When news becomes available, regarding actions PennDOT or the legislators in Harrisburg, that affects cyclists, he will post them as well. An archive of past articles is available.
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Steve
Scheetz, our Safety and Legislation director, provides helpful tips for riding safety.
Members can read the safety and Legislation articles in the Chainletter
Archive.
When news becomes available, regarding actions PennDOT or the legislators in Harrisburg, that affects cyclists, he will post them as well. An archive of past articles is available. |
My taking the position in 2005 came about because nobody stepped forward, and the job needed to be done. I spent the majority of my time, as safety and legislation coordinator writing articles about, of all things, safety issues. I remember writing about cold weather riding, riding in groups, etc. I also took over as SAG coordinator for the Quad, and by default, the Nock, and I have to say that the year was very fulfilling. I briefly touched the advocacy portion of my job at Bicycle Summit 2005 was my first opportunity to work with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, and throughout the year, I attended the meetings of the "Southeastern Pennsylvania Bicycle Issues Task Force." However, it was not until the end of 2005 that I really discovered the "L" in Safety and Legislation.
2006 started with my going after the powers that be, because I had some personal motivation to fix the Rail Road Crossing on Lower State Road. (Many of you know Mary Louise Molieri, and what she went through as a result of a crash caused by those tracks…) By the May time frame, SEPTA had not only agreed to fix the tracks, they also opened the door for me to inform them of all rail road issues that I notice, or am made aware of. This together with their promise to fix those problems gave me hope that our system was a good one! Later in 2006 I attended training classes which enabled me to join in a nationwide advocacy network, and through meeting advocates from all over the country, I have been able to offer input to help them with their issues, while using them as a reference to deal with my own. This was also the year I took over as Montgomery County Cycling Committee Chairman. Originally the job was to cover Bucks and Montgomery County, but if advocacy was my full time job, I STILL would have difficulty managing two counties.
In 2007, I gave up the SAG coordinator position, but I increased the advocacy work. Working with the Norristown Police Department to make the Schuylkill River Trail safer, working with the county to fix various problems encountered on the trail either through misuse (horses on the board walk) or maintenance issues, I was able to gain a forum to have these issues addressed. Also, during 2007, PennDOT District 6 changed its Bike/Ped issues coordinator. While this person has limited time and resources, he has been very receptive and just a joy to work with.
In December 2007, I hosted a Cycling Committee Meeting, and even though there was a snow storm, that night, 20 people showed! Not only did 20 people show, but they were motivated and enthusiastic! They offered ideas to make the committee more effective that I am proud to say are being implemented right now! With the working relationships I am establishing with these people, Montgomery County will be a much nicer place to cycle through! While I work on advocacy, the safety portion of my position will not be neglected. The Executive Committee has adopted part of my plan to make our SAG vehicles safer, and to host classes on the proper techniques for stopping and working the job of SAG. I will be working with the SAG coordinator in this, and it is my hope that 2008 will be the year SCU demonstrates its commitment to hosting the best events in our region!
I will finish this up by saying I ALWAYS need volunteers! If you see a safety hazard in your township, as in something that might present a hazard to a cyclist, please don’t ignore it! Bring it to my attention, help me fix the problem. Anyone who wants to do advocacy work does not have to feel that he/she is alone, I will help you in any way that I can. Bicycle Summit 2008 is a month away, if you want to come, let me know.
My bicycle has reflective decals on the sides, This is not to say that your bike MUST have this as well, but the more reflective things that are on your bike, or you, the better chance that someone will see you when it is otherwise too dark to notice a cyclist on the road. I also use red flashing lights for the rear, and if I am not sure if I will be returning in daylight hours, I will ALWAYS ride with a headlamp! While it may weigh my bike down by the weight of a piece of cheesecake, if someone asks me “Cheescake or DEATH,” I will choose cheesecake every time! Sometimes, even the best drivers make mistakes, because they can’t see us! It is not always possible to wear bright colors, however, try your best to follow this rule, because sometimes it is not always easy to see us when we are riding
Many newer members may wonder why we ride through developments as opposed to on the regular roads which are more direct. Well, I won’t force anyone to ride where he/she doesn’t want to ride, but I will suggest, strongly, that finishing a training ride in the hospital is not necessarily the brightest course of action!
One of our sponsors, Keswick, is running a course on basic bicycle maintenance. If you aren’t sure how to maintain your bicycle, I would suggest taking the course! One of the things that I look for before a ride is the set of tires on my bike. I log quite a few miles on the road each year, and sometimes, I find myself rolling over glass and other sharp objects. I am not always aware of everything that I ride over during the course of a ride, and in those instances, I can’t take preventative measures like sticking my fingers on the rolling tire to get any fragments out of the tire. So I check my tires before and after each ride, for cuts, for small sharp stones, and for glass fragments. Also, I tend to break chains frequently, so I will change them every 1200 miles if they are a stainless steel Wipperman, or every 800 miles if they are Shimano. My reason on the Shimano has to do with the fact that between 850 and 950 miles a Shimano chain would break… (Usually during a standing sprint.) I am not saying that you have to change as frequently as I do, but if you do change your chains more frequently, the rest of your drive train will last longer, parts such as cassettes absorb a great deal of stress, especially when the chain links start to become worn. I am digressing.. The reason I brought up the chain issue in the first place, is to say that one does not wish to be on a standing climb, in traffic, and have a chain snap!
So these have been 5 of the more common sense approaches to bicycle safety! In our next issue, we will discuss an issue that is near and dear to my knees, shoulders, elbows, behind, hands, arms, and I have probably left some parts out ... Road Rash!
