Riding Safety Exercise

[Cloud]

It breaks my heart to see people faceplant and get hurt from time to time so I'd like to share an exercise / riding safety notes that I've come up with having ridden about 6 - 7 thousand kms and having faceplanted quite a few times due to various reasons.

The exercise is very simple and it is based on the simple premise that ( due to the current state of technology) one should assume that his wheel can cut out unexpectedly at any given time.

1. As you ride ( especially on sidewalk) , mentally extend your path / direction of travel and per the current speed imagine the distance / corridor required ahead of you for your body to propell forward if the wheel cuts out at the current moment

2. Make sure there are no objects that would intersect this corridor. So if you fall right now you will not hit things like sidewalk benches with sharp corners, light poles, fences, etc

3. Learn to predict that other moving objects can intersect your "fall corridor" by the time you reach them. For example there may be nothing if your path now but 1 second away from now a store door may open and someone will come out that you will collide with by the time your body reaches them. Also leave some wiggle room for unaware pedestrians to move into your path of travel unexpectedly

4. Practice this trick while riding for a little while and then you will start doing this subconciously and this will become your 2nd nature. You can still ride actively, accelerate, brake, twist and turn and still stay within the confines of this criteria/ exercise.

5. Also remember to not keep  hands in your pockets while riding. You will need your hands and arms in front of your body when falling. If you need to reach for your phone in your pocket - get in the habbit of slowing down to the speed at which you can run off and then reach for the phone. Holidng a cup of coffee and a donut in your hand is probably ok, but if your hands are in the pockets while going fast, you will not have time to take them out to protect your body/ head

6. Another simple trick which increases pedestrian awareness is this : when you have pedestrians walking towards you, before you reach them, ride a bit from side to side in a wavy kind of motion sort of like when skiing, to exxagerate the path width you need. This will make them step aside a bit and expect a wide range of movement from you. This is very effective. However when you reach the pedestrian stop waving from side to side and ride a straight line some distance away and slower than a few seconds earlier. This is the safest way to avoid collisions.

7. All many people already know a simple $1 bicycle bell placed on your finger can go a long way in informing the pedestrians that are walking in the same direction in front of you that you are approaching. Its better to use specifically the bicycle bell sound as subconciously people are used to that sound and will perceive you as the bicycle behind them and will be aware and/ or step aside. Dont use other sounds as their brains will be confused as to what it is and they may have an unpredictable reaction to it

[dbfrese]

29 minutes ago, Cloud said:

Another simple trick which increases pedestrian awareness is this : when you have pedestrians walking towards you, before you reach them, ride a bit from side to side in a wavy kind of motion sort of like when skiing, to exxagerate the path width you need. This will make them step aside a bit and expect a wide range of movement from you. This is very effective.

All great tips, but I usually have the opposite problem --  I slow down to walking speed as I approach pedestrians either going my direction or coming towards me. For those coming toward me, they usually overreact, step off the sidewalk and stop walking, completely unnecessarily. I move over to the extreme right edge of the sidewalk, and ride that line verrrrry slowly. I want them to know that we can easily share the space, and that I'm not "hogging" the entire sidewalk. I want to make a positive impression on the non-EUC public, and let them know it is safe for them to be near us. I don't want them complaining to authorities about "those crazy electric uni-cyclists almost running me down!"

[Cloud]

23 minutes ago, dbfrese said:

All great tips, but I usually have the opposite problem --  I slow down to walking speed as I approach pedestrians either going my direction or coming towards me. For those coming toward me, they usually overreact, step off the sidewalk and stop walking, completely unnecessarily. I move over to the extreme right edge of the sidewalk, and ride that line verrrrry slowly. I want them to know that we can easily share the space, and that I'm not "hogging" the entire sidewalk. I want to make a positive impression on the non-EUC public, and let them know it is safe for them to be near us. I don't want them complaining to authorities about "those crazy electric uni-cyclists almost running me down!"

I dont think its the opposite. What i meant was yes you slow down when approaching and close to them, but when. You are some ways away and they can see you, show the you need more width of the path than you actually do, so they allow more clearance. You are just overstating your actual requirements to allow more safety margin. As you approach, taper off the amplitude of swinging from side to side and eventually come to a straight line when close.

