Cyclist Behavior

[Geonz]

I was very pleasantly surprised at how rarely taking the lane inspired frustration or wrath from drivers. Most of them are doing most of the driving automatically; there's a slow vehicle and I can't get around it, so I have to wait. (HOWEVER... there just isn't a lot of traffic here. If I were going to be holding up traffic for any significant distance, I'd be looking for a place to pull off, just as I would if I were on a tractor. Or I'd be tryin' to go 25 mph...)

There's another little reality: those laws we are supposed to be obeying ever so saintlily... were written for automobiles. *Most* of the time it doesn't matter. However, when a group of 12 riders on our Pedaling for Pleasure ride comes up to a four-way stop, we do *not* proceed through one at a time as individual vehicles.
We've got bike lanes some places that end... and there is the poor soul who wants to turn left... stuck to the right of cars turning right. (This happened this morning near me.) Since cars could turn right at will, none of 'em were yielding to the rider... why should they? (I believe eventually a kind midwestern soul did.) Now, what's missing is the education part; this person with the bicycle should learn to abandon the bike lane (and our brand-new laws specify this) and enter traffic to make the left turn, or turn into a pedestrian... so probably getting off the bike and asserting "right turn people need to yield to pedestrians" might have been the more efficient move.
However, it's situations like this, IMO, as well as some of our amazingly poorly designed bicycle lanes that lead to bicyclists deciding with good reason that they might as well set their own rules. And lots of people sincerely don't realize the laws about cycling - the folks tooling down the wrong side of the road...
Here's an example: a bike path going right through a bus stop. When I was cruising through campus and found this, I abandoned the bike paths for the streets on campus. I knew they weren't designed with my safety in mind (or anybody else's, for that matter).

Here is a link to the series of shots... and by the way, putting this online has led to some changes *much*more efficiently than Universities usually change things!

[mimitabby]

This morning in the dark after going through a green light, the road broke into two lanes. Instead of hovering on the side; i purposefully rode into the left lane.. The cars behind me happily went around me. they didn't care where i was; but if i'd stayed to the far right i would have been in the wrong place when i was ready to turn left 300 feet ahead.

[onimity]

Exactly Mimi.

On my commute home I encounter something very similar... one lane + bike lane splits into 2 lanes + bike lane. The split is at a light at the top of a steep hill, I turn left just before the bottom. I've started taking the left-most traffic lane at the light and staying in it until I turn. I am usually close to the 35MPH speed limit when I do that, & the cars are at similar speeds due to a light just beyond my turn. No one ever honks, & only rarely do I actually get passed.

BUT, when I used to try to cross over from the bike lane I always found it scary & difficult to see the traffic in the other 2 lanes (even with a mirror; it is a steep hill) and often I would have to come to a complete stop & wait. I got honked at *a lot* crossing the 2 traffic lanes, I think it surprised cars even though I did signal and allow for adequate space. Plus, I had to go slowly down the hill which meant that bikes going through passed me.

I used to think that since there was a bike lane I should use it, but I've found that it's easier for me and the cars I share the road with to take the left lane on that stretch of road...

Anne

[OakLeaf]

There's a difference between blowing a light or stop sign, versus doing a California stop (roll-through).

When the intersection has good visibility, two-wheeled vehicles are safer rolling through. Why? We are dynamically stable but statically unstable. As soon as we come to a complete stop and put that foot down, our world of options shrinks dramatically. If something's coming toward us, there's nothing we can do but lurch forward, slowly. Not zip out of the way, not swerve to one side or the other. (Not sure whether that's true when doing a track stand... since I have never been able to do one )

Cops will ticket us for California stops. Per the letter of the law, in most jurisdictions they're right, and I never argue with a ticket that I deserved (not that I've had any on the velo, touch wood). But I don't hesitate (for example) to exceed the speed limit in my car when *not* speeding puts me at risk of being rear-ended, and the same is true of rolling through stoplights at less than walking speed on my moto or velo. Sometimes I'll drag a toe for the sake of appearances.

When a whole group goes through a light rather than get separated, that's a little tougher. IMO they've got to take their cue from the cross traffic. If the pack is pretty tight, drivers will almost always yield to us and let us take the light. But if not, you're right, once the light's turned red, someone in that pack needs to take the responsibility to stop and split the pack.... and if the only people with maps are in the lead pack, *they* have the responsibility to take it easy until the rest can catch back up.

[boy in a kilt]

There are safety precautions that, should you choose to ignore, Evolution will probable take over quite soon. When a cop asks how much you've had to drink, the right answer is not "A sh**load." Riding in the dark with no lights of any sort probably puts you at the head of this line too.

At the other extreme, there are precautions people take for events that are highly unlikely. Someone once asked me what plan I had if an earthquake happened while I happened to be climbing a steep pitch of rock. The answer is I don't even think about it because if that happens, god is mad at me personally.

The key is what category one chooses to put things in. I'm starting to think that the precautions one takes while riding a bike is somehow related to one's tolerance for chaos.

The hypothesis isn't very mature yet.

[KnottedYet]

I had a very odd group cycling and stop sign experience.

There was a group of about 4 of us riding fairly spread out (over maybe a block). We came to a 4 way stop. The cars saw bikes coming and ALL held still even though they had right of way. The ride leader blew thru the stop sign, didn't even slow.

The cars held still.

Rider #2 blew thru.

The cars held still.

Rider #3 blew thru.

The cars held still.

Here comes Knot.... STOPS as the law REQUIRES at the STOP SIGN.
Smiles and waves at all the very patient and kind cars.

Counts 3 cars going 3 ways, then it's Knot's turn to go thru the intersection.
Smiles and waves and mouths "Thank you" at the 3 new cars waiting their turn and goes thru the intersection legally.

Ride leader decides Knot must be scared of cars, and drops back to give a pep talk about fear of traffic.

Uh, no... just following the law!

Now, if we'd stopped at the stop sign and tightened up our group, I would have felt that all 4 of us should go thru at once when it was our turn. But we were spread out. And the ride leader didn't even stop at the sign.

[Mr. Bloom]

Knotted, you did the absolute right thing.

I still continue to:

• stop at stops where there are cars
• nod a "thank you" to the cars as I pass through

I continue to be amazed by the IU students that blow through stops, don't wear helmets, ride on sidewalks, ride with dogs in their lap (or on a leash)...hmmm....these kids are the future of America!

[Aint Doody]

We have one lady in our group when we do group rides that rides about the same speed as I do. Consequently I'm more often than not riding with her. What she does that absolutely unglues me is ride almost on top of the center line. I've spoken to her about it; I've fussed at her about it. Others in our club have commented to her about this. She continues to do this.

Last week-end we were on a country road and there she was on the yellow line as we approached a blind curve in the road. There was a truck coming in the opposite direction also on the yellow line. I yelled. After we got past all this, I told her again that I did not want to have to scrape her up off the pavement. She admitted that she'd had a close call. Her rationale is that she doesn't want to ride too close to the edge because she might get a flat. I've asked her how long she's had this bicycle and how many flats she's had--in 4 years she's had 2 flats! I've had that many flats in an hour.

I've also explained that our laws in OR say that a cyclist must ride as far to the right as practical. I don't know....maybe she has a death wish. Any suggestions? I really like her and enjoy her company when she's not scaring the doo-doo out of me.