Beware the Bike Ninja

Most cyclists, particularly regular commuters, are pretty safety-conscious. Some are more diligent than others, but most at least take basic steps to avoid accidents. But every now and then, you encounter someone on a bicycle who seems to be trying to get himself killed. There are riders who blow through stop signs on busy streets, ride against traffic, spend half their time looking at their cell phones or any number of other dumb behaviors, and one of the worst offenders is the Bike Ninja. 

I'm not sure who coined the term, it might have been BikeSnobNYC or it may have been kicking around the collective consciousness for a while, but everyone's pretty clear on what a Bike Ninja is: the guy (or gal) who rides around in the dark of night with no lights, no reflectors and not even a bit of bright-colored clothing to help motorists or fellow riders discern them from an empty patch of asphalt. Bike Ninjas, like Ninja Ninjas, are invisible assassins lurking like deadly ghosts in the darkness. 

Because Bike Ninjas are often as indifferent to road rules as they are to visibility requirements, it's entirely possible they have caused more damage to life and limb than historical Ninjas ever did. While most of said damage may be to themselves and to various front bumpers, any cyclist who's ever had one of these invisible menaces come flying across an intersection directly in front of them can attest to how much of a hazard they can be.

So why does the Bike Ninja ninje? I don't really have a good answer for that other than complete and utter ignorance. It's a very common thing for novice cyclists, for example, to assume that the reflectors that come packaged with a new bike are enough to make one safely visible. They are better than nothing, but if you compare how easy it is to spot a reflector down the road compared to a flashing light, you'll see just how much easier it is to spot the latter. 

But the Bike Ninja usually has no reflectors either, or if he did, they're broken or missing. The Bike Ninja seems to think being seen is either completely unnecessary or actually undesirable. Like I said, it's like they WANT to get hit. 

The reasons are not important, the only thing that matters is that, unlike other kinds of Ninja (especially the teenage mutant variety), Bike Ninjas are NOT cool. You don't want to be a Bike Ninja, you will not be able to do cool stuff and kick ass. You will get run over and killed. I don't want you to get run over and killed. 

I have so few readers, I can't afford to lose any of you!

Opinionated Blogger Friday: That Thing Drivers Sometimes Do When They Think They're Being Helpful But It's Really Kind of Annoying

After you've been riding with traffic a while, you start to get a feel of the flow of things. It doesn't take long, really, the human brain, being the amazing machine it is, starts to recognize relative speed and direction, and to start predicting where cars are going to be based on where they are.

After a bit more time, you start to time your own moves, like when you're about to make a left turn, you get over to the left side of the lane, look at the line of oncoming cars and slow down a bit, getting your own speed just right to hit the next gap that's big enough for you to safely ride through.

Then somebody comes to a stop to let you turn, and your rhythm goes all to hell, and you nearly fall off the bike. They give you a big smile and wave you through magnanimously, while you struggle to get your feet back on the pedals and wave a less-than-heartfelt "thanks" to them.

It would be one thing if there was an unbroken line of cars zipping along at 900 mph and your only hope for making a turn alive is that someone, anyone, slows down a bit a and lets you go, but with normal traffic there are plenty of gaps and the person who does this always seems to be the LAST person in any line of cars.

It happens when you're trying to cross a busy intersection, too, or when you're approaching a four-way stop sign. The last 99 times things went a certain way, and you took your turn as if you were operating any other wheeled vehicle, but the hundredth time somebody changes the pattern, you're thrown a curve ball and you swing and miss.

On the list of nuisances that can befall a cyclist, this ranks pretty low. After all, when there are homicidal middle-managers in SUVs trying to smear you against parked cars, or drunken frat boys lobbing glass bottles at your head, someone being nice to you hardly counts as much of a problem.

But, aside from the fact that it messes up your flow and therefore totally blows your carefully cultivated sense of cool, there are a couple of problems inherent in this kind of behavior.

First off, it belies a common flaw in the way many Americans drive, which involves treating the brake and accelerator as on/off switches. You're either driving the speed limit or you're stopped, there's no sense of adjusting speed to accommodate road conditions. Not everyone drives this way, nor is it exclusive to U.S. drivers, but it's far less common in places where the streetscapes are more integrated, with pedestrians, cyclists and drivers adapting to each other on the fly.

