Ok all, I have a question.
My current route I've been riding has mostly bike lanes, which I use. Towards the end of my ride, I need to turn left off a 2 lane street with a 2 lane turn lane. My question is, do I cross over from the bike lane to the turn lanes, stay in the bike lane and use the crosswalk, or ???. If I do cross over and use the turn lane, do I got to the front of the lane on the outside or take a space in line with the cars? BTW- This is the area around Carmel Mountain Ranch Shopping Center.
Thanks,
Chris

Use the turning lane and line up with the cars. As long as it's safe. :)

However i have had to use the crosswalk on occasion when i couldn't safely make it over to the turn lane.

You can do both. Generally if the road is heavily traveled and it's difficult for me to go from the bike lane over to the turn lane, I continue straight (say I'm going south bound) and then wait for the light to turn red (say going east bound)

But if the street is lightly traveled, and you can move over into the turn lane, do so. You are entitled as a bicycle is considered a road vehice. You are to stay to the outside of the outside turn lane. Or you can take the lane, just make sure as you start forward you allow the traffic behind to also complete their turn.

There's some debate over this subject as some insist that you line up with the cars and wait your turn while others (like me) believe it is acceptable (and safer) to go to the front of the line on the outside. You may piss off a few motorists but you can get out of their paths much more quickly. Also, I've been witness to cyclists getting rear ended in turn lanes because motorists simply don't expect them to be there so they don't see them.

I debated this one in the road forum a couple of years ago and one guy said that my way gives cyclists a bad name. YMMV.

Use the turn lane. Postion yourself to the right side of the right most turn lane if there is more tham one. You can be at the cross walk or one car back. Be ready to go . Ride straight forward to the aproximate center of the intersection before you start your turn. Check that you are not cuting off the motorized vehicles. Usually they are chopping the apex off their turn so it is not a problem. But check anyway. Finish your turn into the bike lane or to the right of the right most lane.

I generally get into the turn lane and take a spot behind the last waiting car. If traffic flow makes this hazardous, I'll use the crosswalk.

Use the turn lane. Postion yourself to the right side of the right most turn lane if there is more tham one. You can be at the cross walk or one car back. Be ready to go . Ride straight forward to the aproximate center of the intersection before you start your turn. Check that you are not cuting off the motorized vehicles. Usually they are chopping the apex off their turn so it is not a problem. But check anyway. Finish your turn into the bike lane or to the right of the right most lane.

Spot on.

...believe it is acceptable (and safer) to go to the front of the line on the outside. .

I always do this as well. I got to front, past the limit line, to the right of cars and out of the line of traffic. When I get the light, I go forward allowing the cars to turn behind me and I make my turn well outside. I spoke with a police officer (in Irvine) about this practice. Technically since I am beyond the limit line I can be cited but they believe as well this is the safest way to turn and most likely won't cite you. I guess that's some comfort.

Use the turn lane. Postion yourself to the right side of the right most turn lane if there is more tham one. You can be at the cross walk or one car back. Be ready to go . Ride straight forward to the aproximate center of the intersection before you start your turn. Check that you are not cuting off the motorized vehicles. Usually they are chopping the apex off their turn so it is not a problem. But check anyway. Finish your turn into the bike lane or to the right of the right most lane.
That is by the book correct as far as I recall.

I usually take a spot behind the car in front of me, just because the cars are going to pass me eventually anyway, plus I noticed I am usually able to keep speed with them at least until I'm through the intersection, so they treat me like traffic. I think you are legally entitled to cut to the front, though, just as a motorcycle is allowed to, but that's a judgement call for safety on your part.

Also, watch out for those straight/left turn lanes, theres one on a route I go on often, can't rely on people to use their turn signals either. :mad:

Use the turn lane. Postion yourself to the right side of the right most turn lane if there is more tham one. You can be at the cross walk or one car back. Be ready to go . Ride straight forward to the aproximate center of the intersection before you start your turn. Check that you are not cuting off the motorized vehicles. Usually they are chopping the apex off their turn so it is not a problem. But check anyway. Finish your turn into the bike lane or to the right of the right most lane.Yeah, I do this too. If there's two left-turn lanes, it's a wide and fast intersection, so I don't want to slow up traffic by taking up a lane. Usually I'll start with the 1st car at my left elbow and ride a parallel phantom bike-lane next to it. This path then ends up on the bike-lane on the street we're turning left onto. Usually 2-3 cars pass me up in the turn.

If it's a smaller tight left-turn with only one turn-lane or twin double-yellow middle divider, I'll take the lane and follow the last car through.

Also, watch out for those straight/left turn lanes, theres one on a route I go on often, can't rely on people to use their turn signals either. :mad:
If I recall, you're suppose to use whichever side of that lane that you're turning in (example, right side to go straight or left side to turn left), but for the reason you mention, I take the middle of the lane so cars won't pull up next to me and turn into me.

Using the turn lanes is faster. Signal with your hand, check behind and make sure the drivers acknowledge you and let you in. Merge with the lane. Repeat until you end up in the turn lane. Do not worry too much about holding up traffic, you won't hold them up for long.

If you do not feel comfortable doing this, use the crosswalk.

I know that Camino Del Norte is 55 in that area. It's 3 lanes, and there's some that flys through there but gives cyclists a wide berth. Heck, I'd even hold up traffic to let someone over. I really need to figure a good route to go home and start commuting again.

There's some debate over this subject as some insist that you line up with the cars and wait your turn while others (like me) believe it is acceptable (and safer) to go to the front of the line on the outside. You may piss off a few motorists but you can get out of their paths much more quickly. Also, I've been witness to cyclists getting rear ended in turn lanes because motorists simply don't expect them to be there so they don't see them.
My main concerns about going to the front of the line on the outside are (1) spilling over into the through lane due to a narrow turn pocket, (2) not enough room in the middle of the intersection due to left turning traffic in two directions simultaneously, and (3) turning onto a road without a bike lane, or where there's people making immediate right turns after making the left turn, so then you've got to try to merge back with traffic in the middle of the turn. So my default is to line up with the cars, but if those three items above aren't an issue (as is typically the case on many roads in south Orange County) then I don't mind going to the front on the outside.

My main concern in white lining in the left turn lane is that means I have to be in between the left turn lane and the through lane, which usually has cars flying by at 35-55 mph which aren't expecting a pair of handlebars to be sharing their lane.

If I line up in the turn lane, like a vehicle, with other vehicles behind me, I like to make sure that I accelerate at the same speed as a vehicle. No slow starts. I go full throttle, if necessary.

My main concern in white lining in the left turn lane is that means I have to be in between the left turn lane and the through lane, which usually has cars flying by at 35-55 mph which aren't expecting a pair of handlebars to be sharing their lane.

I usually sit to the left of the lane, so that I'm not actually hanging in the lane at all, or back and left if the guy in front is crowding the right line.

Agreed, I was just talking about the process of getting up to the front, leaving alone where to stay put.

just raise both arms in the air, close your eyes, and swing the bike left into the turn lane!