Bike shop Ontario: Common crashes #2:

Our bike shop Ontario is running a series of blogs exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, drawing from Bicyclesafe.com.

The #2 most common bike accident they call: The Door Prize

A driver opens their door right in front of you.  If you don't have time to brake, you crash into it. 

This kind of wreck is more common than you might think:  It's the second-most common car-bike crash in Toronto, and holds the title for #1 crash in Santa Barbara. Bicyclesafe.com has made a list of cyclists killed by running into open car doors.

How to avoid this wreck:

Ride to the left! Ride far enough to the left that you won't run into any door that's opened unexpectedly. Riding further left (than curb and parking lane) is recommended to avoid several of the most common bike accidents.

Bike shop upland: Common crashes #1: The Right Cross

Our bike shop Upland is running a series of blog posts exposing the top ten situations that cause bike accidents, from Bicyclesafe.com. We begin with the number one most common bike wreck: The Right CrossA vehicle is pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway on the right. Note that this collision can happen one of two ways:  1.) you are in front of the car and the car hits you, or 2.) the car pulls out in front of you and you crash into it.
How to avoid this collision:
1. Get a headlight. A good headlight is something you can't ride without at night, but it can increase your visibility in the daytime too.
2. Get the driver's attention. Catch their eye if you can, ring your bell, honk, wave, whatever it takes.
3. Slow down. Stop if necessary. Yes, its a hassle, but worth it!
4. Ride further to the left. Many riders feel safer riding hugging the right curb of the road, but moving further to the left can actually prevent many of the most common bike wrecks. The "B" line in the diagram above is the best place to ride.

Bike shop Ontario: Safe cycling please!

As owners of bike shop ontario, there is nothing worse than hearing that a cyclist in our community been injured or killed in a car-bike collision.

Image by Paul Krueger

When you come into our shop, we'll make sure you find a good helmet that fits well, reducing your risk of head injury by up to 85%.  But while helmets can help you survive an accident in tact, they can not prevent one.
We will also hook you up with good lights and a reliable bicycle, but those things are not enough either.
Sadly, most of the accidents that happen are not caused by cyclists breaking traffic laws, but by drivers who are not being careful and looking out for bicycles. So following the law, while encouraged, cannot necessarily prevent all accidents either.
The thing that statistically reduces risk of accidents is defensive bicycling...not putting yourself in the position where a driver's failure to see you could take your life. Austin cyclist Michael Bluejay has done a lot of research and put together this excellent website Bicyclesafe.com. He makes his research, tips, and safety diagrams available for free use, so we will be sharing excerpts of the site in our series about the most common bike wrecks in the next couple weeks.

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Lloyd at Bumstead's Bike Shop presents G Form Dense Foam Elbow, Knee & Shin Guards. Great for mountain bikers who are looking for extra protection in a light weight, comfortable form. Get them at Bumstead's!