I have been around to many different sites related to safety. From all of these sites, I have noted 5 common sense rules for riding that everyone should be thoroughly familiar. In this article, I will deal with two of them, because as I was writing on 3, 4, and 5, I noted that my article was becoming too long for the newsletter! Anyway, here are the first two.
There has been discussion regarding traffic lights that will not change for a bicycle, and it IS legal for a bicycle to ride through a red light. However, as a cyclist, this does not mean that we simply ride through every red light… It is obviously your life, if you value it, be absolutely sure that no one is coming BEFORE crossing an intersection where you have a red light!! This same logic applies to stop signs. Many of us, (myself included) have coasted through stop signs. This is asking to become a fender ornament! I am thinking of several intersections where there is no stop for the opposing traffic, and we, as cyclists are blind to the possible traffic coming from the left. Further, this traffic can be moving at speed! The bottom line is to stop at a stop sign so as to be absolutely sure there are no MORONS driving in your general direction! The web address For PA’s traffic laws is here: http://www.dot.state.pa.us/BIKE/WEB/bikelaws.htm
Good GOD!! This is one we should all be reminded of frequently, if not by articles like this one, by our own experiences! How many times have there been cars that have passed us leaving no more than half an inch between their mirrors and our bodies? Just this past weekend, I was nearly clobbered by a woman who then stopped in-front of me, while steering to the right in order to make a tractor-trailer style turn (into her driveway) with her Ford Explorer… As it turns out she had to wait in order to make her turn due to on coming traffic… However, this did not stop her from cutting me off… So PLEASE stay alert to these schmucks on the road, and yell out to riders in your group if they are in front of you and you see a moron drive past you!
I was thinking about all the times Doug L and I went out riding in the cold weather earlier this season, and I started thinking about all of the instances when I could have been the victim of frost bite, I could have caught pneumonia, slipped on black ice (and crashed.) This had me thinking about all of the people out there who have been/are doing the same thing!
The American Red Cross is an excellent resource for dealing with cold weather. Also, earlier, Sharon S. sent out an e-mail discussing some of the things that are helpful when riding in cold weather. Well I thought that I could add some more to the safety end of the discussion. We all know what it is like to try shifting after we have hurt our fingers. I can't imagine trying to shift without fingers! Ewwwww! What a thought. Anyway, I have taken to experimenting with different ways of keeping my hands warm while riding. For example, I recently purchased a pair of mittens from LL Bean. These were less than $20, they do an awesome job of keeping my hands warm, and I am STILL able to shift with them.
The second item I purchased recently was from Keswick Cycle Shop, and it was a pair of neoprene booties. I rode all last winter without, and I can't imagine how I am still walking on feet! Anyway, I tried them out yesterday, and in the morning, while things were cold, my feet were toasty warm. Sharon's e-mail mentioned layering. In this I was good, last year, but there were some tricks I read on the Portland Office of Transportation website. This site is geared more toward wet weather, but it did offer some ideas that I would like to mention. They suggested using a regular rain coat and pants to ward off the rain and cold. This is an excellent suggestion, especially if you can find one that fits like a cycling outfit. First of all, they are reasonably priced, secondly, they will block the cold wind from flowing through your tights, and hitting your skin, thirdly, you will sweat like a farm animal. I like the third reason best!
We should all know what black ice is, but incase anyone has forgotten, black ice is that thin layer of ice which occurs when rain or melted snow freezes on the road. It may not be totally avoidable in all cases, but there are some common sense solutions to having a wrecked bicycle, and a damaged rider. First, if it can be avoided, try not to ride at night, because poor visibility will prevent one from noticing black ice until it is too late. Secondly, if you must ride across black ice, (and you know it is there,) don't make any turns, don't apply any power while rolling across the ice, and above all, if one are riding with a group, he/she should inform the people behind of the danger.
It is not too far past Christmas / Chanukah / Quanza time, so if you forgot to get a decent gift, might I suggest obtaining a gift, for either yourself, or your favorite cyclist , that says you REALLY love him/her enough to give the gift of warmth on a cold winter's ride! Be safe and may your 2005 season be filled with fun!
This is my first letter to SCU regarding safety and legislation, and while I was thinking of a topic, one idea super-ceded all others!
I have had discussions with lots of people regarding Helmets, and I am HORRIFIED at what I have heard!! Anyway, I will be writing pieces on safety and legislation issues, and the first thing I would like to talk about is helmets.
Before discussing helmet shopping, the following needs to be mentioned. If your helmet is cracked, IN ANY WAY, don't ride with it! If you ever in a crash, and if you hit your helmet, do not use that helmet again, even if there are no visible flaws.
Now, having said this, there are many different brands out there. If you purchase a helmet from a bicycle store, you can be fairly sure that it was tested and meets certain standards for safety. From my perspective, proper fit is the most important aspect involved in helmet selection. I am rather fond of the way Rudy Project and Giro helmets fit my head, but my experience should in no way influence your decision. I would suggest that while shopping for a helmet, rater than picking one specific brand, one should try, at least, half a dozen different models from several different manufacturers. The helmet that fits your head snugly, (not cutting off circulation) with little side to side play is probably the one you should be using. Now, there are issues with some helmet's buckles and some helmets have been recalled, but this can be found by doing some research.
The bicycle helmet safety institute is an excellent resource. There is a WEALTH of information on the site, including answers on How to Fit a Helmet, Fast info for Frequently Asked Questions, Buying a Helmet, and Helmets for 2004 plus much more. This site updates frequently, and it will be updated to contain 2005 data before the end of the year.
We all have one brain. If we bash it around the wrong way, we will never be able to enjoy cycling or anything else again. Some may suggest that we are all a little brain damaged already, but that is a topic for another discussion. May the weather be good when you want to be out enjoying the countryside!
Updated 2/1/2008
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