Whether you are a five year old kid learning to ride a bike or a Tour de France veteran, bike riding involves risk and how we handle that risk is what keeps us coming back for more or taking up another sport entirely. Risk, in the simplest sense, is how likely a bad outcome is to happen. Some aspects of bike riding, such as downhill mountain biking, bring a high level of risk but it’s that high level of risk that creates the thrill, rush, and fun. It can have a price though and for some, it’s a risk worth taking. For other aspects of riding, such as road riding, the level of risk can still be high but steps can be taken to lower that level of risk. Another element of risk in cycling is how comfortable you are in the same risky situation. As your riding improves, not only will you be a better bike handler but you will also be more comfortable being in those risky situations as you know you have the skills to avoid crashing.
Riding Ability
One of the biggest influences on how risky a riding situation, whether it’s a corner or avoiding a crashed cyclist in front of you, is how good you can ride your bike. The better a rider you are and the more experience you have, the less likely you are to crash. Say you enter a corner with a bit too much speed. You not only know how to handle your bike but you can do the proper things just through reaction without even really thinking about it. The less experienced cyclist is probably going to overreact and not know what to do in that small timeframe. Simply, the more you ride and practice things like cornering and bunny hopping, the less risk you will have of crashing and potentially injuring yourself.
Attention
After riding ability, how focused you are to the task at hand will influence how likely you are to having an accident. Whether it’s going down a trail, a road by yourself, or riding in a group, seeing what’s coming up to allow you ample time to react will substantially lower your risk of crashing. When riding down a trail or road you want to keep your attention on what lies ahead of you. Thinking about other things as well as looking at the sites takes your attention away from potential obstacles. You can let your attention waiver at times but make sure it’s the right time. When you’re riding on the road in a group, you must not only pay attention but also look further ahead than just in front of your front wheel. Seeing an incident a few riders ahead of you will give you added time to slow and avoid the crash or obstacle in the road.
Avoiding Risk
The thing with riding is that there is always going to be risk. Past making sure that your riding ability is up to the level of risk you’re willing to take along with paying attention, riding in a way that errors on the side of caution will lessen your risk of an incident even further.
Cornering
Crashes occur most often in corners whether riding on a trail or the road typically because of too much speed. With too much speed, traction becomes marginal and combining that with other riders in a group, wheels can easily overlap and when a rider ahead of you goes down, it’s hard to avoid piling into the back of them. The best way to stay safe in the corners is to just slow down a bit more. You will have to reaccelerate a bit more but it is worth your skin to do so.
When riding in a group, you can’t always slow as much as you would like but you can open up a little bit of a gap between you and the rider in front of you. This will allow you to not only slow more but also give you more time and space to react and avoid a rider if they do crash in front of you.
Along with opening up a small gap, staying to the inside of a corner takes away the possibility of a rider to your inside sliding out and taking you with them. And then if there is a crash, you can avoid it by turning sharper to the inside as on the outside there is going to be no place to go besides off the road or into oncoming traffic.
Overlapping Wheels
On straight stretches of road, crashes are most commonly caused by riders overlapping wheels. This is mostly caused by riders not paying close enough attention to where they’re riding and what’s in front of them. The best way to avoid this is to not overlap wheels so you don’t have to rely on the rider in front of you not wavering off of a straight line.
Other Riders Crashing
When riding in a group, other riders are going to crash. A lot of being able to avoid it is based on luck but you can increase your chances of avoiding it by always paying attention a few riders ahead of you and always having an out. This means that you are never so close to the rider ahead of you, as well as to both sides, to not have any place to go if there is a crash. You have to always be thinking if there is a crash right now, where are you going to. It will only be reaction when there is a crash but having yourself set up so there is a place to go in your reaction will help you avoid the crash.
Risk is a part of cycling but how you manage that risk is what is going to keep you safer on the bike. When you’re looking a few riders ahead of you, you should also be looking for obstacles in the road. Never position yourself so all you can see is the back of the rider in front of you. You want to be able to see around them to see what’s coming up. If you can’t see farther ahead you are just relying on luck to keep you safe. Whether on the trail or road, pay attention and practice your skills to get you out of a tight spot when the situation arises. Stay proactive at all times and you will lower your chances of crashing greatly.
