Making Left Turns and other questions

[HillSlugger]

What do you think about riding on the bike shoulder against traffic for a long block? I think it will simplify this tricky corner. On the correct side of this road there's no crosswalk for the side street while there is on the other side.

[tangentgirl]

What do you think about riding on the bike shoulder against traffic for a long block? I think it will simplify this tricky corner. On the correct side of this road there's no crosswalk for the side street while there is on the other side.

What do you do if there's another cyclist coming at you - along with a bunch of traffic? Also, I imagine you could probably get a ticket for riding on the wrong side of the road. I know that, in some places, bicycle tickets are the same as car tickets. Same fines, same ding on your insurance, all that jazz.

[Grog]

What do you think about riding on the bike shoulder against traffic for a long block? I think it will simplify this tricky corner. On the correct side of this road there's no crosswalk for the side street while there is on the other side.

Very dangerous in my opinion. Even more so approaching an intersection, you don't know who's going to come turning right on you (bike, ped, car...).

Even if it were legal, I would never ride on sidewalks, either. I don't want drivers to even start thinking of me as a pedestrian... Also I generally see sidewalks as a dangerous place for bikes, too far off to the right to be in the field of vision and field of conscience of drivers...

[Crankin]

Never, never ride against the traffic. I take the lane to make lefts, get into the traffic a good distance ahead of the turn and stick my arm out. My friends make fun of me because when I'm signaling, I sort of shake my finger/hand to emphasize I'm turning. They say it's my school teacher scolding signal. I feel much safer in a line of cars as they usually give me a wide berth, rather than being pushed to the side of the road. I will get in a line of cars when going straight at an intersection, if I think there's a narrow space on the right. My husband on the other hand, rides right up along the cars in teeny tight spaces in horrible traffic. I can't do that!
I have gone up on a sidewalk a couple of times when I was at a very busy spot and saw that I couldn't get in the lane to turn. I stopped and then went straight across the intersection. However, there aren't sidewalks around where I live in too many places, so this really isn't an option.

[KnottedYet]

Please don't ride against traffic.

[Geonz]

If I have to go against traffic, I'd be up on the sidewalk, off the road (prob'ly walking).

[HillSlugger]

Re: going against traffic:

Thanks for setting me straight. It's a bad idea. I don't know what I was thinking.

[F8th637]

I recently went to a Confident City Cycling class sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and the instructor said that it's always a bad idea to go against traffic. He also said to stay off the sidewalks as much as possible even though in VA you are allowed to be on the sidewalk. Overall, he said the two aforementioned actions are highly dangerous. I'm still trying to get my confidence to stay off the sidewalks. Slowly but surely, right?

[lizbids]

Take a look at my thread where I ask to "always ride with traffice." Yesterday (in a car) we hit a cyclist going the wrong way.

[crumpincommuter]

The following link was by posted League of American Bicyclists and although the article originates from the UK, the theory is applicable on this side of the pond too!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1695668.ece