siulonbow

Hi,

If you follow my story in the last few weeks, you will find out that I have a list of questions from buying a bike to how to ride a bike. It is a great pleasure to find this bike forum, and I am very thankful to everyone who had read and contributed to my questions.

I was very happy yesterday because I can finally get more fluent with my Speedplay pedal, and I was able to wear my bike shoes and ride for about 4 miles. I am working on increasing the distance everyday. I can’t believe how many muscle groups are required in riding bike; my arms, shoulders, and upper back are sore. It is a great exercise.

I have a question that might sound simple to a lot of bike rider, but I found it quite challenging. I wondered how to make a left turn on a yield intersection. It is easier if there is a left turn light at the intersection, but there are intersections that require yielding. Should I take the cross walk? The yielding intersection around my house is a one lane street, so when the left turn car make a left turn on the opposite direction, the car behind will speed up when the car in front made a left turn(inpatient drivers). I am afraid that it might cause accident if I am riding a bike making a left turn at that kind of situation. What would you do? And what is the correct way to make a left turn on a yield? Thanks

JeffS

Do the same thing you would do in a car.

DataJunkie

I do what I feel is best for each situation. Some intersections I take a left like a car. Others I two step left it if the intersection is busy. Occasionally, I turn into a ped and use the crosswalks.

dirtyhippy

Unless I'm going to have a _very_ hard time getting to the left turn lane and biking through (when safe) that's what I'll do. In the rare cases that I can't do that, I'll take the crosswalk.

AlmostTrick

You have to judge if the gap will be large enough for you to safely cross. If it seems too close for your comfort, wait. You say the car following the left turning oncoming car "speed(s) up" but keep in mind they can only speed up so much.

Using the cross walk is certainly an option, but it doesn't guarantee safety. Many will tell you it is actually less safe. I was hit by a car while riding in a cross walk and won't let that happen again. If I think an intersection is so dangerous that I can't ride through like a vehicle, I'm walking my bike.

LeeG

I'm afraid I don't follow the situation but if you are expecting the other car to behave as though you are a car I wouldn't bet on it. In other words do you have an exit strategy if the car doesn't behave as expected?

siulonbow

Can you please explain why taking the side walk is more dangerous? I mean the side walk to across the street. Is that still going to be dangerous? I tried to avoid any accidents, so please don't mind that i ask question like this.

DataJunkie

Right turning motorists tend to attempt to run you over since they seem to pay more attention to their left than you on their right. I would assume there are various other situations that also make it dangerous. I use it as a last resort.

siulonbow

Sorry, I don't mean taking the side walk to cross the street. I, indeed, trying to say Cross-walk that the pedestrian use to cross the stop light. In some situation, I think I will ride the bike on the left lane to make a left turn, but I think if it's on a yield stop light, it prob. better for me to take the cross-walk. Thanks a bunch for your help, and I will try to avoid using sidewalk as much as possible.

DataJunkie

No harm. I understood what you were asking.
As for the sidewalk itself motorists tend to not look when backing out of driveways, pulling out of shopping areas, etc. Plus, quite frankly the design of many sidewalks and entrances\exits is such that it is very difficult for a motorist to see you. Plenty of shrubs, signs, bus stops, etc.

siulonbow

Understood. I live in Los Angeles and at the area where majority of the people drive to commute. So I don't see a lot of bike rider ride on the street. In this case, I think motorists have lesser alerts or don’t know how to deal with cyclist as well as other areas. I know a lot of road bike rider ride with a group on the weekend; however, I know I won’t be able to catch up with their 40-50 miles ride. I am trying to pick up riding and build endurance before joining more serious bike riding. In the meantime, I tried to ride around the area I live so I can get my physical condition in shape.

DataJunkie

Common sense trumps any opinion on a forum. Do what you feel is best.

vaticdart

The problem with transitioning between the road and a sidewalk or crosswalk is that there's no way to signal it, so from a motorist's perspective it's always a random WTF? maneuver. It's also a random WTF? maneuver from the perspective of other cyclists and pedestrians.

ian123

i would say yield until its safe to go, and dont expect others to be too curtious. if i have a green light and others in cars are yielding on green to turn left across my lane, they tend to act like im not even there and cut me off.