extra extra part three…
We were recently interviewed for a Daily Iowan article on the new bike boxes in Iowa City. Below we share our extended answers in the third of 8 posts.
What do you do to stay safe when biking?
Asa: I wear a helmet and use my headlight (450 lumens) and taillight. I follow the rules of the road because bikes are a type of vehicle. I try to ride predictably and assume no one can see me, because a lot of folks will drive as if they can’t. I try to have lane placement towards the center of the lane, which maximizes safety and visibility.
Michael: I ride with a very healthy mix of assertiveness & defensiveness in a very vehicular cycling manner. I learned a long time ago to ride where I’ll be seen, generally in the center of the lane. I will routinely swing over to the right third of the lane as a vehicle passes to ensure I am given enough room even in the case if they try to squeeze past me. Without giving myself this buffer, there would be no where to go if danger arose if I was riding far to the right.
Pete: Ride fast, in the middle of the lane, clear hand signals, bright lights at night.
Thank you to Clinton Garlock for originally posing this question. Extra thanks to Pete for taking the time to share his thoughts while taking a break from the shop. Comment your own answers below, we’d love to hear your experiences and insights!
The Broken Spoke 
Always use a rear view mirror attached to your glasses and attach in a solid manor on glasses that stay in place. Always use right arm for right turn and left arm for left turn and I try to bend my forearm at the elbow as a kind of blinker effect.Movement draws attention to your place in the road. I do not take my hands off the handlebar for turns if unsteady and never to show I’m stopping as this leaves you vulnerable to crashing your bike into or under another vehicle(car scooter or bike).If a car is coming up behind me erratic or not and I have time I move my bike 1 foot right and left so the driver sees side to side -lateral movement makes the driver aware of my presence and placement on the road and tends to slow them down. At all times be prepared to leave the roadway and get out of the way of a vehicle. Most people are hit from behind . If you make a left turn across oncoming traffic you will be hit at some point in your biking career so consider other ways to navigate a left turn into oncoming traffic. Do not think lights will ever help you avoid being hit by a car they just aren’t that helpful to rely on being noticed. It’s my opinion that lateral side to side motion is the most effective way to show traffic behind you where you are in relation to them and to slow a bit.