The other reason this behavior is a negative indicator is that it means that, in some folks' eyes at least, bicycles are still a special case, not a normal part of traffic. On a bike you're still a bit childlike, to be treated with extra care rather than expected to be a responsible road user. This, in turn, reinforces the idea that bikes don't belong on the road with "grown up" vehicles, and makes it harder for cyclists to be accepted.

Overall, though, I'd rather someone throw off my groove by doing something unexpectedly nice, like waving me through a turn, than by doing something unexpectedly obnoxious, like accelerating to keep me from turning in front of them, or cutting me off to get to a parking space. Enough of the latter happens that when someone's unexpectedly generous, I'm more frustrated by my own uncool flailing than I ever could be at the driver!

Buyer Beware! Things to Watch Out For When Shopping For Used Bikes

If you're looking for a bike on a budget, it's hard to go wrong with a good-quality used bike. A bike that's a bit old and out-of-date to the eye of the weekend racer or gear junkie might be the perfect choice for a commuter, and with a little searching, you my be able to find your next ride for next to nothing.

While the internet can be helpful in finding a good used bike, it's still best if you can take a look at it in person to make sure it lives up to your expectations.

Low mileage! Runs great!

With that in mind, here's what you should be looking for when checking out a potential bike purchase, what's not a big deal and what is a total dealbreaker.

Wheels and Tires

• The tires are flat/soft: This is probably no big deal. Because rubber does bleed air over time, the bike may have just been sitting too long and the tires simply need to be pumped up. Even if you need to replace the inner tubes, they usually only cost about $5 each. 
• Dry rot: If the surface of the tire is cracked or rotted looking, you'll probably have to replace the tire itself. If the rubber is coming off in chunks or the inner tube is starting to bulge through the tire, you definitely have to replace the tire to be safe. This is not difficult, but expect to pay at least $15-25 a tire. 
• Bent rims: if the rim of the wheel is a few millimeters out of shape from left to right, it may be possible to "true" the wheel by adjusting spoke tension. However, if the wheel is noticeably bent (so much so that the tire hits the frame of the bike), has a large dent in it, is cracked in any way or is otherwise seriously damaged, you'll likely have to replace it, which could cost anywhere from about $40 up to over $100 each wheel. Road bike wheels and mountain bike wheels made for disc brakes are the most expensive. Also, wheels made from carbon fiber are less than ideal for commuting, and if they have any sign of damage at all are best not trusted. 
• Loose hubs: if there is a small bit of wobble at the axle, you can usually eliminate it with some minor adjustments (which may, however, require some special wrenches to fit into the tight space between axle nuts), the same goes for wheels that are a bit too tight and don't spin freely. If the wheel is spinning unevenly and making clicking or popping noises, it's probably suffering from bad bearings. At best, this means replacing the axle bearings, which requires less than $10 in parts and some know-how. At worst, the hub of the wheel itself may be damaged, which will require replacing the whole thing. If the wheel flops around really loosely, or appears to be missing parts, assume it's damaged beyond hope. 
• Broken spokes: if a single spoke is broken, it can usually be fixed by a bike shop or a home mechanic with some know-how. If two spokes or broken the wheel should be checked over carefully. If three or more spokes are broken, assume the wheel is shot. 

A severely dry-rotted tire with the tread falling off. Note also the cracked sidewall and exposed threads. 

This carbon-fiber wheels has a crack running from the bottom of the S all the way around. It's easy to miss upon a casual inspection, but could potentially lead to wheel failure and a serious crash. 

