Old 11-25-13 | 06:51 PM
  #1  
jyl's Avatar
jyl
Senior Member
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,643
Likes: 68
From: Portland OR

Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997

How Do You Handle This Situation? Riding On A Narrow Urban Road.

I am interested in learning how other riders handle some common urban riding situations. I'll start with this one. I've used multiple choice to make it easy to answer, but please feel free to expound, explain, or advocate. My guess is that there is a range of behavior represented here.

You are riding on a street with one narrow traffic lane in each direction, curbside parking, no bike lane, posted speed limit 25 mph. The cars ahead of you are going 20 to 25 mph. There are cars behind you, and intermittent car traffic in the opposite direction. The traffic lane is narrow, so even if you ride close to the parked cars on your right, the cars behind cannot pass you safely without going halfway over the centerline.

1. Do you position yourself
a) to the right of the lane, close to the parked cars
b) in the middle of the traffic lane
c) other (explain?)

2. You are at a 100 foot section where there are no parked cars. Do you
a) hold your original position in the lane
b) move to the right and ride in the parking strip to let cars pass you, then move left to your original position
c) other

3. You are riding through an intersection. Do you
a) hold your original position in the lane
b) move to the right and ride in the parking strip to let cars pass you, then move left to your original position
c) other

4. You stop at a red light. Do you
a) stop off to the right, and let cars pass you when the light turns green
b) stop in the middle of the traffic lane, and keep cars behind you at the green light
c) other

5. The road is flat. There are cars following you. Do you try to maintain a speed that is
a) roughly the flow of car traffic, 20-25 mph
b) brisk but below car traffic, 15-20 mph
c) leisurely cycling, <15 mph
d) other

6. For just one or two blocks, the road has a gentle upwards grade (2-3%). Do you
a) work hard to maintain your previous flat road speed
b) slow down to maintain your previous effort level
c) other

7. A car ahead of you has stopped to reverse into a parking spot. There is no oncoming traffic. The car takes up the whole lane. Do you
a) stop behind him and wait
b) cross the centerline and pass him on the left
c) move right and pass him on the right
d) go onto the sidewalk and pass the parking car
e) other

8. A car ahead of you has stopped for a pedestrian who is still on the far opposite side of the street. Do you
a) pass the car on the right
b) pass the car on the left
c) stop behind the car and wait
d) other

9. You come to a stop sign. There are no cars near you on the street, and there is no cross traffic. Do you
a) ride through the stop, while slowing either a bit or not at all
b) ride through the stop, while slowing to a walk
c) stop momentarily and proceed without putting a foot down
d) stop, put a foot down, and proceed
e) other

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity!
jyl is offline  
Reply