yikes!!

ok i did something really stupid today, or i am pretty sure its really stupid, but i'm new so i dunno...

i was peacefully going down a residential st that is very frequented by other roadies, going about 20. its a super rich area so there isn't that much traffic at all...and i was coming around a bend, and saw two joggers in the street coming towards me, and they were talking to each other and looking down and didn't see me at all. i realized i needed to get all the way into the lane to avoid them, and looked over my shoulder real quick, to see a car coming up behind me. i realized, hit the people, or try to miss the car, so i sped up and got into the lane and passed the women, who then saw me and i heard one of them say "...didn't even notice..."
i didn't hear any screeching brakes behind me as i did this, I'm sure the car was already going slow, but i felt bad!! did i do the right thing? the car stayed behind me for quite a while before it hesitantly passed. i feel like i made a huge boo boo and almost got myself hit but i couldn't seem to think of something else i could've done. i really don't want to hit any pedestrians!! ouch!!

ps i have a bell, but am very afraid to use it...because for the strangest reason that i cannot seem to wrap my mind around...whenever i do use it, its either totally ignored, or i swear...the person will turn around, look into my eyes, look at the bicycle speeding towards them, and step directly into the path of said bicycle. am not sure what this behavior is all about but it definitely makes me shy away from using the bell for pedestrians...

Sounds like the only thing you could have done would be to have moved out into the lane earlier, so the car would know exactly where you were headed sooner, and you'd have been a bit further from the ladies' startle range.

I understand your feeling. I've been in similar situations...

The trick is to ride further left into the lane at all times, not too close to the curb. So if there is an obstacle (joggers, kid who fell off his bike, parked alien shuttle) on the right of the road you'll be in a better position to avoid it.

Imagine the lane you're travelling on as divided in thirds. You have to ride on the imaginary line between the right third and the middle third. The cars will instinctively give you A LOT of space when passing you, which will give you more room in situations like this.

I also feel unsure about the bell, but you have to liberate yourself and use it a lot. Sometimes even if you're by yourself, just ding ding! it, and laugh. It's great fun. :D

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Originally Posted by Geonz

... and you'd have been a bit further from the ladies' startle range.

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That's the key with pedestrians, other bikers, etc, who share our space. For some reason I've yet to figure out, people are either wrapped up or unaware and become convinced that they're the only person around. Then they end up being surprised when you remind them that they're not. You have to let them know you're there at enough of a distance that they've got time to process your presence and decide what to do. That's probably why you've gotten the reaction you have with your bell. And, if they ignore the bell, a good, loud "HEY YOU!" can work pretty well, too ;)

I for one prefer not to use a bell but I do however use my vocal cords frequently. Did you by chance say anything?? I like "heads up" when people I pass are looking downward. (Passing on your left/right isn't always the best alert I have found). I have had to repeat myself once or twice but always had enough time to avoid incident...

And as for the car driver, perhaps they won't recognize you the next time. ;)

Here's what I would have done in the same situation:

First- I would have been a bit further into the lane as a matter of fact going down the street. I am a vehicle, after all, not a pedestrian. I always leave adequate room for cars to pass (if it's safe for them to pass me), but I also leave some maneuvering/buffer zone between me and the curb or between me and the "door zone", or other hazards. That car would have been over more already if they saw me ahead in the lane a bit further out from the curb, perhaps a foot more. So, I would have first had more precious safety zone around me to maneuver in.

Second- I would have known way ahead of time that there was a car coming up the street behind me because I glance at my helmet mirror automatically every ten seconds or so, just like I do when I'm driving my car. It's become second nature now and I don't even think about it. No glancing over my shoulder at the last second only to make dangerous panicky decisions. I pretty much know what is around me in a 360 degree circle at any given time, not just in my front field of vision. Thus, this situation would not have occured for me. Knowing the car was coming ahead of time, I would have alerted the joggers earlier AND been prepared to stop or turn aside if necessary.

Third- Seeing a potentially dangerous bisecting paths of 3 objects coming towards each other (bike, joggers, and car), I would have rung my bell loudly AND called out loud and clear "Coming through please!!" or "Heads Up, thank you!!" at the joggers well ahead of the crucial moment. This is no time to be timid.

I think the key here is not not what to do as the event is happening, but rather seeing/thinking/acting ahead of time to PREVENT the situation from developing in the first place to the point where irratic dangerous action is required to avoid collision. Diffuse and change the event before it develops. Not always possible of course, but certainly possible in this instance.

