Commuting - Bike Lane Etiquette

I ride into downtown on a main artery. There is a bike lane most of the way and it is pretty well used. It seems to depend on my mode, but I don’t know what to do when there is another bike in the lane in front of me going slower than I would like to. Sometimes I don’t think about it and go on around. It’s never bothered me when someone passes me. This morning I ended up behind some dude on a mountain bike going a bit slow. I felt weird about passing him. I felt like I would be showing off – some sort of macho thing. I do have to admit that it does feel pretty good when I pass someone, particularly going up hill, on my single speed fixie. Regardless, I stuck it out behind him until he turned off the street.

I should go back a little bit. I thought about asking this the other day after I had an odd time in the bike lane. I was in the not thinking about it mode and just went right around another rider. The guy then passed me. He got caught at a light and I ended up passing him again. And then he passed a few blocks later. I think that game of leap frog is what made me feel weird about passing the guy this morning.

Just curious as to what everyone thinks.

For me, I'll pass someone who I think I'll make distance on at my regular pace after I pass. If it looks like someone who is going a bit slower than I am, but who I wouldn't/couldn't open up distace on riding my pace, then I stay back. I think of it as a consideration/respect thing if I hang back on someone who's close to my speed.

I wish I had that problem. I rarely see other bikes on my commute route.

It comes up occasionally on other rides, though. If I've been overtaking the rider at my normal pace I move left and pass safely (I might call out "passing on your left" if it seems useful), say Hi, how ya doin' as I go by, and then check to see if he takes this as an invitation to draft me. If he does, I wave him around. If he won't move, I stop. If I pass him again, I say "please don't draft me this time, it makes me nervous."

I refuse to race or play leapfrog. I've lived this long on the roads by focusing all my attention on being a vehicle.

RichC

I was in the not thinking about it mode and just went right around another rider. The guy then passed me. He got caught at a light and I ended up passing him again. And then he passed a few blocks later. I think that game of leap frog is what made me feel weird about passing the guy this morning.

Just curious as to what everyone thinks.

It's just traffic. Don't overanylise.

Although I do get annoyed when I've just passed some slow-poke, catch a red light, and then they slip around me and wait for the light ahead of the white line - if they don't actually run it. Why do they bother?

And another thing, why are the red light jumpers also always the slowest riders? Surely they'd save more time simply by riding a bit faster.

I wish I had that problem. I rarely see other bikes on my commute route.

Same here. Usually all the people I see riding are usually riding very slowly or on the opposite side of the street, heading for me!! :eek: I wish I had someone I could stay with for a while. Sometimes I do find one, but they usually stay with me for like 2 blocks and turn out. :(

And another thing, why are the red light jumpers also always the slowest riders? Surely they'd save more time simply by riding a bit faster.

I've noticed that too, and I find it just as annoying as you do. Sometimes I just tailgate them for a little while after the light, but there's only so long one can handle riding at 10-15km/h.

Generally, there are "rules" for both the passee and the passer in this situation, but none of them actually say "don't overtake anyone". Generally the passee should just concentrate on riding predictably, and it's up to the passer to find a way around. However, I'm not going to sit behind a rider who is much slower than me all day, nor am I going to regard passing them as a big deal.

I don't care- there usually is so much traffic and buses and everything in between that someone you passed may end up passing you later, only to have them slowed by buses and you pass them later.... etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I don't worry about the leapfrogging stuff.

I do mind it when I'm leapfrogging with traffic, though, especially buses. Eventually, though, I beat the buses back to the city anyway, so at some point, the leap frogging becomes irrelevant.

Koffee

I've noticed that too, and I find it just as annoying as you do. Sometimes I just tailgate them for a little while after the light, but there's only so long one can handle riding at 10-15km/h.

I just pass 'em as soon as I catch 'em. It's not that big a deal. I do question their intelligence sometimes though.


Generally the passee should just concentrate on riding predictably, and it's up to the passer to find a way around.

Someone who jumps red lights can be capable of just about anything, which is why I try to get as much distance between myself and them as I can. I never get into a leapfrogging situation with them - they're simply too slow. If they did do this more than a couple of times in a row though, I might have a few terse words for them.

If it's just happenstance though, and someone passes me as I'm accelerating from a light, and I pass them again, and it happens a few times, so what? If I'm in the mood, and they're going at a reasonable pace, I might even slow down for a chat.