My 1st Hooter

Bhoy1888

I had my 1st hooter yesterday in Farnborough. 2 lanes approaching a roundabout - left goes left only and right is for straight on. It was a little bit busy but then there was a long gap so decided this was the best time for me to make my move over in plenty of time and not to affect others unnecessarily.

Now here is where I am unsure as to whether what I did was right or wrong. To try and reduce the stress on others and myself I moved right over to the right hand side of the right hand lane. Road is separated by a raised kerb. This, I believed, was better for all parties as it allowed motorists to pass.

Now as I was cruising along at about 30mph an irate driver (older gentlemen too) pulled alongside me whilst giving me a damn good 'hooting', at the same time he was gesticulating towards the left. Now I knew I was in the right lane but perhaps I should have just sat in the middle of the lane. Although not in the wrong this would have held people up far more than required.

Anyhoo as he cut in front of me I remained my calm self and hurled some sort of abuse at him - into the wind and through his metal box he was bound to have heard.

I almost caught him in the traffic and each time I got close he managed to scurry away and almost clip a couple of cars in the process.

Was I right or was I wrong in allowing people to pass??

jgsi

I am enjoy reading these threads to pass the time, but as usual you muck it up...

No one CRUISES at 30mph
end of
no seriously
end of

Bhoy1888

So aside from a choice of words to say that I was travelling in a forwards direction causing no distraction to anyone prior to the above mentioned incident. You read that statement as a thread about my speed where it was merely a point of reference to say that I was travelling at a decent speed with traffic.

I don't doubt you when you say no one and you mean no one cruises at 30mph obviously with respect to cycling at my level.
I'll rephrase - I was cycling quite hard to adapt to the road conditions/positioning, I most certainly was not relaxing whilst I cruised along.

Continue to have fun reading these threads.

**Edit** My question still remains regardless of the term 'cruise'. The question is very much a genuine one I as I will be hitting this stretch of road more regularly in order to get to some good riding in. I ask the question so that I am, in fact, doing the 'right' thing for my safety or doing the wrong thing as per Highway code etc.

Mikey23

Doesn't seem to be too much of a problem from your account

extrusion

I would have stayed left in right hand lane, or middle if necessary. A bit odd to be fully right, it would invite someone to undertake, which is what happened? Doesn't excuse the beeping though.

butcher of bakersfield

The thing about road position, is that it's all about psychology and how people interpret your position, often on a sub-conscious level.

Stay to the left, and people understand that. It's the road position most of us are familiar with whether you cycle or not.

Take the lane, and you might annoy a few people but you become the flow of the traffic. This can be observed well when driving behind a scooter as they're generally a fair bit faster than bicycles, yet take both assertive and defensive road positions. Those who ride assertively get treated very much like the rest of the traffic, if not a little bit of an inconvenience. Those who ride defensively get treated like they're not there - it's almost as if (because they're being invited) people feel obliged to overtake, regardless of safety. They're no longer traffic, but an obstacle that must be passed.

Ride on the far right, and to be honest, I'd be a bit confused. That's no road position I've ever once seen. And so for that reason I'd also wonder what other odd positions and manoeuvres you might take up. For which reason I may even feel a little threatened by the disorder I see before me. It could even be that this guy thought he was doing a foreigner a favour by directing you to the correct side of the road?

That's not to condone his behaviour. It's wrong. But I think riding on the far right could be genuinely confusing for other road users and taking the lane might be a better option. How long would you hold them up - a few seconds? I'm sure they can live with it.

I would have stayed left in right hand lane, or middle if necessary.

Not sure that's a good idea either. Having people blast past you closely on both sides. People who are getting ready to negotiate a junction, who may be in the wrong lane, reading road signs, switching lanes. People who may not even be aware that you're there...

It goes back to the psychology. You don't expect anyone to be dawdling along in the centre of the road. And you don't always see what you don't expect. Those people are concentrating on the flow of the traffic. If you're not part of the flow of traffic, I reckon it's best to stay well out of the way.

tiredofwhiners

No excuse for the car hooting you, but when turning right at a roundabout with lanes as you describe, I would have gone in the centre of the right hand lane. The roundabout probably isn't big enough for someone to overtake which going round the roundabout so you should have 'controlled' the lane and taken the centre line and the bloke behind can wait his turn - hooter or no.

