Electric bike road safety & security

[rsscott]

Hi folks,

Reading some of the recent posts I thought it might be a good idea to compile your favourite tips on road safety and bike security which we could add to our guide for new ebikers.

For example:

• positioning
• making eye contact with drivers at t-junctions
• clothing
• lighting
• never sitting/riding alongside HGV's at junctions with a left-turn
• riding daytime, night, winter, etc.
• urban areas, country lanes
• security - where do you park your bike, locks, insurance, always carrying a phone
• not listening to music, POV cameras
• negotiating traffic calming
• tools to carry, punctures
• and so on...

Following on from that, we could also make a video of the best tips.

Thanks
Russ.

 

[CorpusLuteum]

Ooooh this thread is such a brilliant idea I've added it to my bookmarks

 

[CorpusLuteum]

Oh I think I'll contribute.

Wear a pretty flowery backpack if you're a woman Somehow drivers become more considerate when overtaking.

 

[Emo Rider]

Oh I think I'll contribute.

Wear a pretty flowery backpack if you're a woman Somehow drivers become more considerate when overtaking.

I may try that even if I am a man.

 

[CorpusLuteum]

I may try that even if I am a man.

You should I had a HGV behind me today at a red light. I looked back to make eye contact with the driver and he smiled at me. It just made me feel warm and fuzzy

 

[Gubbins]

My wife says I embarrass her enough in my cycling gear without adding a flowery back pack!

 

[Gubbins]

Back to the topic, Much to the amusement of other cyclists I bought this and am highly delighted. It is easily adjustable and gives a good rear view of the traffic behind.. (cycle aware reflex helmet mirror) Can post actual photo if any one is interested.
http://m.evanscycles.com/products/cycle-aware/reflex-mirror-ec034031
Just seen this is no longer available from here, but is available elsewhere..

 

[Fordulike]

I'll be honest, anyone listening to earphones or headphones whilst riding is totally bonkers. Road awareness is much more than just using one's eyeballs to see the traffic and hazards. I think we'll all agree that every sense is utilized for cycling road safety. Even down to sniffing out muck spreaders that have been on country lanes, to pre-empt potential road debris. Maybe that's just me lol
As for pedestrians wearing headphones and earphones
So oblivious to their surroundings, that I've literally had to constantly ring my bell and shout at the top of my voice for them to acknowledge that I'm there.

 

[jackhandy]

My take on the flowery backpack...

Since I always wear a backpack on the bike, a hi-vis vest is a bit of a waste of time - So the backpack wears one: Always.

Including on today's lunch stop at Treyarnon beach.

 

[Willber G]

Back to the topic, Much to the amusement of other cyclists I bought this and am highly delighted. It is easily adjustable and gives a good rear view of the traffic behind.. (cycle aware reflex helmet mirror) Can post actual photo if any one is interested.
http://m.evanscycles.com/products/cycle-aware/reflex-mirror-ec034031
Just seen this is no longer available from here, but is available elsewhere..

I got mine from here, I think it's excellent:
http://www.merlincycles.com/cycle-aware-reflex-helmet-mirror-56440.html

 

[drsolly]

The one time I didn't wear a helmet, because I was giving the bike a quick test in my own back garden, I collided with a tree that I knew was there, what an idiot! Small cut in scalp, but you get buckets of blood from any scalp wound, so when I turned up at the Small Injuries Unit I looked like a chainsaw victim.

Nurse cut the hair, glued up my cut, and I learned from the experience.

So my safety tip - always wear a helmet, also gloves, so that when I come off the bike, I'm not too badly hurt.

 

[shemozzle999]

Re safety:

I think it is about time that the industry incorporates some basic standards regarding battery/charger connectors to eliminate the possible risk of a fire by incorrect charging.

With the various voltages and different battery technology now available it would be good to see as the most dangerous aspect of an ebike is the battery.

It could be achieved by standardizing the pins outs for different voltages on a multi pin connector, say 5 pin, and different body polarization for the different battery technology. If it was written into the EU regs the the manufacturers would have to comply.

 

[Gringo]

↑

Oh I think I'll contribute.

Wear a pretty flowery backpack if you're a woman Somehow drivers become more considerate when overtaking.
I may try that even if I am a man.

Add to that some long hair coming from under your helmet or even a clip on ponytail.
No but seriously, I'm a leisure rider and look for roads with reduced traffic but not all the time.
My best tip is assume your invisible & the car driver can't see you so you need to think for him as well.

When a car I s looking to pull out of a junction watch the front wheel, you'll see it move before you notice any body movement.

Mirrors, bar end is my favourite but mine was getting knocked off riding through the woods so I now have a 2" (50mm) mirror I've grafted on to a crocodile clip. I can clip it to a peeked baseball cap as and when needed.

