The Bike Safely in Pittsburgh Guide

Pittsburgh's rising bike-ridership stats are difficult to refute: The US Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey ranked Pittsburgh 11th in the country for number of city residents commuting daily via bike. That signifies a jump of nearly 70 percent between 2007 and 2008.

From those numbers, we can gather that more Pittsburghers ride their bikes more often. But we can also gather that because more people are riding more often, potentially more are falling over while riding -- an embarrassing and painful way to begin any morning.

At Pop City we want you to avoid such mishaps. So we've provided this beginner's guide to help avoid the less graceful possibilities of cycling in and around Pittsburgh. Not that this has happened to any of us. Recently. And with painful consequences. Ouch. Read on…

1) Be careful with toe straps and "clipless" pedals.

As you begin riding more often, someone will likely make the suggestion -- or perhaps you'll come to realize it yourself -- that you're not really getting enough torque from basic, stand-up pedals. Problem is that conventional pedals don't allow cyclists to pull up with their feet while also pushing down. There is one basic solution: Strap your feet to your pedals somehow. The two basic methods to do this are toe straps and clipless pedals.

The basic difference between these two methods is that toe clips don't require dorky bicycle shoes (you can slide your walking shoes into holsters) and "clipless" pedals do (they allow riders to secure their feet to pedals without toe straps).

Either way, these options potentially place riders in a precarious situation when they're stopped at, say,  a red light. Their feet are strapped into their pedals after all, so the cyclist may slow down to stop, but as they attempt to bring their foot up from the pedal -- to put it on the pavement for balance -- they may become stuck. Gravity always wins in this situation. And the effect is somewhat like watching a tall tree fall to the ground – timberrrrrrr!

Lesson Learned: Both toe straps and clipless pedals are fairly easy to get in and out of, but they may require some practice. So make sure you're comfortable before you hit the road.  
The Big Picture: Everyone makes mistakes.

2) Get your pants away from the bike chain.

Pants. Skirts. Shoe laces. Clothing needs to be as far away from the bike chain as possible. Otherwise you run the risk of catching your clothes in the chain -- or the sprockets -- as it turns. This is not only bad for your clothing ("bike grease" was designed by a higher power to directly oppose "cleanliness"), it's also bad for the rider: If you're moving forward while trying to pry your pants out of your derailleur, you're more likely to crash directly into the back of a Chevette.

Lesson Learned: Roll your pants up while you ride.
The Big Picture: Pay attention to what's in front of you.

3) You may think you're slick riding unhanded, but...

...you also may not be. Over long rides, sometimes one may feel the need to take both hands off the handlebars to stretch, to twist one's torso, to loosen one's shoulders. This is a bad idea -- particularly in Pittsburgh where inconsistently-paved roads require occasional but nonetheless quick, slalom-style movements. Hitting a giant Northside pothole may be manageable with two hands on the bars, but hitting the same pothole unhanded may cause even the most experienced cyclist to take an unplanned leap.

Lesson Learned: Unless you're riding in the X-Games or something, don't be a hotshot.
The Big Picture: Pavement does not last forever.

4) Do not throw your bike. We mean it.

This is purely anecdotal. Heard a story from an alert reader involving a friend who had a bike literally thrown at him while riding along Penn Avenue in the Strip District. Someone apparently became very frustrated with a flat tire and decided to chuck his bike into the street. Friend was unable to avoid the flung bicycle, took a major spill. Seconds later, after short but harsh words, the bike flinger apologized profusely, the friend accepted the apology and -- no kidding -- the two ended up drinking Iron City Beer at the same bar that night, telling the story over and over again to anyone who would listen, each time exaggerating it just a bit more. By the end of the night, the incident had been "planned," the thrown bike was part of an elaborate "show," and the friend had actually caught the flung bike. By last call, he had caught the bike with his teeth.

Lesson Learned: Iron City may no longer be produced in the city, but Iron City is in us all. And it is good.
The Big Picture: Fixing a flat tire is easy. Learn how to do it and carry the appropriate tools with you at all times.
PS: Cycling is supposed to relieve pressure, not exacerbate it. Be cool when you ride. And take each flat tire as calmly and carefully as a Zen master takes his tea.

5) Remember that you are not in a big steel box.

You are on a bicycle, competing for road space with people in cars, some of whom are potentially on their way home from a long day of grueling work. Be circumspect with your words -- and the volume of your insults. Otherwise, you may invite non-rolling injuries. Like a punch to the nose.

Lesson Learned: Kill 'em with kindness.
The Big Picture: Coexistence is key.

6) Do not talk on a cell phone while riding.

The dumbest thing I've ever seen or understood anyone to do on a bicycle involves a male cyclist -- I will not disclose his name, thank you very much, because it is the same as my own -- riding a straight-bar hybrid across the street from North Oakland's GetGo gas station on Baum Boulevard. His unfortunate face-plant is the result of several simple mistakes:

First, he's riding pretty fast on the sidewalk. Second, he's not only talking on a cell phone, but, third, he's holding the phone to his right ear with his right hand. Approaching the intersection of S. Milvale and Baum, he has a green light to cross, so he pedals forth. But an ambulance -- lights off, siren silent -- decides to make a sharp turn -- a Pittsburgh Left -- directly in front of him.

The cyclist is cut off, nearly run over. He grabs hard for the brake, but since he grabs with his left hand, the front wheel screeches to a halt, momentum catapults him skyward and he flips over the handlebars. In the process of falling, he breaks his left arm and hangs up on the person he's speaking with (which just so happens to be his boss).

What does this story -- and all the previous bike mishaps -- tell us about cycling in urban environments? Hopefully not that cycling is unsafe. But that with a few careful precautions, safer roads -- and embarrassment-free Tuesday mornings -- are just a fixed flat tire away.

Thanks to everyone at BikePGH.org's messageboard. Go there and search for "The Art Of Falling" to read more bike mishaps from local cyclists. Add your own, or e-mail us at info@popcitymedia.com

Matt Stroud is a an avid and for the most part safe cyclist who no longer talks on his cell while biking.

Captions: ...and always remember to wear a helmet...



Photographs copyright Brian Cohen