You possibly placed yourself in a place that the driver behind wonders wtf you were doing, but still no excuse for the hoots.

Bhoy1888

tiredofwhiners wrote:

No excuse for the car hooting you, but when turning right at a roundabout with lanes as you describe, I would have gone in the centre of the right hand lane. The roundabout probably isn't big enough for someone to overtake which going round the roundabout so you should have 'controlled' the lane and taken the centre line and the bloke behind can wait his turn - hooter or no.

You possibly placed yourself in a place that the driver behind wonders wtf you were doing, but still no excuse for the hoots.

I was heading straight on at the roundabout, the right hand lane was the designated lane for straight on. Only 2 exits + coming back on yourself if that makes sense. I did move into the centre as I got closer but the initial move was to get over in plenty of time. Perhaps next time it'll be take the lane and go for it. I was trying to be reasonably considerate but hey ho.

extrusion wrote:

I would have stayed left in right hand lane, or middle if necessary. A bit odd to be fully right, it would invite someone to undertake, which is what happened? Doesn't excuse the beeping though.

Middle of right yes, left of right lane not for me - I would be in danger of holding up 2 lanes of traffic. I was encouraging the 'undertaking' to allow the flow of traffic. It's a long distance when the split starts, saw a safe gap and moved over. I know what it'll be in the future, funnily enough the driver was held up only by his own rage, had I been in the middle of the lane he would have been held up for some time. :roll:

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

The thing about road position, is that it's all about psychology and how people interpret your position, often on a sub-conscious level.


Stay to the left, and people understand that. It's the road position most of us are familiar with whether you cycle or not.

Take the lane, and you might annoy a few people but you become the flow of the traffic. This can be observed well when driving behind a scooter as they're generally a fair bit faster than bicycles, yet take both assertive and defensive road positions. Those who ride assertively get treated very much like the rest of the traffic, if not a little bit of an inconvenience. Those who ride defensively get treated like they're not there - it's almost as if (because they're being invited) people feel obliged to overtake, regardless of safety. They're no longer traffic, but an obstacle that must be passed.

Ride on the far right, and to be honest, I'd be a bit confused. That's no road position I've ever once seen. And so for that reason I'd also wonder what other odd positions and manoeuvres you might take up. For which reason I may even feel a little threatened by the disorder I see before me. It could even be that this guy thought he was doing a foreigner a favour by directing you to the correct side of the road?

Only reason I went to the right was due to the width of the lane. By being right I thought it would allow traffic to flow. I can see the initial confusion but the guy was indicating that I should have been in the left lane, I would have been in the left lane if I intended to go left.

That's not to condone his behaviour. It's wrong. But I think riding on the far right could be genuinely confusing for other road users and taking the lane might be a better option. How long would you hold them up - a few seconds? I'm sure they can live with it.

Due to the nature of the road layout it would have been a bit longer but I see your point. Ordinarily I would stay in the middle and from now on that's what it'll be.

I would have stayed left in right hand lane, or middle if necessary.

Not sure that's a good idea either. Having people blast past you closely on both sides. People who are getting ready to negotiate a junction, who may be in the wrong lane, reading road signs, switching lanes. People who may not even be aware that you're there...

It goes back to the psychology. You don't expect anyone to be dawdling along in the centre of the road. And you don't always see what you don't expect. Those people are concentrating on the flow of the traffic. If you're not part of the flow of traffic, I reckon it's best to stay well out of the way.

The main reason for being over to the right was that the lanes were quite wide so I thought it would be easier all round. The bloke could have remained in the same lane as me and given me plenty of room, I was working on the theory it was like being on the normal side of the road. I do see how it could have been confusing - sort of.

Lesson learned, moved on and ready for tomorrows ride.

Anyway, it was a good ride overall and saw a good number of riders. Even gave some a confirmation nod or an attempted wave and most reciprocated.

nickellis

There is a section of road just past the Oval in Saaath London (it's part of the whole Vauxhall one-way system, where I cycle in the right hand of the third lane.

The road hits a bend and a set of lights and the bus lane to cut across the system is on the right. If I stayed left until the bend I'd have zero chance of getting to the bus lane as the road expands to five or six lanes.

OP did the right thing by getting in the lane, but the lane positioning was a bit iffy, as said above, it invites undertaking. OWN THE LANE!