Signalling

Headhuunter

Borough HS! Now there's a shocking road! Loadsa traffic lights, crazy traffic, potholes, pedestrians wondering into the road - it's got 'em all. A veritable maelstrom of obstacles and accidents waiting to happen. I cling on for dear life - stuff signalling, a quiet village lane it most certainly ain't! Actually these days I tend to avoid altogether and turn off up Tower Bridge Rd from the Bricklayers Arms junction, then shoot down Bermondsey Street (past the Woolpack), under the railway and left on Tooley St, then right onto London Bridge. It's much more pleasant and not noticeably further....

brushed

Headhuunter wrote:

In that sort of situation I tend to try to get myself as near as possible to the same speed as the motor traffic then "take the lane"/block motorists whilst signalling left (if it's safe to do so). It's one of those situations you have to take a more assertive road position to be safe.

I think one of the tricks to safer cycling is to be able to move through the traffic assertively without causing ripples in the general flow of movement like water flowing ie not forcing other road users to make drastic changes to their own flow.

This works if you are able to maintain the same general speed as the motorised traffic
such as in city centres but is less successful where the general speed of motor vehicles is higher.

It also works when all road users are courteous and show a degree of patience.

A rare scenario you are all thinking. :roll:

beverick

gtvlusso wrote:

I only signal in SS7.....!

Are you taking the PSTN.....

Bob

Christophe3967

brushed wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

In that sort of situation I tend to try to get myself as near as possible to the same speed as the motor traffic then "take the lane"/block motorists whilst signalling left (if it's safe to do so). It's one of those situations you have to take a more assertive road position to be safe.

I think one of the tricks to safer cycling is to be able to move through the traffic assertively without causing ripples in the general flow of movement like water flowing ie not forcing other road users to make drastic changes to their own flow.

This works if you are able to maintain the same general speed as the motorised traffic
such as in city centres but is less successful where the general speed of motor vehicles is higher.

It also works when all road users are courteous and show a degree of patience.

A rare scenario you are all thinking. :roll:

Absolutely - its actually pretty easy to blend in with the traffic in London, where, IME, the vast majority of drivers are in fact considerate and aware of cyclists.

Headhuunter

Christophe3967 wrote:

brushed wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

In that sort of situation I tend to try to get myself as near as possible to the same speed as the motor traffic then "take the lane"/block motorists whilst signalling left (if it's safe to do so). It's one of those situations you have to take a more assertive road position to be safe.

I think one of the tricks to safer cycling is to be able to move through the traffic assertively without causing ripples in the general flow of movement like water flowing ie not forcing other road users to make drastic changes to their own flow.

This works if you are able to maintain the same general speed as the motorised traffic
such as in city centres but is less successful where the general speed of motor vehicles is higher.

It also works when all road users are courteous and show a degree of patience.

A rare scenario you are all thinking. :roll:

Absolutely - its actually pretty easy to blend in with the traffic in London, where, IME, the vast majority of drivers are in fact considerate and aware of cyclists.

I must admit, I find most drivers are fine and traffic speed during rush hour is generally so slow you can move seamlessly between cars, overtaking and dropping back when necessary. Certainly you're unlikely to be involved in a high speed smash. In fact I'd go so far as saying that the average cycling speed is probably higher than the average motorists speed.

beverick

nation wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

OK - example from this morning - I'm in a one way street right hand lane and signalling right - Nissan Micro tries to overtake me on the left as I turn not realising that I'm about to turn left into another road - if I hadn't signalled left she would have had no warning as I turned across her - as it was she had to slam on her brakes sharpish

I'm having trouble picturing this. So it's a two lane one way street, you turned right from the right hand lane, then there's another junction on the street you turned into (at which you were turning left) immediately afterwards?

Difficult to say without knowing the layout and specific conditions but it does sound as if you were too far to the right on approach to the junction on the one way street. Closer to what I assume is the centre of the road (nb not lane) may have stopped the near-side overtake.

Also, as you sound to have effectively been going straight on at a staggered junction indicating at the first junction may have been the wrong thing to do.

Was the Micro driver in the same lane as you or the lane to your left?
is either lane in the one way street marked for a specific turn (ie left from lane 1, right from lane2?
How many lanes were you turning into on the new road in your direction?

Bob

Jay dubbleU

OK - I'll try and make this as clear as I can - set off from the lights in the right hand lane of a two lane one way street. No road markings. I signalled about 20m from the corner and turned right - at the same time I was aware that the Micro was trying to pass me on the left even though the road was considerably narrower after the turn. At this point I was going at the same speed as the Micro but slightly in front - I signalled left and crossed to the left side of the road causing the Micro to brake - the other road is a single lane

kieronymous

So in a nutshell, Ms Patience is trying to undertake you. Whilst turning. Thereby stopping you from returning to secondary position.

