I'm glad you acknowledged that we live in a car dependent society in North America, as well as other places. The biggest danger to cyclists is cars. Cycling isn't dangerous, cars are dangerous, which means we should do our best to separate the two, and/or start to reduce the space and power that cars have over public roads.
6:42 The pedestrians in the park aren't an annoyance to us, we are an annoyance to them. Always remember that all spaces should logically belong to people. Even cyclists and cars on roads are taking space that logically belongs to people, the space has simply been yielded to vehicles. The space is not being yielded in a park, it is being shared, and you should respect that. People being in the park is why I love riding through parks.
The annoyance comes from the fact that there is no bicycle infrastructure. Pedestrian paths are great, shared paths are tolerable because they're the best some of us have in our cities and towns.
a cyclist seeing pedestrians as an annoyance in the park is not that different from a car driver perceiving cyclists as annoyances on the lanes/streets/roads. And that's the problem when we think about commuting: everybody is disputing, few are collaborating. At the end the stronger/faster will never care about the slower/weaker, no matter if the stronger is a 18 wheeler or a bicycle.
Yeah, every road that doesn’t have houses and even a few that do get built like a highway because federal funding is basically only available for highway building. So we have situations like in my city where peak traffic totals would only suggest a single lane in both directions but they are 3 lane roads with turning cutouts for almost every driveway.
At my university I was pampered by protected bike lanes, I could wear my airpods go helmetless and be chilling. But now I'm home in a city that has spots with painted bike lanes, no bike lanes, converted railroad trails, and the rare "protected bike lane" (it has the flimsy plastic/thin metal poles). Getting around on my bike has such a confusing paranoia-inducing struggle
Wow man… it’s likely you’ve had a thousand UA-cam comments saying: “Great Video, blah blah blah.” But you really nailed it with a maturity & wisdom that your channel has developed over some time. Extremely important content and education. Well done.
Merge out of the bike lane, behind cars, or get in front of them, never side-by-side at busy intersections. In the parts of the world where people drive on the right side of the road, a car turning right over a cyclist going straight/ right, is the most common accident scenario.
I swear by blue light, i always thought drivers were just aholes and just drove by within a foot of me. Ever since I switched to a blue light no one comes close, everyone passes me with space.
Make eye contact, look at their mirrors and when passing cars that are not moving notice the direction of their front wheels to know where they want to go.
My best tip is to behave like a car. When stopped in a line sit in the middle behind the car in front. Don't pass on the right at each light just to make the cars pas you again one block later.Move over before you turn left and make it clear what you are doing. Keep a line away from the curb and parked cars. If there is another parked car ahead don't give up a lane. Allow some room to react and trust your instincts if you sense danger. Communicate when possible but act when necessary. Avoid interaction with angry aggressive drivers. Most bullies are cowards but some are not. I had bubba in a pick up honk at me on a side street when he had to wait. Nearly took out an oncoming car passing me then stopped at the next 4 way stop and stand up half out of his truck swearing at me. As soon as he passed I slowed down to put some distance between us and waited for him to move on. Just let him look the idiot he was. The best way to annoy angry people is to be nice to them. Wave then wish them a good day. It will ruin their morning and keep you calm. Otherwise, cooperate when you can. At a 4 way stop, suggest the other person to go so you don't have to stop completely. Be decisive and make it clear what you are doing, then do it. Finally, do a reality check regularly. Aggressive riding can intimidate others but you are not super man. You will get squished like a bug if things go wrong. Live reasonably dangerously, but not mindlessly. I have lived over 50 years in a city of now 400 000 plus people with poor planning and little good cycling spaces. I ride where most people will not. Once commuting for over 10 years daily in all weather, including snow in winter, on the main road north/south. The intersection nearest to me has more traffic and accidents than most. I still enjoy riding fixed gear bikes and most days are uneventful.
About sitting in the middle of the car in front. Common motorcyclist wisdom is not to sit in the middle of the car infront because if the brakes of the car coming from behind fails or just plain inattentiveness, getting crushed is a real possibility.
I’m about to purchase my first non-Walmart bike next week! I’m so excited to start commuting once I get my stamina up. I’m hoping I can find a better route to work because the most easily accessible one is on a 60mph road. A little nervous about that tbh!
Congratulations on the bike & the commute start! The good will outweigh the not so good; you will love it. You will find a better route. Exploring possible routes on weekend mornings in low traffic can help. You will definitely build up a library of alternate routes that will be less traveled. Some good comments here, using front & rear light at all times, bright clothing. For me plenty of hand signals including to following traffic and oncoming traffic at intersections, pointing, that I am going straight through. Keeping my speed "low" in heavy traffic has reduced my less than near misses by half vs last year (though I do miss the thrill of the old days...). Take care
Fantastic video and much food for thought. I tend to become flippant when I'm biking and need to make more of an effort to be fearful and prudent. One thing I would add to your list is visibility - wear light or bright shirts, rear lights, reflectors etc. I've seen so many bike and scooter riders in dark clothes with no lights at night.
hey friend! for safety reasons, you shouldnt post your google maps location, you can make your point about going through neighborhoods instead of huge fast roads without doxing yourself. Stay safe 🙏
originally, i thought this video was a little too harsh--but actually this is a very realistic, experienced take on keeping yourself as safe as possible.
very nice video, I 100% agree on all points, especially on finding paths and roads that are safer instead of using stupid google map, those navigation routing algorithm are designed for cars and they have no idea how dangerous they could be for bike commute,
I commute everyday in a city that has no infrastructure for bikes. I’ve carved out the safest routes that I can take, ALWAYS wear a helmet, and day and night I’ve got the brightest blinking lights I could find running whenever I’m on the bike. I’m in Indiana now, and I’ve found living in CO, TN and KS as well, that as long as I’m hauling ass and not just lollygagging on down the road like I’m on the beach or something people tend to be pretty cool on the road. I’ll have to say that the two times I’ve been hit I was on a sidewalk crossing an intersection once and on an urban paved trail that came up to a large intersection the second. Not doing that again!
