People on bikes

[J-HO]

Well obviously the driver didn't do the right thing there but why were you in the right lane? Were you going to turn right? If not, you would've been better off on the left I would've thought.

I was turning right but my turn is about three hundred yards ahead, maybe I should have took the left lane then moved across further ahead?

The right lane is usually empty with the left lane being the busier lane, so I'm unikley to hold any cars up.

 

[JamesAC]

Question from a POB.....

Done my first ever commute yesterday, all went well except one minor incident. I turned right into a one way street with two lanes.
I normally drive that way and always use the right hand lane, so I did with the bike too.
A guy in his car next to me in the left lane decided to enter the car park on our right and moved across without looking and nearly took me off.
I was slightly annoyed but I started thinking maybe I was in the wrong place on the road.

Opinions please and maybe I'll become a cyclist

It sounds as if you were in the correct lane. You have to be aware, all the time, of potential threats to your safety. So, you've seen a turning to the right (a car park). A car moves up on your left. Cover your brakes. If you can, make eye contact with the driver. Slow down, and assume (s)he will turn across you. Many car drivers (in my experience) forget about, or have no awareness of, other road users who are not in the 2 sq m directly in front of their bonnet. Once their head has passed a hazard (you, for example) they assume it's ok to turn; they've forgotten about several yards of car behind them.

 

[hackbike 666]

Opinions please and maybe I'll become a cyclist

So long as you are on a bike you are a cyclist IMHO.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I was turning right but my turn is about three hundred yards ahead, maybe I should have took the left lane then moved across further ahead?

The right lane is usually empty with the left lane being the busier lane, so I'm unikley to hold any cars up.

A cyclist replies: Yes, you were in the correct lane - assuming you were making reasonable progress of course (cue all kinds of debate about what constitutes "reasonable progress", I'd just say use common sense)

A driver replies: You were in the wrong lane. You must ride in the left of the road, then pull over and STOP at the left side of the road when you reach your turning, WAIT until traffic is clear, then make your turn


(I do believe that that is honestly what most car drivers think is the correct procedure for turning right on a bicycle)

 

[J-HO]

I'm standing my ground on this one then. I was right

 

[BigSteev]

+1
Unless cycling lessons become mandatory inexperienced cyclists are going to make mistakes.

I'm unaware of any law that prevents you from taking cycle training voluntarily.

 

[jujubi]

To me, there are two groups of misbehaving cyclists: Those that just don't know any better (and unfortunately I still fall into this group often enough), and those that know what they're doing but think the rules don't apply to them.

Lots of cycle sites advertise free training sessions organised by local councils etc. Contacted my council as they were supposed to have such a programme. Couldn't reach anybody who knew anything, and nobody ever got back to me about it. Is this common?

 

[HaloJ]

The cycling training being voluntary is all good and for the better I feel. I'd rather that than enforced training and registration of bicycle/rider.

I do feel that poor cycling begets poor cycling, the lemming effect. This morning I was stood on the pedals in primary slowly cycling behind a cab that was indicating to turn left. The van front of the cab was indicating left also. Two bikes came filtering fast up the inside and down the side of the vehicles. As they were going down the inside of the cab the van starts to turn, the cab was close and they had no where to go. There is no need for such impaticience and it's not just cyclists who are poor road users. Car RLJing and speeding got to such a stage that it is curtailed by cameras and even average speed monitoring, mobile phone use (if they get caught) gets you a fine and points. That's legislation and monitoring to help enforcement and I'd really rather never see this for cyclists but with continued poor road use could we see more parties jumping to the same insane conclusions that UKIP have?

Anyway, I once more apologise for my poor labelling of other cyclists.

 

[redjedi]

I'm standing my ground on this one then. I was right

It sounds like you did the right thing. You'll soon learn to look out for other vehicles trying to turn across your path and cover your brakes until you know they will not.

It is nice to see more cyclists out now, but disappointing to see all the red light jumping and pavement riding, but we all have to start somewhere.

 

[BentMikey]

Not at all HaloJ, you're fine.

I'm super happy that there are more cyclists out there, more wobblers and dodgy riding is far far better for the rest of us than fewer good cyclists. Like you I'd of course prefer they all rode well most of the time.

 

[jonny jeez]

It sounds like you did the right thing. You'll soon learn to look out for other vehicles trying to turn across your path and cover your brakes until you know they will not.

It is nice to see more cyclists out now, but disappointing to see all the red light jumping and pavement riding, but we all have to start somewhere.

I'm not so sure...300 yards is a heck of a distance to be "exposed" and, if turnings exist (or entrances to car parks) on the right along that 300 yards, then even more so...I think the left would be more sensible a position...sorry J-Ho.

I turn into a one way street at the bottom of the old kent road that has two lanes ( in fact three if you count the bus lane) and all the traffic goes right at the end (after about 300 yards), I always take the left along there (or the edge of the bus lane)

here

 

[jonny jeez]

Let's just hope this year's new wave of cyclists to be survive for long enough to learn road craft. We all start somewhere, after all, and none of us are done learning yet.

Seen some awful positioning out there on the morning commutes. Scares the hell out of me, and I *know* I was no better when I started.

+1

 

[BentMikey]

J-HO, got a google streetview link for your problem junction?

 

[BentMikey]

p.s. sorry I came across so harshly HaloJ, not intended.

 

[HaloJ]

p.s. sorry I came across so harshly HaloJ, not intended.

It wasn't you.

I was very embarrassed and realised how harsh I'd been when J-HO posted "Question from a POB....."