learnmedia

I strongly dislike sitting in city and/or suburban traffic in the left turn lane with traffic whizzing by oncoming and from behind. This happens often enough when no other vehicles are turning left and therefore the weight sensor isn't triggered to activate the left turn arrow. I chalk it up to my time 30 years ago when, for a few years, I worked driving a city bus and then a bottled water delivery truck in Los Angeles. Driving in the city for a living, I saw 3 pedestrians hit by cars and numerous traffic accidents (pedestrians stepping off the curb, cars rear ended, due solely to drivers just not paying attention). And this was before modern distracted driving due to text messaging and cell phones. Seems the slim profile of a cyclist sitting still in traffic like this makes one somewhat difficult to see. I feel anxious enough in the middle of a large boulevard that if it's clear I will often proceed left against the red arrow.

Anyway, how many of you intentionally create right turns only loops? Not only do I feel more comfortable, but most often I don't have to stop at all when turning right at an intersection, which is an added plus.

fishymamba

I also don't like using left turn lanes. I just use the cross walk when there is too much traffic.

Quel

I've never really worried about getting rear ended at a stop light. It's getting rear ended while riding that you have to worry about. At the light, even if they do don't see you, they at least presumably see the light itself and are slowing down.

hairnet

I do something similar when buggin drivers won't let me merge to the left.

learnmedia

Remember, their light is green. I'm in the left turn lane often to the right so that a car intending to turn left behind me can pull forward far enough to trigger the light. Slow down? In So Cal? Nah.

wens

Most of the times the sensor doesn't sense weight, but changes in induction. Putting your bike right over the "lines" in the pavement can help a lot with getting it to register.

rjones28 

A lot of my routes are right turn only loops. But, I live in the middle of nowhere so it's not a big deal.

Velo Gator

I do.

Quel

If I couldn't do a 30 mile look that was at least mostly devoid of traffic and traffic lights, I probably wouldn't be road riding. And I can do that in Washington DC, so I have to imagine SoCal has something. If not, it looks like there are some pretty sweet dirt roads up the mountains in your backyard, so get a MTB or CX bike .

learnmedia

I didn't know this. Seems that I've been right over the lines before attempting to place all of my weight on em, to no avail. But I will try this. Thanks.

umd

I don't really give it any thought. I think that most of my loops are actually left-turn/counter-clockwise routes but I don't generally have a whole lot of lights to go through.

Hmm, my ride today had 2 lefts at stoplights with turn lanes, 3 lefts across highways/freeways with no signals, and a few lefts through stop signs or uncontrolled intersections.

collegeskier

I have stopped trying with my new CF bike. A nice old steel bike is great for lights. I also used to tip my bike over to get pedals and BB as close to the pavement over the line as possible. I am sure people wondered what the heck I was doing, but there are certain lights that it would work, but you need to know the phasing a little so you can be ready to go when the light turns green. Hopefully soon more lights will be switching to camera activated lights. They are much better at picking up cyclist and can possible eliminate cost down the road, since you don't need to replace them every time you pave. Unfortunately, most DOTs only have enough money to care about this year so they don't spend money to reduce the cost in the future.

MikF

I do it all the time. As I live within the city all of my routes are dictated by safety and time of day, and I am always looking at the map trying to create right turning loops. (Days off I leave the city). My most recent right turn only loop is a predawn 20 mile/ 32 kilometer time trial type loop around my home on roads to be avoided later. (Dinotte tail light on its most alarming flash mode). I appreciate the lengthier green lights on these larger roads. I feel very hemmed in!

pchopper

rollin

I live in a city state if I tried restricting my loops to make allowances for traffic I wouldn't get very far.

Thought about taking it to the velodrome? it's all left turns there.

MikF

Choose long roads.
One nearby left turn I no longer bother with requires crossing four lanes of traffic uphill with the right lane giving access to the highway on-ramps. I last took it July and swore off it as needlessly risky.
There are nearby roads that simply should not be ridden at certain times. 80% of the main roads at 6pm. If looking at a map I do try to optimize the way though and right turns are desirable. Then there are times when traffic is low and to see what is down an unknown road is the highlight.

