This is what three feet of clearance looks like:
I know; I was surprised, too. (Importantly, I measured from the edge of my body, which is essentially the edge of the handlebar, to the end of the noodle.) I got the idea from a post by the League of American Bicyclists and gave it a go today for the first time. I bought the noodle for a buck and affixed it to my saddle with a few zip ties. I found that the noodle drooped too much so I inserted a dowel rod to keep it rigid and kept it in position with some duct tape. It's not perfect. It tended to rotate toward the rear of the bike with the drag and wind.
In all, though, it was amazingly effective! I have never been given such a safe berth by all passing vehicles. (One asshole in a sportscar revved his engine and fishtailed as he passed after having to wait for about 20 seconds for oncoming traffic, but even he gave me more than a safe cushion.) The biggest change I noticed was for myself, though. Typically, when I ride, I am always hyper-aware of where I am in the road and whether I can hear vehicles approaching from the rear. With the noodle, I was able to focus more on the ride. I also found that I didn't ever need to edge further left into the lane to discourage vehicles from passing unsafely, for example on a blind hill or with oncoming traffic. Recommended. 👍
I know; I was surprised, too. (Importantly, I measured from the edge of my body, which is essentially the edge of the handlebar, to the end of the noodle.) I got the idea from a post by the League of American Bicyclists and gave it a go today for the first time. I bought the noodle for a buck and affixed it to my saddle with a few zip ties. I found that the noodle drooped too much so I inserted a dowel rod to keep it rigid and kept it in position with some duct tape. It's not perfect. It tended to rotate toward the rear of the bike with the drag and wind.
In all, though, it was amazingly effective! I have never been given such a safe berth by all passing vehicles. (One asshole in a sportscar revved his engine and fishtailed as he passed after having to wait for about 20 seconds for oncoming traffic, but even he gave me more than a safe cushion.) The biggest change I noticed was for myself, though. Typically, when I ride, I am always hyper-aware of where I am in the road and whether I can hear vehicles approaching from the rear. With the noodle, I was able to focus more on the ride. I also found that I didn't ever need to edge further left into the lane to discourage vehicles from passing unsafely, for example on a blind hill or with oncoming traffic. Recommended. 👍
Beautiful. Its unfortunate we have to keep reminding people of the safe space they are required to give us - but as you pointed out, its a huge de-stressor!
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