Originally Posted by
rm -rf
Yes, merge into the middle of the lane, or stop and cross over. Just like when passing a freeway on-ramp.
A helmet or eyeglass mirror makes looking for gaps a lot easier. (And it's much easier to keep track of the other group riders.)
The front rider would need to consider how to handle this intersection pretty far in advance. I can see how that might not be obvious if the area was unfamiliar. I'd stop and wait if the merge was at all sketchy.
This.
By staying on the shoulder it is not unreasonable for drivers to assume you're taking the right leg. If you're not taking the right leg you need to be absolutely clear you're continuing on the highway across the mouth of the right leg. The best way to be clear about this: 200 feet before "Y" look back. Let any traffic there pass, then signal and take the lane. It's tricky because you want to accommodate traffic taking either leg, but taking the lane not only grabs their attention, it requires them to slow down to your speed. If you're not comfortable with that then you have to at least clearly signal your intent to remain on the main road, because, again, from your roadway position your intent is not obvious. The lead guy doing some last second vague signal does not cut it. All three of you should be clearly signaling at least 100 feet prior to the diverge, ideally 200 feet, and looking back to see what's going on (as others have noted a mirror is very helpful for this). Being surprised by the car suggests you're not really paying attention to traffic that is highly relevant to you. You need to be not only paying attention to it, but also communicating with them!