Slowbee Posted February 19, 2009 Share Ok since being on the hub for a while and reading about rider safety one of the things I have started doing is using hand signals while riding. While at first I felt like a dork, it has on several occasions produced a wave and a thank you from motorists. But here is a safety question that occured to me whilst out cycling. On my ride there is one point where I need to turn right. Its at an intersection (R44 and Main Rd Lord Charles Robots coming down the R44). It has a right turn only lane. The cars facing you are in 4 lanes, 2 to turn to their right and 2 to carry on straight. The question is, do you stay on the left hand side of your right hand turn lane only and expose yourself to all that traffic heading towards you and in so doing move onto the inside lane when you have turned right? Or do you sit on the inside of the right hand lane but in so doing head onto the outside lane as you turn right ? *bricks that sounds confusing - but you know what I mean?* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canaris Posted February 19, 2009 Share easy buy a mtb and stay on the pavement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowpoke Posted February 19, 2009 Share i stay to the left - it makes you more visible and (at least here in the wild west of joeys) the drivers tend to give a gap as a result of actually (for a change) seeing you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowbee Posted February 19, 2009 Share easy buy a mtb and stay on the pavement. , you dont know I bought a mtb ? In somerset west, its not looked kindly upon riding on the pavement. I have been spoken to by a few people about doing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cat-i Posted February 19, 2009 Share i have one intersection like that on my daily commute - ha an invisibility-scare there last week (or maybe week before, can't remember) when someone in the wrong lane turned right after the light was already red for turning traffic. it helps that i have an MTB - i now either turn left, then wait for the next cycle, to go into the go-straight-over lane, or to the roght side of the raod, wait for the traffic light to stap the traffic from the right (and left), and go over to the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinV Posted February 19, 2009 Share Slowbee, I think stay left. That way you are more visible to oncoming cars, and don't have the problem of being hit by a driver taking a tight line through the corner.Also, you won't have to work through the traffic to move left after the intersection as you will already be on the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newlands Posted February 20, 2009 Share I met Colin and his friends at last years DC. We stayed at the same guest house. What a great group of people. They took almost the whole day to finish the race and that night my girlfriend and I listed to all 10 hours worth of stories. Wasnt planned that way, it just happened. We were made "honorary members" of their team. Such a tragedy that happened on Saturday. Chris ?Hou my pappa veilig in die hemel?SHANTEL MOSES20/02/2009 07:48:30 AM - (SA) Kaapstad. - ?Gaan saggies en vreedsaam.? S? het mev. Zarina van Schalkwyk, weduwee van mnr. Colin van Schalkwyk (43) wat Saterdag op sy fiets in ?n padongeluk gesterf het, gister by sy gedenkdiens in Constantia ges?. Van Schalkwyk is dood toe hy en twee vriende vir die Cape Argus-fietstoer geoefen het. Die voorval het omstreeks 10:00 in Otto du Plessisweg in Milnerton plaasgevind. Mev. Van Schalkwyk het uit ?n boek wat hy aan haar gegee het om haar gedagtes neer te pen, gelees oor hoe sy voor en n? di? noodlottige ongeluk gevoel het. In ?n inskrywing n? sy dood het sy geskryf: ?Jy het ges? ons kan ten minste 70 jaar oud word, maar jy het voor dit gegaan. ?Jy moet nou oor ons kyk en seker maak ek word 70.? Sy wou net by hom gaan l? en opkrul toe sy later sy liggaam by die lykhuis moes uitken, het sy gelees. Trane het vryelik gevloei gedurende die diens en sagte snikke kon deurentyd gehoor word. Veral sy dogter, Sara (6), se versoek aan God om haar ?pappa veilig in die hemel te hou? en seker te maak dat hy genoeg kos het terwyl hy daar is, het selfs die sterkste mans in trane gehad. ?My broer was passievol oor fietsry. Di? jaar sou sy tiende Cape Argus-fietstoer gewees het. Hy het doodgegaan terwyl hy gedoen het waarvoor hy die liefste was,? het mnr. Andr? van Schalkwyk ges?. ?Hy was ook baie lief vir sy gesin en het ?n goeie sin vir humor gehad.? Op sy Facebook-profiel het hy die volgende inskrywing gehad: ?Fietsry het ?n passie geword, maar dit is steeds moeilik om die ekstra kilo?s af te skud as jy ook ?n liefde vir kos het.? Van Schalkwyk word oorleef deur sy vrou, dogter, broer en pa. Teken in op Die Burger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted February 20, 2009 Share This is something that new riders always get wrong. If you need to cross traffic, you need to be on the left of the farthest left turning lane. This way if you hold your line you will automatically be in the right place against the curb in the road you are tuning into. Just remember, always be on the left of a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowbee Posted February 20, 2009 Share Manfrog, even if you sitting in double lane, turning right, keep to the left of the car turning right ? even if that puts in between the cars travelling in the same direction ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted February 20, 2009 Share Even if there are 20 lanes turning right. Always on the left of the most left turning lane. YOu do not want to cross the lane or be in between the cars behind you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowbee Posted February 20, 2009 Share my questions stem from the "we arnt making it easier for ourselves", part of the problem lies in the perception we create for ourselves. Here is another one that happened today and I would love to hear your ideas. As Mampara has suggested, being on the mtb is like being 12 yrs old again. Well for me anyway. When I am freewheeling downhill I just cant stop smiling, its just awesome. One of the other things I do (thinking I am 12 again), is ride up driveway entrances along the grass and them off the next driveway entrance. This morning, two drivers gave me the evil look and finger. Do you then avoid doing this since it creates a bad impression of cyclists? Or is it just a case that they are sour for not being able to jump kerbs ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted February 20, 2009 Share if you stay on the pavement I don't see a problem. But if you get of the pavement and back on it can be scary for cars when suddenly there pops a bicycle out of now where. He kept his line and suddenly you pop off the pavement and he needs to take evasive action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowbee Posted February 20, 2009 Share should bikes even be on the pavements ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreZA Posted February 20, 2009 Share should bikes even be on the pavements ? very dangerous as cars can come come out of the properties and not see the cyclist that's at speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pastapouch Posted February 20, 2009 Share listen to the traffic. If you hear someone putting foot down , rather look and see whats happening behind you, chances are good its an idiot. Also goes for old unroadworthy junk sounding like 100 tin cans coming up behind you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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