Bus nearly clipped me on the coastal road while cycling — are a helmet and mirror enough next time?
Morning ride between beach towns. CTB came past close enough that the mirror wash hit my elbow. I wear a helmet; no mirror on the handlebar. Locals seem fearless. Do repeat cyclists here add a mirror, ride at dawn only, or switch to quieter inland lanes — without pretending the road is Amsterdam?
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4 Answers from travellers
Helmet is non-negotiable; a bar-end or helmet mirror helps you see overtaking buses before they fill the lane. Ride predicably on the verge side, avoid night and peak bus hours, and assume every coach will pass tight. Earphones out. Quieter inland lanes exist but navigation matters. I will not invent a fine chart for helmets — survival habits beat folklore. If a stretch feels like a death alley, bag the bike and tuk that segment.
Added a cheap mirror after one similar scare. Dawn rides before school and office buses feel calmer.
Early morning south-coast spins before bus density peaks. Helmet always. Still hug the verge.
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