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Making left turns is one of the most challenging parts of road riding

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Making left turns is one of the most challenging parts of road riding

Old 11-04-08, 03:11 PM
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Making left turns is one of the most challenging parts of road riding

I am still not particularly confident (perhaps this has kept me alive) in making left turns on busy multi-lane roads. I assume that the safest approach is to signal and change lanes when it is relatively clear and pray that the cars behind you will slow down or stop as needed to give you time to make the turn. Timing is key- you need to wait for enough of a gap to move over, but if you move too early, it's a problem because you are left exposed in the left lane. On the other hand, if you wait too long, you may have no opportunity to cut over if traffic volume is heavy. Then you are stuck having to go past your turn and make a u-turn or stopping and walking your bike across in the crosswalk.

Anybody want to share favorite tips and tactics for survival when making turns like this?
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Old 11-04-08, 03:26 PM
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I'm guessing you mean when there's no left turn lane? I started typing a reply, then realized I never turn left anywhere that doesn't have a left turn lane.
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Old 11-04-08, 03:35 PM
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Right, I mean where there is no turn lane (and there are very few of them around here).
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Old 11-04-08, 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by ROJA
Anybody want to share favorite tips and tactics for survival when making turns like this?
You have to merge left much earlier than when you reach the intersection. If there are several lanes to get across, you'll want to give 100-200 feet for each lane you change, possibly more based on traffic speed. (and getting from the shoulder/bike lane into the right lane counts as a lane change) If there's already a bunch of cars waiting at the light, you'll want to shift even earlier so that you're in the correct lane when you catch up to the car waiting in front of you. You definitely do not want to cut a diagonal / perpendicular to the direction of traffic, it's awkward and people won't be expecting you. The right distance you'll start to get for each intersection.

It will get easier. Generally I'm moving slow enough (coasting or softpedaling) when I approach the messier intersections that if I feel I need to and I don't have a place to merge, I'll coast and wait for the light to turn red, and then people aren't rushing to get to the intersection and may give you more space. But this isn't usually a problem.

When there's no left turn lane, and the light is red, I'll just get behind the last car in the leftmost lane, taking the whole lane. On particularly fast approaches to such an intersection (such as if it's downhill) I may take the lane much earlier, like at the top of the hill, to prevent having to merge at 30+mph.

If I'm not turning at an intersection and instead turning left into a complex or shopping center, etc in the middle of a road (which I do to get into my subdivision from a 50mph road with one lane in each direction) I get closer to the double yellow, but not on it or crossing it, because I do not want to be whacked by an oncoming driver. I put out my left hand well enough before just like I would if I were in my car making that same left, then put my hands on both brakes, slow down and then as I'm just rolling to a stop, put my left hand out again, putting my foot down if I have to stop. I also usually quickly dump 2-3 gears on my casette as I roll up, so that I have it on an easier gear which gives me a faster jump.

I am lucky to live in an area which has many quieter residential roads to choose from as well so I can avoid a lot of the ugly roads. We do have a lot of busy high speed roads, but those tend to have intersections miles apart, so for the few icky intersections I have to deal with, I've already worked out the protocol. If I ever had to deal with an intersection I was not familiar with and I couldn't immediately figure it out during the approach, I would probably fall back to dismounting and walking the crosswalk. Figure out your own intersections, and if you can, try and find alternates to replace the particularly ugly ones. The biggest battle is just knowing your territory. visibility (such as coming around curves, over hills) angles, traffic speed, tendency of people to run lights, the timing of the light changes is all important. Changing lanes earlier might mildly irritate people, but it's better doing it before than after a blind corner where you don't know if someone will come up behind you and change lanes.

Last edited by Crast; 11-04-08 at 04:03 PM.
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Old 11-04-08, 04:26 PM
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On a doulbe (4 total traffic lanes) lane highway like the one I live on, if there is heavy traffic coming up from behind me I will often just turn right on to the crossroad, then turn around and cross the street when traffic settles a bit.
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Old 11-04-08, 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by ROJA
I am still not particularly confident (perhaps this has kept me alive) in making left turns on busy multi-lane roads. I assume that the safest approach is to signal and change lanes when it is relatively clear and pray that the cars behind you will slow down or stop as needed to give you time to make the turn. Timing is key- you need to wait for enough of a gap to move over, but if you move too early, it's a problem because you are left exposed in the left lane. On the other hand, if you wait too long, you may have no opportunity to cut over if traffic volume is heavy. Then you are stuck having to go past your turn and make a u-turn or stopping and walking your bike across in the crosswalk.

Anybody want to share favorite tips and tactics for survival when making turns like this?

Greetings ROJA!

The danger you imagine is really non-existent, as you can see if one thinks about it for a moment. If you are centered in a travel lane, what do you think the chances are that you would be overlooked?

