Comments on: LA Times Tips for City Riders http://urbanvelo.org/la-times-tips-for-city-riders/ Bicycles in the urban environment. A magazine about urban cycling. Thu, 24 May 2012 12:45:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joe Peralta http://urbanvelo.org/la-times-tips-for-city-riders/comment-page-1/#comment-12339 Joe Peralta Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:10:26 +0000 http://urbanvelo.org/?p=12389#comment-12339 Tough to make eye contact when both parties are wearing sunglasses. Motorists also seem to be getting even more detached in their cushy little wombs. Years ago I started watching their front wheel - it gives an instant warning signal when they move, and also indicates where they're going. Thinking about collisions yesterday, a technique I used in NYC might be useful for some people - slam on the brakes, plant the feet astride the front wheel, and give the victim sort of a "belly-whomp" shove instead of a missile hit. It worked on the 4 I nailed - 2 people who stepped off against the light looking the wrong way, 1 who strode out from between parked cars not looking either way, and an 8-year old girl who ran out from between parked cars on a busy street in Rockefeller Center. None were injured. The adults were outraged, of course. The little girl flew about 10 feet and tumbled like a pro, then jumped up and apologized as fast as she could so she wouldn't get yelled at. You do have to be able to get your feet free in an instant. I still use clips with loosened straps. Tough to make eye contact when both parties are wearing sunglasses. Motorists also seem to be getting even more detached in their cushy little wombs. Years ago I started watching their front wheel – it gives an instant warning signal when they move, and also indicates where they’re going.

Thinking about collisions yesterday, a technique I used in NYC might be useful for some people – slam on the brakes, plant the feet astride the front wheel, and give the victim sort of a “belly-whomp” shove instead of a missile hit. It worked on the 4 I nailed – 2 people who stepped off against the light looking the wrong way, 1 who strode out from between parked cars not looking either way, and an 8-year old girl who ran out from between parked cars on a busy street in Rockefeller Center.

None were injured. The adults were outraged, of course. The little girl flew about 10 feet and tumbled like a pro, then jumped up and apologized as fast as she could so she wouldn’t get yelled at.

You do have to be able to get your feet free in an instant. I still use clips with loosened straps.

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