Etiquette at traffic lights

Cyclegent · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BentMikey

What's wrong with going out further right in the lane? That way you'll be in the right position with a clear run to overtake them, as most cyclists don't dare (don'dare, LOL?) to ride that far out.

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Agreed. If you stop (as Cyclecraft suggests) in primary behind the second car in the queue, you'll be able to comfortably overtake all the gutter-huggers and move back to secondary before the cars behind you get impatient. Most cyclists assume that the further they get ahead in the queue, the faster they'll go, which isn't true.

'Cycling in Amsterdam.is not a movement, a cause, or a culture.It's a daily mode of transportation. People don't dress special to ride their bike any more than we dress special to drive our car... In the entire 1600 photographs that I took, there were only three people in "bike gear" and wearing helmets.' Laura Domala, cycling photographer.

jakob_s · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Cyclegent Most cyclists assume that the further they get ahead in the queue, the faster they'll go, which isn't true.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why is that not true? (It's the opposite of my experiences).

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Cab · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Rob McIvor

Am I the only person who gets fed up with people who ride up behind and then squeeze past me when I'm already waiting at traffic lights and then set off really slowly, blocking the road so I can't overtake them? Had some twit do this to me on the approach to Tower Bridge last night and I was stuck behind him all the way across. What's the etiquette here? Is it so hard for them to understand that they should line up behind the first person to arrive at the lights, or alongside them only if there is space?
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No, you're not the only one. They're inconsiderate morons.

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domtyler · June 2007

I have just realised why this issue has never affected me and that is because I always filter on the right rather than slithering up the gutter.

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dondare · June 2007

Wouldn't filtering on the right be overtaking?

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domtyler · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dondare
Wouldn't filtering on the right be overtaking?

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Not at all, according to the OED the definition of filtering is slipping through stationary traffic to the left or right.

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jonnywilkinson · June 2007

yeah, stick to the right and avoid all the hassle. simple.

Jonny
FGG #2545 & #2983

BentMikey · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jakob_s

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Cyclegent Most cyclists assume that the further they get ahead in the queue, the faster they'll go, which isn't true.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why is that not true? (It's the opposite of my experiences).
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Jakob is right, you should have seen how many hundreds of cyclists we passed yesterday simply by getting to the front at each stop. Being on skates leaves us plenty of room to manoeuvre, unlike the cyclists.

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If I had a baby elephant, I'd teach it to skate.

Tynancp · June 2007

filtering on the right can be a tad tricky I do it all the time) if the traffic moves off before you get there and the traffic to the left isn't aware of you, ok if there's room at the front and you get there, and the car at the front plays ball

and some fat arse on a motorbike is liable to be blocking the channel sometimes

tackle every junction on it's merits init, half the fun, I love it an never understand the people creeping around the cycle routes on back streets

spoke to someone that does that to get to Finsbury Park 7 miles away and gives me disbelieving looks when I recommend the main roads

7.5 miles in 40 minutes, I got home on Friday in less than that over 12.5 miles, like the clappers admittedly

Cab · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by domtyler

I have just realised why this issue has never affected me and that is because I always filter on the right rather than slithering up the gutter.
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I do whichever is appropriate, sometimes right, sometimes left. And whichever I choose, I still get muppets going out in front of me (and the white line) while I'm waiting at a red light. And, invariably, they're in the way within 20 yards of setting off. Theres just no need for it, if I can be polite enough to queue then so can they.

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richteacp · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BentMikey

What's wrong with going out further right in the lane? That way you'll be in the right position with a clear run to overtake them, as most cyclists don't dare (don'dare, LOL?) to ride that far out.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yep, exactly what I do, or just holding primary a few cars back - you can avoid the peloton/scrum in the gutter without any hassle at all.

I mean this is obvious anyway, surely! [xx(]

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Cab · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by richtea
Yep, exactly what I do, or just holding primary a few cars back - you can avoid the peloton/scrum in the gutter without any hassle at all.

I mean this is obvious anyway, surely! [xx(]
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This morning, I got to a junction with ASLs on all four ways leading to it. Got there first, took the middle of the box.

Next cyclist waits to my left, the next one to my right, then another three arrive, two of them waiting right in front of me, i.e. past the box, in front of the white line, and the third goes on to the pavement to get a head start from the pedestrian crossing.

Lights changed, the two cyclists in front of me got going early, and had the two cars behind me not been turning right rather than going straight on, likely as not I'd have been stuck behind these muppets.

The worst case scenario is that you're stuck behind a slow-coach cyclist or three and the car behind makes a dash to try to overtake you all at once, so you have to claim a strong primary position and wait for safe opportunity to pass. To the car behind that looks like you're holding him up by needlessly riding two or three abreast.

If its just the odd cyclist doing that to you its a little irritating. Here in Cambridge you can end up behind a whole crowd of plodders who RLJ to wait in front of you at the lights.

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Ant Evans · June 2007

You have to outthink these people. Do some road racing. That will sharpen up your tactics.

Calm is an arm.

Etiquette at traffic lights

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