| Back to the Riding with Ray Page |

Ray's Laws
The lights at the tops of hills are always green; the ones at the bottom are always red. If you want a red light to change, blow your nose or grab your water bottle. It doesn't matter what direction you are travelling, it is uphill into the wind. Riding into a headwind all morning doesn't mean you will have a tail wind going home. The shortest distance between two points is under construction. Tires leak when you are late for work. You get twice as many flats when it is raining. When there is more than a car length between you and the car in front of you, drivers will pass, no matter how slow traffic is.

Reaction time
This is the time between seeing a situation, understanding it, deciding what to do, and starting and completing the action. The less time available to perform this sequence the higher the stress level and the greater the likelihood of a failure. Failure can include motorists failing to pass a cyclist with enough room, people can get hurt, to say the least.
It is in our best interest for drivers, including bicycle drivers, to have as much time as possible to react to us properly. We want drivers to see and recognize us as soon as possible. This gives drivers time to plan ahead before they are right behind or beside us. We must grab their attention at least one block, 15 seconds before a reaction is necessary. Motorists in front of you, on side streets, waiting to cross are the most hazardous. The typical motorist caused car/bike collision is a car crossing the path of a bicyclist that is going straight through an uncontrolled intersection.
Add impairments to these situations and the reaction time can double or triple. Poor visibility from fogged windows, darkness and weather conditions. Distractions such as: cell phones, screaming passengers, affectionate passengers, the radio and other motorists. Age, lack of sleep, medications and alcohol can adversely affect the time it takes to react in traffic. Road rage is caused, in part, by the stresses involved in making life and death decisions in seconds. That rage is directed at cyclists when the motorist must react instantly to their presents.
When other road users know where we are and where we are going to be next, they are much less fearful of us. It is the fear of hurting us that, in part, causes anger at the cause of the fear. It is just as important to give our selves lots of time to react. We too must be looking and thinking at least one block a head. We need to know what we are going to do next in order to communicate clearly with those around us. If you can't predict what you will do next how can others anticipate you and make allowances.

Reflectors
Passive lighting only works when the drivers lights are in line with their eyes and pointing at the reflectors. Front reflectors do not worn drivers stopped perpendicular to you at intersection. Their lights do not point at the reflectors. Side reflectors only work when they are in front of the driver which is too late. Rear reflectors work very well if they are large, bright and pointed state back. Amber is 30 % brighter than red and flat 70 % brighter than the three penal reflector that came with the bike. Rear reflector should be mounted as low as possible to catch downward pointing head lights early. All this explains why pedal reflectors work so well. They are flat, amber, moving and low. No reflector can replace a bright headlight.

Respect
Cyclists want our rights to the road respected by drivers. Respect is earned, not given. Drivers need their rights respected by us. We need drivers to pass us safely by leaving us enough room. But if cyclists keep passing the stopped driver on their right at lights, the drivers lose patience and respect for us. The cyclist gets crowded and self righteously blames the diver. Consider your treatment of those around you before laying blame for their treatment of you.

Responsibility
We take our lives in our hands every time we go out on the road. I alone am responsible for my health and safety. The cyclist who claims to have an attempt made on their life everyday need to look at the common denominator, themselves. There is a larger percentage of poor riders than poor drivers on the road. Unlike motorists, there has been no formal education system for cyclists. Take the responsibility to become the best rider you can be.

Riding gloves
They protect our hands from the handlebars and reduce damage if we fall off our bikes. They also reduce nerve damage that can result from resting on the handlebars for hours. If the outside three fingers of your hand go numb when riding you need gloves. Look for lots of padding in the palms and up the inside of the thumbs. The more padding the better. The dye in coloured leather gloves runs when wet, colouring your skin to match. The backs of the gloves are, traditionally, a cotton mesh for ventilation. Newer styles have stretch lycra backs that fit better than the mesh but don't seem to last as long. Good gloves have a piece of terry towelling on the knuckles of the thumb and/or first finger to wipe your brow or nose on. Light coloured backs show up better when hand signalling but soon change colour to match their environment. I stick with black backs and natural palms.

Riding the Islands
We tend to think the Gulf Islands are quiet sedate places with only a few slow-moving motorists. They are not. The island residents have to work harder than the rest of us to live there. The islands' roads are narrow and busy with lots of steep blind hills and corners. The islands are not the best place to go touring for the first time. Saanich peninsula is much quieter, flatter and has less traffic. The islands are unquestionably beautiful. They have a special feeling about them that makes riding there a joy, if you are aware of the potential problems. Some riders get a false sense of security being on an island. They act as if the normal road behaviours are not necessary. By the end of the season many islanders are thoroughly fed up with incompetent and dangerous cyclists. Many new riders come back from their first tour of the islands and vow never to go touring again. Warm up to touring in a easier flatter environment first. The flattest most hospitable island is Lopez in the US. San Juan Islands.

