Experienced city cyclists, do you hang back at junctions

[Saundie]

For me it depends on a few things.

How easy can I get to the asl/front?
How safely can I do it?
When are the lights going to change?
What escape routes do I have?
How will I re-join the traffic?

If I can do it then I will, unless I know the lights will not change then I don't filter into asl's but go behind the 1st or 2nd vehicle in the queue.

I see plenty of cyclists taking unnecessary risks everyday. Hence my silly cyclists series.

This is pretty much the mental check-list I run through as I approach a set of lights. More often than not it seems as though it'll be too difficult\dangerous to filter through the traffic, so I'll hang back. Thankfully I don't have many buses or HGVs on my route so it's usually pretty easy to read the situation as I am usually able to see over all the other vehicles.

 

[DrSquirrel]

I've had to actually get to work on time this week so have been cycling in the middle of rush hour in London (8-8.45 rather than my normal 8.45 - 9.20). The last couple of days I've been horrified by the bad cycling I've seen. People mounting pavements at speed, no observation or signalling before lane changes, and most annoyingly lemming-like lunges to make it to the ASL at lights.

One man who cut me up with a snarl even got a slow handclap as I passed him on a straight for the third time.

I've always been a fan of hanging back in primary in the trafffic at busy intersections. Is this something London city cycling old hands recommend?

It's my second autumn of cycling and I actually can't wait to see some of the summer mob eff off for winter.

Well if you mix filtering(saftely) to the ASL and your apparent speed - you will be making much more progress.

Most of the time its "because I can" regardless of if its legal or safe.

 

[jonny jeez]

Its not a London thing, its the same in most busy city environments.
I just do whatever makes sense at the time. I think it's too risky to ride with a fixed or inflexible strategy.

However, on the whole, I tend to hang back as I often dislike the lack of space offered by the ASZ (and all the jostling taht goes with it)

 

[MacB]

However, on the whole, I tend to hang back as I often dislike the lack of space offered by the ASZ (and all the jostling taht goes with it)

With your temper that's probably quite wise

 

[Bromptonaut]

I'll do whatever seems sensible at the time, but certainly don't understand the Must get to the ASL at all costs mentality that some cyclists seem to have. If there's not room and time enough to comfortably reach the ASL, I'll happily sit in primary two or three cars back in the queue of traffic.

Pretty much the same as Ben. New ASL boxes at junction of Gordon St/Melton St with Euston Rd are quite good. Particularly useful northbound where there can be a bit of a bunfight between traffic continuing onto Melton St and that going west towards Marylebone.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Depends on:

1) How many vehicles are between me and the junction.
2) How long before the lights are likely to change and how many vehicles will get through on the next green.
3) How safe it is to filter (whether oncoming traffic, vehicles trying to change lanes, or HGVs/buses indicating left in the rare cases I might filter on the left).
4) Whether there is an ASL

Normally if there are only a few cars in front of me I will hang back since they will be impatient to overtake me once I get past the junction. If there is a bigger queue of traffic then I will usually filter if safe on the right or between two lanes and then try to slot back in near the front or get to the ASL. You have to be careful if the lights turn green while you are filtering but I figure it is worth it if I am able to conserve momentum or get through the junction one or more light sequence(s) earlier.

 

[fossyant]

Well, the standard of cycling has hit rock bottom along Oxford Road in Manchester...OMG - students are back. Add students wobbling on bikes, road works and lots of busses, I am really surprised non of them have been run over yet. You get riders who actually don't know what's happening arround them, and wobble off in front of busses in their own world, to those that are jumping red lights, scattering folk, on-off pavements......

As for ASL's - depends upon traffic, how easy it is to get to it, or if it's actually better to hang back and stick with the traffic flow.

 

[scouserinlondon]

Well if you mix filtering(saftely) to the ASL and your apparent speed - you will be making much more progress.

Most of the time its "because I can" regardless of if its legal or safe.

Oh I do filter, I was just amazed at the aggressive and short sighted 'must get to the front' mentality of people this monring. At the junction between Lambeth Road and Kennington Road it was mental. I tucked in behind a taxi and drafted him to the lights at lambeth north with smugness abound as I passed everybody other than the team kitted hardknock on a blue fixie.

