I'm in Charge - New Riding Philosophy Regarding Traffic

Following lots of reading, riding, and thinking, I have now formulated my riding philosophy:

I'm in charge.

I am my own marshall on the road.

I take the space I need, which means that if I think a lane is too narrow for the car and myself (or, approaching a turn, if I think we shouldn't go in there side by side), I just make sure that the driver will see it's not possible to share the lane. As soon as it's practical for me to move back to the right of the road, I do, and motion the car to pass me if it's safe to do so.

I ride a straight line. I don't weave to the right in-between parked cars.

I never ride closer than 3 feet to the curb, so to be in the field of vision of drivers coming from all directions.

I motion drivers not to go through intersections when I'm coming (with a "stop" sign with my hand), because I know that they might not judge my speed properly.

When I feel that I'm safe again and that they can pass (or go), I wave them through.

I give drivers the thank you sign (sort of a wave that starts with my fingers on my lips, rather universally understood it seems - good for them if they think it's a kiss!!!). (I try to make sure there's no bike behind me before I wave drivers through... and if I do see a bike, I sort of point it to the driver.)

I am assertive, but not aggressive.

I recognize that most drivers are afraid of hitting a cyclist and don't quite know how to behave around them, especially fast-moving road cyclists. So I make the decisions for them. It doesn't hold them back for more than a few seconds, and I am yet to experience an aggressive response (although again I do live in Vancouver, not Central Texas).

Your mileage may vary. But I thought I'd share what has been a successful riding style for me since I've implemented it. What other tricks do you ladies have?

Stated very well.
the only things that I might add that I tend to do are take the middle of the lane when descending fast (several women have been hit by turning cars while descending hills here - really to be seen well it is best to be out in the middle and its doubly important when you are traveling very fast and cannot stop quickly), at 4 way stops and when turning left (so that a driver does not come up beside me and block my view of traffic and traffic's view of me)
and I never feel obligated to use a bicycle lane if the lane has been designed in a way that makes it dangerous - generally if it is too close to parked cars and presents a door hazard. (sorry Oregon gals, but you can get a ticket for this, but in WA state you don't have to use them)

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Originally Posted by Grog

When I feel that I'm safe again and that they can pass (or go), I wave them through.

I give drivers the thank you sign

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I have had good results with this in hilly areas. I wave them through and give them a "thumbs up" as they pass. I've received many friendly waves as a result.

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Originally Posted by Grog

What other tricks do you ladies have?

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I'm curious what inspired you to post this topic and what you intend to do with it BECAUSE it's very important and, for what it's worth, I think we should take what you have written and submit it as a news release/possible story to newspapers, television stations and other online media venues. I can't think of one other cycling web site that has a "how we ride" section. There probably is, but I've never seen it.

We need to inform drivers why we are doing what we are doing on the road - so that they understand - especially that sometimes we are in the lane more to be SAFE not to be dangerous. I don't think drivers realize what safe cycling looks like. I think its our job to tell them and it would seem reasonable that what you've written should be shared beyond the cycling community.

What do you think?

Whip

Grog--Many thanks. I'm trying to muster the courage to commute to my new work locaton, and while most of it is MUT, the last few miles are fairly busy roads. I'm scared, to be honest, but I'm trying to make the best of the fact that my commute is being tripled by this insipid move. I figure riding my bike to work will help. Thank goodness, I can start applying for another assignment in December. I'm five miles from the headquarters facility where I work, and with some luck, I can land a new job there or at least in a location closer to the W&OD.

Your post is a big help, and I greatly appreciate it. I'm printing it off.

Great post!

And I think this exact same way while I'm riding:

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I take the space I need, which means that if I think a lane is too narrow for the car and myself (or, approaching a turn, if I think we shouldn't go in there side by side), I just make sure that the driver will see it's not possible to share the lane. As soon as it's practical for me to move back to the right of the road, I do, and motion the car to pass me if it's safe to do so.

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Grog-
Absolutely right ON. This is how I always ride. I got all these ideas incidentally, from the great book "The Art of Cycling" by Robert Hurst. He has spelled it all out quite exactly.
Before that I rode cautiously (and I thought safely) and didn't even realize that I was actually putting myself into dangerous situations by my submissive style of riding. That book really opened my eyes and made perfect sense to me.
When I changed my riding style I immediately noticed how much safer my ineractions with cars were. Now I do not give dangerous situations a chance to develop, whereas before I would blithely drift into danger and then react to it, but I was already in danger.

I take the lane at every tricky intersection, even when going straight. I give cars BIG hand and arm directions ALL THE TIME, and I find they are happy when I do, and we all exchange friendly signals or nods afterwards.
Cars honestly don't know what to do with bikes, and it helps for us to let them know what we are going to do, and what we want them to do. No drifting about in the periferal no-man's land or Devil's Triangle.

Be confident and clear...but...TRUST NO ONE :cool: ;) and ALWAYS assume they don't see you (unless they are communicating with you) or may do the wrong thing at the last moment. Have an escape plan for every situation in the back of your mind, and update it constantly as you ride in traffic.

Good post!

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Originally Posted by Velobambina

Grog--Many thanks. I'm trying to muster the courage to commute to my new work locaton, and while most of it is MUT, the last few miles are fairly busy roads. I'm scared, to be honest, ...

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It was my first commute yesterday, and the ride in the morning isn't so bad, but evening drive time, there's the one intersection....

The road goes from three lanes to about ninety, and then once through that mess, back down to a much more manageable five going past the Costco...

There's on-ramps, off-ramps, two or three left turn lanes, people crossing from the ramps to the farthest possible left lane they can get to -- it's scary by car! Oh -- and it's on top of the freeway, with access onto and off of that!

I got off and walked the whole danged thing yesterday. DH said, when I told him that, "I could have come got you with the car" Phooey on that, I was having a great ride aside from that interchange!

It's a nicely marked stretch, and there ARE bike lanes, but with the on and off ramps, and the right turn lanes, and everything else going on -- three stop lights too in this little stretch -- it's just NOT a happy place to be a biker! Even we have to be moving left and right and back again. I decided to just not do it!

Got one other intersection where I go play pedestrian: there's too much junk in the bike lane right there, and it's all but impossible to avoid flatting! (and too much traffic to move even farther left!)

Karen in Boise

Karen, part of being a smart (and a live) cyclist is knowing when it's actually better to walk your bike through a dangerous part. :)