How do you signal?

[eclectic]

I am leaving for my first longer tour later today. I did a short one in June and was riding with some gals from my hometown that I don't normally ride with.

When I learned to ride my bike many moons ago I was taught to signal using the left hand straight out for left turns, bent up for right and pointing down for slow down or stop, the same as a car signal if your blinker isn't working.

One of the "more experienced" gals declared "We don't do it that way, you need to do this" and she proceed just to point with her left hand for left turns and right hand for right turns.

I still am not comfortable doing this but for those who have gone on other tours what is the protocol? ? ?

Thanks in advance

[SadieKate]

A couple of threads:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...gnal+left+turn

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...gnal+left+turn

[Bicyclette]

I signal with my right hand to turn right and with my left hand to turn left - myhusband does it the way you do - left hand only. I do it the way I do because watching people ride here left hand/right hand seems to be the way most people signal - so I figure this is what people around here are accustomed to and familiar with.

Pat

[eclectic]

Thanks for the quick replies!

It seems that both are done but the point and go is more prevalent. I will watch and do as they do (although I am not very good at letting go with my right hand

[Geonz]

Well, I figure she was half right - "we don't do it that way" - but the "you need to do this" might have been pushing it. Eid she know what you meant? Did you hurt anybody? So... just because **they** don't do it that way... **you** can do it your way (unless they didn't grok it).

I've done it both ways. I used to jus tpoint where I was going, but then I tried (especially 'cause i can sort of stretch my back doing it) the "left elbow bent" - and I'm so right handed that I really preferred doing that part of one-handed riding with my right hand on the bar. I do try to make sure I"m really clearly signalling... and recognize that yes, I do sort of look like a driver's ed film. It certainly woulnd't be confused for cool - but that's never been a problem for me...

[Bad JuJu]

I've seen it done both ways, and I choose to make all signals with my left hand. Here's my reasoning: it seems to me that drivers, if they see us at all, would generally expect us to signal with the right hand, just as they would if they had to. I'm not sure a driver would be looking for a righthanded signal.

On the other hand, I'm not sure many drivers even notice. So who knows?

[witeowl]

When I learned to ride my bike many moons ago I was taught to signal using the left hand straight out for left turns, bent up for right and pointing down for slow down or stop, the same as a car signal if your blinker isn't working.

That's what I learned as well, and when I went for my first ride with the LBC, another rider told me not to signal for a right turn with my left hand because a lot of drivers would think I'm waving, not signalling.

Made enough sense to me that I'm now signalling with my right hand.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I am signaling left turn with left arm, right turn with right arm. But instead of just sticking my arm out for a second with a flat hand, I make a rather "big" whole arm pointing motion, and I then raise my hand up by bending my elbow and make the big point motion again. I figure they will spot all the arm motion better than just a motionless arm, and two point gestures are better than one.

[Nanci]

Point right or left, keeping the signal out there until I have to brake. For stopping, I put my right hand up behind my back. Point at anything bad, vigorously. Make scratchy motions for sand or gravel. Yell out hole, tracks, bump, etc. Yelling stopping, slowing, is kind of annoying to me.

[li10up]

I signal a left turn with my left arm and right turn with my right arm. I signal all changes in my line. Ex: If I'm to the right in a lane and plan to move over to the middle or left portion of the lane I signal my line of travel change. Then I signal again for the left turn if I'm turning left. The drivers actually get this and don't try to pull around me.

Also, I find it helps if you don't coast in traffic. The drivers seem to think they can beat you no matter what if you are coasting. If you are pedaling they seem to be more patient because it seems like you are at least trying to get out of their way quickly. Make sense?

[Geonz]

I agree about coasting. I think it registers somewhere in the brain as "not moving" in that automatic-response mode that driving is done it. And when somebody's being nice enough to sit behind me before their right turn or heading over an overpass, I feel like I should do 'em a favor and haul buns (yea, it's doing *them* a favor to kick it in ) . If I'm feeling sluggish I just keep it in a low gear so it *looks* like I'm kickin' it in...