Safe commuting - My experience

[curator]

Hi. Newbie to this forum, and I hope this is the appropriate place for some geezer experience -

Between 1980 and 2000, I put on in excess of 120k miles commuting (mostly reverse) from Oakland to N. Marin and just within Marin (I-80, I-580, 101). Early on, I learned that 4-wheelers would happily take my lane without noticing me, especially on Thursdays on I-80. I started wearing a bright yellow USN aircraft carrier flight deck jumper, and the lane takers disappeared. Never did figure out if they hadn't seen me before, or decided they couldn't hardly deny they saw me. Good start.

Followed with using 2" yellow retroreflective tape on briefcase and cargo rack (thanks to Moffett Field FD guys) and also sewed retroreflective tape on the belt of my riding suit (little 1/2" strips on sleeves didn't seem all that good).

Since I was doing mostly reverse commute, I was thankfully able to move qujickly through platoons of cars to the gaps betwen them to minimize the chances that any of them could wipe me out even if they wanted to.

My primary fear was getting rear-ended if traffic backed up and some bozo wasn't paying attention. Other than good mirrors and watching my back, my only solutions for that were: (1) avoid congested lanes; (2) vanity license plate "KP BACK" (all versions of BACKOFF were taken); and (3) install a CyberLight. The latter probably predates many of you. It first appeared (to my knowledge) in the mid 1970s on SF taxis, predecessors of the now ubiquitous center window brake light. It's an amber light bar with 5 (I think) 6V bulbs wired to the brake lights with a series of angled mercury switches (old-school accelerometer) and circuitry. When braking, the lights would start flashing. The harder the deceleration, the more voltage (brighter lights) and the faster the flashing. I don't know if anything of the sort is still in use, but the good news is that I never got hit or dropped the bike.

Hope this gives some of you a few hints. Ride safe!:afm199

 

[ctwo]

I think a good comprehensive guide to commuting in the bay area today would help a lot of riders.

Out of all the ways to have an unpleasant encounter, I think I agree that a rear-ending is high on the list. Nowadays, it seems impossible to avoid congested lanes, so doing what it takes to find the gaps is par, even if that presents a financial risk. That is something that needlessly preoccupies my thoughts. Another is what to do when you just can't find a way out and there are agressives behind you finding an excesses of 80 not good enough, and those in the center lanes find a car length or two gap is much too much?

Anyhow, while I find visibility to be an aid, it really seems ancillary to me for the fact that it puts the onus on others to act. As long as one does not just put blind faith to that, it is an aid.

 

[undertheoaks]

I find on my daily commute from Richmond to San Carlos that extra lights led style really help with my visability. I installed a set that sit on top of my mirrors and when I turn them off while lane splitting less cars part way for me compared to when they are on. I think hi-viz gear helps a ton too and wear my bright yellow helmet. I also installed a brake light bar that only lights up when brakes are applied. One note on the lights I do get an occasional #1 gesture which to me means they see me.

 

[davidji]

One note on the lights I do get an occasional #1 gesture which to me means they see me.

Are you saying your lights annoying enough to get an occasional #1 gesture? You can install eye-catching lights that won't annoy or dazzle other road users: Skene Photon Blasters.

Safer than e.g. high beams in the day which may dazzle other motorists and make it harder for them to judge your closing speed. If your lights are earning you rude gestures, they may have that issue also.

 

[Aware]

This works

 

[undertheoaks]

Wow those photons look cool, I don't blind people just have bright lights no brighter then the prius cars or new trucks. My lights on my st1100 are mounted to police light brackets so the sit higher up really helps being seen by the cars.

 

[kurth83]

I did the whole visibility thing too (lights + helmet/gear, went way overboard on the lights: front/rear/running bigger/brighter/higher - light triangle etc.), made a big difference.

Slightly louder pipes also helped noticeably.

An amazing splitting help is a headlight modulator, it's like parting the red sea, I might as well be an ambulance. But I am afraid to use it because it is so annoying. Some people don't react well to being annoyed, but I have never had a problem.