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I’d love to do a long distance cycling tour but the fear of being hit and killed is what will prevent me from truly enjoying it.

by xwdv 6y ago

mikeyouse 6y ago
Yeah same here. Just this week, the CFO of Sports Basement was among a group of riders struck and killed by a box truck driver who was high on meth. They were riding in a group with a support car and it still didn’t help. Just awful.
- hodgesrm 6y ago
  I've done a lot of day cycling as well as bike touring. There's certainly risk in touring but it's not easy to disengage it from cycling in general. The practical problem in touring is you may end up on roads with (a) no shoulder, (b) heavy traffic, and (c) drivers who are not expecting to see bicycles. Oregon highway 140 from Klamath Falls to Medford was one of the scarier roads I've ever toured on. Stuff you might think is a death trap actually isn't. Logging trucks are terrifying for bicyclists, but by and large the drivers are really good and tend to pay close attention to the road. I'm more worried about the old fella driving his RV.
  - syndacks 6y ago
    I was riding down the West coast a few years ago, met a cycling friend who I rode with a couple days. An RV passed us (my friend was behind me) and he said that the step ladder or whatever thing on the side of the RV was unhitched and came within inches of hitting me. I usually ride alone; who knows how many close calls I've had like that. Gives me the chills just thinking about it.
    - hodgesrm 6y ago
      I've had similar experiences. As you say there are more close calls than you realize. Still, I love being on the bike with full touring gear. It's a hell of an adventure.
Mediterraneo10 6y ago
Provided that you have wide tires, appropriately low gearing on the bike, and no strict schedule, then you can choose unpaved routes across much of the world where you will almost never see other cars. Or, even if there are occasional cars, the terrain would force them to move at so slow a speed they don’t pose a danger.
johnp314 6y ago
I did a solo cross-USA ride in 2007, Maryland to Calif. Some roads were rather hairy and frightening. I've also bicycle commuted to my work across various jobs over 30 years, from Philly to San Diego and points in between (not religiously in all weather but probably 30% of the time). I tell folks my most important safety item for bicycling is my rear-view mirror, I don't leave home without it. I don't mean one of those little things attached to the helmet, I mean a nice stable one attached to the handlebars. You may see me on occasion (especially on hot days) bicycling without a helmet, I almost never use my lights, but you'll never see me on a bicycle without a rear view mirror. I've never had to ditch because of what I saw coming at me, but many times I pull farther onto the shoulder or even stop and pause given what I saw coming from behind. You can see my 2007 X-country day-by-day diary here: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=2579&v=LL https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=2579&v=LL
- syndacks 6y ago
  Yep, though I think a safety vest beats the mirror for me in terms of safety.
- tasuki 6y ago
  My ultimate bike survival hack is this reflexive "hand" mounted on the bike, extending half a metre towards the road: it makes you appear wider, and were it to be hit it'd just told.
nodamage 6y ago
I would suggest doing it in Europe where many countries have dedicated cycle paths that are separated from the main roads. Much less risky, much more enjoyable.

I’d love to do a long distance cycling tour but the fear of being hit and killed is what will prevent me from truly enjoying it.

by xwdv 6y ago

I’d love to do a long distance cycling tour but the fear of being hit and killed is what will prevent me from truly enjoying it.

mikeyouse 6y ago

Yeah same here. Just this week, the CFO of Sports Basement was among a group of riders struck and killed by a box truck driver who was high on meth. They were riding in a group with a support car and it still didn’t help. Just awful.

hodgesrm 6y ago
I've done a lot of day cycling as well as bike touring. There's certainly risk in touring but it's not easy to disengage it from cycling in general. The practical problem in touring is you may end up on roads with (a) no shoulder, (b) heavy traffic, and (c) drivers who are not expecting to see bicycles. Oregon highway 140 from Klamath Falls to Medford was one of the scarier roads I've ever toured on. Stuff you might think is a death trap actually isn't. Logging trucks are terrifying for bicyclists, but by and large the drivers are really good and tend to pay close attention to the road. I'm more worried about the old fella driving his RV.
- syndacks 6y ago
  I was riding down the West coast a few years ago, met a cycling friend who I rode with a couple days. An RV passed us (my friend was behind me) and he said that the step ladder or whatever thing on the side of the RV was unhitched and came within inches of hitting me. I usually ride alone; who knows how many close calls I've had like that. Gives me the chills just thinking about it.
  - hodgesrm 6y ago
    I've had similar experiences. As you say there are more close calls than you realize. Still, I love being on the bike with full touring gear. It's a hell of an adventure.

Mediterraneo10 6y ago

Provided that you have wide tires, appropriately low gearing on the bike, and no strict schedule, then you can choose unpaved routes across much of the world where you will almost never see other cars. Or, even if there are occasional cars, the terrain would force them to move at so slow a speed they don’t pose a danger.

johnp314 6y ago

I did a solo cross-USA ride in 2007, Maryland to Calif. Some roads were rather hairy and frightening. I've also bicycle commuted to my work across various jobs over 30 years, from Philly to San Diego and points in between (not religiously in all weather but probably 30% of the time). I tell folks my most important safety item for bicycling is my rear-view mirror, I don't leave home without it. I don't mean one of those little things attached to the helmet, I mean a nice stable one attached to the handlebars. You may see me on occasion (especially on hot days) bicycling without a helmet, I almost never use my lights, but you'll never see me on a bicycle without a rear view mirror. I've never had to ditch because of what I saw coming at me, but many times I pull farther onto the shoulder or even stop and pause given what I saw coming from behind. You can see my 2007 X-country day-by-day diary here: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=2579&v=LL https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1mr&doc_id=2579&v=LL

syndacks 6y ago
Yep, though I think a safety vest beats the mirror for me in terms of safety.
tasuki 6y ago
My ultimate bike survival hack is this reflexive "hand" mounted on the bike, extending half a metre towards the road: it makes you appear wider, and were it to be hit it'd just told.

nodamage 6y ago

I would suggest doing it in Europe where many countries have dedicated cycle paths that are separated from the main roads. Much less risky, much more enjoyable.