Did I do something wrong? (long)

[GraysonKelly]

Hi Again,
I didn't want to put this in the other thread I posted because it was long enough. Anyway, I just want to know if I was in the wrong today with regard to riding on the road. I'm going to try to describe this so please bear with me.
A section of my ride goes along a fairly busy road but there is a wide shoulder. Off the right, off of a hill, another road comes down and merges with the main road. It's not an intersection, it just merges and it's a sharp turn for the cars coming off of the hill. The main road white line has those tall plastic pipe looking things, the ones that bend if a car runs over them, to separate the main road from the merge lane. I can't get back to the shoulder in this area until I pass the pipes and either cross the broken white line for the merge lane or get to the merge lane as fast as I can. Usually, I stop if there are cars coming off the hill and just cross the road to the shoulder. There were no cars coming when I got the merge lane so I kept going along the white line as close to those pipes as i could get (on the left of the pipe). This SVU came off of the hill really fast and took that turn really wide right before I got to the pipes and I had to hit the brakes but still hit the pipes (I took out 3 of them). My question is, how should I ride in an area like that? I don't mind stopping like I usually do, but in general where am I allowed to be?
Thanks in advance,
Gray

[Andrea]

I can't totally picture what you're saying, but any time I have a doubt about how to handle traffic, I just say think of how you'd ride it if you were in a slow-moving car.

[Eden]

If I'm picturing this correctly the cars coming down off of the hill have the merge. *Technically* they need to be sure to merge properly with you- the traffic with right of way *BUT* dead and right is not the way to be....

It sounds like a dangerous area that you will always have to be very careful in. Traffic laws totally depend on where you live, but around here bicycles are vehicles - we have all the same rights as cars, so in that situation the car would still be obligated to merge properly with the bicycle - that said way too many people drive their cars quite numbly and they will likely not see you, so be very careful in that situation. Personally I'd probably take the center of the straight lane, watch the merge lane very carefully, signal and move to the right as soon as it was safe. I'd also be diligent about makings sure merging cars could see me - make eye contact if possible, etc.

[ilima]

Is there a yield sign for those coming off the hill and merging? If so, it's their responsibility to merge safely.

Like Eden said, though, right and dead ain't the way to be.

[GraysonKelly]

No, there is not a yield sign, but the traffic coming off the hill have merge and like I said this is a busy street so to avoid an accident they have to yield. Bicycles are considered vehicles here and therefore have to obey road rules for cars...but like you all have pointed out, right and dead is not the way to be. I just wanted to know if I was right. I actually stopped by the State Police barracks and asked one of the officers who had just pulled into the parking lot. He was very nice but didn't know enough about cycling laws. He said I should go talk to the city police. I think I'll do that.
Gray

[Grog]

I think I see exactly the kind of situation you're describing.

What hits me in your description is how close you are to the pylons. I would suggest that you do NOT hug the pylons and instead take the berth you need, staying between 3 and 5 feet on the left of the post and riding a straight line until you 1) have cleared the posts and 2) have definitely established that the lane is clear to your right and you can go back to the "new" shoulder.

Eye contact is a good idea, but do not trust it 100%. Also do not stop pedaling: drivers unconsciously assume that you're going to yield to them if they do not see you pedaling. If anything, increase your cadence. You can also make a motion to them indicating that you're going to go or something, but be aware that these are happening at high speed and not easy to understand...

Current situation: By staying very close to the post, you make yourself invisible to both the cars coming behind you (in the same lane) and to the merging cars (coming down the steep hill and turning right).

New situation: The further you are from the post, the more room the cars coming from behind you will give you, and the more likely the cars coming down the hill will be to see you. Adding a hi-viz jacket with very visible sleeves might help here.

Once you've cleared the posts, you have to ride a straight line (still a few feet to the left of the white line, which will not be a broken line) until you've really sure you can move to your right.

Of course, take all this with a grain of salt as I haven't seen your problematic intersection. But I am fairly sure that being shy at this street corner is an accident waiting to happen.

Please keep us updated!

[OakLeaf]

What Grog said... but is there an alternate route? Personally I would avoid that type of intersection if there's an alternative.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I had almost an identical situation like that on my ride home a few years ago out west. I took the lane and stayed away from the poles because they just seemed to cause problems. To me, if you take the lane, cars see you better and you have more room if someone doesn't get it to maneuver and brake without hitting the barriers. Hope that makes sense. Then when it's clear and the yielding is over, I get over to the shoulder. This is usually how I handle yielding when there is a lane yielding into mine.

[Di bear]

I'm picturing something similar to an on-ramp on an expressway, and you are traveling like you are already on the expressway, and the other guy is on the on-ramp. In this case you have the right-of-way. Here's the tricky part.

First and foremost, you MUST BE VISIBLE. Wear bright clothing and, if it's even a little dark, use lights, but not the flashy ones - those can draw cars toward you. Think of it as going where you look. It's the same concept in a car as when you're on a bike. If you look at the shoulder of the road, you are going to go that way. Works for both modes of transportation.

Second, DO NOT STOP. Keeping a steady speed makes YOU predictable to the driver. BE PREDICTABLE. The exception is the presence of any unforeseen circumstance. Go on to point three to totally get this . . .

Third, TAKE THE LANE. You have every right to take that lane (get in the center of the lane). In this case, it is much safer for you to be in the open where vehicles are much more likely to notice you. If you hug the pylons, you will most likely blend in with them and people will perceive you as a pylon rather than moving traffic that is expected to be farther over. Remember, drivers are habitual. They are going to be looking for the expected rather than the unexpected. Don't surprise them.

Fourth, SIGNAL. I wear bright blue gloves that are much easier to see than any other color I've noticed so far. They're about this color: When you are taking the lane and preparing to move over to the right AFTER the merge lane, stick your right arm out straight to the side and don't be afraid to wave it a few inches. To be clear, begin signaling as you approach the merge lane. The idea of a signal (turn signals on cars as well) is to tell people what you are about to do, not what you are currently doing. They don't need a warning signal to tell them what they are already observing. The bright blue color and hand motion will get people's attention, and the outstretched hand is a pretty obvious signal that you want to move to the right. You could go by the law and use your left arm to signal a right turn, but I've heard some pretty good points that many drivers are oblivious to the meaning of arm signals. That outstretched arm serves two purposes, so use that instead.

Fifth, use good judgment. You must be blatant in your communications with motorists and, back to my second point, you must be prepared to deal with the unforeseen. I know that concepts like taking the lane may seem like rather aggressive maneuvers, but they are proven methods that make you more visible and predictable. It is much safer than hiding on the side of the road. Ride as far to the right a practicable only when it is safe - meaning traffic and the road are boring and straightforward.