Turning and Signaling on a Steep Hill

[nicole309]

To get home from work each day I must go down a fairly steep hill. In the middle of this long steep hill is my street. It takes both hand on the brakes to make the right hand turn on my street. Although it is residential, there is often a car waiting to pull out, so I must make a pretty tight turn. My question is how do I signal that I am making a right hand turn when I need to keep my hands on my brakes to make the turn. As soon as I let up I am flying again. I try to really slow down early. No, there is not other route I can take to get home. I don't want to piss off every driver on my street by not signaling. I have thought about stopping completely before the turn and getting off the bike and walking the corner. This seems silly however....

[mimitabby]

yeah, we need a turn signal on our bikes.
I have basically the same problem. i can take my hand off to signal right (or left)
but only for a second. Did the car behind me see me signal for that second?

[Eden]

Now, while I don't suggest not signaling as a regular practice - our WA state traffic laws do say that you do not have to signal if conditions make it too dangerous to take a hand off of the handlebars. If its steep like that I usually try to signal early and quickly.

[coyote]

Is it possible (or practicle) to signal before you put your hands on the brakes? I saw a turn signal light at the LBS but I do not seem to come up with anything on the web. It may have just been a novalty item.

[bikerz]

I have the same problem on one of my regular rides, except it is a left turn into street that widens into a parking area for a community pool, and the lot is pretty gravelly too. The road is so steep there is no way I can signal, and I definitely want both hands on the bars to be prepared for the gravel. And then I need to be pedalling again very soon because once I make the turn there is a short steep rise to get over. It is very hair-raising!

What I try to do is take the full lane on the curve before the turn, and move to the left of the lane and broadcast my intentions by tipping my head that way if there are any cars in sight.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I live on a VERY steep hill. As long as you've been keeping to a reasonable downhill slowish speed, you should be able to stop your bike completely using only your front brake. Your back brake actually does not have anywhere near the stopping power as your front brake. Keep your speed slow, then signal with your rear-brake hand while still using your front brake the whole time you are signalling. You may not believe it, but you can use front brake only on even the steepest hills, and most certainly for a small portion of it while you are signalling. Try it.
If you want to be REALLY safe, stop your bike right before the turn if there are any cars around. No need to get off your bike and walk the turn, just stop and wait until there are no cars around and then continue to make the turn when it's all clear. Situations like this really are easier and safer when you use a mirror as well to know ahead of time what is coming up behind you as you are descending a steep hill.

[spokewench]

I live on a VERY steep hill. As long as you've been keeping to a reasonable downhill slowish speed, you should be able to stop your bike completely using only your front brake. Your back brake actually does not have anywhere near the stopping power as your front brake. Keep your speed slow, then signal with your rear-brake hand while still using your front brake the whole time you are signalling. You may not believe it, but you can use front brake only on even the steepest hills, and most certainly for a small portion of it while you are signalling. Try it.
If you want to be REALLY safe, stop your bike right before the turn if there are any cars around. No need to get off your bike and walk the turn, just stop and wait until there are no cars around and then continue to make the turn when it's all clear. Situations like this really are easier and safer when you use a mirror as well to know ahead of time what is coming up behind you as you are descending a steep hill.

Be very careful braking with only the front brake As Lisa says it is your strong braking brake so it can also take you right over the handlebars on a steep downhill. Do not GRAB the front brake, just feather it to slow you down. I would actually probably prefer to slightly slow myself to signal so I probably would use my rear break, feathering it as well. I don't need to stop to signal, only to slow down a bit so I can signal before making the turn. At least when you grab it, only the rear end of the bike will come around on you and you just release it a bit and the bike should come back to you.