Not sure if people drive more carefully in residential areas. FortNine made a video stressing that people are less aware when they drive in those areas because habituation makes the driving experience more automatic than conscious. I drive both motorcycle and bicycle and I'm almost sure that if this applies to motorcycles, it must apply to bicycles as well, since the latter are arguably less visible than the former for a car driver.
Great tips. I route my "roadie" route like that. Through small barangay roads between towns, avoiding main roads if possible. They tend to be quieter and there are less cars.
9:00 Look at the driver: I totally agree. Too bad that in Washington it's legal to have front windows tinted, so you don't see the driver or where they are looking. I think this is extremely stupid and dangerous.
Always take the lane to get out of the door zone, if you can. That means USE A REARVIEW MIRROR. And aggressive daytime running lights to relieve left cross scenario of opposing traffic turning left into you.
fixie points are for people who depend on opinion of others....real cyclists ride whatever they've built up, what's working for them and what they like. I guess Zach is already there and just some stubborn fans can't get this fact.
@@event4216 lmao its not about being a -REAL- cyclist or not and Its not about getting the validation of others, it's about having a fun showcase of our fellow riders bikes. it's just about having fun with slight roasts.
The acknowledging road rage got me into trouble on my morning commute. Tried to wave a guy passed on a completely empty road and he decided to try and run me off the road.
My work commute is 1 hour long. And the amount of cars that fail to see me at intersections is scary. When theyre in a rush to go home or late for work, they only look out for cars and not for cyclists on pathways that go through those intersections. When riding a bicycle or a motorcycle, I always remember this saying. In any collision with a vehicle, it doesnt matter if I was in the right if Im dead. As cyclists, its important for us to be patient with cars and realize that they dont expect to encounter cyclists on a regular basis and make sure that they see you when crossing any intersections.
And I find that the safest way to ride through traffic is to be as aggressive and sometimes literally hands-on as you can without being a jerk or menace. You MUST assert yourself as a cyclist or drivers will take advantage of your submissiveness and potentially endanger you. They don't want to hit you, as much for moral as for legal and practical reasons, and if you make it clear that if they drive irresponsibly that they will hit you, they'll almost always back off and play nice. What this means, for example, is that if I want to change lanes, to turn or avoid an obstruction in my lane like a double parked car or construction, I will signal with the hand matching the direction towards which I want to move, turn my head slightly in that direction, and wave off any drivers currently in that lane just behind me so that they know my intentions and don't run into me. Never fails. NO ONE wants to hit others, be they on foot, bike or vehicle, even if part of them would like to, because of the consequences. I also try to ride as fast as I can, often going faster than most cars, continuously scanning ahead, to my sides and backwards via a small glasses-mounted mirror, and try to read "body language", which even drivers tend to have if you know what to look for, to anticipate and hopefully avoid potential problems (i.e. collisions). If a car is trying to take my lane or turn and is about to hit me, I literally slap the car. That always gets them to back off, even if they're cursing me out inside. No one owns the space just ahead of, behind or to my sides, but me. NO ONE. Anything outside this space is up for grabs. Oh, it also helps to make eye contact, and yell if need be. Full disclosure, I learned to do all this riding in NYC streets, which as everyone knows are quite insane to drive let alone cycle in. But once you get the hang of it and develop some skills and confidence, it's actually kind of fun.
I have a 2 ft breaker bar and 2 steel pipes that fit over each other for stuck sprockets/nuts/freewheel removal. I can extend the arm out to four feet long. Nothing can prevent removing things with this setup on bike components. It would be child's play to remove your lock nut and stuck sprocket with these cheater bars. Lots of leverage.
Seriously wear the helmet. I never thought I would crash on open road, and yet I just did by simple steering mistake. Front wheel off the pavement, and you know the rest. Accidents happen. Thanks for the helmet my head didn't touch the pavement except a slight scratch on a cheek.
Your words are strong and full of truth... ✊ I like to ride with a JBL clip speaker, rather than headphones. It keeps my ears open and lets walkers know I'm coming. Let's be careful out there kids, and have fun.
6:39 A cyclist seeing pedestrians in a park as an annoyance is not that different from a car driver perceiving cyclists on the lanes/streets/roads as obstacles. And that's the problem when we think about commuting: everybody is disputing, few are collaborating. In the end, the stronger/faster will never care about the slower/weaker, no matter if the stronger is an 18-wheeler or a bicycle.
Great comments! I learned a few things, even though I ride a routine 18 mile route for 15 years straight. What area do you ride in LA? I am trying to understand what kind of traffic you come across and how busy. Enjoyed the frankness of your talk. I agree it needs to be conveyed that way. Too many fellow riders just run lights, don"t look when crossing intersections, and all the other things that can get you hurt at best.
Great video. I guess cycling in a different country would be different than cycling in America. Because over here in England, when it comes to road rage, if the cyclist raises his hand to say sorry (even if it’s not their fault), drivers calm down and it de-escalates the situation. I listen to music but that’s what I have mirrors for. To see behind me. It’s not blaring in my ears. I need to be able to hear a fast moving emergency vehicle behind me. But music helps. If you can drive a vehicle and listen to music then why can’t you do the same on a bike?
