Recently I’ve had a couple of discussion with friends about riding bikes on the road, I thought I might set out some of my ideas in a post. I use a bike to go pretty much everywhere, so I’m out on the roads every day, but I only started riding regularly about 4 years ago, so I can still remember what it is like to be a bit intimidated by the idea of riding on busy roads. All of my riding has been in Adelaide so there’ll be a fair bit of Adelaide-specific comments, but much of it should be generally applicable.

First, you have to know the rules. About the easiest way to sum those up is that they are the same as for cars. There are a few bike specific rules, but if you know the road rules then you pretty much know all you need to know. So if you’re not a motorist then a good starting point before taking to the road is to real the road rules – not just for yourself but also so you know what to expect from other road users. You can read more at Transport SA.
Next you need to be confidant with your riding and have good control over your bike. If you’re pretty new to cycling altogether then it would be a good idea to get a bit of experience on recreational bike paths and quiet suburban streets before taking to the main roads. If you still have to concentrate on the act of riding itself, then you won’t be sufficiently aware of what’s going on around you on the road. You should be able to maintain your course while checking back over your shoulder, and when there are distractions around. You should have the confidence to ride close to others, or through fairly narrow spaces while keeping steady.

OK, so now you’re ready to start commuting. When you’re new to it a good idea is to plan your trips first, some of the major roads (eg South Rd, Main North Rd, North East Rd) aren’t much fun, and even experienced cyclists may like to avoid them. The best thing to do if you’re in Adelaide is to check out the Bike Direct maps provided by Transport SA. These show good routes for cyclists which can get you anywhere around Adelaide. They distinguish between off road bike paths, main roads with bike lanes, smaller roads with bike lanes, and smaller roads which are suitable for cyclists. Using these you should be able to get wherever you are going without encountering too many traffic problems.
Some tips for once you get going:

1. Don’t ride on footpaths. For a start it is illegal unless you are a kid. Secondly I don’t think it is safer than the road, riding across driveways and cross streets as you go along a footpath is potentially dangerous. Of course, if there are any pedestrians about you are a danger to them as well.
2. Be aware of your rights as a road user and assert them. This means that you don’t need to go along hugging the curb -in fact this is often dangerous, especially if you ride close to parked cars which might have doors opening. You are entitled to take up a lane and should do so if necessary for safety. Of course, you should also be considerate to other road users and move aside when it is reasonable to do so. Also, you should also be aware that many motorists may not be aware of your rights, so be prepared for this and exercise caution.
3. Wear bright colours, I would recommend a reflective vest or jacket. This is particularly important at night, but I tend to wear one all the time for better visibility.
4. If you ride on shared paths then respect the rights of pedestrians. Make sure you have a bell to warn them of your approach.
5. Right turns at intersections can be a bit daunting. You are entitled to move across into the right lane to turn right just as cars do, but this can be difficult on a busy road, and if you are a beginner you might not feel confident about moving right out onto the road. There is an easy solution, you can do a two stage “hook turn”. This means you cross the intersection as if you are going straight ahead, and then pull over at the other side of the cross road, then turn your bike to face right and wait for the lights to change the other way. This way you stay on the left of the traffic the whole time.
6. You can move up past traffic waiting at intersections, but you can’t overtake someone on the left if they are turning left – which should just be common sense but I see it happen a lot. You’ll find that you’ll get used to certain intersections which you use regularly and will be able to judge when it is safe to move through the front of the traffic by knowing the order of the light changes and so on. If you are not particularly familiar with a major intersection then you should exercise caution.
7. (Added 10/4) You should make sure you have the correct equipment. Apart from a helmet, if you want to use a bike for commuting then you’ll want to leave it without it being stolen so a lock will be necessary. A D-Lock is the best, though how much you want to pay for a lock will depend on how much your bike is worth. My first bike I used for commuting cost less than a D-Lock so I didn’t bother getting one! The bike didn’t get stolen, but it wasn’t too long before I wanted an upgrade. If you are going to ride at night – and while you might not when you get started pretty soon you will want to – then you will need lights. A white one for the front and red one for the back. I’m always impressed every time I go to buy a new light because they get better all the time. Now it is quite easy to get compact lights that run on common types of batteries which are very bright, and they are quite inexpensive. Even so, you may want to remove them and keep them with you when you lock up the bike.
   As mentioned in comments by The Don you will also need equipment for repairing punctures, though I tend not to take that stuff everywhere I go – I have the convenience of keeping repair kits at home, and in my office in the city, so for most of my commuting I’m not too far away from either of these.

That’s about all I can think of for now, I may add more later if anything else comes to mind. (Note – I did add an extra point)
Please contribute additions, differing opinions, questions etc to comments.

As a final point, I’d just like to add that once you get it in to it you very quickly get used to riding in traffic. While it is appropriate for people to be cautious, I’m disappointed at how many people seem to be put off commuting by bike because of concern for their safety on roads. Any road use can be dangerous – as a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian – but if you are sensible about it then it can be a safe way to get around that is environmentally friendly, much cheaper than driving, more convenient than public transport, good exercise and lots of fun. And the more people that get out on bikes then the safer it is as motorists become more accustomed to sharing the road with bikes.