Brakes

• Brake pads are worn: Brake pads are easy to replace, and can usually be found for less than $10 a pair. Make sure to get the type of pad designed for the brakes on the bike (bring an old one into the shop with you to compare if you're not sure). 
• Brake pads are hard: sometimes the brakes on bikes that sit for a long time oxidize and harden. This can lead to noise and poor braking, as the hardened pads won't grip as well as good pads. Often you can use a nail file or sandpaper to scrape away the hardened surface of the pads and restore their grip, otherwise, just replace them before riding.
• Brakes squeal: This can be due to hardened pads, a dirty rim or from poor adjustment. As long as the brakes actually stop the bike noise can be adjusted out or ignored
• Brakes are out of adjustment: Brake adjustments can usually be performed with basic hand tools, and in most cases are very simple. If the bike has caliper brakes or linear pull brakes this may involve only one or two points of adjustment. If the bike features traditional cantilever brakes, this may be somewhat more complicated.
• Broken brakes: Many low-to-mid-level mountain bikes from the 1990s had Shimano Altus cantilever brakes. These brakes had a gray plastic piece between the brake body and where it attached to the frame of the bike that housed the return springs. Over time these spring housings almost always split. Replacement parts aren't made anymore, and you'll have to get whole new brake sets. Figure on a cost of $12-20 a wheel for basic replacement. Also, if you decide to replace the original cantilevers with modern linear-pull brakes, you'll also need to replace the brake levers, they're not compatible. 
• Broken/rusted cables: Brake cables are about $5 each. If a cable looks worn or frayed expect to replace it. If the cable is slightly rusted, it's probably OK, but if it's severely rusted or binds in the cable housing, you'll have to replace it and possibly the housing as well. Road Bike and Mountain Bike style brakes use different ends on their brake cables, so make sure you get the right kind.

It's a bit hard to see from this angle, but the plastic housing is cracked right under the brake arm. 

Shifters and Derailleurs 

• Broken/rusted cables: cables easily replaceable in MOST cases. In older SRAM grip shifters it can be hard to get the old cable out without damaging the shifter, and you may want to trust it to a bike shop (which will cost more). Most bikes use the same types of shift cables, with the exception of some old ten-speeds and modern Campagnolo shifters. Look carefully at the end of the cable and make sure you get one that matches. 
• Broken shifters: shift levers on modern bikes can be the most complicated part of the whole thing, and therefore the most failure prone. Check the shifter to make sure it clicks through each gear and back. If it slips, jams or misses gears, assume you're going to have to replace it. In the case of a road bike with combination shift/brake levers, this could easily set you back $200 and could be a deal breaker. If it's an old-school friction shifter (no clicks), then it's probably indestructible and you won't have much to worry about. 
• Bad adjustment: shift adjustments can be very easy and may not even require tools for minor problems. If the shifting is slow or seems to get caught between gears, you may just have to turn the adjusting barrel located on either the shifter or derailleur itself to fine tune it. Major shifting adjustments require tightening or loosening cables at the anchor bolts. 
• Stuck derailleur: sometimes a derailleur will become so corroded it jams in place. If this is the case, it's probably dead and should be replaced (anywhere from $20-50 for basic stuff, much more for higher-end parts). However, first make sure the problem is the derailleur itself, not a rusted cable, which is easy to replace, or overtightened limit screws. Limit screws are a pair of small screws on each derailleur that control far it is able to move. If a poorly-informed mechanic overtightens these screws, the derailleur won't be able to move at all (if they're too loose, the chain will fall off the cogs). 
• Bent derailleur hanger: The rear derailleur attaches to the frame near the rear axle. Sometimes this attachment point is part of the derailleur itself, other times it's a part of the frame. If it's part of the frame and somehow damaged, it can sometimes be bent back into place. If it's too badly bent, but is designed to be replaceable, expect to spend about $25-30 on a replacement part. If it's badly bent and non-replaceable (welded on) you're out of luck. 

Chain, cranks and gears

• Rusted chain: if it's a little cosmetic rust, but the chain moves freely, you can lube it up and ride on. If the chain is binding or has stuck links, you'll need to replace it ($20-40)
• Worn chain: this can be hard to spot, but if the chain is worn out, it will cause poor shifting. If it stretches badly enough, it can also cause wear on the gear teeth, especially the rear cogs, which can result in slipping and thrown cogs. This is only a concern on high-mileage bikes, as most chains will last for thousands of miles before showing ANY wear. 
• Stripped gears/broken teeth: replacing the rear gear cluster (the cassette or freewheel, depending on what type) requires special tools and will cost anywhere from $20 on up. Most better-quality cranksets have removable chainrings, so you can replace worn out rings without having to replace the whole crank assembly, but cheaper ones are riveted, so it's all or nothing. Note that most newer cranks and cog sets have some teeth smaller than others, or oddly shaped, to make shifting smoother, so be sure the "broken" teeth you see are really not meant to be that way. 
• Loose cranks: This can be a major hassle, especially on some older bikes. Sometimes the crank bearing assembly (aka bottom bracket) is adjustable, but often if there's more than a slight wobble, you'll end up replacing bearings in very least. Some older Italian or British bicycles use oddball threading that can make it hard to find replacement parts at an affordable price. If the bottom bracket is fine, but the cranks themselves are loose, expect to have to replace them, which can be pricey. 

