We’ve come to the end of our week of cycling tips here at Loving the Bike.  I hope you’ve enjoyed what our crew has had to say, and be sure to have a look at all our other cycling tip posts as well.

It’s kind of tough to single out a Number 1 Tip for cyclists, so I’m cheating a little and combining a few tips into one.  There are so many important things to consider and ways to improve your cycling, but above it all is just getting out there to ride.

Please have a watch as I go over our final Cycling Tip for the week which talks about enjoying your ride and some tips on how to make sure you keep it that way.

Loving the Bike Cycling Tip #1 – Enjoy Your Ride

So there you have it…our top 5 cycling tips.  Now it’s time for you to let us know some of your favorite tips.

Have a look back at all the tips from this week, plus check out all our other cycling tips posts as well: Cycling Tips and Information.

Sometimes you just have to throw it all out there to the Universe and have faith that everything will work out fine….both on and off the bike.

Have you ever ridden your bike into traffic?  You know, riding towards oncoming traffic instead of having it come from behind you.  I don’t recommend you doing this, but I’ve had situations where it was necessary.  When I lived in Austin, I loved doing a ride that took me out West and into the region of Dripping Springs.  The way the route was set out made it necessary for me to ride into traffic for just a few meters.  I really didn’t like the idea of doing it, but there was really no other way around it (unless I wanted to cross over a busy highway with no intersection).

Although I was only riding this way for less than a minute, seeing those cars coming at me and how close they actually were was quite intense.  It was a great perspective on what’s actually going on behind when riding with traffic.

We’re cyclists on our bikes….what goes on around us is pretty much out of our control.  If there’s a person driving down the road distracted with their cell phone, a drunk driver who’s opted to get behind the wheel, or a truck that’s lost control…..they could be on that road behind you.

So what can we do?  Well, we can continue fighting like hell and keep pushing for safer roads for everyone.  We can encourage every one around us to take the pledge of Dropping the Cell phone while on the road.  But above all else, we need to have faith.  When you get right down to it, that’s all we can really do.

As cyclists, we put our lives in the hands of everyone else sharing the road….whether we like it or not.

On one of my rides last week, my Wife was out in our vehicle and happened to be driving home on the same road (yeah, so Grenada is a super tiny island so that’s bound to happen a lot).  When I got home she told me how close the vehicle in front of her came to me while passing…..she could barely stand watching. This was only one car, but I know for a fact that this sort of thing happens to me all the time over here.  But I don’t see it….and all I can do is continue having faith in the drivers and vehicles on the road behind me.

You feeling me?  Same thing goes for everyday life as well.  We do our thing, we journey down our path, and just keep walking with faith that everything is going to be alright.  So keep on living life to the fullest….on and off the bike, and let’s keep on making it happen.  Faith.

I’m a huge supporter of all the great cycling advocacy organizations out there pushing for safer roads and improved cycling infrastructure, but I’m going a little controversial on you today and saying that the roads just might be safer than we think.

I’ve been living and cycling here in Grenada for over a month now and I’ve been heavily reminded just how scary a road can actually be.  I can’t complain about it because it was my choice to move here, but I wanted to talk about the incredibly poor riding conditions and the insanity a cyclist is faced with if they want to ride.

One thing is for sure, the roads of North America now seem like ultimate luxury lined with the softness of pillows.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and have decided that the roads of most locations in the world are not the heart of the problem….it’s the amount of traffic consuming those roads.  Mix in an increasing lack of focus and attention by drivers (and some cyclists) and you’ve now got an unsafe situation.

I feel as if the roads are not necessarily to blame and that putting up things like bike lanes, bicycle traffic lights, and share the road signs are more of a band-aid than a solution.  All these things definitely aide in making the roads safer for cyclists, but with enough traffic out there…even the best infrastructure becomes unsafe.

Unless we can construct pathways that are only for cyclists and nowhere near the path of vehicle traffic…..there is always going to be unsafe conditions.

