How safe is bicycle touring? I have given this question a great deal of thought. If you currently ride on a regular basis, you have already weighed the risks of cycling versus the rewards of cycling and made a decision that the rewards outweigh the risks. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that cycling is a dangerous activity. Experienced cyclists often say, “It’s not IF you will have an accident, it’s WHEN you will have an accident!” I probably hit the ground at least once a year. (Usually, this occurs when I’m stopping on a sandy shoulder and don’t get unclipped in time.)
Most bicycle tourists are experienced cyclists who ride frequently in and around their home towns. They are used to riding in traffic on various kinds of roads. Bicycle touring simply involves more miles with road conditions that are more or less the same. If you feel comfortable riding around your home town, you will probably also feel comfortable touring.
The three, cardinal safety rules for cyclists are to wear a helmet, to never ride at dusk or at night, and to take time to plan a bicycle friendly route. Humans are generally tough but our brains are fragile. When you fall on a bicycle things happen fast. It is easy to lose control just riding down a sidewalk. You can absorb some road rash from time to time, but you need to protect your head. Be sure to wear a bright safety orange or bright safety yellow helmet. Your head is the highest point on your bike. If you are wearing a super visible helmet, it doesn’t matter so much what color your clothes are. Specialized sells an exceptionally well-designed helmet, the Echelon II, for $75 (2016 price). This helmet fits better and offers more protection than any other helmet I have tried. This helmet also has much more durable straps and interior padding than other much more expensive helmets I have tried. This is the helmet I wear.
Safety studies indicate that 70% of all bicycle fatalities occur between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. I NEVER ride at dusk or at night.
Take time to plan a bicycle friendly route. In my home town of Austin, Texas you can buy an Austin Bicycle Map at Bicycle Sports Shop. The Austin Bicycle Map is easy to use and will show you safe bicycle routes all over town. Planning your route is crucial. The primary purpose of this book is to encourage people to tour America by giving them detailed, turn-by-turn directions for a safe and scenic route.
To some extent the terms “safe and scenic” are in opposition. For example, the most scenic route might take you on rural roads with no shoulders. A less scenic route might involve taking a major state highway with shoulders. I generally select the more scenic route provided I feel “comfortable” on a particular road. Both the Natchez Trace Parkway and the Blue Ridge Parkway, for example, are two lane roads without shoulders. They both have reduced speed limits (50 mph and 45 mph, respectively) and no commercial traffic. They also have signs that indicate that cyclists are present and they are, in fact, very popular cycling routes. I feel very comfortable riding on these parkways even though they lack shoulders.
A consistent pattern all across the United States is for highways to lose their shoulders when they enter towns and cities. The shoulder tends to become an extra lane or a turn lane in order to accommodate all the city traffic. Thus, there is simply no such thing as a route with nice, paved shoulders the whole way. I have done my very best, however, to select routes where I feel reasonably “comfortable” most of the time.
Follow the rules of the road. Do your best not to antagonize drivers. Treat others as you would want to be treated. If cars are piling up behind you on a narrow mountain road, for example, pull over at the first opportunity and let everyone pass. Smokey Mountain National Park, for example, has extremely heavy traffic and challenging mountain switch backs. I usually pull off the road at least a dozen times to let cars pass while traversing this park. Never give anyone the finger no matter what they do. That giant pickup with the snarling motor that just purposely enveloped you in a thick cloud of acrid black smoke while simultaneously blasting you with its horn? Smile and pretend you didn’t notice a thing. That really annoys them. Think about it this way. Giving them the finger feels great, but how are you going to feel when that monster truck screeches to a halt, swings around, and starts heading back your way?
My bicycle trailer has a safety triangle like those used on construction equipment attached to the rear of the trailer. This triangle is visible from a great distance. When I first installed it, I noticed that it seemed to greatly improve relations with drivers because drivers can see that you are doing everything in your power to help them see you.
This safety triangle is far superior to the safety flag which came with my trailer because it is visible from a much greater distance. I got the idea for the safety triangle from observing the Amish use them on their horse drawn buggies and wagons. You can buy them at farm supply stores. I use quarter inch machine bolts with lock nuts to attach the safety triangle to the rear of my trailer.
I use a Sprintech sideview mirror which inserts into the left end of the handlebar. This Swiss made mirror has won awards for its quality optics and effective design. I highly recommend this particular mirror. You can purchase it on Amazon. Even though most serious road cyclists wouldn’t be caught dead with a piece of gear like this, I find it absolutely indispensable. You can monitor what’s going on behind you. This is especially helpful when approaching a narrow bridge, for example. The mirror adjusts via a ball joint. if this joint becomes loose, vibration will cause the mirror to move. Solve this very annoying problem by carefully applying one layer of gorilla tape to the ball and then reinsert the mirror into the special, rubber handlebar plug. Problem solved!
When riding on a two lane road with no paved shoulders, vehicles can easily and safely pass you when there is no oncoming traffic. Therefore, try to get into the habit of checking your rear view mirror whenever you see an ONCOMING vehicle. If it looks like a vehicle is also approaching from behind, especially a truck, it is usually a good idea to apply your brakes (for control) and hop onto the unpaved shoulder. There is simply no room for a truck to safely pass you in this situation. According to traffic laws, vehicles should only pass you when it is safe to do so. In reality, they are going to pass you at 70 miles per hour whether it is safe to do so or not! Self preservation is the name of the game!