My area is horribly dangerous to be in the street like 70% of the time. I ride on the sidewalk in the crazy busy areas because I'm not a moron that just breezes past driveways and intersections. That's part of what I don't get about advice of "No sidewalks, you could get hit" only if you are a complete idiot blasting through at 20 miles an hour. If I'm behaving safely on a sidewalk, and a pedestrian is mad, they can't really do much besides yell. If I'm behaving safely, taking the lane properly and legally and some driver is mad, they could easily kill me. Sure its illegal for them to hit me but "That's illegal" doesn't make me less dead.
For navigation, Google Maps has the option to choose a method of transportation, including riding a bike. It will avoid major highways/roads, and lean more towards bike paths or back roads, catering to a more bike friendly commute.
That's only supported in certain places. In other places (like my entire country) bike option does not even appear in the UI. It's probably because they don't want to risk recommending you take a certain path with your bike if they're not 100% sure it's safe.
In my experience, Google Earth gives headscratchingly bad bike directions even where that option is available. They have bike routes as an available layer in my city and the navigation will still direct you to a parallel arterial road.
1- limit riding in the dark and in storms. 2- wear bright clothing. 3 - quality grippy tires. 4 - fixed gear gives better traction and a sense of your speed 5- travel the same speed as cars in the inner city. 6- have an “emergency”brake ready (aka knee-saver). You can survive on the street 30 years, then collect Social Security. This.
@@tesmith47 it works for me, although I’m not sure why. Maybe because you are constantly feeling your rear wheel traction since you’re not braking from the rims or disks.
I need to go places when I need to go places. Daylight and weather are not in my thought process when I get on my bike aside from what I'm going to be wearing. Bright clothing only strengthens the motorist's argument that they "couldn't see" the cyclist they've hit when that cyclist isn't wearing a traffic cone as a hat and waving a 10 foot neon flag with flashing LED lights lining it. I also imagine many people are physically incapable of riding fixies if there is a significant amount of variation in elevation, but fewer gears is a good idea to reduce maintenance necessity. I also imagine many people are entirely physically incapable of riding at the same speed as cars anywhere.
@@ToomanyFrancisI wouldn't say go fixie, but like a 3 speed hub is fine for most things once you get your legs out of the couch potato zone. Maybe a higher end 5-7 speed hub if you do touring type stuff. If you go cheap, just get a 7 speed derailleur if you can, no front gears necessary.
Point 8. Agreed, and this is an indicator of poor infrastructure planning by prioritizing high risk, low vulnerability road users (e.g. cars) instead of low risk, high vulnerability road users (pedestrians and cyclists).
I lift my left hand with forearm perpendicular to ground as the car comes up to pass me, as a courtesy. This signal is also the signal for right turns.
I def get that listening to music etc is distracting and less safe but also There is no way I'm going to bike commute if I have to hear the overwhelming chaos of the road. Like that alone would be enough to make me hop back in the car despite biking being so much nicer in like every way
@@jamesjenkins8373 carbon cannot be recycled. It immediately turnes into hassardous waste once damaged. The main component of carbon fiber is resin. Resin is plastic. Carbon bikes are plastic trash.
Driving in NYC is quite scary as well, at least on a bike you have a level of mobility to where you can’t get stuck like with a car. Going on a bike ride there soon and I’m interested to see what it’s like. Probably quite terrifying and beautiful at the same time, if it’s anything like Philadelphia and other cities I’ve ridden in.
wear a helmet i know you might think it looks lame or whatever and it does but that doesn’t matter. a few months ago i was riding without a helmet and got a concussion! not fun stuff trying to look cool is not worth it
3:19 I almost got in a fight with an idiot that honked and cursed at me, and in return I threw the bird… dude parked ahead waited for me, and wanted to rumble, I took out my heavy bike lock and cursed him off, he got back in and carried on … but you have to be loud when your riding In traffic
Rush hour is a two-edged sword. Sure, there are a lot of stressed-out, desperate idiots ready and willing to do something dangerous, but their speed is limited by the volume of other cars. A lot of the real maniacs avoid rush hour so that they can drive dangerously without slower drivers getting in the way.
Please AVOID taking the lane other than for very short distances. Very bad advice, even deadly. Take it from a longtime bike commuter who suspects that many mysterious bike deaths are actually incidents of road rage against lane takers. I rate it as one of the most dangerous things you can do. Especially don't do it on stretches of road where there might not be any witnesses around.
I will NEVER take a lane when there's just one lane in that direction, as, yes, it does piss off drivers, not only because you're slowing them down and making it harder and more dangerous for them to pass you, which they WILL do, endangering them, other cars and cyclists and of course YOU, but also because it's rude, unnecessary and just reinforces the view that many drivers have of cyclists as entitled pricks who think they're better than everyone else (which, let's face it, some are and do). I always share the road, safely and responsibly, and always ride as far to the right as is safe, taking into account road debris, potholes, gravel and parked cars that could door me, and only take a lane when there's no cars behind me, which wearing a small mirror makes it easy to tell. If there are cars behind me and I have to move left, because it's dangerous for me to ride too far to the right, or because I have to turn left, I will first signal with my left hand, palm facing back, and turn my head a bit to emphasize that I'm about to move left. Never had a problem doing it this way.
@MisterSal9895 the Greenway trails all around town are awesome! We are fortunate to have them. However, the cyclist fatalities are increasingly more frequent for bicycles on the road.
I would wear a helmet.. if I was biking where he is. But also I wouldn't bike where he is, total Deathtrap helmet or not. Helmet won't save you when you get run over by a 2700kg SUV.
You dying in the hospital: "but... I had the right of way" Sorry but I'm not going to be the accident statistic that influences policy makers to push bike lanes a few years sooner than we'd otherwise get them nor should anyone advocate for anybody else to compromise their safety just to prove a point. That's stupid.
