Bike to Work May 2, 2008

With gas prices reaching new records every week that goes by, many Central Texans are considering cycling to work to save a few dollars. May is Bike Month and May 16 is Bike to Work Day. Now is the time to seriously consider trading four wheels for two. You'll save a little cash while at the same time help out the environment and your physical health. Countless organizations including REI, Whole Foods, Bicycle Sports Shop, Jack and Adams Bicycles and the Austin Cycling Association are planning events throughout the month to get riders out of their cars and on a bike.

You may be thinking the last time you rode a bike was when you were eight years old and too much time has passed since then to get back on one. While the old adage is true that you never never forget how to ride a bike, some things have changed. For one, you now have a job and have to be presentable at work. Some employers provide changing facilities and even showers but that's usually a luxury most bike commuters won't encounter. Thank goodness that Bike to Work Day is in May when temperatures are reasonably cool and not August, when scorching temperatures even have car drivers sweating while the air conditioner's fan is on high. Personal hygiene will be an issue you'll want to address.

In fact, there are many more issues such as;

• Is the distance too great?
• Which route to take?
• Are you in good enough physical shape to ride?
• What if my bike breaks down or I have a flat?

Distance - Only you can make this determination. If you haven't been riding regularly and your bike has a thick layer of dust on it in the garage, then you may want to wait until next year. On the other hand if you've been active and you know how far it is and how long it'll take you to get there, then go for it. Many commuters who have to travel a far distance combine cycling with bus travel. They bike to a point of pick up, then ride the bus to a stop near work, then pedal the rest of the way. Bike racks can be found on all full-sized Capital Metro buses.

Route - The City of Austin's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program publishes a bicycle map for Austin. The map can be purchased at local bicycle shops or a copy can be picked up at the Bicycle Program Office at 505 Barton Springs Rd, Suite 800 or you an view a PDF version of the map online. While the map does a great job of pointing obvious routes to and from your destination, you'll want to talk to other riders who've taken certain routes. You might also find that longer, winding routes through neighborhoods are not only safer, they make for a much more enjoyable ride.

Physical Shape - Riding a bicycle at 10 - 12 mph requires about the same amount of effort as jogging at a 15-minute pace according to calculations. However, Central Texas has hills and some of them are quite steep. Climbing hills on a bike require more effort than flat terrain and you should plan alternative routes or get into better condition in order to conquer the steeper elevation.

Roadside Assistance - If this is your first attempt at riding your bike to work, plan for the unexpected. Carry a cell phone with you and make sure it's charged the night before. Just in case, put some coins in your pocket in case you have to use a public phone (are those still available?). Most commuters take a tire levers, a spare tire or patches, along with CO2 canisters and their attachments to refill the tire once changed. If the CO2 seems too intimidating, you may want to carry a small hand pump that can attach to the bike.

Personal Hygiene - Plan on taking a spare set of clothes to work the day before. Include some washcloths and toiletries that'll allow you to freshen up. Pack a few large ziplock bags to store sweaty clothes. You may even want to consider two sets of cycling clothes if the set in the morning becomes sweaty and you're not able to air dry them during the day.

Bicycle Friendly Community

On average, four percent of Austin's residents commute to work using a bicycle. That equates to roughly 27,000 cyclists on the streets any given day. This is quite impressive and helped garner the City of Austin a Bicycle Friendly Community - Silver Level Award in 2007. On May 16, that number will climb considerably.

"On Bicycle to Work Day there are many more cyclists on the streets, says Annick C. Beaudet, AICP, Bicycle Project Manager, Bicycle & Pedestrian Program, City of Austin. "Where a single cyclist will take up three feet width of space, three or four riders take up as much as a car and then become a presence. It's an ideal day for cyclists or those wanting to experiment with bike commuting to venture out. Everyone looks out for each other."

In January 2007, the mayor initiated a bicyclist safety task force (named the Street Smarts Task Force) to encourage bicycling and educate both bicyclists and motorists to promote a more harmonious existence between the two.

In order for cyclists and pedestrians and cars to get along, a few rules of the road need to be followed. In this set of questions and answers, we gathered the most common points of confusion and applied a little City Code to make it perfectly clear what you should do.