 

[Moodyman]

I hang back if there's no significant benefit by going into the ASL.

I'll filter if there's more than 5/6 cars.

No hard and fast rules, except good risk assessment.

Certainly don't RLJ or hop onto the pavement.

 

[BSRU]

This morning I watched in amazement as a "cyclist" entered a 4 lane 40mph RAB using an almost blind exit from the RAB, weave, the wrong way around the RAB, in between cars on the RAB stopped because of a red light, then finally coming from the wrong direction cut across the 4 lanes to the exit they wanted. It actually would have been faster for him to use the RAB the correct way, so I do not understand what he thought he was gaining.

 

[Davidc]

Not quite what the OP was asking, but relevant. Why is everyone in such a tearing hurry on the roads, and why are they so agressive? It applies to everyone, motor vehicle drivers, cyclists, pedestrians are all the same.

Being in a tearing hurrry, and the behaviour that goes with it doesn't actually get anyone where they're going any sooner (at least not in a city or town), and being agressive often causes reactions from others that slow everyone down. The expression "more haste, less speed" often applies.

The agression thing seems to spread a lot further than just the roads too. It's always been around but seems to have got worse in the past decade.

 

[dellzeqq]

I've had to actually get to work on time this week so have been cycling in the middle of rush hour in London (8-8.45 rather than my normal 8.45 - 9.20). The last couple of days I've been horrified by the bad cycling I've seen. People mounting pavements at speed, no observation or signalling before lane changes, and most annoyingly lemming-like lunges to make it to the ASL at lights.

One man who cut me up with a snarl even got a slow handclap as I passed him on a straight for the third time.

I've always been a fan of hanging back in primary in the trafffic at busy intersections. Is this something London city cycling old hands recommend?

It's my second autumn of cycling and I actually can't wait to see some of the summer mob eff off for winter.

yes. And I've been cycling round this town for forty years

 

[Dan B]

I'll do whatever seems sensible at the time, but certainly don't understand the Must get to the ASL at all costs mentality that some cyclists seem to have. If there's not room and time enough to comfortably reach the ASL, I'll happily sit in primary two or three cars back in the queue of traffic.

I got beeped by a minicab once, waiting in primary in a queue of traffic. When I asked what the problem was, he claimed that by stopping where I was instead of filtering I had forced him to stop behind me in a box junction for which he might get a fine. Now it's been a few years since I passed my driving test, but I'd always understood the idea was that you enter the junction when you can see the exit is clear, not just when you think you can make s space for yourself by beeping the vehicle on the other side until it magically disappears

 

[davefb]

I got beeped by a minicab once, waiting in primary in a queue of traffic. When I asked what the problem was, he claimed that by stopping where I was instead of filtering I had forced him to stop behind me in a box junction for which he might get a fine. Now it's been a few years since I passed my driving test, but I'd always understood the idea was that you enter the junction when you can see the exit is clear, not just when you think you can make s space for yourself by beeping the vehicle on the other side until it magically disappears

ahh, you havent seen the special taxi driver version of the highway code..

i'm guessing you replied 'and?'



[edit]
i've tried a few approaches ( dont filter, always filter to ASL), but am prefering the 'hang back' (say, goto 3 or 4 cars back) unless its easy to get to the ASL . Mainly because i dont want to be creaping down the side when the lights change , i'd rather be with the cars a few back that aren't so eager to set off quickly.... you also notice a lot of indicators magically come on as drivers see you filtering ..

 

[dave_london]

I'm pretty used to my route and know the junctions very well, so I try to get to the front so that I can cross when it's safe. Obviously if there is a queue or I know I won't make it b4 the lights go green, I'll hang back. My biggest pet peeve though is when u overtake someone who is going SOOOOO slowly, like some old or fat person; you stop at the traffic lights at the ASL, then that person just goes around you to stop 1 metre in front. I mean WHY? They know they are slow as **** and yet they force you to overtake them again. My worst example is when a guy stopped in front of me 3 traffic lights in a row after overtaking him each time. I felt like pushing the bugger off his bike.