The first thing that someone knows about motoring, is to avoid banging into things- the first primary directive if you will. It is impressed on an individual years before he will even be allowed to drive, and it is reinforced on every trip that he takes. I would bet that you yourself have seen cars traveling down a highway when they swerve to avoid hitting something that could not possibly harm them. A balloon or perhaps a plastic shopping bag being blown on the wind. That is how primal and instinctive the learned behavior of not running into things is.

When a driver sees a car in his lane in front of him, it is natural for him to expect it to be traveling at about the speed of the other traffic around him. The distinctive profile of a cyclist will never be thought of that way. A cyclist is by definition is a slow moving vehicle. We are instantly recognized as an obstacle in the motorist's path. Without any thought, the motorist will begin seeking ways to avoid you, just as they would a stationary object like a trash can.

Once you have positioned yourself in a lane, traffic will find it's way around you in an orderly way and with a minimum of fuss. Once I have taken a lane, I focus all of my attention forward. (Or changing into the next travel lane) That is where any hazard to you is, not behind you.

Therefore, I begin the merging process a long way from my turn, even in the block before. I do this on a regular basis on 55mph streets. Start early, don't worry about the traffic that is in your lane.

Take a peek at this video to see it in action. https://www.cyclistview.com/innertube...ivingsocal.htm
The part where they demonstrate left turns is from 3:00 on. These guys are moving at a brisk pace, but never mind that. To a motorist, they can't tell the difference between 10 mph and 25 mph- We are still an obstacle to them. This works just as well when I am riding much slower than these guys.

You will find that it all happens in an orderly and elegant way.

Tailwinds!
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Old 11-04-08, 10:06 PM
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I havve no trouble with a 5 lane road on my way to work. Traffic lights create decent gaps in the traffic and I watch for these in my glasses mounted mirror. Usually the gap is sufficient for me to get to the centre a reasonable distance before the turn. The centre of the road is free of traffic as cars want to keep well clear of cars coming in the opposite direction. If there is a gap in the oncoming traffic before I get to the turning I cross over onto the opposite sidewalk (in the rare event of a pedestrian I pass them slowly with care, first announcing my presence if the havent already seen me).
If there isnt a big enough gap to get across several lanes, make separate moves for each lane, look over shoulder, signal then move.
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Old 11-04-08, 11:07 PM
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Originally Posted by ChipSeal
...
The danger you imagine is really non-existent, as you can see if one thinks about it for a moment. If you are centered in a travel lane, what do you think the chances are that you would be overlooked?

The first thing that someone knows about motoring, is to avoid banging into things- the first primary directive if you will. It is impressed on an individual years before he will even be allowed to drive, and it is reinforced on every trip that he takes. I would bet that you yourself have seen cars traveling down a highway when they swerve to avoid hitting something that could not possibly harm them. A balloon or perhaps a plastic shopping bag being blown on the wind. That is how primal and instinctive the learned behavior of not running into things is.
Once you have positioned yourself in a lane, traffic will find it's way around you in an orderly way and with a minimum of fuss. Once I have taken a lane, I focus all of my attention forward. (Or changing into the next travel lane) That is where any hazard to you is, not behind you.

[...]

You will find that it all happens in an orderly and elegant way.


I think many if not most of us have been in a motor vehicle that has either smashed right into the back of a car in front of it or been smashed into, rear-ended by the car behind. Drivers smash into things that are right in front of them all the time. It's hard to see something, whether it's a bicyclist or a moving van, if you're looking down fiddling with your ipod or carl's jr.

Getting to the turning position is no big deal for a smooth rider, waiting there can involve a very significant loss of control over one's well-being. Even the most experienced and aware bicyclist turns into a sitting duck in that position, completely dependent on other road users. I would say the OPs instinct about the inherent precariousness of this position is correct. I don't put myself in that position unless I have to.
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Old 11-04-08, 11:13 PM
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Originally Posted by RacerOne
...if there is heavy traffic coming up from behind me I will often just turn right on to the crossroad, then turn around and cross the street when traffic settles a bit.
^+1^

Right turn then U-turn = Left turn.
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Old 11-04-08, 11:14 PM
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Pick your gaps, and merge early. Try to minimise speed differentials if at all possible, and go with the flow.
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Old 11-04-08, 11:31 PM
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I never ever expect... no, RELY on others for my safety out there. That means that, if at all possible, I'm not going to put myself in a position that causes others to brake in an unusual manner. Who knows if they're actually watching, and who knows if the people behind them are watching, either.