@@TheInfectous I don't give a hoot how you ride your bike. Nobody is arguing about who has the right of way. More sensible infrastructure leads to less deadly situations for cyclists. Some of these tips are ok. You don't need to die in the hospital or the road to advocate for better designed cities. That's stupid.
@@user-te4px3qk7l In general the tips are ok. I don't think any of them are anti-cyclist. The overall message seems to be that cyclists don't belong on the road.
Stop wearing huge backpacks LoL - it's dumb to have money and *not* buy a rear bike rack and a pannier. I guess you look cool carrying that uncomfortable 10lbs on your back.
I once tried reinstalling my old bike rack onto my new bike. I took it out of my house and onto a street with no cars, while it was raining in order to test out handling in the worst case scenario, and it absolutely neutered the bike’s handling with nothing on it. I tried making a tight circle and after a bit the rear tire slipped out making the bike land on its side. After that, I realized that I should just use a backpack.
1. don't commute on a fixie. 2. if you must commuting on a fixie install at least front brake. 3. but really don't commute on fixie. use it for fun, and proper bike for work.
You have a good point. But; fixed gear, for me, involves constant looking, anticipation, confirmation of being seen, speed control, always having an out (a hard right turn at low visibility intersections). It has made me a better, more constantly aware trad bike rider. No doubt, a good deal of energy goes into avoidance, it seems so busy out there now that it is hard to fast-move in the urban environment.
@@mannyorozco842 If you look at the data, you'll realize that helmets make no difference in mortality while riding for transportation. The number one factor on whether you get iced on a bike is the time you spend riding around cars. A helmet won't save you if you're dragged under a vehicle, pinned between 2 objects, or are slammed against a rock and having your liver burst. I do wear helmets but only when I'm doing something inherently dangerous like mountain biking.
@@refard Because armored vests aren't there to to protect you from bombs. They're there to protect you from shrapnel and bullets. Hell, if you're within 5 meters of a grenade nothing can really save you. You can have all the armor in the world, the concussive force will still kill you.
I'm glad you acknowledged that we live in a car dependent society in North America, as well as other places. The biggest danger to cyclists is cars. Cycling isn't dangerous, cars are dangerous, which means we should do our best to separate the two, and/or start to reduce the space and power that cars have over public roads.
true, same thing in Russia, unfortunately. hope it gets better as people get smarter in the future lol
@@tansytansywell, in Russia there's a lot more public transport that doesn't suck. You can easily travel through the city hoping in and out of it.
@@riveteye93 i wish 😭 you have to disassemble or fold (so that it's below 180cm combined) and somewhere even pack it
And also we need to get everyone to bike instead of drive and then that will get rid of the car problem
6:42 The pedestrians in the park aren't an annoyance to us, we are an annoyance to them. Always remember that all spaces should logically belong to people. Even cyclists and cars on roads are taking space that logically belongs to people, the space has simply been yielded to vehicles. The space is not being yielded in a park, it is being shared, and you should respect that. People being in the park is why I love riding through parks.
The annoyance comes from the fact that there is no bicycle infrastructure. Pedestrian paths are great, shared paths are tolerable because they're the best some of us have in our cities and towns.
a cyclist seeing pedestrians as an annoyance in the park is not that different from a car driver perceiving cyclists as annoyances on the lanes/streets/roads. And that's the problem when we think about commuting: everybody is disputing, few are collaborating. At the end the stronger/faster will never care about the slower/weaker, no matter if the stronger is a 18 wheeler or a bicycle.
people in a park could not walk strait if there life depends on it
"You're on a bicycle. You already look dorky."
Me: putting on my helmet
drivers are more dorky
american city planning is terrifying 6:38
completely made for cars
Yeah, every road that doesn’t have houses and even a few that do get built like a highway because federal funding is basically only available for highway building. So we have situations like in my city where peak traffic totals would only suggest a single lane in both directions but they are 3 lane roads with turning cutouts for almost every driveway.
drivers are blind when they cause a accident they all ways say they did not see what ever
At my university I was pampered by protected bike lanes, I could wear my airpods go helmetless and be chilling. But now I'm home in a city that has spots with painted bike lanes, no bike lanes, converted railroad trails, and the rare "protected bike lane" (it has the flimsy plastic/thin metal poles). Getting around on my bike has such a confusing paranoia-inducing struggle
My favorite thing about riding is finding interesting safe routes to new places. I drop pins on the maps to remember these paths in the future too.
Wow man… it’s likely you’ve had a thousand UA-cam comments saying: “Great Video, blah blah blah.” But you really nailed it with a maturity & wisdom that your channel has developed over some time. Extremely important content and education. Well done.
Merge out of the bike lane, behind cars, or get in front of them, never side-by-side at busy intersections.
In the parts of the world where people drive on the right side of the road, a car turning right over a cyclist going straight/ right, is the most common accident scenario.
My best commuting tip is get the most obnoxiously bright lights you can find.
I swear by blue light, i always thought drivers were just aholes and just drove by within a foot of me. Ever since I switched to a blue light no one comes close, everyone passes me with space.
@@richardbently7236 you reckon that's because of the association with the police lights? overall a cool observation but i'm confused
@@tansytansy I think it works just because blue lights are more noticeable/distracting. Green and Red Lights can fade into the background.
Getting high-vis backpack helps a lot too. Grey/black backpacks are a bad idea for commuting.
@@agrmbl Slow, non hi Viz is safer than hi Viz and fast.
Hey.
Seriously, this video is far more better than GCN.
GCN are for snobs with $10k bicycles
Their fixed video with no foot retention 🤣
That's not a very high bar
Make eye contact, look at their mirrors and when passing cars that are not moving notice the direction of their front wheels to know where they want to go.