There is not much I can comment about with the bike, since I cannot ride right now. :( However, I run daily. The joggers should have been more aware of their surroundings. Obviously they were not. Do not hesitate top use your bell and/or your voice. Hopefully this will not happen again, if it should, shout at the pedestrians. Also follow the advice of what more seasoned riders do in these situations.

Me, I would have yelled, as soon as I saw that they weren't paying attention. Depending on the gravity of the situation I would go "Bip-bip", "Heads up!" or "HEY!!" Faster than ringing a bell and it works.

As I read you you had the right of way and they were the ones not paying attention, so don't feel guilty for buzzing them. The driver probably saw both you and the joggers, and had an idea that you would have trouble passing them. Not something you should count on, of course, but I wouldn't feel guilty about swerving into the lane either, if the alternative was crashing into them.

Excellent tips above for avoiding that kind of situation later - riding further out in the lane and keeping all traffic around you "in mind".

Riding farther out in the driving lane makes a certain amount of sense, but I suspect with two joggers side-by-side that you would have needed to be in the middle of the lane to get by them.

I'm a little surprised that no one mentioned another option - and that would have been to just come to a stop. That probably would have been safer than pulling in front of the car.

--- Denise

It really didn't sound like she did anything like "pulling in front of the car," since the car wasn't that close behind. Rather, the car may have had to slow some to wait for the slower vehicle - the bicycle - until it was safe to pass it.
Stopping in a roadway is a hazardous choice of its own; I often have to remind myself (and other riders) that if we're going to stop, we need to move off the road. If the car had been closer (or I wasn't sure I could pull out into the lane safely), I'd have stopped, indeed - especially if I were dealing with one of those alien shuttles... you just never know waht those Martians will do...

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Originally Posted by Geonz

It really didn't sound like she did anything like "pulling in front of the car," since the car wasn't that close behind.

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If was this comment that made me think stopping may have been a good thing to do:

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looked over my shoulder real quick, to see a car coming up behind me. i realized, hit the people, or try to miss the car...

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Of course it's not possible to tell from that comment how close the car really was. And not being there, we also don't know how fast the car was moving.

You're absolutely right about not stopping in a driving lane but pulling off of the road. It did sound like this was in a residential neighborhood though, so stopping on the right side of the road prior to running into the joggers may have been reasonable.

I think that what stopped me from recommending stopping was the fact that she was riding at about 20mph.

Unless one is a very experienced cyclist, an emergency stop at that speed can have more dire consequences than the other suggestions...

Slowing down when riding on residential streets might be an option though... if one is riding that fast,one more reason to take the lane.

big arm signals are useful to alert the motorist too.
I ring bells, yell, and flap my arms around.

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

big arm signals are useful to alert the motorist too.
I ring bells, yell, and flap my arms around.

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I have this fantastic mental image now of your avatar coming down a road at high speed squawking and flapping her arms... :D

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Originally Posted by DeniseGoldberg

If was this comment that made me think stopping may have been a good thing to do: Of course it's not possible to tell from that comment how close the car really was. And not being there, we also don't know how fast the car was moving.

You're absolutely right about not stopping in a driving lane but pulling off of the road. It did sound like this was in a residential neighborhood though, so stopping on the right side of the road prior to running into the joggers may have been reasonable.

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And... it certainly should have been mentioned as an option. I know sometimes I get stuck in "Forward thinking," when stopping is the best move (or non-move :)).

well...lesson learned, i will be staying more to the left of the lane now...i really dont think i couldve stopped safetly since i was going so fast. i also didnt mention why i didnt yell or say anything...i have a vocal chords issue and my voice doesnt get very loud, a little embarassing to bring up :o
if i had yelled they most likely would not have heard anything :p

thanks for your input! i like the "bip bip" comment. i will try to use my bell more...hopefully that will start working :)

its raining right now and i cant ride! damnit...

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Originally Posted by inatree

well...lesson learned, i will be staying more to the left of the lane now...i really dont think i couldve stopped safetly since i was going so fast. i also didnt mention why i didnt yell or say anything...i have a vocal chords issue and my voice doesnt get very loud, a little embarassing to bring up :o
if i had yelled they most likely would not have heard anything :p

thanks for your input! i like the "bip bip" comment. i will try to use my bell more...hopefully that will start working :)

its raining right now and i cant ride! damnit...

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Also do try to be aware of cars behind you at any given time- not just when your path in front is getting blocked. Consider more frequent mirror checking.