...tips for an easy commute by bike

Since I bicycle to work every opportunity I get, I am witness to loads of silly shit going down on a twice-daily basis. One of the things I've begun to notice is how few people bother to utilize and abide by the rules of the road. Don't get me wrong, I'm no goody goody myself, but my father raised me to appreciate colorful Nordic mannerisms like being friendly and hospitable.

Not wanting to get into the semantics of our social contract, one easy way to make your life and the lives of everyone you encounter much happier and pleasant, is to abide by rules that serve not only yourself but others as well. Nowhere is this as important as when we operate vehicles at speeds much faster than nature intended for us to go.

I don't always obey the law, but I do try apply reason to my conduct on the bike. I find that while many commuters and messengers in the city do likewise, countless others don't. If you're new to cycling or unfamiliar with riding in crowded streets, these few points have received the ERK guarantee that they'll make your ride in the city just a little better:

1. Weaving through traffic (aka "threading the needle"): Do this... As safetly as you feel comfortable with, of course, but this is a must, and it's #1 for a reason. Frequently there is a cop, taxi, or a motorcycle in the bike lane, reducing your side-to-side clearance, tempting you to slow down and ponder your next move. This is a mistake, the courteous thing to do is ride through at a reasonable pace (shuffling doesn't count) and cut through. Get familiar with how wide you are on your bike so you know which gaps you can use and which ones might be a pinch. Efficiently negotiating stopped traffic will let other cyclists follow your line through the cars, and drivers will be more aware of your presence in traffic, making you much safer once it gets rolling again.
2. Bike lane position: In this city, the "ride to the right, pass to the left" rule only works 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time, the bike lane is on the wrong side of the street, confusing things a bit. Since its a big risk to ride within the door-swing range, my rule-of-thumb is to pass on the traffic side, the logic being that the differences in speeds get stepped down the closer one gets to the sidewalk. Since bike lanes here are ONE WAY just like the streets, passing should occur on the outside of the bike lane line and the slower cyclist should keep inside the lane. I know we all like to pretend we're the fastest ones on the road, but frequently there's someone behind you, wishing, praying that you would just move the fuck over so they can pass you.
3. Hand Signals: Use them, for the love of all that's good and right in the world, use hand signals! a simple flick of a finger can tell the people behind you a whole lot about what you're thinking... Just don't do car hand signals with your arm at a perfect 90 degree angle. If you can't signal for five seconds while riding, you don't belong on a bike in the city until you can.
4. Wheelsucking: I know of more than a few people to whom this will be news, but commuting isn't a race. As such, racing techniques should be saved for race environments. One of the worst things I encounter with other commuters is wheelsuckers. They frequently come up behind you going over the bridges, and if you don't know they're there, no amount of hand signaling can prepare them for changing traffic situations. Half-wheelers are worse, but rare enough not to worry about most of the time.

Anywho... enough of my ranting. hopefully we'll all ride in harmony this evening... In the meantime, enjoy this snippet from the 1986 cinematic masterpeice (sarcasm) Quicksilver, starring Kevin Bacon: