Keeping those cars from passing

[Aint Doody]

OK, maybe all y'all do this, but I just figured it out. I was in Florida with all my crazy family for a week, and I took my bicycle (which didn't cost me one red cent on Delta!). We stayed at Navarre Beach which is still recovering from Ivan and Dennis, but it's lovely. I digress--Anyway there is a bridge with absolutely no shoulders at all which you must cross to get to the mainland where there are nice shoulders and even bike lanes. Of course, crossing the bridge is horrifying as the cars pass you when there are other cars approaching. After seeing my life pass in front of my eyes a few times, I decided that when there were other vehicles approaching that I'd take up a position right in the center of the lane so that they couldn't pass me. Then when the coast was clear, I moved back to the right. It worked out pretty well. I did have one honker, but I just let her wait. Whenever I was moving to the middle of the lane, I put my left hand down and out in a "stay back" sorta movement. Anybody else try this???

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've always been a proponent of taking as much of the road as I need to in order to be safe. If the road has a reasonable paved shoulder I will ride on the shoulder - but most of the roads I ride on near home are narrow 2-lane roads with no shoulder. I do stay as close to the right hand edge of the road as I feel is safe, unless, of course, it's time for a left turn. And if the right hand lane becomes a turn lane, I move to the right side of the lane that is going straight ahead.

--- Denise

[Eden]

Absolutely! - up here in WA state our bicycle laws are written so that we are allowed to use whatever portion of the lane we need to for safety. I don't deliberatly try to antagonize motorists by always riding in the middle of the lane, but there are places - narrow single lane roads, bridges, etc. that I feel my safety is much more important than some car being delayed by 30 sec. so I take enough of the lane that if a car wants around it has to go into the opposing lane. People will try to squeak by you if you give them the room, but something makes them go all the way over if they have to cross the center line for the most part.

At least 4 of my team mates haved been hit by cars this spring by people either pulling around and turning right or pulling out of a side street and claiming that they did not see the person (our kits have a large bright chartruse stipe on them - they are hard to miss even from a distance). Personally I feel that it is better to be a somewhat aggressive with traffic even if there are drivers who are miffed at the delay. I don't ride in the "door zone" of parked cars, I take the lane if I feel it would be dangerous (to me) for cars to pass me or if I am doing the speed limit / speed of traffic. I act like a car at traffic signals - I do things like using left hand turn lanes, taking my proper turn at 4 way stops. Sure some people don't like it - got honked and yelled at the other day by some bozo who wanted me to weave in and out of the parked cars so that he could pass, but more people than not are if not considerate, at least neutral.

[Grog]

I do the exact same as what others above have mentioned, whenever needed.

Take your space in the lane!

[Nanci]

I do the same, especially on uphills and mountain descents. Then they don't try to squeeze by you.

Nanci

[maillotpois]

Take the road!

You are more visible - and on a lot of descents I can go faster than a car.

I read a great book recently, The Art of Urban Cycling

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762727837/sr=8-1/qid=1150133343/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7643225-9048121?%5Fencoding=UTF8

While it's called "Urban" a lot of what it discusses can equally be applied in more rural settings. It gets into history, psychology and sociology, and provides safety suggestions and tips for riding with cars. Great book!

[CycleChic06]

and I took my bicycle (which didn't cost me one red cent on Delta!).


My question is, you flew your bike out with you? How did you manage this AND not have the airlines charge you? They seem to charge for every little bit extra! I'm very curious as I'm considering taking my bike on a trip this summer.

[Aint Doody]

It was pretty simple, CycleChic. When I checked in they asked me how many bags I had. I said 2. The bags didn't weigh over 50 lbs. I didn't make a point of saying that it was a bicycle. I have been charged by Horizon Air before, but on my last few times flying with my bicycle, I haven't had to pay anything. Maybe the secret is just having 2 items--1 suitcase and the bicycle container. It's a Serfas and it has wheels and a pull strap. Last summer I was flying back out of St. Louis, and the curbside fellow said--oh with that, you'll have to go in & pay a fee. But even though I went inside I still wasn't asked to pay. Maybe I just was lucky..........

[Eden]

It was pretty simple, CycleChic. When I checked in they asked me how many bags I had. I said 2. The bags didn't weigh over 50 lbs. I didn't make a point of saying that it was a bicycle. I have been charged by Horizon Air before, but on my last few times flying with my bicycle, I haven't had to pay anything. Maybe the secret is just having 2 items--1 suitcase and the bicycle container. It's a Serfas and it has wheels and a pull strap. Last summer I was flying back out of St. Louis, and the curbside fellow said--oh with that, you'll have to go in & pay a fee. But even though I went inside I still wasn't asked to pay. Maybe I just was lucky..........

My husband and I did the same thing to Europe about 2 years ago - we took only the bicycles and our panniers, as we were touring and could only carry that much anyway. The bikes got checked and the panniers were our carry on luggage. Even though the bikes were oversized as far as indivudal pieces of luggage go were weren't charged any extra for them - maybe because our allowance was for 2 checked bags each and we only did the one - as big as they were. British Airways didn't charge us, but told us to expect to be charged for our connector to Sevilla - but happily they didn't put on any extra either!

[DeniseGoldberg]

My question is, you flew your bike out with you? How did you manage this AND not have the airlines charge you? They seem to charge for every little bit extra! I'm very curious as I'm considering taking my bike on a trip this summer.

Be very careful - in my experience in the US (before I switched to a Bike Friday folding bike for travel) - I always had to pay excess baggage fees. In fact, I had an argument with one airline employee who was determined to charge me based on the size of my bike case as opposed to charging their flat fee for bicycles.

Here's a link to a page on the League of American Bicyclist's site that lists some of the fees: http://www.bikeleague.org/members/bikesflypolicies.php.

Another site that you may find helpful is http://www.ibike.org/encouragement/travel/bagregs.htm#Tariff

The dimensions of most bike cases (or boxes) exceed that listed on these sites for free bicycle transportation. If you go to the airport with a bike expecting not to have to pay excess baggage fees, you could have an unpleasant surprise.

--- Denise

[Running Mommy]

That is the ONE good thing about being as short as I am and riding a "baby bike"... If I take off the handlebars, my bike will fit in my large "europe" suitcase. - So named because it's the one I take w/ me to europe, or on other long trips.

[Aint Doody]

I always expect to pay. The most I've paid is $50 which is about the same as shipping UPS ground. The bike arrives with me; I like that. Then when I get an unexpected bonus of not paying, it's just a wonderful surprise. Just don't offer any extra information when they ask you how many bags. And be sure the bike/box doesn't weigh over 50 lbs. Or maybe the airline people just like my southern accent?

[Geonz]

Thursday GITAP was a "day off" - with theoption for a 100 mile ride. Gary (who I'd driven up with) says, "you want to do it?" and since I had done the rest stop the day before I was aching for real miles.
Just before I'd left for this trip, I'd gotten a copy of the spanking new Rockford, IL "bicycling map" and the back had lovely graphics explaining how and when to get out into the lane. I'd contemplated the wording - "Force the driver to use the left lane to pass you" or something like that, and wondering about rephrasing it a little less agressively for our map (which is in process). It's not something I have to deal with often in this town, though.
Coming back, it was early afternoon and we were on a two-lane road with fast traffic. It was when Gary put into words that drivers were being jerks and squeezing by us tightly at high speeds that I realized this was exactly what those words were talking about. I envisioned the road in thirds and moved my wheel out to the "1/3" line on the right.
I still kinda thought this would just mean they passed every bit as closely, just that same 3 feet further out that I'd moved. WRONG.
Instantly, drivers responded differently. They slowed down a goodly distance back and crossed that midline and went well into the left lane to pass, leaving us much more room. Basically, since there was obviously no way to fit all of us in the same lane, they stopped trying to act like two cars and a bike could fit comfortably, and waited for 2-vehicles-only situations. This included twice where the auto had to wait those eternal seconds because of too much approaching traffic. They did, without hostile behavior.
We paused at a store for Gatorade. Got back out on the road. I automatically went back to townie riding, on that right fringe... and suddenly the drivers were dangerous again. The instant I remembered to move back out, they gained competence.
Somehow, I don't think it was coincidence and that only the bad drivers went by when I was hugging the line. It *is* counterintuitive. Yes, I would prefer to do it with some kind of tag on the bike that makes it look like I'm doing some kind of big time charity thing so that I'm "special." (Being on "Team Weird from Behind" means people tend to think I'm special anyway :-)) I suspect it also works about 10 times as well when there are two riders.
I also don't think I'd do it on wide open roads where I might not be seen at all until I'm an afterthought...
I still might change the wording. I dont' think we were "Forcing" anything; it was more of an automatic response... which is far better :-)

[Brandy]

Somehow, I don't think it was coincidence and that only the bad drivers went by when I was hugging the line. It *is* counterintuitive.

I saw this in action while driving Hwy 1 north of San Simeon and through Big Sur last week. There are sections of the road where there is really no shoulder and those cyclists that chose to take the road were given a ton of room when cars crossed over into the other lane to pass. I was so nervous when we reached Big Sur, my driving has changed so much since I started cycling and I was on constant lookout mode, keeping my eyes peeled for cyclists. It's a winding section of road with no shoulder and the views tend to take the eyes of the drivers off of the road. I don't know how cyclists ride that section going south without having a heart attack...one driver taking a second too long to gaze at the ocean and you're off of a cliff. :eek:

[Aint Doody]

GEONZ--It's really like magic, isn't it??? I felt rather stupid that I'd not done this before.