Also, its good to be respectful and ride slowly by them is a straight line, but remember that you should at the same time project confidence in the euc riding skills. When they see you are not scared of hitting them, and you are not worried they stop worrying too. Sometimes i dont look at them straight , and just cruise by ( still at safe distance) so they can sense my confidence. This usually makes them relax and just continue going while being aware of my presense

ultimately different situations require slightly different approaches

[Blade003]

Thanks for sharing your safety tips @Cloud, they are greatly appreciated 

I commute to and from work in London on my Gotway MSuper V3 and I have always uses the cycle lanes. I never ride on the sidewalks because pedestrians tend to frown upon that.

As long as you have your full protective gear on with lights, helmet, Visi-vests etc you can use the bike lanes because the EUC is effectively classified as a "Unicycle" thus entitled to use the cycle lanes.

The more we as a collective ride responsibly and adhere to the highway codes and road rules the more respect we will get from other road users. That is my personal experience.

 

I hope this helps someone out there.... Remember... SAFETY FIRST!!!

 

[Mono]

On 10/13/2016 at 7:29 PM, Cloud said:

It breaks my heart to see people faceplant and get hurt from time to time so I'd like to share an exercise / riding safety notes that I've come up with having ridden about 6 - 7 thousand kms and having faceplanted quite a few times due to various reasons.

The exercise is very simple and it is based on the simple premise that ( due to the current state of technology) one should assume that his wheel can cut out unexpectedly at any given time.

1. As you ride ( especially on sidewalk) , mentally extend your path / direction of travel and per the current speed imagine the distance / corridor required ahead of you for your body to propell forward if the wheel cuts out at the current moment

2. Make sure there are no objects that would intersect this corridor. So if you fall right now you will not hit things like sidewalk benches with sharp corners, light poles, fences, etc

3. Learn to predict that other moving objects can intersect your "fall corridor" by the time you reach them. For example there may be nothing if your path now but 1 second away from now a store door may open and someone will come out that you will collide with by the time your body reaches them. Also leave some wiggle room for unaware pedestrians to move into your path of travel unexpectedly

Nice points, and even generically applicable to any way of moving around faster than usually. 

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4. Practice this trick while riding for a little while and then you will start doing this subconciously and this will become your 2nd nature. You can still ride actively, accelerate, brake, twist and turn and still stay within the confines of this criteria/ exercise.

I don't quite get what you mean by "this trick", is it to predict the path of other subjects? 

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5. Also remember to not keep  hands in your pockets while riding. You will need your hands and arms in front of your body when falling. If you need to reach for your phone in your pocket - get in the habbit of slowing down to the speed at which you can run off and then reach for the phone. Holidng a cup of coffee and a donut in your hand is probably ok, but if your hands are in the pockets while going fast, you will not have time to take them out to protect your body/ head

Thumbs up for this one, I was always wondering... I wouldn't be surprised if keeping the hands out of the pockets is more effective to reduce head injuries than wearing a helmet. At least it feels that way to me, which admittedly doesn't mean much. 

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6. Another simple trick which increases pedestrian awareness is this : when you have pedestrians walking towards you, before you reach them, ride a bit from side to side in a wavy kind of motion sort of like when skiing, to exxagerate the path width you need. This will make them step aside a bit and expect a wide range of movement from you. This is very effective. However when you reach the pedestrian stop waving from side to side and ride a straight line some distance away and slower than a few seconds earlier. This is the safest way to avoid collisions.

I disagree. Riding wavy to increase the projected path and make pedestrians step aside I find unacceptably aggressive. If I find pedestrians to be scared or on the defense (changing their desired trajectory) I should have had either slowed down or kept more distance beforehand, or both.

It might depend on the local "culture", but I am pretty sure that when riding in Paris almost nobody is worried to be hit, as long as I go straight and my path does not point directly into their (projected) path (and I don't go crazy fast). The feeling to be insecure about this would be pure projection: I still have this feeling when I ride backwards, where I am much less sure where I will end up precisely, but pedestrians around me are not worried a little bit, just as I am not worried when I ride forward now.

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7. All many people already know a simple $1 bicycle bell placed on your finger can go a long way in informing the pedestrians that are walking in the same direction in front of you that you are approaching. Its better to use specifically the bicycle bell sound as subconciously people are used to that sound and will perceive you as the bicycle behind them and will be aware and/ or step aside. Dont use other sounds as their brains will be confused as to what it is and they may have an unpredictable reaction to it

If using bicycles on the side walk is not allowed or at least commonly accepted practice, I would abstain from using a bicycle bell or any other noisy device.

