How do I ride a bike in traffic?

“Don’t you just get on and pedal?”

Driving a car properly in traffic involves a number of important approaches and skills.

The same goes for riding a bike, and then some. Why? Because we’re:

• Generally moving at a lower speed than others around us.
• Smaller, and therefore less easily seen.
• Different from most other road users (motor vehicle drivers), and thus subject to:
  • not being looked for, and/or
  • being ignored / treated less courteously / harassed.*

* Sometimes the opposite happens, which can require its own techniques.

For these reasons and more, we need approaches and skills beyond those required for driving a car.

Sure, it’s possible to go out on the road without any forethought and training. It’s also possible to make sound on a violin without lessons. The end results are different.

Complimentary sections from our online courses:

• Skills for riding in traffic:
• Five key traffic principles
• Changing lanes in traffic
• How to get a non-responsive traffic light to detect your bicycle
• Navigating traffic circles & roundabouts
• Riding with kids

• Other available sections:
• Bike handling skills
• Equipment

Here are the topics we cover in-depth in our online ‘Traffic Smarts for Cyclists‘ courses:

• These will help you increase your competence and comfort in traffic, regardless of your current experience level.

1. Being an MVP-C (Maneuverable, Visible, Predictable, and Communicative).
2. Ensuring you have the right equipment, and parking your bike securely.
3. Refining your bike handling skills.
4. Considering how people behave in traffic.
5. Knowing your rights & duties.
6. Scanning & signaling properly.
7. Choosing your place on the road.
8. Managing intersections effectively.
9. Riding:
   • on sidewalks.
   • near trucks & buses.
   • side-by side.
   • on paths & trails.

Find out more…