Yesyesyes
It's hard to make eye contact when everyone's SUV or pickup truck has tinted windows... It's hard to even see if there's anyone in the vehicle.
drivers are blind mice they never see anything
this is why i always ride in the middle, i don't give a shit if they keep honking at me 😂😂😂
I take the honks as encouragement
@@wr0te0ff68The same with tailgating. I try to get them to bite the dust while I grow the gap and smoke them,
Daring today aren't we
honking at cyclist is a tickable offence
@@newmobile1455 there's lots of offences someone could get a ticket, but with such lack of enforcement it only encourages laws to be broken
My best tip is to behave like a car. When stopped in a line sit in the middle behind the car in front. Don't pass on the right at each light just to make the cars pas you again one block later.Move over before you turn left and make it clear what you are doing. Keep a line away from the curb and parked cars. If there is another parked car ahead don't give up a lane. Allow some room to react and trust your instincts if you sense danger. Communicate when possible but act when necessary.
Avoid interaction with angry aggressive drivers. Most bullies are cowards but some are not. I had bubba in a pick up honk at me on a side street when he had to wait. Nearly took out an oncoming car passing me then stopped at the next 4 way stop and stand up half out of his truck swearing at me. As soon as he passed I slowed down to put some distance between us and waited for him to move on. Just let him look the idiot he was.
The best way to annoy angry people is to be nice to them. Wave then wish them a good day. It will ruin their morning and keep you calm. Otherwise, cooperate when you can. At a 4 way stop, suggest the other person to go so you don't have to stop completely. Be decisive and make it clear what you are doing, then do it.
Finally, do a reality check regularly. Aggressive riding can intimidate others but you are not super man. You will get squished like a bug if things go wrong. Live reasonably dangerously, but not mindlessly.
I have lived over 50 years in a city of now 400 000 plus people with poor planning and little good cycling spaces. I ride where most people will not. Once commuting for over 10 years daily in all weather, including snow in winter, on the main road north/south. The intersection nearest to me has more traffic and accidents than most. I still enjoy riding fixed gear bikes and most days are uneventful.
About sitting in the middle of the car in front. Common motorcyclist wisdom is not to sit in the middle of the car infront because if the brakes of the car coming from behind fails or just plain inattentiveness, getting crushed is a real possibility.
I’m about to purchase my first non-Walmart bike next week! I’m so excited to start commuting once I get my stamina up. I’m hoping I can find a better route to work because the most easily accessible one is on a 60mph road. A little nervous about that tbh!
Build those leg engines!!! Good on ya! And definitely try to find a better route. There's gotta be another way to get there
Congratulations on the bike & the commute start! The good will outweigh the not so good; you will love it.
You will find a better route. Exploring possible routes on weekend mornings in low traffic can help. You will definitely build up a library of alternate routes that will be less traveled. Some good comments here, using front & rear light at all times, bright clothing. For me plenty of hand signals including to following traffic and oncoming traffic at intersections, pointing, that I am going straight through. Keeping my speed "low" in heavy traffic has reduced my less than near misses by half vs last year (though I do miss the thrill of the old days...). Take care
I'm gonna be honest, they have some pretty decent bikes now. Check out the Ozark trail ridge 29 or the explorer g1
@@korcommander I have the explorer G1 and it's awesome!!!!
@@Aka.Aka. I'm right there about to buy even though I already have 2 bikes. I got a Schwinn junction myself and basically rebuilt it as a 9 speed.
Great indepth tips!
Fantastic video and much food for thought. I tend to become flippant when I'm biking and need to make more of an effort to be fearful and prudent. One thing I would add to your list is visibility - wear light or bright shirts, rear lights, reflectors etc. I've seen so many bike and scooter riders in dark clothes with no lights at night.
hey friend! for safety reasons, you shouldnt post your google maps location, you can make your point about going through neighborhoods instead of huge fast roads without doxing yourself. Stay safe 🙏
Eye contact is everything! Don’t assume they actually see you, but use it to see if they’re distracted or their likely next move.
originally, i thought this video was a little too harsh--but actually this is a very realistic, experienced take on keeping yourself as safe as possible.
very nice video, I 100% agree on all points, especially on finding paths and roads that are safer instead of using stupid google map, those navigation routing algorithm are designed for cars and they have no idea how dangerous they could be for bike commute,
Great tips. Some of these I have already been doing without knowing, so it's great to hear it's the right thing to do, from an expert.
I commute everyday in a city that has no infrastructure for bikes. I’ve carved out the safest routes that I can take, ALWAYS wear a helmet, and day and night I’ve got the brightest blinking lights I could find running whenever I’m on the bike. I’m in Indiana now, and I’ve found living in CO, TN and KS as well, that as long as I’m hauling ass and not just lollygagging on down the road like I’m on the beach or something people tend to be pretty cool on the road. I’ll have to say that the two times I’ve been hit I was on a sidewalk crossing an intersection once and on an urban paved trail that came up to a large intersection the second. Not doing that again!
Not sure if people drive more carefully in residential areas. FortNine made a video stressing that people are less aware when they drive in those areas because habituation makes the driving experience more automatic than conscious. I drive both motorcycle and bicycle and I'm almost sure that if this applies to motorcycles, it must apply to bicycles as well, since the latter are arguably less visible than the former for a car driver.
Great tips. I route my "roadie" route like that. Through small barangay roads between towns, avoiding main roads if possible. They tend to be quieter and there are less cars.
9:00 Look at the driver: I totally agree. Too bad that in Washington it's legal to have front windows tinted, so you don't see the driver or where they are looking. I think this is extremely stupid and dangerous.
Always take the lane to get out of the door zone, if you can. That means USE A REARVIEW MIRROR. And aggressive daytime running lights to relieve left cross scenario of opposing traffic turning left into you.
