CAN-BIKE instructor Brian McClean's presentation on safe commuter cycling.

1. Lunch and Learn
Bike to Work Month
2011

2. www.biketoworkottawa.com
www.veloboulotottawa.com

3. Topics
• Commuter cyclist guide
• Safe and secure bike parking
• Route planning ... navigating the city
• Lane positioning and visibility
• General tips for safe cycling
• and more ...
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4. Commuter Cyclist Guide
• Helmets
• Clothing ... depends on distance
• Bike Comfort ... MTB, Road Bike, Hybrid, bike size
• Repair kit ... inner tube, tire levers, patches, tire
boot, pump
• Pannier or backpacks and water protection
• Locks
• Internet Site ... gobiking.ca/commuting/index.html
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5. Helmet safety
• Cycling Quick Facts
 45.5% of all injuries from bicycling are to the head.
 Wearing a properly fitted helmet has been shown to
reduce brain injury by 88% and head injury by 85%.
 Cycling-related injuries are the third leading cause of
hospitalizations and the second leading cause of
emergency department visits among children injured in
falls.
 Boys and young men are 4 times more likely to be injured
or killed in a cycling-related crash than girls or young
women.
[ Sources: OIPRC (2007). Head Injuries. Ontario Injury Compass. Vol. 4, Issue 11. OIPRC
(2007). Injuries among children. Ontario Injury Compass. Vol. 4, Issue 12. Tator, C.H.
(2009). Catastrophic Injuries in Ontario: Causes and Prevention. U of T Press.]
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6. Helmets proper fitting
• Always wear a helmet
• Basic components of a helmet ...
hard outer shell
impact absorbing foam
straps
• Safety Standards Sticker (CSA, Snell etc)
• 2-V-1
• Youths under 18 required to wear a helmet
• Cycling helmets ... single-impact helmets ...
5 year life
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7. Clothing
• Short distance rides ... wear work clothes
• Longer distances
leave clothes at work,
carry clothes in panniers,
shower at work, etc
• Weather impacts ... fair weather rider but plan
for the unexpected
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8. Bike Comfort/Fit
• Frame size
– MTB: should have 2” - 4” stand-over clearance
– Road: should have 1” - 2” stand-over clearance
• Saddle height/position
– Heel should be just off pedal at bottom stroke
– Hips should not rock
– Knee should be over pedal spindle at 3/6 o’clock position
– Seat is level
• Handlebar reach/height
– Body should form an isosceles triangle
– MTB: bars are 1-2 cm below saddle
– Road: bars are level with saddle
• Pedals
– Clipless
– Clip
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9. Basics
• Tool Kit
 Tire repair ... Pump, Tire levers, Patches, Replacement tube, Tire boot
 Bike repair ... Allen keys (4, 5 & 6 mm), Wrenches (8, 9, 10 mm),
Adjustable wrench (1/2”), Screwdriver (flat & phillips), Chain tool
• Basic First Aid kit
 band aids, Travel Wipes, hand sanitizer, polysporin
• Water bottle
• Snacks
• Personal ID/ Health card
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10. Screen clipping taken: 05/05/2011, 2:24 PM
Safe and Secure Bike Parking
• A lock does not guarantee the
safety of your bike
buy a good lock
secure frame and wheels
Cable Lock
destination ... check if have bike
cages or racks underground
do not use a fence to secure bike
do not attach to a post
U-Lock with cable
park in high traffic areas/well lit
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11. Other Safety Equipment
• Safety: Bell, Lights, reflectors
• Utility: Rack, Panniers / Rack bag, Handlebar bags
• Tech: Cycle Computer, HRM
• Accessories: Pedals, Aero bars, Fenders, water bottle holders
• Clothing: gloves, shoes, glasses, shorts, jerseys, spandex
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12. Route Planning ...
Navigating the City
• Number of sources:
1. City of Ottawa Map
2. NCC Pathway maps
3. Google Maps ... directions and click on bike
4. ottawabikingproblems.ca source of locations to avoid if
possible
• Combination of paths and roads
• Drive and park then take Ottawa river paths
• Cycle to transit station and take bus
• Rack and roll option
• Check Ottawa city for construction zones and detours
• Think about escape routes or shelters
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13. City of Ottawa Construction
http://ottawa.ca/residents/construction/map/index_en.html
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14. Lane Positioning and Visibility
Traffic Theory
• Motorized vehicles mostly occupy a whole lane while cyclists
occupy part of a lane;
• The correct road position for cyclists vary with traffic volume,
traffic speed, condition and widths of road, weather, lighting,
bicycle condition and cyclists skill level
• Cyclist’s basic approach to Safety:
 See ... know what is going on around you and anticipate
problems
 Be Seen ... want other users on the road to know you are also
on the road
 Be Predictable ... obeying the law, riding straight line,
communication
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15. Mission Statement
“Cyclists fare best when they act and
are treated like vehicular traffic.”
John Forester, author Effective Cycling
Can-Bike course is designed as a basic skills development course for developing cyclists.
Its goal is to give cyclists the encouragement, confidence and motivation to increase their
bicycle use and to seek out more advanced cycling instruction.
•The fundamentals of bicycle handling;
•The fundamentals of riding on the road for 2 or 4 lane, low to medium
traffic streets;
•The most basic safety check and bicycle fitting elements
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16. Principles of Traffic Flow
• Ride as close as practicable to the edge of the
roadway;
• Obey all rules of the road;
• Know how to negotiate with same-direction
traffic .... shoulder checks and hand signals;
• Destination positioning at intersections;
• Look down the road to plan for lane positioning
between intersections.
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17. M. V. P. C.
• Think of yourself as the Most Valuable Person Cycling;
• Manoeuvrability
– Ride as close as possible to traffic lanes
– Ride 1 metre our from curb (minimum)
• Visibility
– In the flow of traffic
– In the motorist’s field of vision
• Predictability
– Ride in a straight line, no weaving in and out
– Do not put foot on curb at intersections
• Communication
– Let others (cyclists and vehicles) know what your doing
– Body language and arm signals
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18. Cyclists’ Position from Curb
Close to travel lane
1 metre
1 metre
HTA says to right as far right as practicable not possible.
Practicable means safe and feasible (1 metre)
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable
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19. Hazards
Hazards = parked cars, construction, pot hole, snow, etc.
Shoulder Check, Signal, both hands on handlebars, life saving shoulder check
Take the lane if necessary
OBJECTIVE: Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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20. Narrow Lanes
1 metre
Take the Lane ... discourage cars passing unsafely
Narrow lanes = 3.25 metres or less
Intersections ... narrow curb lanes
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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21. Wide Lanes
1 metre
1 metre
Position just to right of travel lane
Too far right .... out of motorists field of view
OBJECTIVE: Visible, Communicating
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22. Bike Lanes and Right Turn
C
B A
Position ... just to right of bike lane marker
Cars turning right ... move into bike lane
Approaching from behind ... wait or pass on left
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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23. Parked Cars
Position ... ride striaght one metre from parked cars
Look ... driver, brake lights, front wheel movement
Hazards ... door opening, pedestrians, car pulling out
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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24. Destination Positioning
Position ... ride straight
Coasting ... misinterpreted as stopping
Hazards ... on-coming left turning car
OBJECTIVE: Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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25. Right Turn Lanes
Position ... right side through lane
1 metre from curb ... expecting turn
Hazards ... right turning car
OBJECTIVE: Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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26. Right Turn Lanes
Position ... take the lane (egress positioning)
Hazards ... right turning car trying to pass on left
OBJECTIVE: Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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27. Passing on Right
Position ... pass on the left
Hazards ... passing on right doors, turning cars
OBJECTIVE: Maneouvrable
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28. Residential Left Turns
Position ... left side of travel lane
Hazards ... on-coming left turning car, left turning cars passing
on right
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable,
Communicating
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29. Arterial Left Turns
Position ... left side of travel lane
Hazards ... on-coming left turning car, left turning
cars passing on right
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable,
Communicating
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30. Merge/Diverge Lanes
Position ... 1 metre from exit/entrance line
Hazards ... cars entering, cutting in front, pass on both sides
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible, Predictable, Communicating
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31. Trucks
Position ... in sight of mirrors
Hazards ... driver blind spots
OBJECTIVE: Manoeuvrable, Visible,

