got to ask for in put to be safety. (deaf)

steve's bike

steve's bike

New Member
what's your in put for an deaf person? do know any deaf or are there any here on this bicycle forums?

some my Q's is, I plan on getting an motor on my bike so I can ride to work its be 6 mile something.
am living in Omaha city (west side) in morning most cars going east. am going west not that many cars but yes there are some.
am still fear about riding the bike on the street!!! there are some good wide side walks to my work.
what would you say should I take the side walk?? there are some hills I would need this motor to help me get up.
on the side walk there are no ones walking it any way..

have not talk to an cop yet, but if I did... I would have to say would you want me in street where I cannot hear the car horn? and fear car not watching the street than text on the cell phone.. yeah there alot people playing with cell phones :-||

on the side walk I CAN watch for people and whatever right of way.?

by way yes I am deaf..

just need your in put thoughts. to be safety...
this is going be my summer ride and PARK THE TRUCK GAS HOG.
 
Talk to the city police they all aren't monsters they might be with you as we all are feeling the hit form the price of gas. I work for a major oil company and I'm not getting rich darn it. My last fill up for one day use for my work truck was over $100.00 and thats for reg. price is over $3.50 my work truck get a smoking 9 miles per gallon. New 2008 3/4 ton superduty ford what a hog but it sure is nice.
 
Norman said:
Talk to the city police they all aren't monsters they might be with you as we all are feeling the hit form the price of gas. I work for a major oil company and I'm not getting rich darn it. My last fill up for one day use for my work truck was over $100.00 and thats for reg. price is over $3.50 my work truck get a smoking 9 miles per gallon. New 2008 3/4 ton superduty ford what a hog but it sure is nice.
Click to expand...

yeah, my truck get the same mpg as yours get.. it's an 74 dodge power wagon 3/4 ton. man I never had buy any new trucks yet.. the prices are still all high and you add the tax, plate, Ins.. all adds up fast than driving an 74 it's all cheeper.
 
and yes am going need to add an light and red light to the bike to run off the motor..

on my way to work, I see too many morning drivers not fully WAKE!!!!!!!:-{
 
i got stopped by the police riding my pedal bicycle on the side walk. i told him i was 50 years old and would give the utmost respect and the right away to anyone i saw using the side walk that i was scared to death of the cars and traffic. he told me he could not argue that and let me be on my way. i agree on the mirrors both sides for everyone. also i would get one of them flashing lights that most bike shops have and put it on the back of the bike or get a clip on one and put it on your collar. make sure you are well seen.
 
Wow, a person who will never have to listen to the strange noises that come from our "way too loud" mufflers along with all the rattling of engine parts.
You have given me an idea----ear plugs! lol
Good luck with your new toy Steve, sounds like you will save enough in gas to pay for this bike in a couple of weeks.
 
Helmet or other mounted strobe lights will help.

Keeping a very close eye on traffic is still your best bet.
 
To be honest I was terrified at first and I can hear. Nobody hears much with the roar of that engine so I would ease into the traffic. After a few months I am fearless in traffic. Well I'm very respectful of the cars, but I'm not paranoid as I once was. On the flip side I realize that all the cars really are out to get me.
 
steve's bike said:
what's your in put for an deaf person? do know any deaf or are there any here on this bicycle forums?

some my Q's is, I plan on getting an motor on my bike so I can ride to work its be 6 mile something.
am living in Omaha city (west side) in morning most cars going east. am going west not that many cars but yes there are some.
am still fear about riding the bike on the street!!! there are some good wide side walks to my work.
what would you say should I take the side walk?? there are some hills I would need this motor to help me get up.
on the side walk there are no ones walking it any way..

have not talk to an cop yet, but if I did... I would have to say would you want me in street where I cannot hear the car horn? and fear car not watching the street than text on the cell phone.. yeah there alot people playing with cell phones :-||

on the side walk I CAN watch for people and whatever right of way.?

by way yes I am deaf..

just need your in put thoughts. to be safety...
this is going be my summer ride and PARK THE TRUCK GAS HOG.
Click to expand...



You know? In my opinion... I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6!

I personally ride the **** out of any side walk I can find! Of course there are not many people on TN sidewalks (unless you are down town Nashville, but traffic is slow there also, so road riding is safer).

Also, my hearing is going down hill fast at the age of 32.

