Road skills - do you signal left turns?

[BentMikey]

Shame I didn't have a helmet cam on tonight mikey I had a bendy bus overtake and cut right in front of me to get to the bus stop.Of course when a bus overtakes me I almost always expect that to happen but I reckon it would have turned you on.

Well yeah, obv!! Bus drivers do that enough that it's not unexpected to anyone. I don't get the connection with being a ninja stealth cyclist though? Oh, you mean you were wearing all the hiviz and the bus driver acted as though he didn't see you anyway?

 

[BentMikey]

Interesting catwoman!! If it were me I would consider doing some cone exercises in a quiet park somewhere to fix that problem.

 

[John the Monkey]

Interesting catwoman!! If it were me I would consider doing some cone exercises in a quiet park somewhere to fix that problem.

If you get up early enough, a big supermarket carpark can be handy for that sort of practice (although tbh, the one near me is more or less empty in the overspill carpark around rush hour).

I have some trouble with right signals myself (I can do them easily from the hoods, have more trouble from the drops, and no trouble at all with left turn signals from either) so I've been doing similar practice. I'm trying to teach the nippers too - they do that by lifting one hand from the bars, and holding it up for as long as they feel comfortable. I figure once they're ok with that, we'll move on the making the actual signals.

 

[Cab]

I've never, ever, been 'left-hooked' in the manner described and I always signal left.

I'm glad for you. I've lost track of how many times people have tried to do that to me. Only been hit that way twice, if memory serves. I could be wrong of course, I've had a lot of blows to the head over the years.

I get way less of it if I'm in a good, assertive road position. Still happens on occasion though.

 

[Cab]

Can't all be wrong, I've ridden/driven 2 wheelers for almost 45 years and never yet hit, or been hit by, another road user. Quite a few years of regular commuting from Herts in to Brent and Vauxhall.

I've been tail ended by other road users (two bicycles and a car) while completely static at junctions, and thats just this year. I think that to a great extent your 'hit rate' depends on where you're cycling, some cities seem to be populated by idiots.

 

[domtyler]

some cities seem to be populated by idiots.

Can you tell me which Cities are not populated by idiots as I would like to move there.

 

[John Ponting]

I've been tail ended by other road users (two bicycles and a car) while completely static at junctions, and thats just this year. I think that to a great extent your 'hit rate' depends on where you're cycling, some cities seem to be populated by idiots.

you did miss out the relevant part when you quoted me

More than my fair share of luck as well, I suspect.

However, I also think we make our own luck sometimes. If I'd been tail ended 3 times in less than 12 months I would seriously reconsider my road positioning and visibility.

I'm 16 stone and would do considerable damage to the front of a car so maybe they give me more space

 

[Cab]

Can you tell me which Cities are not populated by idiots as I would like to move there.

Well, I lived in Lancaster for three years, and I found people on the roads there to be (mostly) very courteous. Nottingham wasn't TOO bad. Tyneside was better though, between Lancaster and Nottingham.

Cambridges roads are largely populated by six fingered wierdos, academics and IT consultants. Terrifying.

 

[Cab]

However, I also think we make our own luck sometimes. If I'd been tail ended 3 times in less than 12 months I would seriously reconsider my road positioning and visibility.

Errm... In all three occasions, bright daylight, light coloured clothing (more than amply visible for bright daylight) and primary road position. The heinous crime that got me hit by both cyclists was stopping at a red light. What got me hit by a car was stopping to correctly give way to a cyclist who had priority.

I'm 16 stone and would do considerable damage to the front of a car so maybe they give me more space

The car was only a nudge. What nearly did it a lot of damage was my mood

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Catwoman, just a thought, but if you bend your elbow in a more pronounced way, and have your right forearm pointing forwards you should find it to be a lot more stable.

Good luck though, you seem to have a system that works!

 

[Chuffy]

You do realise that this is wrong, because of all the people that complain about ninja cyclists, they've all seen them, LOL! It's the ones you never saw that you need to worry about.

Yup, usually just at the last minute...