Genius.

Jay dubbleU

kieronymous wrote:

So in a nutshell, Ms Patience is trying to undertake you. Whilst turning. Thereby stopping you from returning to secondary position.

Genius.

Oh Yes :roll:

lost_in_thought

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car. Changing lanes, leaving roundabouts, turning left, turning right, pulling over etc etc. I also shoulder check a lot, even when not 'manoeuvreing', just to see what the traffic behind me is like.

The only thing I don't tend to signal for is going through stopped or extremely slow-moving traffic.

I have to say, it seems that in London, drivers give you space and treat you considerately once they know where you're going, and it's only courteous to let them know rather than force them to read your head movements etc.

If I feel that the road surface is making it tricky for me to signal and balance, I slow down and signal.

always_tyred

lost_in_thought wrote:

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car.

Funny, its not exactly rocket science when you put it like that, is it?

brushed

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car.

Funny, its not exactly rocket science when you put it like that, is it?

Hit the nail on the head - a bicycle is a road vehicle when used on the road - alot of people have failed to grasp this concept

Eat My Dust

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car.

Funny, its not exactly rocket science when you put it like that, is it?

Well for a lot of people that would be very little signaling at all then, wouldn't it!

always_tyred

Eat My Dust wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car.

Funny, its not exactly rocket science when you put it like that, is it?

Well for a lot of people that would be very little signaling at all then, wouldn't it!

As evidenced by this thread.

The Chingford Skinhead

brushed wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car.

Funny, its not exactly rocket science when you put it like that, is it?

Hit the nail on the head - a bicycle is a road vehicle when used on the road - alot of people have failed to grasp this concept

Except of course that bicycles are vulnerable road vehicles which require them to occassionally behave differently. People who have indicated - pardon the pun - that they don't always signal left have given bike specific reasons. Let me recap

- most vehicles have the stability of four wheels, good suspension and you can indicate with both hands on the steering wheel. Therefore road humps or pot holes / rough surfaces before a junction are not going to potentially throw them to the floor. Not so on a bike

- car drivers indicating left rarely find that the car behind will suddenly accelerate to pass them and will never find the car behind try to beat them around the corner itself. Again, not so on a bike.

I signal left when I judge it is safe to do so, to do anything different is suicidal The cyclecraft guru agrees and that is good enough for me

onebravemonkey

Drives me absolutely bonkers when people fail to indicate whilst driving... so, I wouldn't think about not doing the same whilst on my bike.

Other than the pretty evident safety aspect, I feel it's a common courtesy to let other road users know what you're doing, even if you think it's obvious.

peachos

when i signal i use an open plam and a quick glance at the driver. try to be as assertive as possible and they generally slow down. i dont have any probs moving across 3 lanes of busy traffic to turn right and the roads up in manchester are terrible for holes. oh, and i only have one brake which is currently located on the right of my bars - still dont find it a problem as long as you plan and make sure others are aware of what you are doing.

i signal for everything...except RLJing. but that's a different story

Jay dubbleU

brushed wrote:

Always Tyred wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I signal a lot, for pretty much everything I'd signal for in a car.

Funny, its not exactly rocket science when you put it like that, is it?

Hit the nail on the head - a bicycle is a road vehicle when used on the road - alot of people have failed to grasp this concept

+1

onebravemonkey

peachos wrote:

i signal for everything...except RLJing. but that's a different story

I think "single-digit, raised aloft" is the most suitable signal as you RLJ.

Spinner28

I suppose you could apply the same to RLJing. How many riders sail through red lights at busy junctions? Well I see quite a lot doing it actually. When one irate rider who got stuck behind me once at a red light(couldn't get past cos I was right at the side of a bus) said to me that us cyclists don't have to stop at red lights, I replied that we're all part of the traffic, not peds on wheels & that traffic laws are there for a reason & apply to us all so the traffic runs smoothly & safely. His reply was that we don't have to stop at red lights & can break traffic laws etc. This, according to him, is because we can't be traced like motorists can be if we break the laws of the road & so fined etc. So that's ok then.

So do the majority of us not just go & murder people we don't like or steal things that we want because we're worried about getting caught? Or do we not murder or steal, because we genuinly belive that murdering people & taking whatever we want is wrong & don't wish to break the laws of the land which are there for the benefit of us all to keep us all in a some kind of a civilised society?!!! Same principle!