If there isn't enough of a gap between clumps of traffic, I'll go to the corner, wait for the light to change, then cross. If there isn't a light, I'll stop by the side of the road and wait for a gap. If the traffic is too heavy, then maybe I should find a different route (although I haven't been in such a situation yet).
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Old 11-04-08, 11:44 PM
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If there is too much traffic I'll stop across the turn and rest with my foot on the sidewalk or all the way to the right until there is a clearance and move over behind the last car in the turn lane.
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Old 11-04-08, 11:50 PM
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Oh yeah, speaking of which --

Whenever I'm stopped or plan to wait, I stop and put a foot down. If I'm barely rolling at 1 mph, drivers don't know what I'm actually going to do (having been behind a steering wheel often enough, I can say that wobbly bikers scare the hell out of me -- I won't want them to stumble right in front of me by accident). If it's blatantly obvious that I'm stationary and waiting, they're less likely to get nervous, and more likely to just drive normally.
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Old 11-05-08, 09:08 AM
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Some good points by all... especially Robert.

Left turns are challenging because you have to cross at least one lane of oncoming traffic, and yield to those folks... At the same time positioning yourself properly to do so puts you out where the faster traffic is going in your direction, and not all of these folks are keeping a proper lookout for others, and they certainly aren't real happy about having to slow down or wait behind you.

Positioning for turns
Before a turn: scan, signal and move into the lane that leads to your destination. Ride in the right third or middle of the lane, as lane width dictates


To traverse multiple lanes, move one at a time, scanning and signaling each move. Folks already in the lane you want to move into have the right of way, so you must yield to any overtaking traffic there before making your move. Never move laterally (left or right) on the roadway without checking behind you to make sure no one's overtaking you.

Use your position on the street to show others where you are going. By being in the correct position on the street, you make yourself more visible to others and communicate what you are doing and where you are going. When you approach an intersection, there are three choices: a right turn, a straight path of travel, or a left/u-turn. You can communicate your choice by where you ride in the travel lane, or by which lane you choose on multi-lane streets.

RIGHT TURNS
For a right turn, the cyclist should be in the right third of the lane, and should not leave space for vehicles to pass him/her on the right.

STRAIGHT THROUGH
A cyclist who is traveling straight should maintain a straight path of travel from one block to the next, staying out of the door zone of parked cars, and not wandering into the crosswalk (marked or not) or into empty parking lanes or spaces. A cyclist that fades right into the crosswalk while crossing straight through an intersection sends the false message that they are turning right, and vehicles may respond to this message by turning across the cyclist’s path. When you leave the lane and ride in the parking lane, you have given up your right of way, and when you want to re-enter the traffic lane, you will legally have to yield to traffic before riding back into the travel lanes.

LEFT TURNS
When making a left turn or U-turn at an intersection the cyclist should merge across the lane to a position in the left third of the lane, to show his/her intention to turn left.


If there’s no turn lane, ride about four feet from the center stripe—far enough out so a left-turning car behind you can’t pass until you’ve finished the turn.

If a car’s stopped at the intersection and you can’t tell whether it’s going to turn left, don’t try to pass it on the left. Stay behind it until it gets through the intersection.


LEFT TURN OPTIONS
You have the following choices:

1) Like a motor vehicle:


Follow these steps for making left turns just like cars do.
  1. From the right side of the street, look behind you for a gap in traffic. Start looking a half-block or more before the intersection; give yourself some space to set up and make your move.
  2. When traffic allows, signal left and change lanes. If you can’t find a gap and you’re sure of your skills, get a driver to let you in by making eye contact and pointing. Don’t change lanes until you’re sure the driver is yielding! If the guy behind won't let you in, let him on by and try again with a friendlier driver. (one reason I mentioned that you need to give yourself a lot of space before your turn to make your move.)
  3. Go to the middle of the left-turn lane. If there’s more than one turn lane, use the one farthest to the right—unless you’re making another left turn immediately.
  4. If there’s a car already waiting to turn left, get behind it. (Never put yourself next to a car in the same turn lane!) If there’s an oncoming car facing you, waiting to turn left, place as much distance between you and it as you would if you were driving a car.
  5. Turn just like a car does. After the turn, move into the right lane—unless another vehicle is there or you’re making another left turn immediately.
2) Like a pedestrian:
• Ride straight through the intersection to the far crosswalk.
• Stop, dismount, and position your bike in the new direction you want to go.
• Yield to oncoming traffic, or if you are at a signalized intersection, wait for the green or WALK signal.
• Walk your bike across the intersection.

When on the other side, remount your bike and re-enter the street when it's safe to do so.

3) “Box” Left Turn:


Use the box left turn if you can’t merge left before you reach the intersection. Here’s how:
  1.  
    1. Stay in the right lane and ride across the intersection on the left side of (not in) the crosswalk.
    2. Just before the opposite corner, check whether there’s room for you in the traffic lane to the right of the crosswalk, behind the stop line. If there is, go there and align yourself with traffic.
    3. If there’s no room behind the stop line, stop on the intersection side of the crosswalk and align yourself with traffic.
    4. When the traffic light changes, move with traffic.
Never make a left turn from the right side of the road, even if you’re in a bike lane.

