Roundabouts - When not turning left

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jonny jeez

Legendary Member
NigC said:
I think the advice given still stands: Make sure it's safe and move over to the right lane and ensure motorists (and other cyclists) are very clear on the fact that you are not turning left. Be careful not to leave gaps that some less careful drivers may try and use to pass you - i.e. don't give them a gap on your right when approaching and don't give them a gap on your left when preparing to exit.

I think you've nailed it there NigC, I shall be sure to use this strategy on roundabouts in the future.

Just goes to show, a little discussion here can make life much easier, its just one more thing I dont need to "decide" upon when in the heat of the moment.

Thanks
 

CotterPin

Senior Member
Location
London
GregCollins said:
Must be the ex-motorcyclist in me but I like the cut'n'thrust of a roundabout, certainly would not change my route to avoid them. There is something very empowering about claiming your space as a vehicle when on a bike, about riding unapologetically at the speed you choose in that space, and executing your chosen manouvre and to a degree 'bossing' the traffic around you via eye contact, signals and road positioning. I have seen you! You will now maintain your speed and position! I will be accelerating and moving out to the right! I have spotted you trying to creep up the left stop it! etc. etc..

I find if I'm unequivocal in my riding the drivers around me adapt far better than if I ride apologetically,then they bully me.

And another plus one. I used to go round Hyde Park Corner on my commute to work even though I didn't have to as it was so much fun!
 

MartinC

Über Member
Location
Cheltenham
Nig, looking at your roundabout I would normally approach this in the left lane in a strong primary - a meter to the left of the RH lane marking. If I consistently had problems with this I would take secondary in the RH lane - if someone goes straight on in the left lane and won't let you exit left then you can always bale out and go right around the RA again. Not much fun but it leaves you in control.

Unfortunately whatever you do someone will try and overtake you because driving standards in the UK are very poor. All you can do is pick the option that works best most of the time and always make sure you have a plan B for when it goes wrong.

When I lived in Swindon I used to have a RA a bit like this (going staright across the Drakes Way RA going out of town. It was bigger (dual carriageways) and I would usually go across from primary in the second lane from the left (there were 3 or 4 on the approach with the left for traffic going left). I would regularly get cars going into the 3rd lane so that they could overtake and turn left.
 

trsleigh

Well-Known Member
Location
Ealing
BentMikey said:
Hyde Park Corner and Vauxhall Cross gyratory are two highlights of my ride!

Personally I preferred Hyde Park Corner before it was controlled by traffic lights. Then there was much more negotiation & give & take. Now that it's controlled by lights there is much more of a 'I've got green so I'm blasting through' attitude.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
PK99 said:
Bullying? No, the driver did what my mate invited him to do.

the short version....

Please don't blame the victim. Please don't EVER blame the victim.

the long version....

Despite some less than ideal cyclecraft from your mate he issued no such invitation. He may though have been mistakenly identified as 'fair game' and thus a close shave overtaking opportunity by a driver who probably regards 5mm overtakes as an expression of his excellence and great skill as a motorist.

Rather your mate was, oh-so-typically, victimised by yet another "I'm all right so what's your problem?' driver whose driving falls below the required standard and whose actions were almost certainly wilful. Please don't blame the victim. Simple test for the acceptable standard to be expected from any driver; would they have carried out that manoeuvre on their driving test with the examiner in the car? Or when being followed by a traffic car? If not why not?

At some point in the drivers life they most probably will have taken formal training of some sort to obtain their license, they learnt how to do it right. But subliminally they've absorbed many messages that suggest than 'doing it right' is less important than 'getting your own way' especially if the only cost of so doing is to be paid by someone more vulnerable than them. Sounds like bullying to me.
 

benb

Evidence based cyclist
Location
Epsom
GregCollins said:
the short version....

Please don't blame the victim. Please don't EVER blame the victim.

the long version....

Despite some less than ideal cyclecraft from your mate he issued no such invitation. He may though have been mistakenly identified as 'fair game' and thus a clase shave overtaking opportunity by a driver who probably regards 5mm overtakes as an expression of his excellence and great skill as a motorist.

Rather your mate was, oh-so-typically, victimised by yet another "I'm all right so what's your problem?' driver whose driving falls below the required standard and whose actions were almost certainly wilful. Please don't blame the victim. Simple test for the acceptable standard to be expected from any driver; would they have carried out that manoeuvre on their driving test with the examiner in the car? Or when being followed by a traffic car? If not why not?

At some point in the drivers life they most probably will have taken formal training of some sort to obtain their license, they learnt how to do it right. But subliminally they've absorbed many messages that suggest than 'doing it right' is less important than 'getting your own way' especially if the only cost off so doing is to be paid by someone more vulnerable than them. Sounds like bulling to me.

^ this

If there was a thumbs up button I'd click it.
 

iamanidiot

New Member
This roundabout thing is interesting to me, cause of a minor incident i had with regards to positioning approaching a roundabout. At this roundabout here I had been riding out of the doors zone of the cars that are parked along the left. I then kept that position as I was going straight across (second left) the roundabout. A car tried to overtake just before the pedestrian island and cut me up to turn left (without indicating) I took exception to this and stopped to remonstrate. Turned out he had issue with my cycling, as before I had a chance to say anything he said, 'now just listen to me...':

Him (outraged) "What were you doing in the middle of the road there!?"
Me "I was staying out of the way of the parked cars"
Him "Well you should have been at the left"
Me "I'm going straight on at the roundabout"
Him "Well you should have been indicating!"
Me "To go straight on?"
Him "You should have been in at the left"

..and so on. It annoyed me afterwards because; he wasn't indicating to go left, and he'd successfully distracted me from getting my point (about cutting me up) across by attacking my cycling.
 

zacklaws

Guru
Location
Beverley
MartinC said:
looking at your roundabout I would normally approach this in the left lane in a strong primary - a meter to the left of the RH lane marking.

This is my approach to going straight on at a roundabout, hopefully block cars from passing on my right hand which want to cut you up and turn left and if done right stops cars from coming up your inside to take the first exit, but allowing cars to go straight on and turn right without impeding them. Soon as I get going, constantly checking my left inside, drift over to the left as you are passing the first exit and if done correctly, you then block any cars that want to squeeze up the inside with the intentions of going straight on, thus cutting you up.
 

BentMikey

Rider of Seolferwulf
Location
South London
Well said Greg! One has to be very careful when differentiating between defensive riding which could be done better, and actual blame for driving badly.

iamanidiot said:
..and so on. It annoyed me afterwards because; he wasn't indicating to go left, and he'd successfully distracted me from getting my point (about cutting me up) across by attacking my cycling.


Yes, it's quite hard to stay on message - I've found to keep repeating their mistake, and asking if they'd pass their test doing that to help. I used this to particularly strong effect in the recent bad overtake video, unfortunately the driver took unction to this overly effective putdown and ended up assaulting me.
 

PK99

Legendary Member
Location
SW19
GregCollins said:
the short version....

Please don't blame the victim. Please don't EVER blame the victim.

the long version....

Despite some less than ideal cyclecraft from your mate he issued no such invitation. He may though have been mistakenly identified as 'fair game' and thus a close shave overtaking opportunity by a driver who probably regards 5mm overtakes as an expression of his excellence and great skill as a motorist.

.


an analogy: if i go into a pub and go to the loo leaving by bag by the table, and it is stolen, i am a victim of both a crime and my own stupidity.

When i was training as a Supporter for Victim Support, it was made very clear that counselling victims about how to change behaviours to avoid a repeat is not the same as victim blaming.
 
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