Question: Do cyclists have to obey the same traffic laws as motor vehicles?
OBEDIENCE TO TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES. Source: 1992 Code Section 16-8-21; Ord. 031204-13; Ord. 031211-11.


(A) A bicyclist shall obey the instruction of official traffic signals, signs, and other traffic-control devices applicable to vehicles, unless otherwise directed by a police officer.


(B) Unless a bike lane is specifically designated otherwise, a bicyclist riding in a bike lane may not travel in the opposite direction of adjacent motor vehicles in the roadway.

Question: Should cyclists ride on the sidewalk or the street?

(A) Except as provided in Subsection (B), a person may ride a bicycle on a sidewalk.
(B) A person may not ride a bicycle on a sidewalk on the following streets:
(1) 100 to 1100 blocks of Congress Avenue;
(2) 1900 to 2500 blocks of Guadalupe Street;
(3) 100 to 1100 blocks of Brazos Street;
(4) 200 to 1100 blocks of Colorado Street;
(5) from the 200 block of Second Street (West) to the 300 block of Second Street (East);
(6) from the 900 block of Fifth Street (West) to the 800 block of Fifth Street (East);
(7) from the 700 block of Sixth Street (East) to the 1000 block of Sixth Street (West);
(8) from the 100 block of Eighth Street (West) to the 200 block of Eighth Street (East);
(9) from the 100 block of Ninth Street (West) to the 200 block of Ninth Street (East);
(10) from the 200 block of 11th Street (West) to the 200 block of 11th Street (East); and
(11) from the 200 block of 15th Street (West) to the 200 block of 15th Street (East).
Source: 1992 Code Section 16-8-22; Ord. 031204-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. 20060727-016.

Question: Can cyclists park their bike wherever they want?

(A) A person may not park a bicycle:
(1) in a manner that obstructs pedestrian or vehicle traffic; or
(2) in a space designated as a vehicle parking place or between two designated vehicle parking places.
(B) A person may not attach or secure a bicycle to public or private property in a manner that may damage, impair, or render the property unusable.
(C) A person may park a bicycle:
(1) against a street curb;
(2) in a bicycle rack on a sidewalk; or
(3) against a building.
Source: 1992 Code Section 16-8-24; Ord. 031204-13; Ord. 031211-11.

Question: Where on the street are cyclists allowed to ride?

(A) Except as otherwise directed by a traffic-control device or a police officer, a bicyclist shall ride:
(1) in the right-most lane available to vehicle traffic where vehicles are prohibited from parking along the right curb;
(2) in the center of the lane where vehicles are permitted to park along the right curb; or
(3) in the right-hand portion of an unlaned street.
(B) A bicyclist may not ride a bicycle between vehicles traveling or standing in the same direction within marked lanes of a roadway.
Source: 1992 Code Section 16-8-25; Ord. 031204-13; Ord. 031211-11.

Tips for a Safe Commute

GoodHealth.com asked Jerry Gerlich, cycling coach and avid bike commuter of Castle Hill Specialized Fitness to provide some tips for riders.

1. Wear an A.N.S.I. or Snell certified helmet and bright colored clothing.
2. Change the rear reflector for one that blinks.
3. Carry the items you'll need to fix a flat, adjust a saddle/bar etc., and fix a broken chain.
4. Give yourself 10 minutes longer than you think it should take...(flats, road construction, rerouted traffic due to accidents etc.)
5. Expect the cars to do the most inappropriate thing at the most inopportune times. (Car doors fly open, left turn coming at you w/no blinker, last second right turns, etc.)
6. Carry a phone in case your bike has a problem and you need to call for help.
7. Watch manhole covers and steel construction plates when wet. They can be slick.
8. Check the mechanical safety of the bike. Make sure the brakes work.
9. Never ride against the flow of traffic.
10. Follow all the rules of the road. Stop at the stop signs and stoplights and keep the speed superslow on sidewalks where you are allowed to ride.

In addition, Annick advises riders to pretend they're invisible. "Don't take it for granted drivers see you, because more often than not they don't." Use hand signals whenever you change direction but don't take for granted that people understand your signal. Lifting the left arm to signal a right turn may be confusing to them. If you agree, you may want to use the right arm extended as an alternative method of signaling. The important thing is that you signal and do it soon enough others can see you.