[Keith]

2 hours ago, Blade003 said:

As long as you have your full protective gear on with lights, helmet, Visi-vests etc you can use the bike lanes because the EUC is effectively classified as a "Unicycle" thus entitled to use the cycle lanes.

Wow, is that naive or what!

 

 

[Cloud]

54 minutes ago, MoNo said:

Nice points, and even generically applicable to any way of moving around faster than usually. 

I don't quite get what you mean by "this trick", is it to predict the path of other subjects? 

Thumbs up for this one, I was always wondering... I wouldn't be surprised if keeping the hands out of the pockets is more effective to reduce head injuries than wearing a helmet. At least it feels that way to me, which admittedly doesn't mean much. 

I disagree. Riding wavy to increase the projected path and make pedestrians step aside I find unacceptably aggressive. If I find pedestrians to be scared or on the defense (changing their desired trajectory) I should have had either slowed down or kept more distance beforehand, or both.

It might depend on the local "culture", but I am pretty sure that when riding in Paris almost nobody is worried to be hit, as long as I go straight and my path does not point directly into their (projected) path. The feeling to be insecure about this would be pure projection: I still have this feeling when I ride backwards, where I am much less sure where I will end up precisely, but pedestrians around me are not worried a little bit, just as I am not worried when I ride forward now.

If using bicycles on the side walk is not allowed or at least commonly accepted practice, I would abstain from using a bicycle bell or any other noisy device.

Not really a trick. I meant making sure no objects within your falling/ flying path if you were to cut out right this second.

i guess there is a massive misunderstanding regarding riding in the manner of making the wavy movements i posted about above. I dont not suggest riding in an aggressive way. What i was trying to explain is like this : when a pedestrian sees an approaching object ( from a safe distance) , one will subconciously estimate the width the moving object requires when upon reaching the pedestrian and will be aware of it so as to make sure the object's path and the pedestrian paths dont intersect. The technique of riding in a wavy movements ( at a safe distance away) is not intended to scare the pedestrian or to tell him to get the hell out of the sidewalk but rather to increase safety by somewhat overstating the required width, solely to increase the safety margin of not interescting the pedestrian corridor. Nothing aggressive here. The pedestrian will be aware and ready and will make adjustemnts if needed. This doesnt mean that he has to get out of the way! On the contrary - the euc rider should change its path to go around and avoid the pedestrian. As the rider approaches the pedestrian he shoukd stop with the wavy movements and ride safely in a straight line around the pedestrian.

This is a much better scenario than when the rider rides in a straight line when still far away, and when close, god forbid something hapoens and he needs more space on the sides, the pedestrian wont be ready and will assume its ok to be very close to the rider. Noone will benefit from the feeling of false security when in fact there is a risk.  I hope this clarifies what i was trying to say.

Regarding the bicycle bell : it doesnt matter if the use of bicycles is prohibited on sidewalk - they still ride on sidewalk whether prohibited or not, and people know that. Why abstain from using the bell? Its effective and it help safety. Euc functions very much like a bicycle on a sidewalk, so using a bell is very appropriate from the consistency/ safety/ effectiveness standpoint. I mean, the purpose is to notify the pedestrian - whats more effective than a signal they already know how to interpret? Noone likes noise, but safety is more important.

[Mono]

23 hours ago, Cloud said:

The pedestrian will be aware and ready and will make adjustemnts if needed.

IMHO a pedestrian should not need to be aware of anything or need to make any adjustments different from what they would do to other pedestrians. Hence no need to make waving warning signs.

Consider that pedestrians might be blind. They have no obligation to make you aware of their blindness, they can be just blind and you never know. Pedestrians might be reading a book or reading or writing a text while walking, with similar implications, which is perfectly fine at walking speed. I cannot expect them to see or recognize me before I am in around 2m distance, which is plenty to prevent collisions at walking speed. The consequence: if I close up to a pedestrian to less than 2m I should and will already have walking speed.

23 hours ago, Cloud said:

it doesnt matter if the use of bicycles is prohibited on sidewalk - they still ride on sidewalk whether prohibited or not, and people know that.

