I call these "The Two Golden Myths of Cycling in Traffic":

1. No cyclist shall slow down a car;
2. No car shall slow down a cyclist.

As to the first one, we have all dealt with car drivers who think that it's unreasonable for cyclists to delay a car for even a few seconds. Some cyclists seem to believe this, too. They hug the curb, ride the sidewalk, or insist on special bike lanes. But I don't worry about causing short delays for cars. They can stay behind me for a block before turning or finding space to pass.

There is a flip side--some cyclists seem to think that they have the right never to be delayed by cars. Some cyclists think it's perfectly OK to filter through to the beginning of a line of traffic at a light, forcing the cars to pass the cyclist a second. Transportation Alternatives, the New York anti-road-cycling group, posted a video that alleged that the lack of barrier separated lanes created safety problems. But if you watch the video, the so-called safety problems were mostly the result of cyclists weaving unsafely through slow-moving traffic.

One solution is to complete re-arrange the roads (even 25 mph downtown roads), spend tons of money, take space from the road, build facilities that may or may not be used (the last time NYC used barrier lanes, they were removed in part because cyclists didn't want to use them), and bar cyclists from the road (except for when non-cyclists think it's OK for cyclists to leave the lane).

Another solution is for cyclists to show a little patience. No matter how you arrange the road, you will have to deal with other vehicles. When you get to a line of traffic, wait your turn. When traffic is moving slowly, don't weave ahead carelessly. And leave far enough ahead so that delays will be no big deal.

I don't know, daily commute, if a car is slowing ME down, I'm going to pass the slow moving vehicle.

pass the cars, pass the cars, pass the cars.

if there's a lineup, I'm splitting the lanes. Cars split lanes with bikes all the time, I'll split lanes with cars when I consider it safe. I even split lanes on drawbridges with backed up traffic.

I filter at traffic signals, pull right up front, then put the hammer down and continue on my merry way. I'm often ahead of the cars at the next light as well, depending on road conditions, grade, etc.

I really don't care to be stuck behind slow moving vehicles like cars when I can get well ahead of them off the lights.

Ever heard of the terms "traffic pacing" and "traffic signal sprints?" These are weighted terms describing true vehicular parity in dense urban traffic. splitting lanes, filtering, are techniques employed in traffic pacing to stay ahead of blocks of cars moving off lights thru dense urban cores.

You can stay behind all the cars, for me, NO THANKS, I'll split a lane, pass a car, and claim the lanes with the best of them.

If I'm slowing a car down, and they pass me by splitting the lane, well, WE ALL KNOW cars do that ALL THE TIME.

but you're right, sometimes a bike will slow down a car, and sometimes a car will slow down a bike.

But if I can bunny hop the curb, ride on the grass in suburbia, and pass some clusterfuzzle of cars stationary on the road, I'll do so. Curb hopping to get around clusters of busses blocking city streets (happens sometimes in downtown Seatown) is an OK technique for me when I am confident I can perform the pass safely.

pass the cars, pass the cars, pass the cars.....

Hey sometimes you just gotta come to a full stop. It's the nature of traffic. My bobbing and weaving style of carving downtown flow works for me and i tend to minimize scrubbing velocity. I found yesterday in the sloppy snowfall the drivers actually didn't react to slowness, either from me in the passenger tyre mark, or from more cautious drivers in the snow. Now I'll go for another snow ride to the bank...weeheee

The Two Tin Myths of Cycling:
1) That center lane positioning and arm signals solve all logistical and social problems between cyclists and drivers
2) That people who prefer bike lanes and bike paths are deficient in skills or have phobias about traffic

Just like a tin cup, these two myths ring hollow.

good one!

I'd say:
Proper lane positioning and arm signals solve many logistical and social problems between cyclists and drivers.

Well, you do have phobias about traffic. I repeatedly hear from facilities advocates they just don't feel safe on roads without striped lanes. The TA video I linked to talked about the horrors of dealing with traffic.

So, Diane, do you think it's wrong for cyclists to slow down car drivers or for car drivers to slow down cyclists?

Tin Myth #3:
That people who enjoy riding in heavy traffic, aren't bothered by 17 second honks, couldn't care less about being buzzed, have no concern about cellphones and text messaging while driving, and who prefer single digit birds to the real kind are qualified to diagnose phobias in other people who do not share the same opinions about those issues.

i feel safe in traffic, and I support facilities. I'm a facilities advocate for the good of my community, to make roads less autocentric, and garner 'average' bicyclists a more visible road position than wide outside lanes.