Riding the Johnson Street Bridge
If you are coming northbound from Wharf Street, stay in the middle of the right hand lane all the way through the intersection and over the bridge. Try giving the motorists in the yield lane (they are required to stop or let you go first) the EYE. Make eye contact with the driver, let them know you have seen them. This also gets their attention. Keep pedalling, look like you would ride right over them if you could. Any hesitation on your part and they will go for it. The bridge is narrow and slippery when wet but safe enough if approached like a vehicle. It is a 30 km zone and only 50m long. The bridge is too narrow to share with passing traffic. It is slow enough and short enough to permit a cyclist to ride down the centre of the lane. Plan ahead, when a gap in traffic allows move into the centre of the lane, before the grid deck. Stay in the centre until clear of the grid deck. The inconvenience to drivers is more than made up for by not having cars beside you in an already uncomfortable situation. It is our life, we are responsible for what goes on around us. Take control of the situation. If the light is at all sub-optimal, use your head and taillights. Obviously dressing brightly will help to get a driver's attention too.

Riding Shorts
In the end they are a necessity. If you have never had a sore or tired rear, congratulations. The rest of us must consider the most significant pain saving piece of riding gear available. Riding shorts are padded and lined to reduce wear and tear. They are worn next to the skin and are designed to eliminate seams in the wrong places. They fit skintight to prevent wrinkles that can rub. They are long legged to keep thigh muscles warm. Quality shorts have gripper elastic on the cuffs to keep them from creeping up. The liners are called chamois because that is what they were made of. Different styles of chamois are available from different manufacturers. There are both mens' and womens' styles. What kind is best for you? I can't make a recommendation because what fits me won't necessarily fit you. Good luck, it can take time and some money to find out but it is worth the effort. Once you find the short that works there is nothing like coming back form a long day in the saddle and walking in happy.

Riding at Sunrise and sunset
When the sun is on the horizon, visibility becomes difficult. Drivers looking into it have trouble seeing each other, let alone a bicycle. When the sun is behind you, oncoming drivers might not see you in the glare. When riding into the sun you can see well but those behind might not see you. When the roads are wet this glare can also hide you. Be aware of these problems and allow for them.

Riding On the Right
The B.C. Motor Vehicle Act section 185 (2),A,(b),says Cyclists shall "ride as near as practicable to the right side of the road way". The "Road Way" is defined and the improved area between the curbs or shoulders. The right side is between the centre line and the curb. We are permitted to ride on the shoulders but are not required to. Practicable is defined as safe under the circumstances. Cyclists have "the same rights and duties and drivers of motor vehicles". In other words drive your bike where and how you would drive any other vehicle.

Road Side Flat Repair
If you haven't had a flat while riding, pat yourself on the back, leave your pump and kit at home and go for a good long spin. That guarantees your first, but not last, flat. Don't muck about on the road side with sand paper, glue and patches. Carry a spare tube to match your tire and valve. Remove the wheel, usually the rear, open one side of the tire all round. Then pull out the tube and re-inflate it without removing the valve stem. Listen for the leak and look in the same place in the tire for the cause. Replace the old tube, refit the tire, inflate and remount the wheel. Practice this at home first, it takes half an hour the first time and less than ten minutes on the road
You will need:
A spare tube, a pump to match your valves, tire irons and a wrench for bolted axles. Fix the tube in front of the tube at home where it's warm and dry.

Rotating Mass
Why do roadies ride on such tiny thin tires and rims risking flats and damaged wheels? The saying goes "an gram on your wheels is worth a kilo on your frame." Like a gyroscope, it takes a lot of energy to spin up heavy wheels. The mass of the tires is the farthest from the centre and takes the most energy. This energy is lost as friction heat when stopping. The small stability increase gained by having two heavy gyroscopes on the bike is lost by the poor handling that can result. A very light stiff expensive bicycle frame is wasted on cheap heavy tires and rims. Roadies want fast clean acceleration, breaking and cornering. With good tires and rims, flats are rare enough to be worth it.

Running two chains
As chains wear the spacing of the links increases, damaging chain rings and cogs, which are expensive to replace. A new chain will not run on worn gears; the chain skips and jumps. To extend the life of running gear, alternate between two or three chains, one chain a month. Cyclists with a small "corn cob" freewheel, "micro drive" type systems, 11 and 12 tooth high gears, have more problems with this than the rest of us who use larger cogs. Two chains also makes clean up easier. You remove the old dirty chain, clean the running gear and put on a clean chain. The old chain is cleaned at your leisure. By the time all the chains are worn, "stretched," the cogs or rings are worn out as well.

| Back to the Riding with Ray Page |