Biking Culture at UC Davis

Whether you are a returning student or an incoming freshman or transfer, here at UC Davis, you will be riding a bike. It is inevitable, and even if you prefer to walk between classes, you will find yourself “in the saddle” so to speak sometime in your Davis years.

Especially for new students, biking and all of its hazards are pretty intimidating. It is UCD tradition for seniors to stand around the main bike circle near Rock Hall (or Chem 194 to those of us who remember) and watch all of the bike crashes that ensue on the first day. Now I can’t say that crashes are more common on the first day or week (honestly I see a lot during rainy days), but they DO HAPPEN. I know very few people who have gone unscathed in their time here.

Having said that, there are lots of things you can do to minimize your chance of being in a bike accident. Not all accidents are terrible and will land you in the Wellness Center; some can be just bumping into someone else’s tire while going around the bike circle or bumping rims when trying to turn. There are some tricks to help avoid these and more serious accidents.

Pay attention. Now this may seem like common sense, but it is pretty crucial when wanting not to ram someone or be clipped yourself. Know who is around you and what they are doing.

Watch the bike ahead of you. We aren’t driving cars so most of us don’t have rearview mirrors. We are dependent on the bikers behind us to be paying attention and see the signals we give. Pay attention to what they are doing; understand what their intent is via signals or how they are maneuvering their bike.

Don’t wear headphones. From my experience, headphones just create unnecessary hazard. You won’t be able to hear someone say “On your left!” While I know we like to be plugged in, save it for when you get off your bike. Have your jam in your head instead.

Cars don’t consider you a vehicle. As a biker and a car driver, I have experienced what it feels like to be maneuvering both vehicles. Especially in downtown’s stop-and-go blocks, cars will take advantage of the fact that you are slower at getting going from a stop. Don’t play chicken with the car; don’t swerve in front or try and out speed them. You won’t.

Make eye contact. Especially in those tricky bike circles during chaotic hours, making eye contact can let people know around you what you want to do. If you stare someone down, they probably won’t cut you off. It’s all about letting others know what your intent is.

Slow down if you need to. We all know those with speedy road bikes love to pass us on slower cruisers, but sometime this can be dangerous. Bikes are relatively quiet (unless you’re one of those who thinks your squeaky wheel adds character) and not many alert those they are about to pass. Especially during the busy hours, slow down a bit and assess the speed of traffic. You will be slowing everyone else down by jack-rabbiting about and trying to get ahead of everyone.

Get a bike that suits you. That might mean, if you’re smaller, not getting a heavy cruiser. If you like to go slower, you don’t need a seven speed.

And last but not least,

DON’T LOCK YOUR BIKE TO SOMEONE ELSE’S. Seriously. Don’t. It’s annoying. Double parking to a bike spot isn’t really fun and it’s probably going to be cumbersome, but unless you know the person’s whose bike you’re locking yours to, don’t do it. It’s rude and you’ll probably be holding someone up.

Hopefully some of this helps you out. Biking is such a big part of life here in Davis that we all need to know how to do it safely. Biking takes practice and patience, yet it is very enjoyable. We are very unique here in Davis; we love our bikes…and our cows.

(Photo courtesy of flickr Creative Commons and Mollenborg)