Two things which people do which confuse me...

[SavageHoutkop]

I keep spotting people cycling who do two things almost instinctively which I think can be rather dangerous. Happy to be persuaded otherwise, but I am curious as to why I see these two behaviours so often...

1) at junctions, riding practically into the junction (when it's red for them) before stopping. Yesterday, a woman in front of me cleared the ASL, cleared the gap between the pedestrian crossing and the ASL, cleared the pedestrian crossing and then stopped, practically in the line of cross-traffic. Surely, if the proverbial hits the fan, you're much safer further away from potentially fast moving vehicles? [This wasn't a main road and there weren't any trucks nearby if you're thinking left-hook prevention - there was a car already indicating left before the ASL, so stopping in front of the car in the ASL would have been safest IMO]

2) Again at junctions, when riding through on green - often people cycling pull far to the left, letting traffic pass, but then need to merge with the traffic again when nearing the kerb on the other side of the junction. Most never seem to pull a blind-spot check but just pull back over into the stream of traffic. I prefer to hold my line through the junction.

Thoughts?

 

[Dogtrousers]

The first is MGIF. (Must Get In Front) If some cyclists are in the ASL box this is an irresistible opportunity to overtake them ....

... and then get in their way wobbling around trying to engage clipless pedals when the light goes green.


The second is lack of assertiveness.

 

[Drago]

1) Yes, people do it. Apparently in their minds it's ok to jump reds if you only do it a little bit.

2) Again,you want a mega primary. Keeps you more visible from all 4 directions, gives you some reaction space if someone chances their arm and enters the junction from the left. Revert to normal when clear of the junction.

 

[summerdays]

There is one place I'm tempted to do the first, but I don't, and that's on a hill. So I would just be that bit further up. But the problem with doing it would be that you can't see when the lights change so you would loose that advantage.

The second one, they just seem to be inexperienced cyclists.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

I see almost all cyclists doing the 2nd point - new / old / inexperienced / experienced. My husband does it and it drives me nuts.

On the first - sometimes it's people with all the kit and the clipless pedals and whatnot (or fixies failing to do a trackstand) but quite often it's people in normal clothes utility cycling. Yesterday's was a woman with helmet and kiddy seat on the back (no kiddy)

 

[vickster]

1) RLJ impatience

 

[ManiaMuse]

I don't understand number 1 either. Occassionally if a driver has needlessly encroached on the ASL then I will sit in front of them sometimes in front of the box just to make a point. But I don't see why cyclists stop so far in front of the crossing and then start to pull off as the traffic clears which is usually only a couple of seconds before the lights are going to change green anyway!

Most of the time I manage to overtake them before they clear the junction. If they wanted to save a couple of seconds cycling then they should just cycle harder and get fitter/stronger!

 

[SavageHoutkop]

Occassionally if a driver has needlessly encroached on the ASL then I will sit in front of them sometimes in front of the box just to make a point.

Yes, this I understand. But waaaaay in front - makes no sense to me.

 

[annedonnelly]

Yes, this I understand. But waaaaay in front - makes no sense to me.

Is it not so that if there's a gap in the crossing traffic they can completely RLJ and cross the junction? That's what I've seen some do - edging further and further forward looking for the gap - usually in front of a bus!

 

[Wolf616]

I've pondered the first quite a lot recently and I think people who do it must rationalise it as safer due to being further in front of soon to be accelerating cars.

That and impatience I guess. I must admit I like racing people without them realising I'm racing them (cause I'm a twat) and overtaking those guilty of number 1 gives me quite a lot of pleasure

 

[BEHMOTH66]

I cycle between Manchester and Salford neighbouring cities and the amount of people who crawl past the lights then speed up when the roads are clear is growing. Now I'm not just on about your average spotty teenager on a mountain bike with attitude I've seen people with all the gear do it. The only time I go ahead of an ASL if the twot in the car has plenty of time to stop but still rolls over in the ASL to the point of not giving cyclist any room. Then I pull in front and make sure I am in the primary and take off a little slower than usual

 

[CharlesF]

I often stop far forward at the lights for three reasons. Glasgow has many intersections without an ASL; the lights are often well behind the intersection kerb and I’m safe stopping where I do; and lastly, I gain a precious 2 or 3 seconds where I get moving before the cars and can establish my position on the road. Because of this early start I seldom have to pull to the left, although I will do this if the vehicles behind have previously been considerate to me as a cyclist.

Now, if Glasgow even acknowledged that part of their road users are cyclists, things would be easier and less confrontational. Take the revised road layout from the Squinty Bridge to the new Southern General Hospital. It is a nightmare to cycle with bus lanes starting and stopping, narrowing lanes with no room for the traffic volume. Around the hospital entrance Govan Road can become so snarled up there is nowhere to filter through the stationary traffic and I have resorted to using the pavement, something that I normally think of as the worst a cyclist can do. The only alternate route for me is all Shieldhall Road which is dual carriage and has the 40mph limit, which means a normal speed of 50-60mph.

If I had my way I would have every Glasgow City councillor and manager on a cheap BSO riding to and from the Squinty Bridge to the hospital from 6am to 6pm on a busy day. That way they would at least get off their lardy a’s and possibly appreciate the terror of riding along those roads.

 

[PMarkey]

Guilty for moving over to the left when crossing junctions, though usually only if I am moving at a pace that is considerably slower than following traffic to allow cars to pass in an area that has plenty of room rather than try to squeeze past just after the junction on narrow roads with lots of parked cars and yes I shoulder check plus indicate when moving back to the right and never had a problem .

Paul

 

[doug]

I quite often see people do 1) in such a way that they are no longer in a position to see the lights change and only start to move once the traffic behind (i.e. me) that has waited patiently in the correct place overtakes them

 

[Lonestar]

(1)Generally im trying to avoid the left hooks or lack of impatience from motorists who will overtake and throw a left without signalling.Depends on the situation but I don't always go to the front and will stick behind traffic and whether a car is in the little cycling box doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Not trying to save any time at all.More about safety and good positioning.You get nothing for being a hero,apart from a medal I guess.

Southwark Bridge northbound lights is a good example of poor signalling techniques or none at all,lots of lorries and the left hand lane which has a left and right arrow painted on the road.Meaning they can go either left or right and sometimes it hard to tell which way they are going to go.