this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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Bike Commuting

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Tips for safe city cycling (lemmy.ml)
submitted 1 year ago by snowday@lemmy.ml to c/bikecommuting@lemmy.ml
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Today, I'm feeling a bit bad about myself. I'm new to cycling, and to be quite honest, I was going too recklessly and almost got myself hit by a car or two. I could absolutely learn how to check my turns better.

What are your favorite tips for learning how to cycle safely in the city?

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[–] pazukaza@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Here are the tip 2 tips I can give you based on experience:

  1. Never go into auto-pilot mode. Never get lost in your thoughts. Always be present.

  2. Never, ever ride behind a car at the same speed of the car.

I was super tired after a 5h ride through hills and was basically in auto-pilot mode going down a slightly inclined street. The car in front of me decided to hit the breaks out of nowhere because they saw another car do a strange movement. Cars break so quickly compared to bikes. I used both breaks to avoid hitting the car, but due to slope the back tire was raised. The bike became like a slingshot and I was shot against the concrete. I was fucked up for 3 months. Broken ribs, broken fingers and fucked elbows. My helmet saved my like because after my hands hit the concrete, my head followed

Always be present. Think 3 steps ahead.