5 Ways Bicyclists Should be More Like Motorcyclists

Motorcyclists and bicyclists don’t seem to have a lot in common. Years ago, as a motorcyclist enamored with my new, completely bad ass hobby, I used to look down my nose at the uptight, spandex-clad bicyclists huffing their ways up Highway 9, Page Mill Road, and 84, some of my favorite sport riding roads. And I’m sure a cyclist or two has shared a rude (but well deserved) comment about that guy speeding down Skyline on his “Ninja” in flip flops and shorts. But time passed, I started racing my motorcycle, and began to realize that my physical fitness was limiting me on the racetrack. So, like all the cool kids, I took up cycling.

One of the biggest surprises, other than how much more bicycle crashes hurt than motorcycle crashes, is how careless many cyclists seem to be when it comes to their safety on the road. I’ve seen it as a cyclist riding with other cyclists, and, most recently, as a motorist who got yelled at…by a cyclist.

Friday afternoon, after visiting a colleague at her home in Woodside, I got in my car and headed home. As I was turning left from Prospect onto Albion, I crept towards the narrow intersection, looking right, looking left and then pulling out into the road.

Indistinguishable yelling ensued, though I clearly heard the word “asshole.”

I slowed, looked in my mirrors, and saw a cyclist speeding towards me on my right. I slowed to a stop, rolled my window down as he swerved onto my left, and I yelled back, “hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” More indistinguishable yelling and arm waving.

Asshole? Did he just call me an asshole? But, I’m a cyclist too! And a nice person! I’m not one of those motorists who refuses to pull over a few feet, when safe, to give a bicyclist more room. I look for bicycles. I brake for bicycles. I cheer for bicycles when it looks like their riders could use it.

I felt horrible. But then I started thinking about it, and I started to get pissed. First, he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Second, he was speeding, down a hill, a hill that I’ve sped down myself thinking, “gee, if a car pulls out in front of me from Michele’s street, I’m pretty much screwed. And it wouldn’t be their fault, it’d be mine.” The top of the hill is shady, and the bottom is sunny, making it even harder for cars to see little bikes.

Bicyclists should think and ride defensively, like good motorcyclists. Without the wheelies (actually I think wheelies are pretty rad, especially on road bicycles).

Yes, there are a lot of bad motorcycle riders out there – motorcycles who do the equivalent of “half wheeling” on cars and then get pissed off when the car changes into their lane. Motorcyclists who speed, act stupid, ride drunk, and give the rest of us a bad name. But, in general, as an experienced motorcyclist, racer, and former Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor, and a relatively new cyclist, I’m finding more and more ways in which cyclists can be safer by employing the defensive riding techniques good motorcyclists use.

• Motorcyclist Tip #1: Dress for the Crash, Not the Ride. I’ve told my family and friends that bicycling is more dangerous than motorcycling, because it is. You’re practically naked and sometimes speeding above pavement at over 30 miles an hour amidst cars and other hazards. And speaking of cars, it’s like you’re bringing a nail file to a gun fight; you don’t even have the horsepower in your wrist to throttle away from danger. The helmet is the only thing you’ve got…wear it. Most cyclists do, and I really don’t understand those who don’t.
• Motorcyclist Tip #2: Be Visible. If you’re not, expect drivers to act like you’re not there. And even if you think you are visible, still expect drivers to act like you’re not there. Anyway, that neon yellow jacket might not look as cool as your shop’s team kit, but it definitely is easier to spot while driving. Do you want to be cool, or do you want to arrive home uninjured? I’ll admit it, sometimes I just want to be cool, but I know that I’m adding to my risk by not being as visible as I could be. Headlights and tail lights also increase your visibility to drivers, even during daylight. Motorcycles have headlights on all the time, and you can’t turn them off unless you unplug them. Lights help you be seen, even in the daylight.
• Motorcyclist Tip #3: Plan an Escape. So, what will you do when, not if, that car pulls out in front of you from that driveway? Is there approaching traffic from behind or in front? Is there room to stop safely? Is there a path or way out behind the car? Be prepared. Expect that cars will always do the wrong thing, and you won’t be angered when they do, you’ll just be executing your escape plan.
• Motorcyclist Tip #4: Don’t Antagonize Drivers. Let’s see. If I were talking with someone who had a gun, and I was unarmed, would I start insulting him? Talking crap about his mom? Probably not. I’d probably just calmly try to leave the scene. This past October, at the Levi Leipheimer’s Gran Fondo in Sonoma County, a cyclist was profoundly injured when he was hit by a car that ran. Earlier that day, the criminal was seen arguing back and forth on the road with cyclists, threatening them, with cyclists yelling and threatening right back. Way to add fuel to the fire. You’re not going to change anyone’s perspective on motorist-cyclist relations by yelling a few choice words at the car that just passed you too closely. Motorcyclists have more ability to escape danger than bicyclists do, but getting angry or engaging in a fight with a car really takes focus away from your number one goal: arriving home safely. And, it’s just not as fun.
• Motorcyclist Tip #5: Trust No One. A girlfriend of mine got her first motorcycle shortly after I did. A few months into her riding, she crashed by applying the brakes too hard when a bunch of cars in front of her were stopping for no reason. She hit the ground wrong and shattered her shoulder into a dozen pieces. “I expected that the second traffic light was green, like it always is, I didn’t think the cars would be slowing.” Always expect cars to behave in irrational, backwards, stupid ways. It’s a fun game, trying to anticipate what wrong move each car (or cyclist in front of you, for that matter) is going to make.

I could probably add some things here like obey traffic laws, look ahead, and use caution at intersections, but I think the above pretty much covers everything. Yes, of course, stop at the stop signs, stop at the stop lights, and so on. But cycling safety goes way above and beyond simply following the rules. Sure, it probably wouldn’t be “your fault” in a collision between you and a car, but you’re the one who’s going to be hurting, and I’d rather be alive than right.