish to turn right.

Always be looking around and check your surroundings when riding in the road. Try to predict driver’s behavior. If you see a driver wanting to cross the road in front of you, pay attention to what direction their head is facing. Obviously if they don’t look at you then they don’t see you. Always ride like you are invisible because you basically are even with high visibility clothing. It seems like when people drive cars they are only looking out for other cars, not bikers. When you need to deal with a driver be sure to look at them in their face so you can tell what they are doing.

Night Riding

If you will be riding at night or close to nighttime (dawn or dusk), you need to have lights on your bike. You will need a headlight and a taillight. These can be set to a solid light or a blinking light. Your best option would be to carry two of each so if one dies you have a backup. Always have them fully charged and ready to go on your next bike trip. It is better to bring lights and not need them than not have lights and need them. I usually always have lights on my bike fully charged, even for day rides just in case. Any additional bike lights are better.

If you are riding at night, try not to wear dark clothing. This makes you harder to see for everyone else. Try to wear bright clothes or even reflective clothes. The more you can be seen the better.

Other Equipment

Wear a helmet. If you don’t wear a helmet you look like a casual rider. You may say you ride safe or don’t ride that fast. It doesn’t matter and it always isn’t up to you. Something can happen that is beyond your control and make you fall and hit your head. Helmets can literally save your life. If you have fallen before and notice a crack in your helmet, then it is time to get a new helmet. That crack is the sign that the helmet did its job but it’s a one-time use item. Buy another helmet and discard the cracked one.

Make sure you carry at least one water bottle on you, preferably always especially on hot days. Sweating dehydrates your body, and you need to replace the water you lost. Try to always have half a bottle or have a plan on where you will fill it up next.

For other bike equipment always carry at least one spare tube on your bike. There are plenty of bike repair stands around the city so one is usually not far away, and they have all the tools you need to change your tire. So, you don’t have to carry the extra bike tools unless you want to. But the bike repair stands do not have spare tubes and each bike may have different sized tubes so buy the correct one for your bike. You always get a flat tire when you least expect it.

Carry a bike lock with you and always lock up your bike when you are downtown. I’ve seen too many bikes get stolen because they are missing a lock.