32. Pathway Riding Techniques
• Ride on right
• 20 kmh speed limit, keep speeds down
• Shoulder check before passing, moving position
• Pass on left
• Watch for pedestrians, they have right-of-way
• Pull off path when stopping
• Signal passing with voice, bell
• Yield right-of-way to cars at intersections, DO NOT ride
in crosswalks
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33. Equipment Inspection
• A: for air, check tires, spokes, rim, pressure
• B: for brakes, check levers, blocks, rim, test
• C: for cables/chain, check cranks
• Quick: check skewers
• Check: drop bike from 4-6”, listen for loose parts
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34. Cycling Collisions
• Avoidance
– Obey all traffic laws
– Never move sideways (right or left!) without shoulder checking
– Use reflectors and rear lights at night
– Don't follow cars too closely (cars can stop 6 times faster than bikes)
– Cycling Skills (or lack thereof) are the single biggest contributing factor
• Wear a Helmet
– Head injuries are the usually the cause in fatalities
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35. Cycling Crash Studies
• Falls
– 50% of collisions
• Car-Bike
– 17% of all collisions
– Most are at intersections (75%)
– Most are due to bicycle doing something unusual
– Disobeying rules of the road factor in 1/2 of collisions (51%)
– Young children and teens cause their own collisions; Adults most likely injured
by motorist error
– Wrong-way cycling is a major factor, cars don’t expect to see cyclists (17%)
• Car-Bike (Overtaking)
– 10% of all car-bike collisions are from behind (2% of all collisions)
– 6% are caused by cyclists swerving into traffic; Only 4% are motorist error
(0.8% of all collisions)
– 90% of collisions occur in front of cyclists
• Bike-Bike
– 17% of all collisions
• Bike-Dog
– 8% of all collisions
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36. WEBSites
• http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/onthemove/travelwise/cycling/skills/cy_
4_1_en.html ... CAN-BIKE training
• gobiking.ca .... Ottawa specific which points to many other useful sites
• http://gobiking.ca/commuting/index.html ... good reference for commuter
cycling
• http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/_flash/biking/_pdf/map.pdf ... NCC
maps
• http://bicycletutor.com/ ... over 40 videos on bike repairs from flat tire to
wheel truing
• http://www.octranspo1.com/routes/rack_roll ... information on rack and
roll program
• http://www.safecycling.ca/ ... information on cycling in Ottawa
• http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/pubs/cycling-guide/pdfs/cycling-
guide.pdf ... Ontario Cycling Skills guide
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37. www.biketoworkottawa.com
www.veloboulotottawa.com