Hi-viz is good but also common place and I think it now blends in and is getting ignored a little. Good or bad, different gets you noticed !
My take on hi-viz

 

[drsolly]

Re safety:

I think it is about time that the industry incorporates some basic standards regarding battery/charger connectors to eliminate the possible risk of a fire by incorrect charging.

With the various voltages and different battery technology now available it would be good to see as the most dangerous aspect of an ebike is the battery.

It could be achieved by standardizing the pins outs for different voltages on a multi pin connector, say 5 pin, and different body polarization for the different battery technology. If it was written into the EU regs the the manufacturers would have to comply.

I thought that pretty much any ebike that you buy as a package, includes a BMS, which makes it impossible to overcharge a battery. So even if you plug in a charger that's over voltage, nothing would happen.

 

[Gubbins]

I thought that pretty much any ebike that you buy as a package, includes a BMS, which makes it impossible to overcharge a battery. So even if you plug in a charger that's over voltage, nothing would happen.

There's a thing.. I Always worry about leaving it charging overnight. I assume it doesn't hurt the battery?

 

[drsolly]

A charged battery is about as dangerous as a can of petrol. Treat it with a degree of respect. I carry a can of petrol in the car, I wouldn't want a can of petrol in the house.

LiFePO4 are a bit less dangerous than LiPo, but Lipo gives you more oomph for your money, and more oomph per kilogram. I think most batteries sold as part of an ebike or a kit, would be LiFePO4. Lipos are sold for RC models, but (in my opinion) make excellent bike batteries. But you do need to understand what you're doing, whereas a LiFePO4 plus BMS, is just "plug it in".

If you have a BMS (battery management system, if you have one, it would be built into the battery), then when the battery is fully charged, the BMS will block the charger from doing any more. My batteries don't have a BMS.

If you have a clever battery charger (I use an iMax) then it will monitor the battery charge, and stop charging it when it is full.

So it should be safe. But even so, I still don't leave the battery on charge overnight. The problem with "overnight" is that if anything terrible were to happen, I'd be asleep upstairs.

I also have a smoke alarm near where I charge the battery; cost me £3, probably will never be needed.

 

[flecc]

A rear view mirror is one if the best safety features, given that bikes are the most overtaken vehicles on the roads and therefore most at risk from behind. A glance over the shoulder isn't remotely good enough to gather the ongoing information needed for safety.

The information a mirror gives can make passing parked cars/road works etc much safer by showing approaching vehicles and trends in their movement. It can also warn of the fast driver approaching a bend who might risk a last minute overtake into the curve. Likewise a fast driver's left turn indicator flashing who might risk passing before suddenly turning left across the front of one's bike. Also the fast approaching driver who is already slowing before indicating to do the same dangerous thing.

The huge difference an intelligently used mirror makes means I'm now unwilling to ride any bike without one on any busy road.

 

[Gubbins]

A charged battery is about as dangerous as a can of petrol. Treat it with a degree of respect. I carry a can of petrol in the car, I wouldn't want a can of petrol in the house.

LiFePO4 are a bit less dangerous than LiPo, but Lipo gives you more oomph for your money, and more oomph per kilogram. I think most batteries sold as part of an ebike or a kit, would be LiFePO4. Lipos are sold for RC models, but (in my opinion) make excellent bike batteries. But you do need to understand what you're doing, whereas a LiFePO4 plus BMS, is just "plug it in".

If you have a BMS (battery management system, if you have one, it would be built into the battery), then when the battery is fully charged, the BMS will block the charger from doing any more. My batteries don't have a BMS.

If you have a clever battery charger (I use an iMax) then it will monitor the battery charge, and stop charging it when it is full.

So it should be safe. But even so, I still don't leave the battery on charge overnight. The problem with "overnight" is that if anything terrible were to happen, I'd be asleep upstairs.

I also have a smoke alarm near where I charge the battery; cost me £3, probably will never be needed.

This all sounds a bit worrying! Mine is a bosch battery and charger so don't know the type of cell, and as it is in the garage I often forget to turn it off. Perhaps a timer might be a good idea! Does anyone know what cells are in the bosch battery?

 

[flecc]

Don't worry too much Phill, your battery has a BMS that shuts off the charge and as it's at the high quality end of the market the risks are miniscule.

We've seen a few batteries with swollen cells and on the very rare occasion evidence of the battery case slightly burnt, but each one of these has been on a cheap battery and are mostly historic from three or more years ago with earlier chemistries.

Bosch will no doubt use quality cells and these will all use the most up to date chemistry with safe compound cathodes.

 

[rsscott]

These kind of traffic calming measures I find more often than not that cars behind try to overtake cyclists before they get to the island (moving towards the blue car). If I spot a vehicle coming up behind me I usually move further out into the road to close the gap.

Have any of you got any photos of hotspots ? How would you treat the situation above?