As JoeyBike notes, some places will allow you to make a U-turn, as shown in the Cyclist's Eye View video. Some places don't... so be very discrete when you use this tactic.

And, if I can't make my turn at a certain place because traffic simply won't let me use any of the above tactics, I do what I do in my truck... just go on up a ways to the next (and hopefully friendlier) intersection, turn there, and go around the block to work my way back to where I want to be.

Last edited by Pscyclepath; 11-05-08 at 09:15 AM.
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Old 11-05-08, 10:05 AM
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Left turns on real bust streets are tough sometimes. If it is too busy, I proceed straight through the intersection and blend in with the traffic that will be going to the left.
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Old 11-05-08, 10:57 AM
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Nothing hard about it. You go in the left turn lane and wait your turn, when the way is clear you go. I do it daily.
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Old 11-05-08, 03:20 PM
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Of course, the thing is that if you take the leftmost lane, signaling, you are NOT doing anything out of the ordinary - as that is the same place that they would expect a ca to be stopped waiting to turn.
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Old 11-05-08, 03:50 PM
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Reaction time is the key. You don't want to change lanes in front of a motor vehicle so swiftly that they do not have time to react to a slow moving vehicle asserting the lane.

Note also that, at least in Oregon, one must stay in a lane at least 100 feet before changing lanes, lest face a ticket for weaving/reckless driving. At 12 MPH this is a long time, like on the order of ten seconds.

So, the trick is to be very visible, and of course to be watchful of approaching traffic, even after you have signaled and asserted a lane.

Assuming you have multiple lanes in your direction and no bicycle lane, make your first move away from the shoulder into the left third of that first lane like a real lane change; wait until it is safe, signal, then move over. At this point you've asserted a position in that lane that ensures that no one will pass you on either side within your asserted lane.

Now, I know I said before that you need to wait 100 feet, but in practice it seems safer and more polite to pick a window in traffic that is a bit shorter than that, especially if the road is busy. So, I would typically start signaling a left turn immediately after I've asserted this first lane, and then move over to the next lane when it is safe. This time I also control the entire lane, as it is almost never wide enough to allow a vehicle to pass me in my lane on the right as I slow to a stop and wait for the left turn.

Visibility is key here. Use many lights at night. I'm also a great fan of the glo-glove (https://www.pedigreen.com), which gives a very bright indication to vehicles behind you.
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Old 11-05-08, 04:55 PM
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Psyclepath gave you a great answer, which is essentially the same kind of stuff covered in Bicycle Street Smarts, which I very highly recommend.

Secondly, to confirm what dogbreathpnw said, it is obviously essential that you are highly visible to the motorists approaching behind you. Distracted drivers can be a problem, but not a huge one (at least around here, your mileage may vary), and the more visible you are, the more you will get the attention of even a distracted driver. Lights, reflectors, high-vis clothing, as redundant as possible!
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Old 11-05-08, 05:26 PM
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I wouldn't want you to get killed trying to follow left turning advice from Bike Forums. I'm a pretty experienced urban cyclist. Well, long time, anyway. On multi-lane type of roads, whether I do it vehicular style or not greatly depends on the volume and speed of traffic. Sometimes though, it's just safer to cross the intersection straight on the right side and then cross the other way from that road. You won't get a nicer funeral just because you stuck to vehicular cycling in a situation where it was too risky.
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Old 11-05-08, 09:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Longfemur
You won't get a nicer funeral just because you stuck to vehicular cycling in a situation where it was too risky.
Bingo. There's a four-lane where I either ride the sidewalk or the right lane until I reach a crosswalk, where I hit the button, turn the lights red, cross, and continue uphill on the left sidewalk. There's another four-lane where I ride in the right lane until I'm a minute from the turn, whereupon I switch into the left lane and make the turn at the intersection. Both four-lane roads, but different approaches to them, based on my wholly personal evaluation of the risks and benefits to my body. Cross in the way that's safest to you.
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Old 11-05-08, 09:40 PM
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Originally Posted by uke
Bingo. There's a four-lane where I either ride the sidewalk or the right lane until I reach a crosswalk, where I hit the button, turn the lights red, cross, and continue uphill on the left sidewalk. There's another four-lane where I ride in the right lane until I'm a minute from the turn, whereupon I switch into the left lane and make the turn at the intersection. Both four-lane roads, but different approaches to them, based on my wholly personal evaluation of the risks and benefits to my body. Cross in the way that's safest to you.
Couldn't agree more. If it doesn't feel comfortable don't do it.

I don't worry about the car directly behind me so much, but the 2nd car is another story.
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Old 11-06-08, 03:10 AM
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Originally Posted by JoeyBike
^+1^

Right turn then U-turn = Left turn.
Another +1 for the box left turn. It will make your life easier.
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