Bike Advocates: Riding a Bike

home:
meetings, news, contact info

why bike?:
biking as efficient, practical transportation

buying a bike:
local shops, what to look for

maintenance:
tips, resources

riding a bike:
getting there easily, safely, and quickly

riding in winter:
dealing with cold, wet, darkness and sliperiness

advocacy:
local bike issues and groups

having fun:
cycling for recreation in Ann Arbor
Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles.
--John Forrester

Most of us learn the basic physical skills required to ride a bicycle as children. However, as children we often taught only to stay on sidewalks and avoid traffic at all costs. This may be adequate for very young children, but it's poor advice for most people.

Adults using bicycles as transportation are generally better off being a part of traffic, and the law treats bicycles on the road nearly identically to other vehicles (see this summary of the relevant Michigan and Ann Arbor law); after all, bicycles were using roads before cars existed.

John Allen's Bicycling Street Smarts (available in its entirety on-line) is one excellent manual for cycling in traffic; it has been adopted by the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania as their official bicycle drivers' manual, and there's an effort to do the same for the city of Ann Arbor.

Last updated 1PM, Tuesday, May 11.