Tonight I rode to the right thru some intersections as traffic passed me.

I'm amazed you survived.

I might have wandered into a door zone or two.

I spent time on this forum tonight. I hope that's the scariest experience I have this month.

I did too yesterday, many times. So what? One of the things that they don't teach you on the internet discussion groups where you like to spend all your time, Bekologist, is that the 6-foot or whatever the number is that HH and them all spout, minimum clearance, is not sacrosanct. Rather, one may be a considerable chunk of the way inside that zone and make up for the difference by using a mirror to always know how many additional feet are available to one's left for the emergency swerve that might become necessary at any moment.

^^^

Tom, no one, certainly not me, spouts anything about any particular minimum distance being sacrosanct.

And as far as Beck's confession goes, I've long stated that when faster same direction traffic is present, staying to the right of them is often the most appropriate thing to do, even when approaching and crossing an intersection, assuming there is space to do it safely and reasonably. The faster same-direction traffic actually serves as interference against potential left and right crosses (which is why I think it's important to move left as soon as the last motorist passes and there is a gap long enough for cross traffic to try to move across your path). However, you have to maintain rearward situational awareness, and this is where a mirror is very helpful, to make sure you're not leaving yourself vulnerable to a right hook from someone in that traffic passing suddenly turning right.

Of course, you can also get away with it dozens if not hundreds of times without paying attention to that, just like you can probably get away with riding dozens if not hundreds of times in door zones without get whacked. It's a numbers games, after all.

Beck's relatively frequent close calls and crashes attests to that.

You have been around too long to be surprised anymore ...

Do you mean a swerve into traffic? What a goose.

I seem to recall some sort of matra involving five feet that you used to "spout". Is it sacrosanct? Well, you chastised many a person on this forum for spending any time inside five feet - that sounds sacrosanct to me.

Don't bother to tell me to come up with your exact words. Apparently "search" is out of order and is only searching through threads in the past week or so. But I'll bet that other's can recall your saying this as well.

What an idiot.

Where did he say he swerved into traffic? By keeping a level of situational awareness he knows when it is safe to swerve left if needed (specifically when there wouldn't be traffic there). This is smart.

I do the same thing, whether on a bike or in a car. It has gotten me out of plenty of close calls over the years.

-D

reaaallllly? you are truly sophmoric, helemt head. do you even ride a bike?


more VC confessions ....last night, I rode on the sidewalk the wrong way down a one way street the wrong way to shave a mile off my commute.

Every day I ride from the side door of my garage, across my dirt patch also known as a lawn, over the sidewalk and make a left turn into the roadway without signaling nor looking over my shoulder.

Al

Funny, Robert Hurst is one writer who articulated the concept of using other traffic as a shield. He said something to the effect of beware of the gap. If there's a gap in same-direction car traffic, other drivers to your left will use the opportunity to enter your lane, So be aware of that!

I thought this was smart when Hurst wrote it, and it's smart when HH writes it too. Your responses to HH are so knee-jerk that if he said it's daytime, you'd put your blinkies on.

A mile ... really?

Well, I would probably do the same.

Now that I think about it more, I would do the same for a considerably shorter distance under certain conditions.

+1

I DO recommend daytime visible blinkies, boys.

however, faster same direction traffic is never a defense against 'right hooks', roody. the left cross, yes. right hook by the driver to your left? hardly.

Watch that slander; the term used was "right cross". And many of us have indeed had faster same-direction traffic protect us from right crosses. The more you talk, the narrower we learn that your experience is, Bekologist.

No it is more we learn how adept Bek is at the subtle word change, soundbite, misdirection, catch phrase, and other techniques usually reserved for our politicians.

Notice how well he pulls a re-direct above with the blinkie statement. Of course he ignores the actual point of the statement, but the re-direct is brilliant!

HH says day. Bek says it must be night.

Bek, dude. I have said it before. You should be in politics.

-D

Why would you ride in the door zone if there's no cars passing?

I'd vote for him.

Allister, you have already shown your inability to read. No need to keep embarrassing yourself.

Oh, and there aren't any door zones where I ride.

Thanks for trying though.

-D

Aren't you just a sensitive little fellow.

I think you need a recap.

Not really.



Again not really.

You didn't reply to Wheelman about riding in a door zone. You replied to me. I never said anything about riding in a door zone.

You replied to wheelman about swerving into traffic. He didn't say anything about swerving into traffic.

I know some people can have these issues. If you think you need assistance maybe something like this might help. Hopefully it is available in the geat down under.

Sorry! Somehow I managed to totally misunderstand what that comment was about. Looking back, I don't see how I did that - I missed the context that was stated quite clearly: door zones.

So Tom and I do disagree on this point. I'm not sure I would call the five feet that I use and advocate to be "sacrosanct", but I disagree with what he says about using a mirror to know when it's safe to go into the door zone, especially if that's being done to facilitate passing, which means you're doing it while there is overtaking traffic. If a door does suddenly swing open, you'll swerve or might be pushed into the path of that traffic.

If there is no overtaking traffic, what would be the reason to ride in the door zone?

Ah, well maybe if all that traffic is stopped riding in the door zone to pass them on the right, assuming passing on the left is not an option for some reason, might be a reasonably safe risk. But I don't think that's what Tom is talking about.