Quote from Gerhard on 2026-08-04, 06:55

Cycling to work has obvious benefits § fitness, it's cheaper than a car, and some of us enjoy it! However, it is undeniably dangerous, especially here in Honolulu, where bicycle infrastructure is very minimal.

The risk is death, maiming or other serious injury. On my commute, the biggest threats of course are cars and trucks ~ the second is the category of drug addicts/robbery ~ and third is the category of roadworks. Cycling in the morning darkness multiplies all these threats.

Risk mitigation techniques! That's what we are talking about. When cycling, we are putting our health into the hands of other people – and we know that there are many irresponsible and reckless drivers on the road. We need active effort for dodging people's infringements of road safety!

Especially at night, being highly visible is a must. That means bicycle lights! My advice is to spend a bit of extra money on bright bicycle lights – one rear light under the seat in blinking red, one wide angle light on the handlebar, and one headlight on your helmet that has a rear red light and a narrow beam light for the front.

Intersections are dangerous spots! If you are stopped at a red light, DO NOT go on green. At least, not straight away and mindlessly. It is very common for a rushed driver to see an orange light, and speed up! I've seen many times this leads drivers to run through a red after the other lights turn green. If a cyclist doesn't check for this, over the course of months, a high speed car could (at no fault of yours) cause you a very bad day. Similarly, all cyclists should be VERY aware of drivers turning [right at traffic light in left side of the road countries / left in America]. Drivers will drive straight into you. Every single intersection you cycle through, you should be on high alert. I really do mean that, check every single time, and slow down enough to be able to brake and stop in time. The last intersection tip; I am always cautious of getting rear ended. For that reason, I do my best to stop at a red light towards the edge of the road.

Next – do watch your speed. My Orbea Rise is limited to 20 miles per hour. If its top speed was 28 miles per hour ~ I do think I would have crashed by now.

How do we avoid getting robbed? My tactic is basically route selection – to avoid isolated and alleyway-type areas. If I see a dodgy staring at me at a traffic light, I will run a red light without guilt (provided the intersection is empty of course! Don't get hit by a car for this!) If you do notice dodgies staring at you with a bad look in their eyes – change your route.

Route selection is valuable for safety in general. Utilise bicycle roads where available, and take a 1 minute longer route if it seems safer to you. Personally, I like routes where I can be on sidewalks as much as possible. Most roads here do not have wide margins for a cyclist, so cars and trucks and buses buzz past you very close. One mistake by one driver, by only 1 foot, would be disastrous.

When selecting your bicycle, get one with good brakes! When the moment arrives, stopping 1 foot earlier can make all the difference.

A helmet is important of course – you know that already!

With everything considered ~ I still feel my bicycle route is very dangerous. Every day, at every intersection, your life is in your hands. To be honest I do like that feeling – that's why I enjoy rock-climbing too. If you are a novice cyclist, you should be very cautious. You need to be "switched on", and understand the flow of traffic. You need to notice the little things; like which way a car's tyres are pointing; you need to look into a car to see if a driver is looking your way; you need to notice if a surface may be slippery or pebble-y.

Even so, one hoon can still undermine all of this. I am due to leave Hawaii in 90 days! If I were to stay here another year – I would probably change my mode of commute. I look forward to cycling on the excellent Australian bicycle infrastructure soon ~ which feels 20x safer.