Cycling etiquette
- Thread starter Leo H.
- Start date
Sometimes I'll call out that I cam coming by, but mostly I just pass other riders when there is safe space and I can cleanly pull out into the road to pass. If it is not a safe place to pass, like an intersection or turn, I'll slow down and wait for a safe place to pass other riders.
I was reading different bike etiquette across the internet and found this post. So I joined and figured to contribute my two cents. Hello everyone!
Most of my riding is rural so etiquette is fairly non-existent for the lack of fellow riders and pedestrians. But I have noticed when I ride through any populated areas that people tend to jump a little when I let them know I am passing. Most others on bikes slide past without any warning so to each his or her own. For me it's easy enough to give a quick heads-up before passing.
Most of my riding is rural so etiquette is fairly non-existent for the lack of fellow riders and pedestrians. But I have noticed when I ride through any populated areas that people tend to jump a little when I let them know I am passing. Most others on bikes slide past without any warning so to each his or her own. For me it's easy enough to give a quick heads-up before passing.
I agree it is common courtesy. I try to do it early enough to avoid startling anyone.
I have another Cycling Etiquette issue. Where I live many of the traffic signals are triggered by the presence of a vehicle. They almost never pick up the presence of a bicycle; heck, some of them cannot sense a motorcycle! I find this causing me to run red lights, which I try to never do, if I don't want to spend a LONG TIME at a light that won't cycle. This is more than just annoying. It causes me to appear to be a rude cyclist who refuses to follow the traffic laws, and frankly it is dangerous.
It's just the advice another rider gave me. It seems to work.
Here are some articles on stoplight sensors, but I don't recall what information they contained.
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/green.htm
http://www.humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/signals/detection.htm
Here is a thread on the subject.
http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/290431/dealing-with-city-hall-traffic-light-sensors
This article claims it can help to epoxy a magnet to your shoe.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Traffic-Light-Trigger-for-your-Bike/
I ride a couple different paths that get very busy when the weather is nice. I've pretty much given up on calling out because its so common to come up behind someone, rider or pedestrian, and they've got flipping earbuds in and can't hear you anyways. Seems that the best policy is to mind your speed, stay aware of traffic ahead and behind you, and leave plenty of room as you pass. I like to commute quickly, and Utah something of a race against myself and the clock, but slowing down to be safe allows you to get the enjoyment of just cruising along taking in the day.
Discouraging people from spooking me from behind is precisely the reason why I don't wave at other bike riders.
I find that by not indulging those needy bozos - all hopped-up on their SSRIs; with their saccharine, Stepford Wives-type joviality - I reduce the likelihood that one of 'em will sneak up behind me and spook me so bad with their, "Hi-diddly-ho, Neighborino!", that I swerve out into traffic to my death!
What is it with people like that anyway? I read somewhere about a certain mental pathology some people suffer from, where they have anxiety attacks whenever anybody they come across doesn't acknowledge their existance. I forget the name of it. But whatever it's called, I would bet money that that's what these wave-happy spazzes suffer from.
I also hate to see another bike rider approaching me from the oncoming direction, because invariably it means they are going to force motor traffic behind them to go around them to pass them at 50+ m.p.h. over the speed limit! And the idiots STILL expect you to return their wave with a car barrelling straight at you in your lane at 90 m.p.h.!
My worst nightmare is to get two of these self-centered fools from both the front and the back of me, waving like the freakin' Queen of England!
Man! People like that give me the Willies!
I find that by not indulging those needy bozos - all hopped-up on their SSRIs; with their saccharine, Stepford Wives-type joviality - I reduce the likelihood that one of 'em will sneak up behind me and spook me so bad with their, "Hi-diddly-ho, Neighborino!", that I swerve out into traffic to my death!
What is it with people like that anyway? I read somewhere about a certain mental pathology some people suffer from, where they have anxiety attacks whenever anybody they come across doesn't acknowledge their existance. I forget the name of it. But whatever it's called, I would bet money that that's what these wave-happy spazzes suffer from.
I also hate to see another bike rider approaching me from the oncoming direction, because invariably it means they are going to force motor traffic behind them to go around them to pass them at 50+ m.p.h. over the speed limit! And the idiots STILL expect you to return their wave with a car barrelling straight at you in your lane at 90 m.p.h.!
My worst nightmare is to get two of these self-centered fools from both the front and the back of me, waving like the freakin' Queen of England!
Man! People like that give me the Willies!
As for the mirror comment, when you are passed by someone once every 2 months, at most, checking your mirror in an empty bike lane is just as much hit or miss in noticing a rare overtaking cyclist as not looking at all.
The other thing about the overtaking cyclists that pass me is, it doesn't matter how much lane space there is, they can't seem to manage, while overtaking, to not even give me the 3' lane courtesy we legally expect of motor vehicles when overtaking a cyclist.
Rude cyclists aren't going to keep me from riding, but they sure keep me from wanting to be around any more cyclists than I have to. I don't look forward to there being more cyclists on the road. It's sad, but true and understandable.
The other thing about the overtaking cyclists that pass me is, it doesn't matter how much lane space there is, they can't seem to manage, while overtaking, to not even give me the 3' lane courtesy we legally expect of motor vehicles when overtaking a cyclist.
Rude cyclists aren't going to keep me from riding, but they sure keep me from wanting to be around any more cyclists than I have to. I don't look forward to there being more cyclists on the road. It's sad, but true and understandable.
I think that it is very inconsiderate not to let someone know that you are there, it is a safety thing but some people don't seem to get that. I have had people get pretty annoyed trying to pass me but as soon as I realise they are there I move and let them past as I am not the speediest but it is the way they go about it which makes me shout at them as they pass.Leo H. said:
So from this thread, I gathered this is common courtesy and not just a regional thing, right? I was meeting a friend to get dinner yesterday and happened to overtake him on the way. I called out to him as I did it saying I was passing and he looked really confused. When we met up, he said he'd never heard of anyone doing this and the other people around agreed with him. I know my area is kinda behind the times but it was really weird.
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