I fear we are never getting fixie points back
I know, been watching Zack for years, finally built up my first fixed gear and cant get roasted!
fixie points are for people who depend on opinion of others....real cyclists ride whatever they've built up, what's working for them and what they like. I guess Zach is already there and just some stubborn fans can't get this fact.
@@event4216 I completely agree but also sometimes it's fun to look at and poke fun/admire people's bikes.
@@wr0te0ff68 Fun is legal, can't argue with that)
@@event4216 lmao its not about being a -REAL- cyclist or not and Its not about getting the validation of others, it's about having a fun showcase of our fellow riders bikes. it's just about having fun with slight roasts.
if zach's city ever decides to build bike infrastructure, he should def get to be involved
Badly adjusted brakes nearly finished me last time.
I had a helmet.
It saved me.
Great points…! Thank You!
The acknowledging road rage got me into trouble on my morning commute. Tried to wave a guy passed on a completely empty road and he decided to try and run me off the road.
My work commute is 1 hour long. And the amount of cars that fail to see me at intersections is scary. When theyre in a rush to go home or late for work, they only look out for cars and not for cyclists on pathways that go through those intersections.
When riding a bicycle or a motorcycle, I always remember this saying. In any collision with a vehicle, it doesnt matter if I was in the right if Im dead.
As cyclists, its important for us to be patient with cars and realize that they dont expect to encounter cyclists on a regular basis and make sure that they see you when crossing any intersections.
bought a wabi thanks to your sponsoring and I have been having the time of my life every day when I ride it.
Lol sucker.
And I find that the safest way to ride through traffic is to be as aggressive and sometimes literally hands-on as you can without being a jerk or menace. You MUST assert yourself as a cyclist or drivers will take advantage of your submissiveness and potentially endanger you. They don't want to hit you, as much for moral as for legal and practical reasons, and if you make it clear that if they drive irresponsibly that they will hit you, they'll almost always back off and play nice.
What this means, for example, is that if I want to change lanes, to turn or avoid an obstruction in my lane like a double parked car or construction, I will signal with the hand matching the direction towards which I want to move, turn my head slightly in that direction, and wave off any drivers currently in that lane just behind me so that they know my intentions and don't run into me. Never fails. NO ONE wants to hit others, be they on foot, bike or vehicle, even if part of them would like to, because of the consequences.
I also try to ride as fast as I can, often going faster than most cars, continuously scanning ahead, to my sides and backwards via a small glasses-mounted mirror, and try to read "body language", which even drivers tend to have if you know what to look for, to anticipate and hopefully avoid potential problems (i.e. collisions). If a car is trying to take my lane or turn and is about to hit me, I literally slap the car. That always gets them to back off, even if they're cursing me out inside. No one owns the space just ahead of, behind or to my sides, but me. NO ONE. Anything outside this space is up for grabs.
Oh, it also helps to make eye contact, and yell if need be. Full disclosure, I learned to do all this riding in NYC streets, which as everyone knows are quite insane to drive let alone cycle in. But once you get the hang of it and develop some skills and confidence, it's actually kind of fun.
Born and raised here in Taipei, Taiwan. I’m SHOCKED you survived here during the pandemic.
Love your channel btw.
I have a 2 ft breaker bar and 2 steel pipes that fit over each other for stuck sprockets/nuts/freewheel removal. I can extend the arm out to four feet long. Nothing can prevent removing things with this setup on bike components. It would be child's play to remove your lock nut and stuck sprocket with these cheater bars. Lots of leverage.
Thanks. Good advice ✌️👍
Seriously wear the helmet. I never thought I would crash on open road, and yet I just did by simple steering mistake. Front wheel off the pavement, and you know the rest. Accidents happen. Thanks for the helmet my head didn't touch the pavement except a slight scratch on a cheek.
Your words are strong and full of truth... ✊
I like to ride with a JBL clip speaker, rather than headphones. It keeps my ears open and lets walkers know I'm coming. Let's be careful out there kids, and have fun.
Where I live you need to add body armor to your kit.
I needed this video the other day, my untuned wheel buckled and locked into my fork and i went over the bar 😂
OUCH!! hope you didn’t break anything, stay safe out there
@@Cycleordie0879 i need new rims since it's too bent to be aligned, and now im scared to use my bike HAHA
Hope you are OK. Getting back on the bike can be difficult too.
-Been there, done that. No more quick release for me.
6:39 A cyclist seeing pedestrians in a park as an annoyance is not that different from a car driver perceiving cyclists on the lanes/streets/roads as obstacles. And that's the problem when we think about commuting: everybody is disputing, few are collaborating. In the end, the stronger/faster will never care about the slower/weaker, no matter if the stronger is an 18-wheeler or a bicycle.
Thank you for this video, I find street riding can be crazy lots of time. Car and truck drivers do not expect you to be on a bicycle next to them...
im glad I live in the Netherlands, we have bike lanes amazing. This is soo extreme!
Great comments! I learned a few things, even though I ride a routine 18 mile route for 15 years straight. What area do you ride in LA? I am trying to understand what kind of traffic you come across and how busy. Enjoyed the frankness of your talk. I agree it needs to be conveyed that way. Too many fellow riders just run lights, don"t look when crossing intersections, and all the other things that can get you hurt at best.
Great video. I guess cycling in a different country would be different than cycling in America. Because over here in England, when it comes to road rage, if the cyclist raises his hand to say sorry (even if it’s not their fault), drivers calm down and it de-escalates the situation. I listen to music but that’s what I have mirrors for. To see behind me. It’s not blaring in my ears. I need to be able to hear a fast moving emergency vehicle behind me. But music helps. If you can drive a vehicle and listen to music then why can’t you do the same on a bike?