ArthurIhde

why you post this pic

rollin

Ever been to Singapore? trust me you have parks in Toronto bigger than this island.

I have never ever thought of no right (left) turn routes even when I lived in London, Dublin and Paris. I ride on the "road"..

MikF

Carry on.

carpediemracing 

You can unclip your right foot and lean the bike down towards the ground. The chain and cassette are often enough to trigger the magnetic switch thing in the pavement (usually that's the most concentration of steel in a "modern" bike).

When I ride solo I stop at red lights and stop signs. I don't turn on red when I'm not supposed to. It's the same with driving - I stop at red lights and stop signs and don't turn on red when it says "No Turn On Red".

In fact, since folks around here are prone to blowing through red lights, stop signs, and no turn on red signs, I make it a point to make sure any car behind me sees me slowing and then stop when I'm supposed to, and I wait until I'm legally allowed to go again. I've had one truck, at a relatively busy intersection, accelerate and pass me as I stopped for a sign (he blew the stop at about 20-25 mph while accelerating). There was a car approaching from the right, and before I could get across the intersection (trackstand so I never put my foot down) he blew through the sign too. Although atypical to see two vehicles run two stops at one intersection, it's normal for the area for drivers to bypass stop signs.

I'll make adjustments to my own riding habits if I feel it prudent. For example, if there's a car only a couple feet away from my bumper at a switch-triggered red light, I'll scoot forward enough so the car will trigger the switch. This way I don't have to try to trigger it. Technically I'll be over the "stop" line but still out of all traffic's way.

In groups I adopt the group's policy. I try to choose groups that follow my own policy on stopping when I'm supposed to stop. The groups that blatantly run every stop sign, every red light, ever no turn on red, I avoid them (Gimbles excepted, but I haven't done that ride in a while). I also avoid group rides that have a "reputation" in the area. When there are editorials and articles in local papers about a local ride and how the riders are blocking traffic on roads during rush hour (and it's true - this is an LBS about 30 min away), it's not good for anyone - cyclists or drivers. I don't want to be associated with that group so I don't ride with them.

I make some exceptions, again based on judgment. I live in a suburban/rural area. There is a 2 lane road with stop lights on it (the main road through town), but a lot of roads in the area are in farm land. I'm talking llamas, goat, sheep, cows. At stop signs in those outlying areas where I can see down each road, hear absolutely no vehicles, I'll slow to maybe 3-4-5 mph and roll through. I read somewhere that stop sign cameras take pictures once the vehicle goes through at 7 mph. So anything less than that should be considered "marginal" or a stop.

cdr

stonecrd

Well, by nature since they are loops (probably more like squares) you generally have a choice to make more right or left turns when you head out. In my case I always head out in the right turn direction. My daily ride is all right turns. I don't mind doing left turns but I have to stop for the light a lot more frequently when doing lefts than rights.

Peter.J

If the loop detectors are long enough and behind the stop bar, you can stay in the middle of the left-turn lane and pull up far enough so that your rear wheel is on the stop-bar. There should be plenty of sensor for a car behind you to still be detected.

bradtx

learnmedia, I understand the issue, some left turn sensors don't pick up my Triumph and may not sense the vehicle behind me, causing everyone in the lane to be ignored by the signals. Ride to the far side of the street and use the crosswalk.

Brad

Roasted

Depends what I'm doing. I often like to wake up Saturday mornings and say, hmm, let's ride to Maryland (I'm in PA). So when I do that, I simply head south without any idea where I'm going. Likewise, if I'm doing my usual nightly loop to stay fit, then yes I have a 2.5 mile right turn only loop through non-busy streets with moderate up/down hills. It's better than the trainer, but it's not optimal "exploration" style biking that I normally prefer.

logdrum

Right turn only loops might cause uneven wear on the tires.