Just me two cents :)
Nick
 
The safety smock is one idea. City employees wear them. They are lite and will make the "Driving dead" hopefully see you better. Lights unfortunely are not all that good in the day. Another idea is a canned air horn. Boat dealers have them. I know you can't hear it but the car zombies can! also I wear a pink baseball cap. Hot PINK is the best. The best rule is to watch their eyes.
Make eye contact at intersections, ect. Mirrors are a great idea as most of the kind folks here have already suggested. Use your common sense and you will be fine.(c)
 
Buddy, if you're deaf, don't fret. Most people driving cars - even though they can hear - are oblivious to any sight or sound unless it's shaped like a car.

Take it from me, I ride a bicycle 10 miles to work without the aid of a motor and return at night in the dark on roads with no street lights and in some places very little shoulder to ride on.

I always ride the same way I would drive, with the traffic and never on a sidewalk. You can get to where you are going without sound, because all the traffic signals are all based on sight, except maybe an emergency vehicle, for which they won't care too much if you are on the side of the road and going under 20mph.

You can also live in fear that you will get hit by a car, but then you might as well stay inside your house forever. I can hear the traffic approaching behind me, and can tell when it is a car, truck, or motorcycle before I see it, and can tell if they are coming in fast or not, but I probably can't get out of their way fast enough if I knew they would hit me from behind by hearing alone.

Just invest in a cycling helmet with a rear-view mirror and that is probably as safe as you will get in being defensive in your riding.
 
My wife is completely deaf (one complication from having been born very prematurely) and we like to ride tandem bikes together. She's understandably hesitant to ride solo due to the dangers.
Motorbikes are different though. I've been a hardcore mountain biker for over a decade, with extremely fine tuned reflexes and "feel" of how me, the bike, and the ground are interacting. But the motorbike has me all out of sorts! I'm no longer in a proper gear until it is too late. I feel like I have less traction because I'm not directly involved with the bike anymore, only steering it, it seems. And overall speeds are 90% of the time much greater than without motor, double the speed and you quadruple the energy of impact and friction IF you go down. Triple speed, nine times the energy. But worst of all for a deaf person, are missing the sounds made before something goes wrong. I heard my chainguard starting to break in the rear just before it got chewed up into the gears, likely skidding me out into traffic.
Granted, you can still feel that there is a problem, and after experienceing all problems, will learn how they each feel, but you'll feel than AFTER they happen.

Is it inherently more dangerous for a deaf person? Not really. Only from swerving yourself into the path of a car. Driver's are equally stupid to everyone. If they hit you, it's not because you're deaf.
It is FAR more dangerous to ride against the flow of traffic. You certainly FEEL safer and in more control, but vastly increase chances of trouble. Riding with the flow of traffic allows drivers more time to see/react to you, and as long as you a one, two, or three flashing red taillights, they'll see you (usually!)
Play the game that i do (20 miles trip on curvy mountain highway, 15 of it with only six inches of shoulder) hug the line. Practice steering control to maintain a line as perfectly as possible, and if there's an object in your path, start to move out well before it, so you don't suddenly veer around it. Most importantly, practice the "Messerschmit twitch". From the air force pilots having to rapidly twitch their head around to take in a great deal of information without steering the plane off it's course. Practice looking bake without steering....vital talent. Practice, practice, practice! Remember, at 35 mph, hearing people are deaf to what is coming up behind them unless it's a mufflerless Harley.
 
cityevader said:
Play the game that i do (20 miles trip on curvy mountain highway, 15 of it with only six inches of shoulder) hug the line. Practice steering control to maintain a line as perfectly as possible, and if there's an object in your path, start to move out well before it, so you don't suddenly veer around it. Most importantly, practice the "Messerschmit twitch". From the air force pilots having to rapidly twitch their head around to take in a great deal of information without steering the plane off it's course. Practice looking bake without steering....vital talent. Practice, practice, practice! Remember, at 35 mph, hearing people are deaf to what is coming up behind them unless it's a mufflerless Harley.
Click to expand...

This is the best piece of riding advise that I've read in a long time. Weather you can hear or not, ride as if you have a target on your back and every car is out to get you. Thanks for the post Cityevader(^)...Kelly
 
Another most important safety piece are wrap-around sunglasses. Get the dorkiest ones you can find that don't just clear your peripheral vision, but more importantly, clear your peripheral vision when looking as far to the side as you can.

The mind does strange things. If something is blocked from view, you think there is nothing there.... example: I broke off a motorcycle mirror, went several days without it, and every single time I went to change lanes, I looked where there was no longer a mirror, and my brain said there was no car behind me in the other lane. EVERY time mid-lane change I would remember that I didn't see a car because there was no mirror!!!

Get waaaay wrap-around glasses, I'm experiencing the same effect with my non-wrap-arounds as the mirror!
 
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