My area is horribly dangerous to be in the street like 70% of the time. I ride on the sidewalk in the crazy busy areas because I'm not a moron that just breezes past driveways and intersections. That's part of what I don't get about advice of "No sidewalks, you could get hit" only if you are a complete idiot blasting through at 20 miles an hour. If I'm behaving safely on a sidewalk, and a pedestrian is mad, they can't really do much besides yell.
If I'm behaving safely, taking the lane properly and legally and some driver is mad, they could easily kill me. Sure its illegal for them to hit me but "That's illegal" doesn't make me less dead.
For navigation, Google Maps has the option to choose a method of transportation, including riding a bike. It will avoid major highways/roads, and lean more towards bike paths or back roads, catering to a more bike friendly commute.
That's only supported in certain places. In other places (like my entire country) bike option does not even appear in the UI. It's probably because they don't want to risk recommending you take a certain path with your bike if they're not 100% sure it's safe.
In my experience, Google Earth gives headscratchingly bad bike directions even where that option is available. They have bike routes as an available layer in my city and the navigation will still direct you to a parallel arterial road.
1- limit riding in the dark and in storms.
2- wear bright clothing.
3 - quality grippy tires.
4 - fixed gear gives better traction and a sense of your speed
5- travel the same speed as cars in the inner city.
6- have an “emergency”brake ready (aka knee-saver). You can survive on the street 30 years, then collect Social Security. This.
Better traction on a fixie??? Not sure of that
@@tesmith47 it works for me, although I’m not sure why. Maybe because you are constantly feeling your rear wheel traction since you’re not braking from the rims or disks.
I need to go places when I need to go places. Daylight and weather are not in my thought process when I get on my bike aside from what I'm going to be wearing. Bright clothing only strengthens the motorist's argument that they "couldn't see" the cyclist they've hit when that cyclist isn't wearing a traffic cone as a hat and waving a 10 foot neon flag with flashing LED lights lining it. I also imagine many people are physically incapable of riding fixies if there is a significant amount of variation in elevation, but fewer gears is a good idea to reduce maintenance necessity. I also imagine many people are entirely physically incapable of riding at the same speed as cars anywhere.
@@ToomanyFrancisI wouldn't say go fixie, but like a 3 speed hub is fine for most things once you get your legs out of the couch potato zone. Maybe a higher end 5-7 speed hub if you do touring type stuff. If you go cheap, just get a 7 speed derailleur if you can, no front gears necessary.
Zach what do you think about 90s mtb. A lot of people that kind of faded from the fixed gear scene sort of switched to 90s mtb suddenly lol.
0:28 What's that metal water bottle?
Point 8. Agreed, and this is an indicator of poor infrastructure planning by prioritizing high risk, low vulnerability road users (e.g. cars) instead of low risk, high vulnerability road users (pedestrians and cyclists).
Another banger
In my city almost every vehicle has tinted mirrors so I don't bother trying to look at the driver.
Awesome & Thanks :)
fluro vest - be seen be safe, life is important, if I die its truely game over......
I lift my left hand with forearm perpendicular to ground as the car comes up to pass me, as a courtesy. This signal is also the signal for right turns.
What front basket is that?
Step 1: Live in a place that cares about cyclist lives so they have good bike infrastructure
In all seriousness, great tips!
Was that Wicker Park footage?
Love when people flip me off even when we're right next to signs that say cyclists can take the lane :)
Trieye Rowing 💯 ❤
I def get that listening to music etc is distracting and less safe but also
There is no way I'm going to bike commute if I have to hear the overwhelming chaos of the road. Like that alone would be enough to make me hop back in the car despite biking being so much nicer in like every way
CARBON FOR LIFE!!!
No plastic bikes
Carbon for 1 year! Then more carbon every year for the rest of your life...
@@sempi8159 that’s right, there isn’t any difference between carbon fiber and plastic
@@jamesjenkins8373 carbon cannot be recycled. It immediately turnes into hassardous waste once damaged. The main component of carbon fiber is resin. Resin is plastic. Carbon bikes are plastic trash.
1. have brakes
Don't ride in NYC
Driving in NYC is quite scary as well, at least on a bike you have a level of mobility to where you can’t get stuck like with a car. Going on a bike ride there soon and I’m interested to see what it’s like. Probably quite terrifying and beautiful at the same time, if it’s anything like Philadelphia and other cities I’ve ridden in.
I'm in nyc for the 5 Boro bike tour. It's the E bikers I'm more afraid of than cars
Don't drive in NYC
@@ForGlory1same in montreal
I’ve seen a chick on an E-scooter lose control and clip a cyclist before …
wear a helmet i know you might think it looks lame or whatever and it does but that doesn’t matter. a few months ago i was riding without a helmet and got a concussion! not fun stuff trying to look cool is not worth it
3:19 I almost got in a fight with an idiot that honked and cursed at me, and in return I threw the bird… dude parked ahead waited for me, and wanted to rumble, I took out my heavy bike lock and cursed him off, he got back in and carried on … but you have to be loud when your riding In traffic
and if he had a weapon what was your plan? just be hospitalized/killed? is your ego really that important to you?
3:22 And if they see me, they're PROBABLY not going to hit me.
I really hate to agree with this one
Bump for chicago
I do wanna wear a helmet but sadly its so expensive in my country
Cars are stupid...
Rush hour is a two-edged sword. Sure, there are a lot of stressed-out, desperate idiots ready and willing to do something dangerous, but their speed is limited by the volume of other cars. A lot of the real maniacs avoid rush hour so that they can drive dangerously without slower drivers getting in the way.
