Originally Posted by Skulking

It is also putting other riders who are following traffic laws in an unusual situation when they find another rider coming towards them against traffic.

Originally Posted by GlennR

I accept your apology.

Originally Posted by Skulking

Even if you want to ignore the risks at intersections where drivers aren't expecting someone coming the wrong way as they turn or cross the intersection there are a couple of other good reasons.

Outside of intersections, you are still riding against traffic, and you are putting drivers in an unusual situation because they aren't expecting to have someone on the shoulder riding towards them. Right or wrong, unusual situations are risky because you never know how someone will react.

It is also putting other riders who are following traffic laws in an unusual situation when they find another rider coming towards them against traffic. I would expect that to throw me a bit, and it forces a pass when you meet rather than giving you an opportunity to wait for a safe time to pass if you are riding in the same direction.

And of course it also increases your closing speed in the event that you are hit.

Originally Posted by canklecat

Mandela Effect.

People believe they know something, despite getting it wrong on associations and details. But because of peer pressure and intellectual laziness they never question their own assumptions.

As a kid in the 1960s schools attempted to teach rudimentary lessons in how to be a decent human being. They called it "civics." That included teaching kids to walk facing traffic. Presumably so they could jump out of the way of murderous members of their "community" barging around maliciously in their death machines. In drivers ed I don't recall any lessons teaching drivers to be decent human beings and not run over slower pedestrians and cyclists.

Anyway, as a result of those lessons about walking facing traffic, which most people wake-slept through, they halfway remember something about facing traffic and assume it applies to cyclists too.

I encountered that same misapprehension from a friend who's my age (both born in the late 1950s). I occasionally see him outside when I'm coming home from bike rides and stop to chat awhile. He mentioned that same mistake about riding facing traffic. I told him that applies only to pedestrians and, in most states, cyclists are supposed to operate like motor vehicles.

Same reason why some drivers holler "Get on the sidewalk!" at cyclists. Never mind that there are very few sidewalks in suburbs that were built to take advantage of personal transportation.

And the misunderstanding is reinforced by people riding bikes pretty much the way most people walk -- opportunistically. To minimize our risk from reckless drivers, most of us walk with little or no regard to official guidlines -- crosswalks, intersections and walk lights. It makes no sense to cross at an intersection where the walk signal coincides with signals to drivers that it's okay to turn right on red and left against traffic on yellow. So pedestrians are competing with death machines coming from different directions. Effectively the walk signal means nothing. So for our own safety we'll "jaywalk" by choosing a place in the middle of the block to cross where we have a clear view in two directions (rather than four at the typical intersection), a median strip as a safe zone, etc.

In my area most folks on bicycles wouldn't self-identify as "cyclists." The bike is just a way to get around that's a little faster than walking. But they ride their bikes the same way most of us walk -- opportunistically. They'll ride on the sidewalk for awhile wherever a sidewalk is available. They'll ride facing traffic for awhile, then dart diagonally across an intersection, dodging vehicles, and ride with traffic for awhile, then cut through a parking lot, etc.

It might seem reckless to casual observers, and sometimes it is reckless. But if you study them closely enough, it's mostly opportunistic, trying to read the patterns of vehicle traffic and riding to suit conditions.

Originally Posted by hedonist222

average speeds of 22 kph

do you mean when you ride aggressively, you don't have time to look up?

still cannot figure out the harms of riding against traffic

Not trying to be argumentative - genuinely do not know

Originally Posted by Just Mark

I believe that Princess Allez was inferring that the mirror would be in the way of your hand when you went into the drops as you would when trying to reduce drag when riding fast or to lower your center of gravity for hard cornering.

Originally Posted by hedonist222

still cannot figure out the harms of riding against traffic

Not trying to be argumentative - genuinely do not know

Originally Posted by astrodust

Death wish?

Originally Posted by wphamilton

Here is the one situation that worries me the most.

Imagine that you are approaching an intersection, say 2 lanes each way, and you're in the far left shoulder. Against traffic. No left turn lanes, no dedicated turn lights.

That driver behind you, going the same direction, hurrying to catch that light and turn left, doesn't see you. Because he's not looking way over to his left - no one does.

You don't see him, because he's behind you. Sure, you looked earlier, and you don't start across when you see someone behind preparing to turn left, but what about when you're already starting across, he's going fast and turns into you?

It's just way easier to judge and react to those "left crosses" when you're going with traffic. You can watch them approach, keep an eye on them, make a quick dodge if you have to. Against traffic, he's right there beside you before you see and react to him.

Originally Posted by GlennR

It seems that rides approaching you from the wrong direction always take the curb, to your right, and force you wide into the traffic lane.

Just selfish.

Originally Posted by hedonist222

Everyone's done a great job explaining why against-traffic is not ideal.

I'd like you all to address a recently developed conundrum:

People engorged with their phones and then swerving into you.

Originally Posted by hedonist222

average speeds of 22 kph

do you mean when you ride aggressively, you don't have time to look up?

still cannot figure out the harms of riding against traffic

Not trying to be argumentative - genuinely do not know

Originally Posted by Princess_Allez

I would never sacrifice use of the drops for a mirror.

Originally Posted by royphotog

In California, the law states that you must ride on the right side of the roadway with traffic. But I see people riding on the wrong side of the road all the time. In fact, years ago, I hit someone on a bike going the wrong way, on the sidewalk. I was turning out of a parking lot onto a busy street and bam, knocked a girl off her bike, she was not hurt, luckily and the bike was not damaged, but I was freaked out. I was not looking for someone on a bike going the wrong way.
I think people ride so they can see the traffic coming, but not only is it more dangerous, not just because no one is looking for you, but also if you do get hit, now the speed is multiplied, by the speed of the car and how fast your riding. If your riding at 15 mph and the car is going 35 mph you get hit at the force of 50mph, where if you were riding with traffic and got hit given the same scenario, the impact would be 20mph, still, not a good experience, but much better then 50mph.