Frame and Fork 

• Scratched paint: not a big deal. On steel bicycle frames, it's good to cover chips and scratches with paint or even clear nail polish to prevent rust
• Rust: surface rust on steel or corrosion on aluminum is usually harmless, and can be cleared up with steel wool and touch-up paint. However,  rust can weaken and ruin a steel frame if it's more than "skin deep." 
• Dents: small dings on a steel frame can usually be ignored. Sharp dents or creases on aluminum may eventually turn into cracks, although it may take a long time. Major dents in any frame are bad news, and any sort of ding or chip in carbon fiber can lead to a crack down the road. 
• Bent frames or forks: If it's a steel frame, and it's not bent bad, you can sometimes have it re-aligned, but not always. If it's aluminum, no. If it's badly bent, it's probably not fixable. Bent forks are bad news. 
• Cracks: Cracks anywhere are a dealbreaker. 
• Wrong size: if the frame is a bit smaller than is ideal you can get a longer seatpost and stem and make it work OK. It'll never be perfect, but it'll be OK. If it's way too small, forget it. If it's too big, there's nothing to be done, no matter how good of a deal it seems to be. 

The Lockup

Unless you keep your bicycle indoors at home, and have a secure place to store it at work, eventually you're going to have to leave your bike unattended. Ideally, you'll have some way to make sure it's there when you get back.

Even if you're gone for a really long time.

This means you're going to have to use some sort of lock. The type, size, weight and cost of the lock is going to depend on how valuable your bike is,where you plan on leaving it and for how long. For an inexpensive bike that will be left parked in front of a coffee shop for a few minutes in a low-theft area, a lightweight cable lock will stop the "theft of opportunity," where someone is tempted by your unattended bike and rolls away because they're tired of walking. Whereas a high-theft area, such as an urban park or college campus (especially a college campus) might attract professional bike thieves who know they can score some easily resellable bikes and components, and come prepared with the tools and equipment to disable the average bike lock. These situations require stronger, heavier locks that will make the would-be bike thief move on to easier prey.

This, for example is how I lock my bike when I go to a typical New Jersey shopping mall. 

Cheap combination locks like these are easy to crack, and should be avoided for the most part (they'll still stop your bike from "rolling off" but they can usually be popped open with nothing more than a screwdriver). Whereas the other extreme of gigantic chain locks like these, while incredibly secure, can weigh in at 15-20 lbs, probably cost more than your beater bike, and are overkill for most commuters.

For most of us, a more moderate lock, both in size and price, will do the job. Aside from chain locks, there are cable locks, which are simply a length of heavy-duty cable attached to a locking mechanism, and there are U-locks, which are a U-shaped metal shackle closed at the end by a metal cylinder which contains the lock mechanism.

U-locks are generally stronger and more secure, but are heavier and take up more room in a bag or basket. They also are limited in what they can be attached to, meaning you can only lock your bike up to designated bicycle racks, handrails, signposts or similarly-sized objects.

Cable locks are generally lighter, but can be less secure, in part because they allow a would-be thief to move your bike around more easily to gain better leverage to break the lock. However, the same flexibility gives you the option of locking your bike to nonstandard posts, trees (where allowed, there's a fine of $1000 in NYC for locking to a tree) or whatever kind of attachment point you can find.

I own both types of lock, and use them in different situations, or if I'm really being paranoid, I use both of them at the same time (thieves usually use different tools on different types of lock, so having two types of lock means double the hassle to steal my ride). One other strategy I've used in the past, when I locked up in the same spot daily, was to simply leave my U-lock attached to the bike rack at work, so I didn't have to lug it back and forth.