It's not wrong, you can do it if you want, daily commute, but i consider your stance a fool's game in the name of vehicular parity, to wait behind cars when you are on a much more maunuverable bike, that allows a bicyclist to split lanes and advance on traffic.

What do you do when there's a mile long backup becasue of a traffic accident up ahead, daily commute? Call in late for work ?

Yeah, sometimes drivers can be jerks. When you ride on the road, you have be aware of your surroundings. Big deal.

Your third point really only serves to prove your second point.

I never claimed to be a saint.

What do you do when there's a mile long backup because of a traffic accident up ahead, daily commute? Does "not being a saint" mean that mean you call in late for work, then take a nice long ride, or does that mean you split lanes sometimes and pass the cars instead of your proud axiomatic first post that posits you getting stuck behind cars?


Beck's Axiom #2- subsection G of riding.....Pass the cars, pass the cars, pass the cars

Oh come on - just cuz someone prefers not to be in traffic does not mean they have a phobia or fear of it. When you drive a car, does prefering to be on a nice deserted country road rather than on a crowded urban Interstate at rush hour mean that you have a phobia or fear of traffic?

If given the choice between a nice well-designed path and a road with heavy traffic, both of which will get me to where I want to go, I'd choose the path, not out of fear or discomfort with the road, but because eliminating one factor - traffic - can make the ride more enjoyable. What would you choose? If you choose the road, can I assume that you have a phobia about paths?

So if you prefer to eat cheeseburgers instead of okra do you have a phobia of okra?

If you make decisions about cycling based on a desire to be there for your grandchildren is that a phobia or an informed decision?

And, to keep on Bek's topic, if you choose to split the lanes and take advantage of bike lanes to get to work on time does that make you an anti-VC bike lane traffic-phobe or a practical man trying to keep his job?

In the real world, plenty happens.

I think that you would have to live in cycling or car utopia for these to be true. From a rule stand point these are just too black or white.
1. No cyclist shall slow down a car;
2. No car shall slow down a cyclist.

I think these are not so much myths as value statements.

The only trouble these really cause is when the people who hold these values engage in risk-taking to support them.

If motorists didn't overtake too closely, or into the path of oncoming traffic, or too close to junctions when attempting to avoid being slowed, their desire to pass would be of little concern.

If cyclists didn't try to pass other traffic on the right at junctions or in door zones when attempting to avoid being slowed, their desire to pass would be of little concern.

Getting everyone to better understand the reasons behind the basic concepts of first-come, first-served, equal right to the road, and proper destination positioning would reduce these problems. But most of all, a little more patience is needed on the road.

Thanks. That's much better said than what I wrote.

Define "proper lane positioning" in such a way that any you could explain the concept to a 14 year old cyclist.

+100. Preference about one thing does NOT equal phobia about the opposite.

so, is it now okay to sometimes pass the cars, daily commute?

Bek, only people who are against on-street facilities are allowed to pass cars, split lanes, ride on bike paths next to busy streets, etc. If you are for on-street facilities, you have phobias if you do those things. Get with the program, fellow phobic.

I filter past lines of cars all the time. I don't think it's any big deal.

most of my route, though, has no lines of cars as I PREFER a route that does not place me in heavy traffic.

I thouroughly confused to daily commute's sometimes rules, diane. completely befuddled. He wants to make a vehicular parity statement with his bike, but anytime the traffic gets too bad, he will pass the cars using a bicycle like a bicycle.

maybe my confusion is a side effect from my recent elbow reduction operation, to keep my elbows out of the way of overtaking traffic after helmet head pointed out my elbows have now become a safety liabiltity in another hand wringing, armchair biking advocacy thread....

so sorry, off topic! but perhaps daily commute would benefit from an elbow reduction operation as well, get him more streamlined to go mythbusting...or is it axiom disproving, when he passes stopped traffic?

elbow reduction is so 90s. Knee augmentation is the new elbow reduction.

pass the cars, pass the cars, pass the cars, daily commute. its okay. We'll all still respect you in the morning.

I WAS getting botox knee injections, but sometimes got my knees stuck in traffic, rando....

Forget knees and elbows. I think what everybody needs is brain reduction. There's too much over-thinking this bicycling thing. It's really not so hard. Actually, it's as easy as, er, riding a bicycle.

You can achieve the appearance of brain reduction by riding a recumbent tricycle. A little drool on your chin and you'll have everybody convinced.