Ah, the first weeknight in over five months where I have been able to ride outside after work. I was really getting tired of my trainer five days a week.

I really enjoy riding outside. But, in my metro area, traffic, especially rush hour traffic, can be rough. The weekends aren’t too bad because I ride in the mornings. Weeknights are a totally different story. Cars all over the place, trying to get home after a long workday can make for challenging bike riding. To remain safe I really need to have my “car radar” working 100 percent. What do I mean? I mean that I need to be very aware of what is going on around me at all times. It also means that I need to ride aggressively, not recklessly, to keep me in a safe position on the road.

I really enjoy the challenge of riding on the road. It can be dangerous if you aren’t careful but it doesn’t have to be. If you do things right, sharing the road with cars is a relatively safe proposition. Here are some of the things I do to make my workouts safe and enjoyable:

  1. Wear a helmet- This is key for any type of riding. Make sure your helmet fits properly.
  2. Wear bright colors- Make sure you have easy to see colors like yellow, blue, and red. Most bicycling jerseys are brightly colored to begin with
  3. Use a taillight- I use a blinking red light that attaches to the seatpost of my bike and it is on at all times I am on the road. It is just another way to make sure cars see you.
  4. Take the lane- This doesn’t mean you ride all of the time in the middle of the road but rather that you make sure that you have enough room on the road for you and your bike. If the road and traffic dictate it, ride on the lane. If the road is wide enough you can ride on the side of the road but give yourself enough room.
  5. Pretend you are invisible to cars- I always assume that cars don’t see me. This forces me to make doubly sure I am noticed. For example, if I see a car that is ready to pull out from a side street and the driver doesn’t make direct eye contact with me I’m going to be extra careful as I approach the intersection. I will have my hands near the brakes and a “bailout plan” in my mind just in case.
  6. Look behind often- I am always checking behind me to make sure I am aware of any cars that are approaching me from behind. I am also checking the opposite lane for oncoming cars and taking into consideration who might be passing whom and when.
  7. Ride on the right roads- Whenever possible I ride on roads that are less busy. On the weekends I can ride on some roads that I wouldn’t even dare to ride on during the week. I have picked several routes that allow me to get in a good workout while still being safe. Choose your roads carefully and be aware of construction, etc that might require a change in the route.

These are just a few of the things I do to make my road bike riding as safe as possible. When you ride outside, use your head, don’t take unreasonable risks, but most of all enjoy the ride!

What other tips do you have for riding on the road? Tell us about them in the comments!

Creative Commons License photo credit: BikePortland.org