Riding in traffic - good little video clip

[Lesley_x]

Great video (even if it's on the wrong side of the road for me!)

I definitely struggled with this at first because I felt like I wanted to cause as little hassle to drivers as possible, to avoid annoying them. But I soon realised that riding aggressively is a lot safer.

[Marionette]

I became a more assertive rider when I began commuting on my bike, but I didn't realize all the good reasons for doing so. This video really brings it home! Thanks.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes, this is how I always ride when approaching intersections.
I don't consider it aggressive riding, it's more 'pro-active' or defensive riding.
Lots of visibility, lots of hand signals, and don't create dangerous 'squeeze-through lanes' for cars by hugging the curb. I do ride on the shoulder if there is no intersection and there's room and no hazards there. I try to be considerate and let all drivers know my intentions.

[schnitzle]

Wow such a good illustration! I've yet to ride my bike on a busy street and had no idea I shouldn't keep as far right as possible Thanks!

[emily_in_nc]

Excellent video! We're doing more "urban" riding now since we've moved to town from out in the county recently, and we enjoy rides to the local farmer's market and other shops in town. There are bike trails and lanes on part of the way, but certainly not all, so we're having to ride in a lot more traffic/busy streets than we have in the past. I tend to ride a lot more defensively than DH but also tend to hug the right more than he does, so we both need to work on our city biking skills....

[Marionette]

Since I first watched this video a few weeks ago, I've been riding even more assertively than before, and it really works! One thing surprised me: drivers don't honk at me when I'm in front of them. I thought they would. But I think people in California just don't want to honk their horns. They seem to think it's mean. On the East Coast, where I used to live, they do so a lot more than here.