Blicky Te⚡️la Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Is there a litmus test or is it all up to the individual? Has anyone hit the streets without completely mastering skills? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza-usa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) I just did a load of bike lanes today (I'm very new to this). Was pretty confident in the area I'm in but the traffic is light and the road is good. Grass verge on the side in case. The other road was a frontage road with very little traffic (I avoided commute hours because the traffic would get insane even on the frontage road). I kept as near the curb as possible (with safety margin). I think some of it is confidence but a lot of it is about being situationally aware. I would get off the road whenever I could just to avoid blocking traffic or diverting their attention from driving. I'll post my video shortly once it's finished rendering. Edited August 30, 2019 by Gazza-usa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rehab1 Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) There are no litmus tests that I’m aware of but I would advise initially practicing on side streets that have reduced speed limits and limited traffic. My first encounter with an automobile approaching from the rear was intimidating. I quickly learned how important it was to control my wheel at super slow speeds while hugging the side of the road. Also practice looking over both shoulders while maintaining a straight line while riding. Many people have a tendency to drift in the same direction that their head is rotated. That could be disastrous in the event of rear approaching traffic. Edited August 30, 2019 by Rehab1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjunlee Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 My litmus test is: can I 100% brake and control my wheel? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying W Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 I went started commuting way too early. Like @Rehab1 said, looking over my shoulder was turning me and I was still using the light pole at signals to get back on. In hindsight being able to look for traffic and confidently free mount and take off (in case you need to move quickly from a stand still) would have been valuable skills to have. This part of training went by fast. Commuting 5 days a week will force ya to learn fast. I was dumb enough to do this in a suit and dress shoes for the 1st 2 weeks. It wasnt until I had a good crash off road (day off wearing gear) that I really realized I need to just bring dress shoes and wear one of my motorcycle jackets, and knee pads, on my commute. I do think part of the "litmus" test is feeling ready though. I treat these like slow motorcycles. Do do anything you dont feel up too. Those feelings can cause a pause at just the wrong time. I'm sure we are all old enough not to have an over confidence problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post alcatraz Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Master: 1. hard braking 2. low speed riding without wobbling like crazy 3. look over your shoulder from time to time 4. how to go into a hole/over a bump (when cars are around you, you might not have a choice) 5. staying cool in stressful situations 6. placement on the road 7. footrest clearance to curbs etc 8. adjusting speed according to visibility Edited August 30, 2019 by alcatraz 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Retrovertigo Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 I'm at the point now where I am contemplating riding on the road. I do have some drawbacks though, which I need to figure out. I am going to venture out in the small hours first of all. Where I live the roads can be a little rough, and I want to make sure that dips and bumps don't throw me off course. I also need to be absolutely confident in always being able to pull away in a straight line! On my own in a quiet place it's no problem. Have a car coming up behind me (while testing on my street) and suddenly some nerves kick in. I also can't see out of my right eye, so looking over my shoulder to the right (essential on U.K roads) is really difficult, as I really need to twist my upper body. Not easy, but I'll get there. The last thing.....taking to the road after having had a huge motorcycle accident. I did myself a lot of damage, so much so that I wasn't expected to live through the first night. So now, using a unicycle on the open road is the closest thing to a motorcycle (I have stuck to cycle paths so far for my electric bike) and nerves are kicking in, in a big way. But I need/want to overcome that and get the freedom back of riding on the open roads. I thought I was invincible on my motorbike as I had so many near misses and always got away with them, until I didn't! I just wish where I lived wasn't so residential. I'm really close to the city centre and so all the roads here are busy, and side roads can be diabolical with regards road surface. I realise now that I'm waffling But that is where I am up to. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blicky Te⚡️la Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 Thanks for the replies. I ask because part of me feels like being “live” will force me to be more deliberate, focused, effective. 