Intermediate Cycling Skills
The next set of skills will prepare the rider to do more than just ride the bicycle. We will now take into account other riders around us as well as riding more efficiently.
Scanning
It is very hard to ride in a straight line forward while looking backward; however, it is not only helpful but also sometimes necessary to know what is going on behind you. Scanning is the ability to look from side to side and behind while maintaining a straight line. It is important to include looking over the left shoulder for cars coming from behind, looking back to change lanes and looking right to see if anybody is trying to pass on the inside. All these moves need to be done while holding a straight line. Cyclists tend to pull the bars in the direction they turn to look. For example, when looking to the back and left, the rider pulls the left hand on the bars causing the bike to veer left. To avoid this, have the upper body relaxed and hands loose on the bars. When looking to locate other riders they may have passed, riders should be able to look under the arm and look for the front wheel of the rider behind and/or to the side of them and ultimately look down and back under their arm to see past the rear wheel.
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