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Those dicey right turn lanes

03.15.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 3 Comments

A fact of biking life is contending with right turn lanes that cross in front of your bike.  I cross such a lane frequently in my neighborhood.  It lets right-turning motorists bypass a stoplight, and merge quickly into cross-street traffic (which is usually heavy at this intersection).

Bikers are supposed to “take the lane”– that is, stay in their own lane, crossing over the right turn lane to continue onward. In theory, that works.  But when the right turn lane bypasses the stoplight, cars tend to hit it at higher speeds, and that can sometimes lead to a potentially dangerous confrontation between car and bike.

The other day, I approached such an intersection.  I could hear a car approaching from behind.  I pulled to the left edge of the bike lane, and kept going on to the stoplight, which had turned red.  Then I heard it.

The sound of a car engine, coming up behind me fast, on the left, but slowing.  He was obviously going to head into the right turn lane.  He pulled even with me.  It was a big SUV, a Ford Explorer.  He couldn’t let a lousy bicycle keep him from hitting his lane, but he was hesitant.  Should he punch it, and cut into the lane in front of me?  Or should he hit the brakes and wait until I’d passed across his front before he made his turn?  

Although he hesitated, I didn’t.  I kept ownership of the lane, and kept moving at a steady pace.  He realized he couldn’t cut me off (much as I’m sure he would have liked to).  He braked hard, and made his turn after I’d cleared the turn lane.

This afternoon, same intersection, same situation.  But this time the car was a BMW sedan, one of the bigger ones.  He gunned it as I eased over to the left edge of the bike lane, preparing to cross over the right turn lane.  No hesitation on his part. The black car shot ahead, crossed in front, and merged into the cross traffic from the right turn lane.

The League of American Bicyclists, whose Road I course I took last spring, says, If your lane turns into a right turn only lane, change lanes before the intersection.  But that’s if you’re riding in a traffic lane.  I was in a bike lane, a lane that ended when it turned into a right turn lane, then resumed before the stoplight.  So my course of action was to stay in my lane, which I did.  Again, the League: Avoid riding in lanes that position you on the right side of a right turn lane.  By hugging the left edge of the bike lane, I was ready to cross the right turn lane quickly and get out of the way of any turning vehicles.

It’s that move, getting out of the bike lane and crossing the right turn lane, that seems to cause drivers the most consternation.  Since they’re turning anyway, it seems to me the logical thing to do would be to slow, ease in behind me, and in the two to three seconds it takes me to get out of their way, they can finish their turn.  Biker’s logic, I suppose.  Once people get behind the wheel of their cars, another mindset kicks in.

Be careful out there.

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Categories // Safety Tags // Safety

Stiff winds cause trouble

02.01.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 6 Comments

I’ve had a question or two from readers about the name of the blog — Bike Noob. Since I’ve been riding for well over a year, is it realistic to still consider myself a newbie? But I still manage to come up with newbie questions, and I’ve got one for you today. First, some background.

I had a great ride today. The weather turned out to be even nicer than had been forecast. I took off for Southwest Parkway, because I wanted to get in a hillier ride than I have been lately.

But I wound up cutting the ride short. I had planned to go about five miles farther, but I was bothered by one factor: the wind.

It came out of the southeast, at a steady 10 mph. But the gusts were much higher, maybe even 30. I’ve noticed on several recent rides in strong wind that I start feeling uneasy when I’m going downhill in a stiff crosswind or a quartering wind. The bike starts to feel unstable.

There’s no good reason for this. I do the ABC Quick Check before each ride, so I know my tires are at optimum pressure, the quick releases are tight, and the wheels are rolling true. So I don’t think it’s the bike.

I used to look forward to downhills. I’d pedal like mad to see how fast I could crank up the bike. Today though, I coasted, and even feathered the brakes to keep the speed in what I felt would be a controllable zone. My top speed was 32 mph, and under other circumstances I could have topped 35 or 36 along these same stretches of road.

This is a different sensation than getting hit by a stiff crosswind gust that threatens to knock you over. Today, I got the sensation that the bike would go out of control before I was knocked over.

Finally, on a nice downhill stretch heading west, the sensation got to be too much. The wind was hitting me on the left side. I got that uneasy feeling, and decided to bag it.

By the way, I still considered this a good ride. The hills made me work hard, and physically, I felt good throughout and afterward.

I wonder if this feeling is left over from my crashes last fall, which led to some less aggressive riding than I typically did before the crashes. I’ve been riding with a bit more verve in the past couple of weeks, attacking corners and building speed. It’s just the downhills in the wind that are getting to me.

So, loyal Bike Noob readers: Any suggestions on coping with a stiff cross wind? My inquiring mind wants to know.

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Categories // Safety, Technique Tags // Safety, Technique, wind

Safer cycling

10.30.2008 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I work at a university.  One of the things I’ve noticed as I hit town during my daily commute is an increasing number of cyclists on the road, biking to and from campus.  I think we’re all noticing more cyclists lately, because of high gas prices, but the ones I’ve been seeing are worth a comment.

More and more cyclists seem to be practicing what is called “vehicular cycling,” where bikes take their place among other traffic on the road, and cyclists follow the same rules cars must follow.  This morning, one fellow waited in a left turn lane about four cars back from the stoplight.  When the light changed, he pedaled hard to stay with the flow of cars around the corner, then reached the bike lane on the road he was turning on to, and settled in.  The cars behind him were not delayed by following a bike.

A four-lane road leads from the interstate highway toward campus.  This morning, a cyclist rode “as far to the right as practicable” and moved at a pretty good clip.  Cars passed him closely, because there’s no room for a bike lane on this road, but there is enough room for two cars and a bike — if everybody pays attention.

I’m also seeing more riders stop at stop signs and signal their turns.

Of course, there are always some jerks, but that’s not what this post is about.

As a larger number of cyclists ride according to the rules of the road, that boosts the chances that motorists will be more likely to accept their presence, and perhaps ease the antagonism between cyclists and drivers.

And before you ask — no, I’m not one of the bike commuters.  Unfortunately, I live 30 miles from work, and riding there is not a realistic choice — for me.

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Categories // Commuting, Safety Tags // car free, Commuting, Safety

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