If you are alert, use your mirror as described in the preceding paragraph, and patiently take the time to hop on and off the highway as needed, it is possible to tame even the most terrifying “death corridor.” There are only a few situations where this won’t work. First, it won’t work if you encounter continuous heavy traffic in both directions. For the most part, my bicycle route purposefully avoids large cities, so this type of traffic is unlikely to occur if you are following my route. Such heavy traffic basically defines what it means for a route to be labeled “bicycle unfriendly.” Second, it obviously won’t work if there are heavy concrete barriers on the right edge of the road. Once or twice, I have ridden on the opposite shoulder of the highway facing traffic in order to avoid a situation like this. Also, be sure to check to see if you can possibly avoid a short dangerous section by simply walking around that section on the unpaved shoulder. Finally, if it is absolutely necessary, you can ride down the center of the lane and block vehicles from passing you. I have had to do this on narrow bridges. Drivers have generally been gracious because they can see that you are having a hard time. After crossing, I always give them a “thank you” wave. It should never be necessary to put your life in danger if you are patient and take the time to really study the situation.
Look up frequently and look for objects in the road. Don’t allow yourself to “zone out” with your eyes focused six feet in front of you. Let’s say you are riding dead center on a nice paved shoulder. Approaching a bridge with a guardrail it often happens that the shoulder narrows and your line of travel exactly lines up with the end of the guardrail (the square end with diagonal black and yellow stripes). If you aren’t looking, you could hit this at full speed! I have had several close calls!
The same advice applies to large rocks or debris in the road. Even if you swerve and avoid an object with your bicycle, how about your trailer? Hitting a fist sized rock at full speed with one wheel of your trailer can cause the trailer to roll over. Yes, this has happened to me. The results are not pretty! Believe it or not, on two lane roads with “mini” shoulders (12-24 inches of pavement to the right of the white line), oncoming vehicles will sometimes cross into your lane to pass! I guess they think 12 inches is all the space you need for your “lane!” Even on a peaceful road like the Natchez Trace Parkway this occasionally happens! Once again, your best defense is to look up frequently and monitor oncoming traffic so you can hop onto the unpaved shoulder if necessary.
On two lane roads with paved shoulders, oncoming vehicles will pass in your lane all the time. This is annoying but you may as well accept it as being standard practice.
In virtually every situation, stay as far to the right as possible. This will help you if something falls off a vehicle or if a tire blows out along side of you. Twice in ten years of touring I have been “whiffed” by an RV with its stairs inadvertently left extended! This was a truly chilling experience! My advice, stay to the right! Even on a nice, wide, paved shoulder, stay all the way to the right!
Another thing to look out for are vehicles with low, hard to see trailers. You might decide to swing left to go for a left turn lane immediately after a vehicle passes you. How about the long, low trailer behind the vehicle? Look over your shoulder, don’t trust your rear view mirror without taking a second look. Again, I have had close calls.
Be especially cautious when dealing with high speed traffic. On one trip, I was riding on a divided highway with two lanes in each direction and with paved shoulders. I spotted a cross-over up ahead with a potential camping spot on the other side of the highway. I took a quick look over my left shoulder. I saw approaching cars but I thought I had time to cross over two lanes to the cross-over. The cars were approaching much faster than anticipated. I literally thought I was going to die! One car swerved around me into the median and I was left feeling very shaken and very foolish! When dealing with high speed traffic, I recommend always standing on the side of the highway and waiting patiently for a safe time to cross. There is no need to hurry! A glance over your shoulder is not enough!
If you hear persistent, loud honking behind you, for which there is no apparent explanation, INSTANTLY move to your right, off the road or shoulder, and then look back. NEVER ignore persistent, loud honking! There are usually two possible explanations. A truck with an oversize load is asking you to move over or someone is intentionally trying to startle or frighten you. Either way, it is best to move off the road and then look back. About once a year, a bicycle hating maniac will try to pass as close as possible in order to frighten me. Never respond to this type of behavior with any type of aggressive gesture or behavior whatsoever.
Many, if not most, serious bicycle accidents are single vehicle accidents involving only the bicycle. Loose gravel, sandy shoulders, gaps in the pavement, all of these can cause you to lose control. Touring gear increases the likelihood of “single vehicle” accidents. Trailer bolts can break, pannier racks can fail. All that extra weight will likely introduce some degree of instability. Therefore, I strongly recommend not exceeding 30 mph on steep descents. Control your speed at all times. It is especially important not to fly through tunnels because it can be very difficult to see road debris in tunnels. Take special care to make sure your handlebar and stem are very tight. Vibration can loosen these parts with disastrous results.
In hot weather, the tar used to repair cracks in the road can turn a marshmallow like consistency. If this tar runs parallel to your line of travel it can cause you to lose control.
I have seen concrete slabs that ran next to each other with a two inch difference in height. This area was shaded by an overpass, making this concrete edge hard to see. If your line of travel is parallel to this edge, it can take the bike right out from under you.
When riding in the rain, take special care with any metal surfaces. A wet railroad track can be as slippery as ice. Even painted lines on the road can be extremely slippery when wet.