gharding

On my commute home today, I encountered a LOT of bikers going against traffic on both one-way and two-way streets, and this wasn't in a bike lane. What am I supposed to do when I encounter them? On one side is moving traffic, on the other are parked cars.. there's not a whole lot of wiggling room. I generally keep going straight because I don't plan on endangering myself when they're going the wrong way. They either better make it apparent what they're planning on doing or stop.

One guy yelled at me for getting in his way. He was going against traffic on a TWO WAY STREET. All I did was point at the other lane and said "your lane is over there, buddy".

What do you do in this kind of situation?

AEO

I really hate it when those people think it's ok to go in the wrong directions on the street.
When I do see them, I just yell to them... "Wrong way mofo!" and hope karma will make them learn that they're not doing it correctly.

icedmocha 

I see bikers doing this often. I learned at a very early age the correct way to ride. the excuse my friends used at 11 or 12 was "I at least want to see if a car is going to hit me". It gives us all a bad name.

paulwwalters

I do this only on shoulders (but I'm out in the burbs).

I'm sure if I was a fast elite alleycat racer type I'd fearlessly weave through oncoming traffic as well.
But I'm not.

ralph12

Hah, I had two JAMs yell at me "You're on the wrong siduh the roooooaaadd" when I was riding with traffic.

I honestly think in 90% of instances, anyone who thinks bicycles should ride against traffic is a moron. So what if you can see the car coming? When you smash through its windshield, does it matter that you could see it coming?

kokomo61

I had some guy grumble a few words at me the other day as he was riding the wrong way toward me in my subdivision. I'm moving along at 20-22 mph, and he's weaving back and forth, 1) with no helmet, and 2) wearing over-the-ear headphones with the strap under his chin.

I'm not sure where people learned to ride against traffic, but when they're sprawled out on the hood of a car like Joe Mannix, don't expect to get much sympathy from me.

wsexson

Hold your line and force them to move. It isn't your fault that they don't know how to operate a bicycle. Easy for me to say since I am too big for anyone on a bike to want to play chicken with me, though.

notfred

People don't really do this in San Francisco.

JeffB502

The vast majority of cyclists I see in this town are on the sidewalk (even though it's a misdemeanor municipal code violation for a person over 12 to ride on a sidewalk in a business or residential area) and many of them ride against traffic. I think this behavior comes from the common misconception that bicyclists should operate as "pedestrians on wheels" instead of operators of vehicles.

I have seen one person riding against traffic in a bike lane. As I was coming towards him (riding home from work) he pulled to the curb and stopped. I slowed and as I approached he asked if I had seen his dog. He was obviously riding on that side since there was a ditch that he wouldn't have been able to see from the other side of the road, and since he was polite about it it wasn't a problem. He was also using a flashlight as a headlight, and had no taillight. Maybe in that case it would be safer since it would be easier for approaching vehicles to see him?

I've never seen a cyclist riding against traffic on a roadway with no bike lane. Sounds suicidal to me.

I've only got 991 miles of commuting experience, so I'm sure I'll see many more strange things in the future.

BikeManDan

I think people got confused over the years with the "go against traffic" strategy from runners

I think for runners it makes sense but for bicycles that move much quicker and can suddenly dart out where a driver is not expecting something, its not smart

nextstopwillbe

i do my best to ride with traffic but there's a couple of spots on my commute where it's either more convenient or feels safer to go against traffic. it's usually for no more than a block or two and i'm know i'm in the wrong so i'm extra careful and courteous to oncoming traffic and cyclists. i'd like to figure out paths to avoid doing it but i haven't found a better course yet.

Neil_B

I have. This was on a road that's perfectly safe to ride correctly.

squeakywheel

Wrong way riding is an early stage in the evolution of a bicyclist. After meeting an oncoming cyclist like this, the survivors discover riding on the wrong side causes confusion and they modify their behavior.

I used to do it on one road because the shoulder was only paved on one side. First time I met an oncoming cyclist I had a moment of confusion. Should I go to his left or right? Hmm, there aren't any rules of the road to use as a guide that are applicable on the wrong side of the road. After this first meeting, I realized it was awkward for both of us and I stopped riding on the left side of the road.

john bono

(thread hijack alert)
Joe Mannix?!? I haven't even seen a rerun of that show in twenty years! So, who do you think would win in a death match? Joe Mannix or Frank Cannon?

rhm

I believe there are places --whole continents, even-- where bicycles are expected to ride in the margin in the opposite direction from car traffic. I heard this is the case in Latin America, for example. If everyone did it, it wouldn't be so bad. Here in NYC, however, where the bike lanes are narrow, traffic is fast, and there are thousands of unpredictable pedestrians, the wrong-way-riders are a real nuisance.

1ply

I've seen that here... for some reason the international students attending the university here (they seem to be korean) think that riding against traffic in the bike lane in the way to go. I just swing around them (in the right car lane) and don't worry about it. Next time I'll stop near the curb and make them swing out into traffic going the wrong way, maybe they'll get the message.

PaulH

I think it is self-reinforcing. The wrong-side rider gets a lot of near misses due to being in the wrong place. He is able to see and avoid the oncoming car and thinks, "good thing I was on this side of the road."

The wrong-siders here are usually Hispanic. It is entirely possible that they are just doing what is customary, maybe even legally-required back where they came from. They often apologize to me with sad resignation, as if they felt that everything they did was wrong and they had no good alternatives.

Paul

OhiOH

I’m sorry, but this is a BAD practice no matter where you are doing it.

EMT

I just go close to the curb and make them ride out in the traffic. Sometimes I do this too though. Then I am equally willing to take my chances should I encounter an oncoming cyclist or motorcycle.

DataJunkie

I just glare at them and refuse to move. When in a bad mood something along the lines of "wrong way ahole" comes out of my mouth. However this rarely happens. For instance, I passed several kids around 10-12 years old on BMX bikes riding on the correct side of the road yesterday. Could be catching on.

StanSeven

Just be glad they don't yell at you to "ride on the right side of the road"

lil brown bat

In my limited experience (i.e., where my commute takes me), there's a strong correlation between wrong-way riding and vicinity of a college or university. Bay State Road near BU in Boston is a great example.

JOHN J

I see people riding the wrong way on bikes all the time more than not.

take your pick children on mini BMX bikes no helmets,

teens on different types of bikes no helmets, they often ride like freds
seniors riding older bikes with fenders and flat bars no helmets, they seem to stay on road

and More freds than you can shake a stick at that not only ride the wrong way , but sidewalk ride , they dont stop at lights, no helmets , (the'll hop on sidwalk and around the lights) ...

I just deal with it! I take a look behind me and ill get out of way then back on line. often the wrong way rider will hop on a sidewalk to avoid me if im cruising at a good pace...

"John"

Raleighroader

As a very long-time rider and commuter, I can say that those of you in this thread who confessed to riding against traffic in certain situations, please stop, now.

There are literally no situations where this is a good idea. Even at 10 mph you are increasing the closing speed between you and traffic by 20 mph compared to riding in the right direction. You also unnerve drivers by that increase in closing speed, because they are used to slowly overtaking cyclists who are going in the right direction. So you can see the oncoming traffic, so what? You aren't going to be able to avoid it if it swerves toward you in any event.

I know that emotionally in some tight spots it is unnerving to have the traffic passing close by your shoulder, but if the road is too tight to ride in the right direction, it is definitely even worse to ride it in the wrong direction.

ghettocruiser

I pass them uneventfully to the left, the same way I would pass a pedestrian or jogger proceeding legally facing traffic.