There are lots of strategies for locking up your bike, and in future posts I hope to get some photos of locks "in the wild" to show you (if you've got particularly brilliant or stupid ones that you've seen, send them to me at velochelonian-at-gmail-dot-com), but the important thing is that you use a lock in the first place. Also bear in mind that no lock is unbreakable, but a good lock can make your bike difficult enough to steal that a would-be thief might move on to an easier target.

Get Off the Sidewalk!

There's a guy I see around town sometimes riding his bike. He's got a hi-viz yellow safety vest with reflective strips, multiple taillights and at least two headlights and he's always wearing a helmet, yet I've seen him almost get hit by cars on occasion, and he's almost collided with me while I was walking, and I'll be shocked if he isn't involved in a serious accident one of these days.

Why? He's always riding on the sidewalk. 

It may seem counter-intuitive at first. After all, it's safer walking on the sidewalk, and you're separated from motor vehicles by the curb and often a line of parked cars, doesn't that mean you're safer off the street? 

Nope. In fact, a report from the 1990s showed that you're nearly twice as likely to have an accident riding on the sidewalk as on the street, and if you're riding against the direction of street traffic on the sidewalk, you can double that, making you about four times as likely to get hit by a car. Other research has borne that out, showing that two major factors in bicycle/car collisions are riding on the sidewalk and riding against the flow of traffic. 

The main reason for this is the very thing that makes the novice rider feel safer on the sidewalk: isolation. While you may be protected from cars while you're tooling along on the pavement, you're also pretty much invisible to drivers, even attentive ones, who are focused on the road. You're screened by both obstacles (parked cars) and expectations (wheeled traffic is on the street, anything on the sidewalk is moving less than 4 mph). 

The problem comes when you come to an intersection. As you cross the road, cars that are making a turn or approaching a stop sign are looking for cars in the roadway. If they're a good driver, they're keeping an eye out for pedestrians as well, but here you are in the space reserved for pedestrians (again, averaging about 3mph) rolling along at anywhere from 8 to 15 mph. As a driver makes the turn, you on your bike roll into the picture too quickly for them to stop and before you know it, you're sprawled across their hood, or worse, under their wheels. 

This is compounded when riding against the flow of street traffic, as drivers are watching for cars traveling the other direction, and you surprise them by coming from the other one. Add to that the fact that, if the car is traveling in one direction at 20mph, and you're traveling in the other at 15mph, you're now colliding at an effective speed of 35mph, which is gonna hurt (it also reduces the amount of time you and the driver has to react, whereas if you're traveling in the same direction, the speed difference would only be 5mph, giving the car a LOT more time to not hit you). 

Riding against traffic is just as dangerous in the road as it is on the sidewalk, of course. The reason most cyclists who do it give is that they want to see traffic coming, and are afraid of being hit from behind. Statistically, however, collisions from the rear are the LEAST common type of accident, whereas turning cars hitting wrong-way cyclists are an unfortunately common occurrence. 

As for sidewalk riding, in addition to the danger of being hit by a car while crossing an intersection, there's a constant danger of colliding with a pedestrian, or being hit by a suddenly opened shop door (remember, due to fire codes, they ALL open outwards) or tangling with somebody's leashed dog. And while in the street cars are the big, fast and dangerous ones, if you're mixing with walkers on the sidewalk, suddenly YOU'RE the scary one. 

Bicycles are vehicles, and, on 25mph residental streets anyway, move at speeds closer to a motor vehicle than to a pedestrian. They belong in the road, and in almost all circumstances are safer when ridden there (there are exceptions, such as along 50mph arterial roads with no shoulder and no sidestreets, or over open-grate bridges, but these are just that, exceptions, and if you'll have a more enjoyable ride avoiding them anyway, if that's at all possible). The safest strategy is to be visible and predictable as possible. This means being in the street, riding with the flow of traffic. It means signaling turns (especially left turns) and using lights after dark and in poor visibility conditions, and it sometimes means taking the lane for yourself and making cars wait behind you until it's safe for you to move over and let them pass. 

And if some disgruntled motorist tells you to get on the sidewalk, tell 'em to stuff it, we were here first!