I’m currently riding on uneven crappy pavement with lots of huge holes, super narrow roads, people (and animals) constantly darting out into traffic, broken glass, and so many other things that us cyclists consider the enemy.  Even a guy like me who has claimed to be a tiny lap dog who rides like he’s a Rottweiler, has moments of pure freight out there.  But I’ll tell you why it works (well, sort of works).

Less traffic, slower speeds, and focus.  There aren’t a lot of roads here in Grenada, and vehicles per mile of road is definitely less than what you’ll find in places like North America, Australia, and the UK.  The vehicles on the road are also moving a whole lot slower than in places with smoother and straighter roads…okay, the busses here think they are racing an F1 but for the most part people drive slower.  And then there is focus.  I can’t speak for everyone, but when I’m on my bike or driving our vehicle I am way more focused on what’s going on than I’ve ever been anywhere else.  Extreme focus is a must for me over here.

The Grenadian drivers are not the best that I’ve seen in the world, and there are more than just a few reckless drivers around here.  They also don’t seem to care much for the cyclists.  Those of us who ride in Grenada, take our lives in our hands in order to train on the roads.  Sounds like the situation in most places, huh?  Well, I didn’t seem to notice it as much when I was riding on nice roads with big wide bike lanes.

But like I said, it’s a numbers game.  With enough traffic on these roads, I know the situation would be increasingly worse.

So there you go….my bicycle advocacy advice.  If we can somehow get fewer vehicles on the road and a better focus from the people behind the wheel and handlebars, our roads of the world will be a safer place for everyone.

What do you think?  Maybe a couple of rides with me over here in Grenada will get you thinking the same way.

I have a very simple idea that will not only help save cyclists from getting hit on their bikes, but will also save the lives of pedestrians, other drivers, and yourself.

I don’t hold a firm stand on too many things, but I am totally against people using cell phones while in a vehicle.  Let me put it this way….I would liken the use of a cell phone while driving to holding a loaded gun in your hand, with a good chance of it going off.  Yeah, that’s how unsafe I feel it is…and if something isn’t done about it soon, we’re going to lose a whole bunch more cyclists than we already have.

There are a lot of things drivers do that distract them from paying attention to the road, but the use of cell phones (talking, texting, checking e-mail, or anything else) is the greatest distraction of them all.  I’ve lost track of all the times I’ve seen a driver sway into the shoulder lane or do something even worse, just because they are on the phone and not paying attention.  What if a cyclist or pedestrian would have been right there on the shoulder?  Yeah, that loaded gun would have just been fired off.

I don’t need to push this issue because it’s a no brainer.  Cell phones and driving equals bad news.

Cyclists Leading By Example

Using cell phones while driving seems to be taken as a right these days and if there is going to be any chance of influencing people to drop their phone while on the road, I think it is up to us to lead by example.

So here it is….I’m challenging all our Loving the Bike readers and cyclists worldwide to be the change we wish to see in the world.  Take it upon yourself to never drive with a cell phone in your hand, or glance down at one (or GPS or anything else) while on the road.  Tell your friends that you’ve taken the pledge never to do this and that you encourage them to do the same….and to tell their friends about it.

Let’s all lead by example and start making the streets safer for everyone.  Drop the Phone – Save a Life.

I would like to thank my cycling friend and Chicago bicycle accident lawyer Jonathan Rosenfeld for his help with this cell phone initiative. If you get a chance, check out Jonathan’s site Chicago Bike Injury Lawyers (www.chicagobikeinjurylawyers.com) for more information on distracted driving and other topics related to bicycle safety.

If you had trouble deciphering the Canadian accent (man, I really need to work on that), here are the main points from the video.

How to stay safe when the sun is on the horizon and is blinding you (and the drivers):

1. Choose a route that avoids the sun being situated directly behind you.
2. Wear polarized sunglasses

If you are in a vehicle, slow down when the sun is in your face and blinding you from seeing the road properly.

If you are a cyclist, don’t assume that a vehicle can see you…if the sun is behind you, all the might see is a glare in their face and totally not see you at all.

Stay safe out there my cycling friends.