Biking through Different Environments

In addition to being great exercise and fun, riding a bike is a key mobility option that provides access to popular destinations throughout Southeast Michigan. To demonstrate how to safely navigate a range of environments, we took a ride and made a video diary in the City of Novi.

On our route, we had parking lots, dirt roads, sidewalks, shared-use trails, bike lanes, neighborhoods, and larger road crossings. Each setting brings different risks and expectations, and safe riding depends on understanding the local context and adjusting your behavior accordingly.  

Thanks to Brian Smith, Councilman, City of Novi for joining us on this ride and helping to highlight practical choices cyclists can make to stay predictable, visible, and safe wherever they ride. 

We chose the City of Novi because it offers many different riding environments in a small area, making it easy to show how cyclists adjust their behavior based on context. As such, we hope you will share this video with your community.  

We encourage other communities to consider this format to highlight their own biking infrastructure and local challenges. By showing familiar streets, paths, and intersections, communities can make safety guidance more relevant and easier to understand. Whether the goal is to showcase new facilities or reinforce safe riding habits, this video format provides a clear and flexible way to promote predictable, visible, and safe cycling. 

Making a Video

If you want to make your own video, a few tips: 

• Safety first! Select your gear (including helmets), route, riders, and timing carefully.  

• Consider working with the support of a cycling expert and/or public safety department in your community.  

• You won’t need a lot of fancy equipment (ours was shot on a GoPro) or a whole crew to make a good video, but plan on putting in the time to plan the shoot and make a good edit afterward.  

• Consider locations in your area that are frequented by bicyclists and/or pedestrians as well as places where potential conflict points emerge with drivers. 

• Consider working with local residents to better understand local context from a user perspective. 
  • Residents may be able to talk about specific local issues such as informal ways to avoid obstacles.  They may also be able to share a local driver’s perspective.  Their input could be valuable enhancements to your video! 

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