🤷🏾♂️ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza-usa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) So my road riding is very limited and I don't go fast (slower than most cyclists to be honest). I'm taking roads where I need to but always pull off when I can. This is just to familiarise myself with road noise and traffic. I would no way contemplate busy traffic or any form of main road. Most of the stuff I did today was gentle link-roads. Here's my video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sip3c8YpegE&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2NCl70Z46XwtO28iif5YVc2zLBmH5SUdzvbSuo1TOThN9ruOIMBOpPOyo Edited August 30, 2019 by Rehab1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retrovertigo Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 @Gazza-usaJust hada quick peek at your video. What a gorgeous place to go riding And awesome to see yet another older fella riding an EUC. I'm 55 and it's pleasantly reassuring seeing fellow mature riders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza-usa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) 34 minutes ago, General Principle said: Thanks for the replies. I ask because part of me feels like being “live” will force me to be more deliberate, focused, effective. 🤷🏾♂️ IMO, The first question to ask yourself is, how much road experience do you have in any vehicle ? I have been riding motorcycles for 20+ years and cars for 30+ years and bicycles for 40+ years. Road sense is a skill that develops over time too. I'm incredibly aware of traffic no matter what I drive. In my video you see a video cut at the junction. This is because I took a right until I got to the end and did a u turn to get back on path. I did not want to cut a left across busy traffic. If it would've been a 4 way I would have stopped and walked across the pedestrian crossing. Edited August 30, 2019 by Gazza-usa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza-usa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, Retrovertigo said: @Gazza-usaJust hada quick peek at your video. What a gorgeous place to go riding And awesome to see yet another older fella riding an EUC. I'm 55 and it's pleasantly reassuring seeing fellow mature riders Indeed. It was the perfect day today. I'm from the UK originally if you couldn't tell by my accent!! Yep 53 going on 21!! Really enjoying EUCs and why should the kids have all the fun anyway !! 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retrovertigo Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Yeah at first your accent threw me. I thought "hang on, he's a Brit but this looks far too nice to be the U.K" I'm hoping over time I can sweet talk @Marty Backeinto adopting me so that I can go live with him in L.A 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza-usa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) My Sister lives just outside Manchester in Ponyton. I get back every now and then but Silicon Valley is what drew me here. I do miss the UK in lots of ways but then CA has so much to offer too!! The mountains here are incredible. I would like to do a run up in Yosemite soon. Saying that I have other hobbies that bode well for Yosemite too !! ..Anyway not to hijack this thread. We can catch up on PM if you're interested in knowing more. Edited August 30, 2019 by Gazza-usa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Darrell Wesh Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Watch a lot of videos of NYC bike messengers and great EUC riders like @houseofjob. NYC is as bad as it gets traffic wise in America, so you’ll see some effective situational awareness skills and techniques utilized. J turns, sticking to the shoulder of a vehicle and never directly behind it, slaloming to attract attention so you’re visible to oncoming cars about to turn left etc. If you drive a car you already have a sense of how people drive. Im at the point where i seek out riding in 5pm traffic. It’s more fun. The amount of traffic doesn’t effect how long it takes me to get somewhere. Edited August 30, 2019 by Darrell Wesh 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retrovertigo Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 One thing I do have is great situational awareness. I'm sure @Gazza-usawill back me up on this......riding a motorbike teaches you to watch everything. And I mean everything. It will stand me in good stead when I get involved with traffic. I'm constantly amazed at how some friends of mine, who are non-bikers, drive with blinkers on and don't see half of what is happening around them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazza-usa Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 18 minutes ago, Retrovertigo said: One thing I do have is great situational awareness. I'm sure @Gazza-usawill back me up on this......riding a motorbike teaches you to watch everything. And I mean everything. It will stand me in good stead when I get involved with traffic. I'm constantly amazed at how some friends of mine, who are non-bikers, drive with blinkers on and don't see half of what is happening around them. I will most definitely back you up on that comment. On a motorcycle things happen so quickly. The one key I was told was never get into anything you can't get out of. ALWAYS have an "out". My Grandad was a driving instructor for the London bus double decker drivers and he used to do some crazy skid-pan stuff in a double decker!! Mad! But his phrase was "Everyone else on the road is a fool except you. Expect them to do something stupid and be prepared for it!". Very wise. I suspect on an EUC you have to be even more paranoid because you do not have much of a machine between you and the other guy to protect you. Similar to a bicycle I guess. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post LanghamP Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 You're never quite ready for the street because you have to ride with other people, and these people vary in their alertness and lawbreaking. If you just stand at a street corner and count the percentage of drivers who either speed or don't correctly stop at lights (both are moving violations), then the percentage is probably upwards of 80%. It's at least 95% if you include cell phone usage of drivers. Pedestrians and bicyclists break the law far less often than drivers, although pedestrians seem particularly prone to cell phone usage. So, are you ready to ride the streets? Well, I think it's simply mental; you must accept that much of your safety is dependent of others, and they are likely to speed, wear headphones (or be in a sound proof car), looking down when using their cell phones, running red lights (80% of drivers at an intersection making a right on red will run the red), and so on. Riding in the streets, regardless of what you are using, is dangerous. Drivers get killed a lot, motorcyclists much more so, bicyclists slightly less than cars per mile traveled (so much less per hour traveled), and pedestrians much more so. You do have to accept the fact that most drivers will be in moving cars while using their cell phones; since 2008 being on the road is about 50% more dangerous. There's a difference between lacking skill and accepting risks; the former is something you can improve while the later is out of your hands once you decide to expose yourself. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kristof Willen Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 Make sure you have a rear mirror attached to your wrist guard or helmet. It makes riding through traffic so much easier & safer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ThatGuy Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 For me personally my EUC journey went very quickly. I tried my friends for about 5 minutes, picked it up and bought one a few days later. I then went on 1 ride with my friend, think we did about 10 miles on some cycle lanes one day. I rode to the shop (about 1.5 miles away) one day and that was all the riding I did before I took it on the road for my commute to work. I can only speak for myself but I found thinking about riding on the road was far worse than actually doing it. I have cycled extensively, drive a car and ride a motorbike so i feel very confident on the road and I feel like I can read a road fairly well as I've seen it from multiple angles. I was no way near ready to take it to the roads in my head but actually trying it made me realise that I was. I don't think I would've learned the control that I have now if I just stuck to trying it out in carparks or cycle lanes. The unpredictability of roads, pavements and pedestrians is what made me a far better rider. It all depends on you as a person and your confidence. As I said, I've got over a decade of different transport methods experience on the road, I used to skateboard and am able to just about surf so with things like this I always have a bit of confidence. Whatever you do, do it in your own time and be safe. None of us can tell you when you'll feel comfortable. You just need to go for it. Good luck 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumulus Libre Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 I think it's all depending on the person itself, besides all the manoeuvres your able to do . I think the biggest factor is confidence and performing under possible stress, like extensive breaking when needed but also analysing your environment in a faster way then when your a pedestrian ... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumulus Libre Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 and start of with regular rides where there is not that much traffic, riding NYC during traffic hours isn't the right thing to do when your starting.. build up confidence.. and you'll be in the rush hour before you know it 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Bon Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 I don't think you do ,you think yr ready and it's not till yr in it you realise hoo hmm should have practiced more Truth is the more you challange yr self the better you get Not saying ride against traffic on the freeway but you asking the question suggests you will be doing it soon So be safe gear up enjoy the ride 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post houseofjob Posted August 30, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 30, 2019 I concur with the sentiment that there is no such thing as being "road ready". Like many things in this life, you just kinda need to start doing it and learn on the fly, as-you-go. So long as you're able to control the wheel and aren't tripping over yourself, just take it slow and step-by-step. Definitely drawing upon driving experience is good, even better if you have motorcycle experience, as like motorcycles, we EUC are the last priority on the road, so always have your head on a swivel and mind your lines of sight. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Lillian Posted August 31, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 31, 2019 On 8/30/2019 at 7:07 AM, Cumulus Libre said: and start of with regular rides where there is not that much traffic, riding NYC during traffic hours isn't the right thing to do when your starting.. build up confidence.. and you'll be in the rush hour before you know it That's what I'm doing. I ride in the street here and there early on weekend mornings to run nearby errands. One bike lane was in the middle of the street! I was kind of nervous but went with it. Vehicles passed on both sides of me and I saw a huge metal part of the street coming up. Fortunately the EUC handled it like a pro. I ran over it just as a car would have. Here's one of my rides to the store - street practice. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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