Urban cycling

In suburbs and small towns, road traffic is usually modest enough to give space to cyclists. However, street layout may be uncomfortable, especially in places where labyrinthine cul-de-sacs lengthen all distances. In some areas some of the culs-de-sacs are connected by pathways usable by bike – the fancy urban planning term for this approach is "filtered permeability".

Accessibility for bicycles in large cities varies a lot, dependent on factors such as infrastructure, terrain, climate and crime. While cities such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam are famously inviting for bicycles, most big cities in the United States are unfavorable.

Old towns are usually less accessible for bicycles. Common problems include cobblestone, stairs and congestion. Some narrow streets ban bicycles.

A bicycle can be used to reach a bus or other public transportation station from a suburban location. In some cases, bicycles can be taken on commuter trains or placed on designated racks on buses. Many cities limit your ability to take a bike on a train during rush hour and sometimes you'll have to buy a special ticket for your bike. In the Netherlands train stations usually have guarded bike parking and rental bikes.

The biking environment in the city varies quite a lot between cities, also between bike friendly cities.

In some cities (e.g. Copenhagen) there is a bike lane beside the car lanes, transforming into a lane for bikes and right turning cars before each crossing. As bikes and pedestrians are separated and there is no height difference and danger from turning cars at the crossings, speeds can be kept quite high. Bikers are supposed to be adept.

Another model (common in, e.g., Finland) is that half the pavement is for bikes. The dividing line is not always respected and one often has to slow down at crossings and at pedestrian congestions. The bike lane can be bidirectional. Look out for people stepping out from buses. Although turning cars should yield, a fast approaching bike is not always noticed in this arrangement.

When bike lanes are missing, bikes may sometimes use the pavement. This is true for children in, e.g., Finland. If the children use the pavement and the adults have to adapt to the flow of car traffic, keeping the company together may be difficult. One approach is getting together at each crossing. This will slow you down, but is probably the safest option in many cases.

Biking with the cars can be quite safe for the experienced, if the cars respect cyclists and speeds are low. If the speeds are higher, you can either try to keep to the side and hope cars will leave enough marginals when passing, or keep near the middle of the lane, hindering passing until you give way as needed, at suitable spots. The former approach often works well if there is enough space, the latter if the speed difference is small and cars are respectful. Especially as speeds rise, some motorists may get provoked by your slowing traffic down and try to teach you lessons in dangerous ways. Note local customs and how they work out. Be prepared also for trucks and buses, which need more space than cars and can have a different driving culture.

Often car traffic in cities is congested. If the lanes are wide, a bike can easily keep a higher speed among the cars, but this has its risks. Usually you will turn up from nowhere in the drivers view, and cars will turn, change lanes and open doors to let out a passenger with no respect to you.

Your surprising car drivers is a general problem, especially where bikers are few. The view from the drivers seat is much worse than yours, and they might not look for you. Never count on drivers having noticed you unless you see they have. Increasing your visibility by having bright clothes is good. At dusk lights and reflectors are essential. In some countries it is common for children to have a stick with a small flag at the hight of drivers' eyes.

In most cities there are streets and areas to avoid when getting around by bike, and other streets and areas where biking is pleasant and safe. Some routes may be suitable for getting somewhere fast, others for biking with children or enjoying the surroundings. There may be a city specific logic in how the routes are arranged. If there are biking maps, these are a good start.

"Critical mass" rides are a form of bicycle activism now found around the globe and even in cities where cycling hasn't traditionally been a strong force. What happens is that a group of cyclists get together and ride in such numbers as to practically – and in some cases legally – take over the street. Depending on the country you're in, this may be anything from a grey area of the law to legal as a form of demonstration or protest to borne out by the traffic code. Local law enforcement may take any stance from openly sympathetic and supportive to skeptical or even hostile.

See also: Cycling#Bike rental

Visitors may buy a bicycle, rent one, join a bikeshare pool, or bring their own bike with them.

Bikes for urban areas have somewhat different requirements than those for longer distances or harsher terrain. Racing bikes face difficulties as they're uncomfortable to ride over even slightly rough surfaces which are plentiful in some urban areas.

On one hand there is seldom a need for high speeds, as traffic, traffic lights and similar require regularly slowing down. On the other hand, it is a big advantage to be able to accelerate at least as fast as the cars, if driving with them in the street. Three-gear bikes are often adequate for this. Driving upright helps keeping an eye on surrounding traffic.

Keep in mind that in any collision involving you on a bike and two tons of metal hurling around at 50 km/h (30 mph) you're gonna lose. Unfortunately, motorists can be reckless and some outright hate cyclists and are always eager to "teach them a lesson". Keep your calm and use dedicated infrastructure when possible.

A lot is made of potential for conflict between trams (streetcars) and bikes. This is especially ironic given that the two forms of transport used to dominate major cities before the arrival of the gasoline driven private motorcar. Two things are important to remember: Always cross tracks at a right angle and "see tracks, think train". Where trams have their own right of way, you should stay away from the tracks. Where they share a lane with general traffic, you have just as much right as motorized traffic to use it.

Bike helmets help significantly in some types of crashes: risk of head injuries is diminished to about a third when wearing a helmet. There are, however, studies that show different effects, such as car drivers acting more reckless towards cyclists with a helmet than those without one. Furthermore, a helmet may inhibit your field of vision. Wearing a helmet in places like Copenhagen or Amsterdam marks you immediately and glaringly as an out-of-towner, which has its own problems. The effect on drivers and other people varies a lot from country to country, and sometimes inside a country. Some countries or regions legally require helmets for bicyclists, and in certain places you may well be ticketed if you do not wear one.

There is safety in numbers and cycling is much safer in places where more people do it. Infrastructure is both the number one determinant in how many people cycle and the number one factor in safety. Most serious accidents occur through "dooring" (a car driver smashing their door in your face because they opened it without looking) and crashes at intersections. Both can be drastically reduced through suitable infrastructure or drivers being used to cyclists.

Cycling is much safer on streets where cars don't exceed 30 km/h (20 mph) than on those where speeds around 50 km/h (30 mph) are the norm. Of course, bike lanes physically separated from high momentum metal boxes are the best for your safety, peace of mind, and riding pleasure.

Cyclists are also exposed to crime, including bike theft, mugging, and runaway crashes.

Severe weather can be dangerous to cyclists — be sure to look up weather reports. In cities, wet streets and flooding can be more severe than in the countryside. In winter, cities' ability to remove snow and ice vary a lot.

While bicycles do not pose the imminent danger that cars do, reckless maneuvers provoke other travellers. Racing close past a pedestrian can even make them lose their balance. When there are designated bicycle paths and they are either mandatory to use or safe enough to use when optional, use them. Keep distance to pedestrians, especially those with dogs or children and the elderly, and adjust your speed. Ringing your bell – in time – is appreciated at some destinations, not in others. If you speak (enough of) the local language, verbal cues can sometimes be seen as less aggressive than a bell - the words "thank you" certainly go a long way.