rootboy 

Oh..just man up and get a gun.

Is that insensitive ?....

noglider 

If you get honked at a lot, it might be a sign that you're doing something right, for all we know. There may not be a way to know.

@canklecat, how long will it take me to get used to the excessive honking in NYC? I've been back since 2013, and my nerves have calmed down only a little bit. It's really insane. And these are not hello or I'm-passing-you honks.

CliffordK

I've had neighbors comment that they honked at me to say "hi" while I was riding. And, wouldn't you know it, I just ignored it, not recognizing the cars.

Chr0m0ly 

horatio 

In the right-hand traffic lane. Guess some drivers think otherwise.

Chr0m0ly 

horatio 

canklecat

Dunno. I'm not sure I'd be as blase about it now as I was when I was a kid.

canklecat

Judging from some folks in my neighborhood, as far right as possible means somewhere to the right of Pinochet and Duterte would just fine.

canklecat

I actually do the wobble-swerve occasionally when I check my mirror and see a car approaching directly behind me when they have a whole 'nuther lane or plenty of room to pass. I'll pretend I'm dodging broken glass or armadillos. Usually nudges 'em over.

noglider 

Yeah, when we were kids, everything was normal, because we had no comparisons. I remember sleeping over at a friend's place in a quiet suburb, and I couldn't sleep because the silence made my ears ring too loudly. I lived over a loud street as a kid.

I hadn't thought of the wobble swerve to "signal" to drivers behind me. I do it to oncoming drivers and drivers on side roads looking to turn onto my road.

Love the comment on Duterte and Pinochet.

CliffordK

Oh, cities can be annoying with all the racket of horns and sirens.

I have some frogs that seem to want to make quite a racket at night!!!

BFisher

I've been honked at many times, and even openly insulted for simply being on the road.
But last year, as I was ascending a good sized hill into the city to the south of my town,
a car full of teenagers started blowing the horn. I was pleasantly surprised when they all
began to cheer and encourage me to conquer the beast. I laughed and nearly lost my cadence.
Good times.

stardognine

verktyg 

I've ridden with a small mirror mounted on my glasses for maybe 45 years. See my avatar.

Something that I noticed years ago was if I turned my head to the left indicating that I noticed a car coming up from behind, most of them would move over and pass at a wider distance.

Very few honked when I did this.

I've tried a lot of different mirrors. I like this Third Eye mirror the best.



These days I'm more careful about fast cyclists overtaking me. It seems like the inconsiderate ones think THEY own the road! Maybe it's been that way for a long time?

One other thing about honkers that I've noticed while driving, it seems that they hit their horn way before they hit their brakes. It's as if any obstacle in front of them will disappear. They must have no concept of the laws of physics - sound waves have little effect on the motion of the 2000-3000+ Lb. box they're riding in.

verktyg

Pilot321

I've only had the glasses mounted mirror for 32 years, but took a thirty year hiatus in riding until last year. I still use that same mirror though, and check it often as I am paranoid about cars behind me, or anywhere for that matter. I agree when they know you see them they often back off. I use the head turn method myself. It is as if you suddenly become real, or human or something. In this instance the guy just crept up on me out of the blue as I had just checked my mirror. A dog chased me the day before. Isn't riding fun?

since6

Roads, only on organized rides with motorcycle support.

Roads are no longer safe for cars, we've been rear-ended twice in the last six months.

We do have dedicated bike paths, that's where I ride, though I do have to ride some road to get to the path but that 's in a wide bike lane and a lower used arterial. The narrow bike lane with 4 lanes of traffic driving 15-20 mph over the speed limit, always feels like I'm placing my life in the hands of the next distracted drivers. Having watched to many weave half/all the way into the bike lane.

Even the bike trails are dangerous zombie walkers with ear buds, children (you just slow down, stop and always encourage them the next generation of bike riders), dog walkers who allow the leash to stretch across the entire bike trail, and then Joe the Biker going 15 mph faster than you with no signal except the flash as he passes you inches away, every time that happens I think of the bike paths in San Jose all with enforced 12mph speed limits.

easyupbug 

You don't want to here this but I recommend moving. I am blessed that most of my riding is in Oro Valley, AZ with huge bike lanes everywhere, a couple months every year in the Bighorn mountains where people treat cyclists with respect and give lots of room and a few weeks every year in Portland, OR where bikes are accepted, like rain or taxes. I am sure I have been honked but just can not remember a single incident.

horatio 

AlmostTrick

I figure a honk means they see me, and are unlikely to hit me. Monitoring my helmet mirror means I know their position, and I always keep some buffer to my right to glide into if necessary... or fully take the lane if it's not safe to share. Look backs and sometimes hand signals help when fully using the lane.

rseeker

Some people pay for that.


I've had that -- right at the end of a good ride too. Really harshed my mellow. I hate that someone toxic can touch my emotional core so easily, but it goes right in.

Lemond1985

I become increasingly difficult to upset toward the end of my rides, it's the whole reason why I do it, as it seems there is never a shortage of mellow-harshing individuals in my immediate vicinity.

USAZorro

Seems a decent place to share a fellow I know in Toronto's therapy/charm campaign trick.
I actually observed him do this when I was visiting him and doing a bunch of riding there about 10 years back.

He often rides with an automotive-style fastener that he picked up from the street in his jersey pocket.

If a driver is particularly obnoxious to him, and if he catches up to them a the next light, he will ride up to the window holding the fastener and tap on the window. Then with an air of genuine courtesy, he will show the fastener, and calmly tell the driver that he saw it rolling in the street and that he thought it came from their car. This little ploy is a win on so many levels.

grayEZrider

I've been using a helmet mounted mirror for four years now and it really helps. I can spot a car from a great distance and then use the "look back" method as well as waving them around long before they get close. It functions more as a clear signal of you knowing they are there and I think that helps prevent honking and "sneak passing".
What would be really good would be clear public knowledge of the possibility that "those front and back flashing lights" were also auto-radar triggered cameras. Anyone from Cateye out there listening in?

horatio 

Thanks for all the great suggestions, folks. I like the "wave around" idea. Seems I've used that in the past as well. I haven't ridded much in the past six years. Time to refresh my bag of tricks.