Ride defensively to stay out of headlines

22nd April 2014 by Kim Sharpe

Hit-and-run crash kills cyclist. Two cyclists hit by car. Cyclist dies in crash with truck. These are recent Coloradoan headlines no one wants to read.

No cyclist wants to be a victim and no motor vehicle driver wants to hit cyclist. But how can you protect yourself from something you seemingly don’t control?

Although only 17 percent of bicycle crashes involve motor vehicles, this topic deserves all the attention it gets. When a cyclist crashes with a motor vehicle, the cyclist always loses. Fort Collins crash data shows a nearly even split between motorists and bicyclists in terms of who’s at fault in crashes.

Your behavior as a bicyclist or driver is your most important safeguard against any crash. And it’s the only safeguard you have full control over.

For a bicyclist, one such behavior is defensive riding — watch your surroundings and be prepared for evasive action. Eighty percent of bike crashes in Fort Collins occur at intersections, so be especially diligent as you approach them. Until you’ve made eye contact with a driver, assume you’re not seen. Read more…

Don’t fall prey to the lug nut rule

22nd April 2014 by Kim Sharpe

As I was preparing to teach a recent League of American Bicyclists Traffic Safety 101 (TS101) class, I came across some interesting information about bicycle crashes. What I discovered is that the majority of bicycle crashes involve the bicyclist all by themselves. Solo. No other bike, pedestrian or car involved. The reasons I can imagine include a cyclist not properly avoiding a road hazard such as a gutter grate, riding with no hands or getting distracted and losing control.

Another interesting statistic is that only 17 percent of crashes are bike/car collisions. Although this is a small percentage of overall crashes, it represents the worst injuries to bicyclists. One of my TS101 students recently called this the “lug nut rule,” meaning he with the most lug nuts wins.  Since bicycles do not have lug nuts, the motor vehicle is always the winner, regardless of who is at fault. Read more…

Introducing people to bike riding (without ruining their day)

12th March 2014 by admin

If you’re reading this, chances are you already love biking. You have fond memories of weaving through trees, finding serenity in the blur of asphalt passing beneath your wheels, and enjoying a soundtrack made up entirely of your own heartbeat and the hum of rotating tires. And there’s probably someone out there who you wish felt just like you do about riding bikes.

Go ahead and make a convert out of them. But before you do, read this quick and dirty list of do’s and don’ts for sharing the bicycling love: Read more…