h2o_polo_boi

So I finally put in my first week of commuting to school. 7 miles one-way, 1 mile of which is an 18% grade hill. I have to take the main road which is semi-heavy traffic. Got honked twice today by idiot impatient cagers who don't know how to share the road with a bicyclist in front of them. What do you guys do when you get honked at?

I didn't give a s*** and continued riding straight taking up a lane that is too narrow for a bike.

nycballer0591

wow i will be trying my commute to school soon but i need to bond with my bike first ( break it in). Don't worry about people honking at u it will happen enough times for u to not care . you have a similar commute to me but mines is 3 miles of streets and sidewalks and a 1 mile hill idk how steep the hill is though.

ItsJustMe

I don't get honked at much, but when I do I just smile and wave. As others here have said, they're just politely warning you that they're incompetent moron drivers. Thank them for their thoughfulness and keep going.

h2o_polo_boi

lol nice

Adiankur

Is that what they are honking at? I thought it was my well muscled legs and firm buttocks.

JohnBrooking

First, congrats on your first week!

I don't usually advocate riding further to the right, but from your description, I wonder if you might be taking the full lane more than you need to? Even on a narrow two-lane road with no shoulder, if the traffic is only semi-heavy, with opportunities for overtaking vehicles to pull partially into the other lane to pass, I tend to ride just a foot or two into the lane, to make sure they see me and have to take me into account, but not in the very center. I like to think that this says "I'm here and be careful, you'll have to move over a bit to pass", between the extremes of "I'm in the middle of the road, deal with it" and "I'll just ride meekly over here in the 6-inch shoulder, pay no attention to me." But I don't know your road, so I could be FOS. I also hardly ever get honked at, but that could be the different road OR the relatively friendly motorists we have here in Maine.

I do always take the full lane at controlled intersections, however. (See my comments in this thread FMI.)

wneumann

I get honked at so rarely that when it does happen I get worried that my rear tire is flat or my panniers are falling off and people are just honking to warn me.

h2o_polo_boi

actually i think you guys are right. Today was like the first time in my cycling life I got honked. all my honks (three so far) were polite warning honks letting me know a car was behind me or passing. But I was always taught to stay in the middle of narrow lanes to avoid tempting motorists to pass and risk hitting me. Especially with the blind drivers here. Also there are tons of parked cars on the busy road making it impossible to ride too close to the right. Last thing I want is a car door ending my commuting days.