Strait Spin: How to ride: Tips, technique, etiquette, and safety

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 29, 2026

We’ve covered why we ride, who can ride, what to ride, and some pre-ride preparation. Now let’s delve into how to ride safely and courteously.

We’ll start on the trail; it may be safer than the road, but it is not free from hazards. With pedestrians, dogs, children, and horses, accidents can and do happen. Most are avoidable if you’re willing to slow down. There are cyclists who ride too fast on the trail, give no warning, and are generally rude. As a result, we are not always popular on the trail, but there are things we can do to be good trail citizens.

There is an informal speed limit of 15 mph on the trail, but 10 mph is preferred through busy areas like Railroad Bridge Park, and both are fast enough to startle pedestrians who are out for a leisurely walk (and they hate it when a cyclist whizzes by without warning). They might step sideways at any time for one reason or another, and the result can be calamitous.

Ride on the right side as much as possible. Give warning as you approach someone from behind, either with a bell or your voice, and be prepared to slow down to see how they react. They may not hear your first warning; you may have to give another warning and slow down (or stop). This is NOT just a courtesy; it is for your safety, too. Collisions are bad for both of you! Pass with care.

There are other cyclists also, and they expect you to be predictable: maintain your line of travel and use your hands and/or voice to signal your turns or if you are slowing or stopping (being rear-ended is no fun, either). Speaking of hand signals, here are the standards (excerpted from state law):

Left turn: Left hand and arm extended horizontally beyond the side of the bicycle.

Right turn: Left hand and arm extended upward beyond the side of the bicycle, or right hand and arm extended horizontally to the right side of the bicycle.

Stop or decrease speed: Left hand and arm extended downward beyond the side of the bicycle.

Horses are another potential hazard. The Back Country Horsemen tell us that horses understand people and voices better than bells and bicycles. With a skittish horse in training, they may ask you to stop and let them pass; in any case, let the rider know you are coming, slow down, and see what they say. In most cases, they’ll let you pass.

There are places where the trail runs along road shoulders, and where it crosses other roads, so the trail is not completely free of cars. Approach any intersection with caution; you may not have to stop, but you should be prepared to do so. Signal that you are at least slowing and call out “stopping” if necessary.

And on the road, while we have the same rights as other vehicles, we’re slower than cars, and there are drivers who don’t like us being on “their” road. We want to be as visible as possible, which is why our jerseys are bright (even gaudy) and why we strongly recommend flashing taillights. Ride on the right shoulder where possible, but if the lanes are narrow and there is no shoulder, you will need to ride in the lane. (This is called “taking the lane” and you can look it up online to learn about when and why it is appropriate). If the road ahead is not clear, you’ll want to signal a driver behind you not to pass (put down the slow/stop signal, left hand facing backward); if the road is clear, you may want to wave them past you.

Wherever you ride, a new route should be treated with caution. Sharp turns and blind corners can cause problems. In the fall, wet leaves are a slipping hazard. Steep downhills can be dangerous: use your brakes early and gingerly; slamming them late can cause a skid.

I won’t get into night riding (I don’t ride after dark), and I haven’t said much about hills, but they are a fact of biking life, both on the trail and on the road. Going up is work, and some of us are fool enough to enjoy the challenge and the sense of accomplishment, but most would rather not! Going down, on the other hand, is easy and fun (especially if you like speed), but… unless you are an accomplished cyclist or a daredevil, you should slow down when approaching curves (especially blind corners). High speed crashes are really bad news; much better to make sure you can stay on the road or trail. Speaking of blind corners, stay to the right, in case another cyclist is coming at you.

To paraphrase a famous aviation safety saying, cycling is not inherently dangerous, but it can be unforgiving of carelessness or neglect. Be careful out there!

Our next two articles will cover groups you can ride with and some favorite routes.

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The Sequim Wheelers is a volunteer organization that uses a fleet of adaptive bikes to provide rides to those who cannot ride themselves. Rides are free. See sequimwheelers.com for details.