That depends on where you live. If virtually everybody tacitly agrees that bicycles can be ridden on the side walk I don't object using a bell. 

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Why abstain from using the bell?

EDIT: The following is mainly a description of my feelings and personal habit, it was not supposed to be normative for others regarding the question whether and when to use a bell.

Because it is asking for a right of way that I don't feel to have. Consider also that pedestrians might be deaf. And I see no reason to believe that ringing pedestrians off their path is safer than simply never be in their path in the first place and only pass them when plenty of space is available without ringing a bell, just as I do when I am a pedestrian myself. I am a fast walker and sometimes I am running, yet I never take a bell to warn pedestrians when I want to pass them (or otherwise). If it seems necessary I might go for a gentle "excuse me" to let them know that I want to pass. Still, I would need to factor in that they can be deaf and hence I cannot count so much on a bell or my voice as a standard safety measure anyway. That is of course completely different in an imminently dangerous situation where it is perfectly legit to ring or shout out as loud as you can. 

[Cloud]

2 hours ago, MoNo said:

I still disagree. IMHO a pedestrian should not need to be aware of anything or need to make any adjustments different from what they would do to other pedestrians. Hence no need to make waving warning signs.

Consider that pedestrians might be blind. They have no obligation to make you aware of their blindness, they can be just blind and you never know. Pedestrians might be reading a book or reading or writing a text while walking, with similar implications, which is perfectly fine at walking speed. I cannot expect them to see or recognize me before I am in around 2m distance, which is plenty to prevent collisions at walking speed. The consequence: if I close up to a pedestrian to less than 2m I should and will already have walking speed.

I totally disagree. Pedestrians need to be aware of whats going on, whether its another pedestrian potentially running into them or anything else. Especially if something (euc rider) is riding on sidewalk, they need to know. It takes two to tango. I am not saying they have to be the one to yield. I am saying for safety to work more efficiently, actually to work at all, both parties need to see potential danger and be capable of escaping it. Unaware pedestrian is the worst thing that can happen. 

Well, it would be weird if i expected a blind person to see me and move aside. Of course each situation requires its own approach. I dint suggest riding in wavelike motion all the time - only when the situation is appropriate from the safety standpoint. If there is a blind person, or someone reading a book who just doesnt want to notice the rider, of course the rider should be extra careful and avoid crossing paths. But if there is not much room to avoid crossing paths, making the person aware of whats going on is the most effective safety measure,

its not about expecting them to see you - its about trying to be more visible so that they are aware of the potential risk. Not with every pedestrian, not every time, -  only when needed. 

2 hours ago, MoNo said:

That depends on where you live. If virtually everybody tacitly agrees that bicycles can be ridden on the side walk I don't object using a bell. 

I live in new york city where people ride bikes on sidewalks all the time. Everybody is used to that. No, its not legal to do that, but i dont see how this matters. I am not discussing the legality of riding a euc on sidewalk , people either do or they dont. If someone does, then using the bell will increase the public safety. To ride or not to ride on the sidewalk is a completely different discussion. In any case, it is not illegal to use a bike bell on a sidewalk. 

2 hours ago, MoNo said:

 

Because it is asking for a right of way that I don't feel to have. Consider also that pedestrians might be deaf. And I see no reason to believe that ringing pedestrians off their path is safer than simply never be in their path in the first place and only pass them when plenty of space is available without ringing a bell, just as I do when I am a pedestrian myself. I am a fast walker and sometimes I am running, yet I never take a bell to warn pedestrians when I want to pass them (or otherwise). If it seems necessary I might go for a gentle "excuse me" to let them know that I want to pass. Still, I would need to factor in that they can be deaf and hence I cannot count so much on a bell or my voice as a standard safety measure anyway. That is of course completely different in an imminently dangerous situation where it is perfectly legit to ring or shout out as loud as you can. 

First of all the bell is used not only to ask for the right of way but also to make someone aware that you are there so they dont make sudden moves in your direction, to avoid collision. This is what i do, is to make them aware. In very rare cases when there is no way to go around i may ask for the right of way.

