I cannot believe this, but I have a cycling test to prove my safety skills for cycling on the city streets tomorrow.

1 question so far-

-If you are riding down the street and staying to the right (as required by our laws here), and you come upon a turning lane for cars turning right (assuming I am not going to continue right), should I stay all the way to the right anyway and continue riding, or should I move over into the next lane to my left (keeping to the right side of the lane)?

Thanks!

Koffee

Originally posted by Koffee Brown

-If you are riding down the street and staying to the right (as required by our laws here), and you come upon a turning lane for cars turning right (assuming I am not going to continue right), should I stay all the way to the right anyway and continue riding, or should I move over into the next lane to my left (keeping to the right side of the lane)?


What would you do in a car if you were going straight? You'd be in the lane that was meant for traffic going straight. As such you should be in the proper lane for your course of action while maintaining a line as right as safely practical within that lane. So from the above choices, I would choose the latter option.

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
If you are riding down the street and staying to the right (as required by our laws here), and you come upon a turning lane for cars turning right (assuming I am not going to continue right), should I stay all the way to the right anyway and continue riding, or should I move over into the next lane to my left (keeping to the right side of the lane)?

You move over to the right edge of the right-most lane that goes straight.

Who's requiring you to take a cycling test? Why on earth?

I also almost always more over to the outer edge of the ongoing lane.A good example is at interchange/freeway entrance ramps where you have to get over early but cautiously to avoid getting caught by endless speeding traffic trying to get onto the interstate.The only exception I can think of is when the bike lane goes right of the turn lane and the turn lane is uncrowded while the main road is crowded with fast moving traffic I will sometimes stay in the bikelane(actually I don't usually do this but on a test it might be the right answer ).This is what works for me and I ride mostly in congested traffic areas but am no expert on laws or advocasy matters.

If you stay in the right lane, you may as well just walk your bike through the crosswalk.

If you sit in the right turn lane, you are blocking right turn traffic.

The left thru lane is the proper choice.

Effective Cycling, Chapter 29: Where to Ride on the Roadway

Page 299 - Right-Turn-Only Lanes: "As soon as the... roadway gets a little wider at the approach to a right -turn-only lane, start to use the through-traffic lane... (figure 29.3). If there are two right-turn-only lanes, move over into the rightmost through lane."

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jatkins679
You move over to the right edge of the right-most lane that goes straight.

That's what I do too.

I'm also wondering about the reason for the test. Why?

Oh gosh- I thought so. Thanks!

I am taking the test because I may have a cycling job with the city for this summer. Part 1 of the interview process is a ride through the city streets as they dissect my riding technique. I'm not nervous, but I am thinking that I do slack off in traffic... I gotta hone up on my skills.

Koffee

Good luck KB! :)

I too would stay in the non-turning lane if I wasn't turning. Apart from the legal aspects, if you use the turning lane when you're not turning, it's a classic way to set yourself up to be right hooked (or left hooked in this country).

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
I am taking the test because I may have a cycling job with the city for this summer.

Wonder how much the people who will be evaluating you actually know about cycling or even traffic law as it applies to bicycling.

Hey, Koffee, don't know if the rules are the same for Illinois as Wisconsin, but....I was surprised to find that not only are motorists required to give cyclists 3 feet clearance, but by Wisconsin statutes, cyclists are required to give 3 feet clearance to parked cars! I also found out from reading the statutes that I'm legally required to have a bell if riding on the highway.

It pays to read your state statutes! Your local library will probably have a copy in the reference section, where you can bone up on all the vehicle laws pertinent to bicycles. :)

Originally posted by jatkins679
Wonder how much the people who will be evaluating you actually know about cycling or even traffic law as it applies to bicycling.

Koffee probably knows better than I but as I understand it, the mayor's office has been pretty proactive with regards to promoting cycling as he himself is an avid cyclist. I suspect the evaluators will have a fair bit of cycling-clue.

Koffee, are you going to become a Bicycle Amabassador?

We'll see.... if not, part of the Chicago Bike Federation....

KB

Hey, how did the test go, Koffee?

The test went fine- they said I did very well, so I'm on to the interview process!

Thanks to everyone for their help.

Koffee

WooHoo! Keep us updated Koffee, I also want an update on your business, how’s that going?

The business is going slowly- I got a recommendation to wait until the webpage was up, so I got one of my friends to work on designing it. He claims he can do it, so I'm being patient, since all he wants is a roll in the hay for it... I'm easy, it's cheap, why not?

J/K- he said he'd do it for free, but I will be sponsoring him in a few years through my business when he moves here to the USA from Amsterdam.

I'll keep you updated on the business stuff.

Koffee

I'm easy, it's cheap, why not?

Crikey, I nearly choked on my Coffee, Koffee.:roflmao:

CHEERS.

Mark

You know the really scary part? Having read some of Koffee's recent messages, I'm not so sure she was joking! ;)

:D

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
-If you...come upon a turning lane for cars turning right...should I stay all the way to the right...or should I move over into the next lane to my left...
This question has been thoroughly answered, but I wanted to put in my opinion.

I try to keep a straight line as if there were no turn lane. I try not to leave any doubt to motorists as to my intentions.

This has been answered to death- BUT it's good to get other perspectives anyway. Thanks Pete!

Update on the company- my booty call left for an indefinite around the world trip WITHOUT finishing the web page. I am not that easy! So he gets no love from me... I got someone else that'll be doing it instead, thank goodness.

I guess I won't be backing my thang up anytime soon.... <sigh> Still waiting on this website to get out of the development stages and into the uploading stages.

Koffee