You Know You're Gonna Die, You Just Don't Know When

© Flickr / Dorky Mum

I went out for a bike ride around New York City to do a bit of research for an article on Urban Biking when irony struck and I nearly died.

The day started out beautifully. The five-day heat wave had finally broken, there was a fresh summer breeze to the air and my new cycling friend, Nick Middleton, a skinny bearded Englishman, was waiting with bike in hand on the corner.

Our plan, from the night before, had been to meet up at 10 a.m. and ride from Brooklyn to Queens, over the Queens Borough Bridge into Manhattan, down to the Staten Island Ferry, across the East River and to ride around Staten Island. The plan seemed perfect. I’d never been around Staten Island and Nick had never been to Queens or Staten Island. So naturally the next morning I showed up thirty minutes late, at 10:30 a.m., ready to put our plan into action.

© Ryan HaydenWith a quick hello and a foot on the peddle we were off, riding from Northern Brooklyn to Queens, myself in the lead position and Nick behind me. I felt free; the path we were taking seemed not as busy as others and was much faster than taking the train could ever be. I couldn’t help but think, “Why don’t I do this every day?”

That thought backfired as we entered Queens and the traffic picked up a bit making things got a bit dodgy. The cars were flying by, hooking and swerving, as we talked and rode. The feeling of, ‘This was going to work well as research,’ faded quicker than our light breakfast of donuts as the work trucks and vans came barreling up behind us. For a fearless adrenaline junkie like myself, I have to admit, I was growing a bit concerned for our safety but managed to not show it.

The streets were packed with bad drivers and potholes while we cut the path to the Queens Borough Bridge. Our first problem came up as Nick told me to go the wrong way, landing me in the middle of a busy intersection with no safe way out. Nick sat safely on the side, watching, while the cars were flying on all sides of me, honking. I tried to push forward while at the same time keeping an eye on everything else around me. Some how I had managed to make it out unscathed and with a nervous laugh continued on our trip.

Once on the Bridge it was smooth sailing. We had two wide open lanes and no cars to worry about, just other bikers and pedestrians. That relief was short lived as we landed off the bridge in the middle of Upper West Side Manhattan. Taxis, like streaking yellow bumble bees, screamed up and down the street trying to push one another off the road, paying no mind to us as bikers.

It gives a new meaning to the aggressive nature of biking in an urban environment. You had to fight for your life, keeping your eyes open for car doors swinging open, people cutting you off to make a right hand turns, cars stopping abruptly in front of you and taxis pinching off the next so much so your bike can’t even fit through. It was a dog-eat-dog sort of feel.

© Ryan HaydenWe were peddling down 2nd Avenue, jumping in and out of traffic when our plan hit, or better yet was hit, by a bit of a snag. We had made it to 23rd street when from out of the blue a cab pinched me off from going forward with just enough time to stop. I tried to pull to the left to get out of the way but ended up sliding against the car and coming to a stop on the passenger window, unhurt. Jumping off my bike I pulled it to the side and took a deep breath. That had been way closer than I had liked. We decided to take a break and grab a bite of a lunch to get our heads back on and continue on our way.

The rest of the day went smoothly and we made it back home safe and experienced, but – like after a long white water rafting trip – we were tired and drained for the amount of exercise and adrenaline the ride took up. We both had a very clear idea of how to approach an urban ride for our next go. (Well-rested and on guard.)

Thinking of hitting the mean streets of your city? Here are a few tricks of the trade, which will help make the experience safe and fun:

Wear Your Helmet

Now, I know that sounds like a no brainer (forgive the pun), but I was not of sane mind when I woke that morning and thought it not to be necessary. Needless to say, it is, and this rule should be followed either in rural or urban cycling.

Pick the Best Route

Now that your helmet is on and you’re about to leave for the road ahead it might be a good idea to pick out a route. If you have a destination in mind find the best side streets and bike friendly neighborhoods to peddle through. This can really take the stress out of your ride and make it much more fun.

Ride the Right Way

Riding the right way on the street is an important and safe practice in Urban Biking. You should always ride as if you were another car on the street and follow the same flow of traffic. This will prevent an accident with other bikers and cars along your way. Don’t worry though, if you forget your fellow bikers will let you know by yelling out, “WRONG WAY.

Mind the Open Door Policy

People who drive most of the time don’t always remember there are people, like us, out there who enjoy a nice bike ride from time to time and will swing their doors wide as they get out from their drivers side. This causes one of the most dangerous scenarios for urban bikers. The best way to not hit the driver or their door is to ride a safe distance to the left or at least keep a good eye on the possibility of this occurring. If you’re unable to stop in time or get out of the way see Trick #1.

Avoiding Right Turns and Blind Spots

There are many different ways a car turning right can not see you and hit you. Knowing all of them is the best way to keep from becoming a statistic. If a car is stopped at a right light and you pull up to the right side of them it is likely you’ve just put yourself in the blind spot of the driver and in a good bit of danger. The best way to prevent this is never put yourself in a driver’s blind spots. This can simply done by stopping directly behind driver or if you have to stop to the right of the driver, make sure you’re in front of the car enough that the driver has no way of missing you.

Getting Cut Off

This is when a car tries to make a right hand turn by speeding up and going in front of you. People who don’t ride very often don’t realize how fast a bike can go and thus underestimate your speed while overestimating theirs. The problem with this one is you’ve done nothing wrong, you’re riding on the right side of the street and keeping ever vigilant but still there are a few things which can help prevent this: Never ride on the sidewalk, ride a bit more to the left and take up more of the road, and don’t try to pass a car to the right. Outside of those tips it’s important to keep an eye on what’s happening behind you the whole time.

Riding the Cross Walk

First it is important to say that you should never be riding on the sidewalk in the place, so this should never come up, but if you happen to be crossing the street via the cross walk make sure to slow down and get a head light. Both of these are smart, but it is also smart to keep out of this scenario.

The Fender Bender

Getting hit from behind is one of the scariest thoughts for an urban biker as they move through their day. The problem is it can be the least preventable, but mind you, it’s also the least common of any cycling accident. The different ways you can get hit from behind is making quick movements to your left without looking at what might be coming behind you and also swerving in and out of parked and moving cars to avoid a pot hole or anything else in the road. There are a few things you can do to help yourself out though: Always pay attention to what’s happening behind you, don’t swerve between cars (moving or parked), use a mirror and get reflective material to put on your clothing.

With these tips you should be ready to take it to the road and NOT become part of the old joke: The nice thing about biking in the city is you know how you’re going to die, you just don’t know when.