There’s nothing like a patch of ice, to remind you of how unstable a bike can be. Before you can say, ‘that looks pretty slippy’, you’ll be unceremoniously thrown to the ground with a torn trouser, injured pride and a damaged bike. Having said that I haven’t fallen off very often. In the past 30,000 miles I may have come off 4 or 5 times, and none of those was more than grazing and cuts.
These are the factors most likely to cause you to hit the deck. for minimising the likelyhood of hitting the deck.
Don’t wobble along.
The bike is more stable at 25kmph than it is at 5 Kmph.
Ice.
If it is icey, you have to be very careful. I probably became overconfident because I have been riding on icey roads and getting away with it. When it is icey, stick to main roads that have been gritted. Be very careful of where the road goes from sunny to shady. When it’s icey, any braking or turn can cause you to fall. Walking with bike to a gritted road can save you time in the long run.
Leaves
Wet leaves are another great hazard, almost as slippy as ice, when wet. In autumn, British roads can be so slipply because of the constant moisture on the roads.
Farm Muck.
On country roads, tractors can leave behind a trail of slipply mud and manure. Wet manure can be like a skating ring. Pretty frustrating if you come accross some bad mud on a country lane.
Pedestrians
The most common place for my accidents have been on bike paths shared with pedestrians. I find that pedestrians can make erratic movements either into your path without looking. They perhaps don’t expect to have cyclists coming along. They are used to listening for traffic and not looking. I use a bell liberarlly when on a cycle paths. This irritates some pedestrians, but, others get irritated if you don’t use a bell. I also try to avoid these shared cycle paths / pavements where-ever possible
When Other Traffic has stopped.
Another potential dangerous situation is when traffic is stopped, and you as a cyclist are cycling on the inside or outside. It is OK to do this, (one of the great advantages of beating traffic jams). But, when you do ride on the inside of stationary traffic, you have to bear in mind that other road users will be assuming there is no moving traffic
Tiredness
If you have ridden along way, and are tired you can lose concentration and make mistakes which can cause a crash.
Clipping Wheels
Ridding with other cyclists is a great way to conserve energy, but, you have to be careful to avoid clipping wheels. Just a slight touch of wheels can be enough to bring a pack down. The main thing is to keep a close eye on the cyclist in front. If you get into road racing, it is an important art to ride close to another cyclist without risking going down.
The Car Door
If you are passing parked cars, be aware doors can be opened without people looking for cyclists. Give yourself enough room to avoid being hit.
Loose Bits on Your Bike
A loose bag strap can get caught in a wheel. Poor bike maintenance can be a major cause of accidents.
Metal drain or manhole covers can also be lethal in the wet. If you do have to ride across any sort of metal plate in the road when it’s raining, stay in a straight line, don’t try and turn on it or your front wheel will slide out from under you – bitter experience…
In the countryside in winter, black ice can form particularly in dips between hills where it’s colder – you won’t see this until you’re already on the ground, so take extra care in cold weather,
Another hazard is painted roadlines in the wet, especially if freshly painted. NEVER stand up crossing these.
I think that you should NEVER cycle when it’s icy. A badly broken hip is too high a price to pay.
Good list. I would add any patch of road debris, sand, gravel, etc., can act like ball bearing on a smooth road surface. And railroad tracks – always cross perpendicularly; steel rails can be very slick even when dry.
People can reduce the likelihood of a crash by improving their handling skills. Off road riding can help people learn how to recover from a skid front or rear. Also, re: wobble, one of the best handling skills one can master is riding at very slow speeds.