Second, again, this is not about who has the right of way, this is to avoid accident. Id rather they think i am rude but avoid a bad accident than to politely knock them down. If someone is deaf than obviously they wont hear, but i dont understand how these extreme and rare examples support the point that this wont work? If anything, rare exceptions to the rule support the rule itself. I never said that i will run over the pedestrian if he doesnt react to my bell. All i said was that this works. Of course i am generalizing. When i say something works it doesnt mean it works 100% of the time. If it works as little as 30%of the time, its already reason enough to consider using it, as an improvement in safety in 30% of cases is huge. Like a horn on a car, bike bell would only be used in situation where it can prevent an accident - not behind every pedestrian

running is a different story. Runner can control his speed easier, and its less convential to use bike bells. This would actually be confusing people ringing a bell while running as their brains would be looking for someone on wheels when they hear the ring.

[MaxLinux]

17 minutes ago, Cloud said:

First of all the bell is used not only to ask for the right of way but also to make someone aware that you are there so they dont make sudden moves in your direction, to avoid collision. This is what i do, is to make them aware. In very rare cases when there is no way to go around i may ask for the right of way. Second, again, this is not about who has the right of way, this is to avoid accident. Id rather they think i am rude but avoid a bad accident than to politely knock them down.

I think a bell is important for safety and courtesy. I ride on the sidewalk most of the time. Sometimes pedestrians don't realize I'm there. Usually this is when I come up behind them. Ringing the bell simply lets them know I'm there. I try to avoid ringing my bell though, unless I really have to. Most of the time when I encounter pedestrians on the sidewalk, whether they are coming towards me or I am approaching them from behind, I go out into the street if it is safe to do so, i.e., I get out of their way instead of expecting them to get out of my way.

[Marty Backe]

10 minutes ago, MaxLinux said:

<snip>

I go out into the street if it is safe to do so, i.e., I get out of their way instead of expecting them to get out of my way.

Agreed. And isn't that part of the fun of riding - dodging in and out and whatnot? What's the fun in riding in a straight line?

[Mono]

On 10/25/2016 at 2:09 AM, Cloud said:

I totally disagree. Pedestrians need to be aware of whats going on, whether its another pedestrian potentially running into them or anything else.  Especially if something (euc rider) is riding on sidewalk, they need to know.

Right, we come to agree to disagree. To my understanding, we are obligated to make sure to not run into pedestrians and have no reason or right to expect from pedestrians to be aware to prevent us from running into them.

Suggesting that pedestrians need to know whether there is an EUC around seems to suggest that they are in danger if they don't know, which I find rather unacceptable. You really messed up if people on a sidewalk need to be aware of you to protect themselves from accidents.

On 10/25/2016 at 2:09 AM, Cloud said:

[...]  I am saying for safety to work more efficiently, actually to work at all, both parties need to see potential danger and be capable of escaping it.

That is factually wrong. A sidewalk is a perfectly safe place if everybody goes slow enough. Danger comes only and literally only from speed. Slowly walking pedestrians do not impose any danger in and of themselves or to other slowly walking pedestrians. Even if their attention is entirely absorbed with something else, they don't bump into each other. Even if they did bump into each other, it would be inconsequential. 

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Unaware pedestrian is the worst thing that can happen.

WOW, scary. We talk about sidewalks! I find inconsiderate or reckless bicycle or EUC riders on sidewalks much much much much much worse than unaware pedestrians in every aspect. I am not saying you are one of them as you confirmed you don't ride aggressively.

Maybe what you express is normal NYC sidewalk culture and NYC people just expect to have someone crash into them if they don't pay attention and feel OK with that. I have doubts, but I haven't been there for long enough to know (can't remember any bicycles closely crossing my path though).

On the other hand, when seeing a sense of entitlement expressed like "unaware pedestrians is the worst...", I can empathize with people supporting legislation to ban EUCs from sidewalks  

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[...] If there is a blind person, or someone reading a book who just doesnt want to notice the rider, of course the rider should be extra careful and avoid crossing paths.

Right. The problem is that you can't always know whether a person is blind or inattentive or disabled or... That means on sidewalks, you should always behave as if they were unaware of their surrounding for whatever reasons, at least until you have specific signs to the contrary.

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[...] No, its not legal to [ride bicycles on sidewalks], but i dont see how this matters.

Interesting, and scary. At least then you don't need to worry about a legal ban of EUCs, good for you.

Is anyone aware of a law for pedestrians on sidewalks that says they need to pay attention to their surrounding? Please let me know (I mean on sidewalks, no worries to post laws about crossing streets etc...)!