This clip illustrates a subtle move I make five times a day at least to help prevent such a move by crossing traffic. When a vehicle arrives at a stop sign to my right I automatically want to move as far left as possible (after checking my helmet mounted rear-view mirror) for a number of reasons:


1. I get unhidden from behind parked cars at the curb to my right as soon as possible. (00:06)


2. The van at the stop sign sees me sooner.


3. The van at the stop sign can better judge my speed from this angle, as opposed to cycling directly at him if I stayed right next to the parked cars.


4. By moving to the left curb the van operator at the stop sign has less of a chance of thinking "I can make it" in front of me because he now has much farther to travel to get past me.


5. If the van decides to ignore my presence altogether and proceed I have a better angle to turn onto the street he came out of as an evasive maneuver. This move by me would be nearly impossible if I were closer to the right curb AND the van would not have to move very far to nail me. So I have a few more seconds to react if I stay far left.


This van actually turns to follow me (00:10), which is why I do not move left when two blocks later a car approaches from the right (00:25). The van is just behind me very visible to the car. Finally, when I get a chance to let the van go by I move right and wave him past (00:45) - you can see my left hand leave the handlebars as I motion him to go past me.


(00:54) We all live happily ever after!



http://vimeo.com/56132202