I’ve crashed many times and I just don’t wear helmets. Don’t do what I do
My helmet has saved serious head injury for me multiple crashes.👌
Stupid.
My son goes to SacState.
Please AVOID taking the lane other than for very short distances. Very bad advice, even deadly. Take it from a longtime bike commuter who suspects that many mysterious bike deaths are actually incidents of road rage against lane takers. I rate it as one of the most dangerous things you can do. Especially don't do it on stretches of road where there might not be any witnesses around.
Its nuts to be listening to music during a bike commute.
So much death in this video 😮! Jk, good info for all cyclists!
Have you considered getting an interesting bike? :^)
Man. I wish I could afford a decent bike
Hey do a fish n chip
Try adding some brakes in that thing.Maybe you' ll be safer.
Lots of cameras and open carry
Stand your ground when threatened with a deadly weapon like a pickup truck..
god that neighborhood looks depressing. America sucks ass
I will NEVER take a lane when there's just one lane in that direction, as, yes, it does piss off drivers, not only because you're slowing them down and making it harder and more dangerous for them to pass you, which they WILL do, endangering them, other cars and cyclists and of course YOU, but also because it's rude, unnecessary and just reinforces the view that many drivers have of cyclists as entitled pricks who think they're better than everyone else (which, let's face it, some are and do).
I always share the road, safely and responsibly, and always ride as far to the right as is safe, taking into account road debris, potholes, gravel and parked cars that could door me, and only take a lane when there's no cars behind me, which wearing a small mirror makes it easy to tell.
If there are cars behind me and I have to move left, because it's dangerous for me to ride too far to the right, or because I have to turn left, I will first signal with my left hand, palm facing back, and turn my head a bit to emphasize that I'm about to move left. Never had a problem doing it this way.
did bro just doxx himself?
The title alone is extreme
Dying is too
San Antonio streets have become increasingly dangerous for cyclists.
Why? I visited there and it seemed nice to cycle over there.
@MisterSal9895 the Greenway trails all around town are awesome! We are fortunate to have them. However, the cyclist fatalities are increasingly more frequent for bicycles on the road.
@@bknapp9728 I see
Who wants to see my bike?
1. use brakes
I've been riding with music for years! In the rain I'll take them off while delivering.
same, makes it more enjoyable
Nope not gonna happen, I am dutch, I will not ever wear a helmet.
Stupid.
I would wear a helmet.. if I was biking where he is. But also I wouldn't bike where he is, total Deathtrap helmet or not. Helmet won't save you when you get run over by a 2700kg SUV.
Some of these tips are ok, but the entire approach is anti bicycle. Weird take from a bike influencer.
the US is anti bicycle
You dying in the hospital: "but... I had the right of way"
Sorry but I'm not going to be the accident statistic that influences policy makers to push bike lanes a few years sooner than we'd otherwise get them nor should anyone advocate for anybody else to compromise their safety just to prove a point. That's stupid.
@@TheInfectous I don't give a hoot how you ride your bike. Nobody is arguing about who has the right of way. More sensible infrastructure leads to less deadly situations for cyclists. Some of these tips are ok. You don't need to die in the hospital or the road to advocate for better designed cities. That's stupid.
Genuine curiosity: what tips did you interpret as anti-cyclist?
@@user-te4px3qk7l In general the tips are ok. I don't think any of them are anti-cyclist. The overall message seems to be that cyclists don't belong on the road.
I hate wearing a helmet, it looks dorky. I look like a mushroom 🍄
You'll look lamer in a hospital bed with brain damage.
Looking like toad from Super Mario > Brain damage. It's weird to me how fmsome people are so weird about appearance.
Stop wearing huge backpacks LoL - it's dumb to have money and *not* buy a rear bike rack and a pannier. I guess you look cool carrying that uncomfortable 10lbs on your back.
gets very sweaty too!
I once tried reinstalling my old bike rack onto my new bike. I took it out of my house and onto a street with no cars, while it was raining in order to test out handling in the worst case scenario, and it absolutely neutered the bike’s handling with nothing on it.
I tried making a tight circle and after a bit the rear tire slipped out making the bike land on its side. After that, I realized that I should just use a backpack.
1. don't commute on a fixie.
2. if you must commuting on a fixie install at least front brake.
3. but really don't commute on fixie. use it for fun, and proper bike for work.
Why would I not commute on a fixed gear? Its not inherently more dangerous, if anything it gives you better control of your speed.
You have a good point. But; fixed gear, for me, involves constant looking, anticipation, confirmation of being seen, speed control, always having an out (a hard right turn at low visibility intersections). It has made me a better, more constantly aware trad bike rider. No doubt, a good deal of energy goes into avoidance, it seems so busy out there now that it is hard to fast-move in the urban environment.
Yep, don't commute on a fixie, commute on a proper fixed gear bike. 👌
Getting hit by a car at a billion miles an hour, a helmet is just a device to prolong your suffering.
saved my life. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Good luck out there.
Once you break a helmet or two you’ll realize it’s easier to replace than a skull.
@@mannyorozco842 If you look at the data, you'll realize that helmets make no difference in mortality while riding for transportation. The number one factor on whether you get iced on a bike is the time you spend riding around cars. A helmet won't save you if you're dragged under a vehicle, pinned between 2 objects, or are slammed against a rock and having your liver burst.
I do wear helmets but only when I'm doing something inherently dangerous like mountain biking.
@@korcommander Why should soldiers wear an armoured vest when a bomb would kill them right??11!
@@refard Because armored vests aren't there to to protect you from bombs. They're there to protect you from shrapnel and bullets. Hell, if you're within 5 meters of a grenade nothing can really save you. You can have all the armor in the world, the concussive force will still kill you.
I never wear a helmet.
Stupid.