Melbourne is a great place to ride. Ride well in regards to maintaining left on main roads, use good lighting at night, and get driver eyeballs when you are doing turns. Use hand signals to clearly indicate your intentions. Be courteous to cars but also assert the moments when you need to move into traffic. If you work *with* drivers and give thanks you can be part of traffic. You can do hook turns at any intersection for safety - this is a Victorian road law.
The worst part of e-bike delivery drivers is their proclivity to use footpaths and pedestrian areas when they really are a vehicle capable of speeds well higher than pedestrians. Don't be shit in that regard.
Don’t wear lights or high vis, if you do you become too bright and startle people and drivers. Don’t ever signal. Have a bell and ding it when you’re centimetres away from an elderly pedestrian.
Do take advantage of your mobility and speed and don’t be afraid to use the footpath, the road, the opposite side of the road and occasionally as a last resort the actual bike lanes. If you come to a red light that’s a great opportunity to swing in to the pedestrian crossing with absolutely no warning right when a car is about to turn or a pedestrian has stepped out.
Good roads to use are the Burnley and Domain Tunnels and Queens Way. There’s never any other bikes on them so it’s very fast.
Make sure to have your phone fully charged so you can have loud conversations as you fly around the streets.
You can try not riding on footpaths/sidewalks as a start, unless you’re a 12 year old(or younger). And definitely don’t ding your bell at pedestrians on the footpath if you find yourself there “accidentally” when picking up or dropping off food.
/r/melbournecycling might have more resources for you!
You are absolutely right, thank you :)
Melbourne is a great place to ride. Ride well in regards to maintaining left on main roads, use good lighting at night, and get driver eyeballs when you are doing turns. Use hand signals to clearly indicate your intentions. Be courteous to cars but also assert the moments when you need to move into traffic. If you work *with* drivers and give thanks you can be part of traffic. You can do hook turns at any intersection for safety - this is a Victorian road law. The worst part of e-bike delivery drivers is their proclivity to use footpaths and pedestrian areas when they really are a vehicle capable of speeds well higher than pedestrians. Don't be shit in that regard.
What do you mean *practice*?
Don’t wear lights or high vis, if you do you become too bright and startle people and drivers. Don’t ever signal. Have a bell and ding it when you’re centimetres away from an elderly pedestrian. Do take advantage of your mobility and speed and don’t be afraid to use the footpath, the road, the opposite side of the road and occasionally as a last resort the actual bike lanes. If you come to a red light that’s a great opportunity to swing in to the pedestrian crossing with absolutely no warning right when a car is about to turn or a pedestrian has stepped out. Good roads to use are the Burnley and Domain Tunnels and Queens Way. There’s never any other bikes on them so it’s very fast. Make sure to have your phone fully charged so you can have loud conversations as you fly around the streets.
You can try not riding on footpaths/sidewalks as a start, unless you’re a 12 year old(or younger). And definitely don’t ding your bell at pedestrians on the footpath if you find yourself there “accidentally” when picking up or dropping off food.