Originally Posted by
Ed Holland
On a matter of cycling practice in difficult circumstances.
Here's one. Driving on the right (USA) It can be difficult at times to judge the correct time to move left in order to execute a left turn. This is especially true if there are 1 or more lanes to cross and traffic moving at differing speeds. (The same is true for right turns in the UK etc.)
There are a couple of places on routes that I ride where this is the case. Occasionally there will be a situation where a platoon of traffic is approaching, such that it would preclude safe & easy manouvres at the usual distance from the intersection. In this case one can choose to move early, whilst you have the road to yourself. This brings the problem of riding in the leftmost lane with traffic for some distance before the left turn lane is reached. I have a tendancy to bias left in this situation, such that cars pass to my right, but there is the option of full lane occupancy. This latter choice might be vehicular, but it certainly feels exposed. Occasionally there is a honk on the horn from a motorist .
Then there is the need to move through steady traffic that is moving faster than the cyclist e.g. a 2 or 3lane (each direction) expressway with 45 mph limit. Cars often let you in, but there is no guarantee, and it can be hard to trust that each has acknowledged you as you shift lanes.
I'm not a shy cyclist, but these situations can still put the wind up me on ocasion.
Thoughts please.
Ed
Thoughts please.
There is no one-size-fits-all for that kind of situation. Depends entirely on the specific road in question and the specific conditions at the specific time. Possible superior options range from either of the methods you mentioned to a wide variety of different types of two-point turns. As I wrote in another thread the two-point (sometimes called 'pedestrian style') left turn could actually be a time saver on a busy street. I would shoot for maximum smooth-eration. If you can roll with the flow, roll with it. If you are causing drivers to stomp on the brakes then it seems unlikely you are using the smoothest or safest possible method. It's my opinion that putting oneself in the left lane of a busy high-speed arterial in front of approaching traffic just to make a left turn that could be made in any number of other ways is less safe than commonly portrayed on this forum, and in my experience requires more trust in other road users than I prefer to dish out. That said I still do it on occasion. But then, I do lots of things.
Robert