Zodiac

[prog]

jwz writes a list of advice to the novice city-cyclist (optimized for SF but applicable in any urban setting, I think). Of particular note:

Safety: I follow the Zodiac approach: always assume the cars can see you perfectly, and are trying to kill you. If an intersection seems iffy, use the sidewalk and crosswalks. If big streets like Market and Van Ness freak you out, there are always less traficky ways to go, or just stay on the sidewalks.

Comments

[lyricon.livejournal.com]

Another good thing to do is to familiarize yourself with bike laws in your state/region. In Hawaii, riding on sidewalks in business areas is illegal. This is not great, since business districts also tend to have heavy traffic. Sometimes it does seem like a catch-22... it reminds my of my old drivers handbook that actually had a line reading something like this: "Maintaining speed with the flow of traffic is one of the safest things you can do. Going faster or slower than the surrounding traffic is one of the leading causes of accidents and traffic-related injuries in the country. Always go at the speed of the cars around you, unless they are going over the speed limit. That is illegal."

Hmm... safety, or laws...?