riding with rush hour commuter traffic
07-02-19, 01:58 PM
#26
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To elaborate
Avoiding road obstacles on your right or under you w/ traffic on your left
Turning left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
Weirdly angled 4 way intersections where ppl don’t necessarily follow the usual clockwise (or counterclockwise) rotation of you go, they go, I go, etc. it’s more like they go when they can & screw everyone else
4 way intersections where you cross a stop sign but have to battle for an opening or follow a car, but in such a way that it’s safe. Being ready to seize an opportunity when someone yields to you but not if a a fast newcomer joins the intersection who ignores what is going on before they arrive
Garbage trucks
Roads that narrow where you had a decent shoulder, but guess what?, now you don’t. you can see this of course because you are traveling slowly but overtaking traffic may be surprised by it. plus they might be blinded by a low sun angle & can’t see oncoming traffic hidden in the deep shade
Gauging green lights. If it’s been green a long time you’re better off preparing to stop, instead of racing it to yellow & crossing thru a red light. Oops!
Crossing a highway entrance ramp & juggling where to cross left taking the lane, gesturing for some courtesy time while you do it, then waving in thanks as they pass on your right to get on the highway
It’s not fight or flight, it’s fight & flight combined
Really awkward 3 way intersections where there is a high speed fork, flashing lights & big warning signs. Reading the cars’ directional & timing your departure w/ a motorcycle which can accelerate faster than you
Landscaper trucks & impatient p/u trucks
Crossing, merging & turning w/ traffic, incl. rotaries & small town main streets w/o traffic lights
Taking your turn & waiting in line at lights or filtering to the front & changing your mind
Out of town tourist pedestrians
Door zones
Juggling caution w/ assertiveness
Taking the lane & keeping it for some distance
Crossing highways at traffic lights & choosing between going first or following the first auto but leaving room to be passed by everyone else in line
Splitting 2 lanes when one goes off to the right but you’re going straight & have no need to take that lane
Rough intersections which also feature a rail trail crossing
Getting passed by traffic on the last hill where you have to turn left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
Avoiding road obstacles on your right or under you w/ traffic on your left
Turning left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
Weirdly angled 4 way intersections where ppl don’t necessarily follow the usual clockwise (or counterclockwise) rotation of you go, they go, I go, etc. it’s more like they go when they can & screw everyone else
4 way intersections where you cross a stop sign but have to battle for an opening or follow a car, but in such a way that it’s safe. Being ready to seize an opportunity when someone yields to you but not if a a fast newcomer joins the intersection who ignores what is going on before they arrive
Garbage trucks
Roads that narrow where you had a decent shoulder, but guess what?, now you don’t. you can see this of course because you are traveling slowly but overtaking traffic may be surprised by it. plus they might be blinded by a low sun angle & can’t see oncoming traffic hidden in the deep shade
Gauging green lights. If it’s been green a long time you’re better off preparing to stop, instead of racing it to yellow & crossing thru a red light. Oops!
Crossing a highway entrance ramp & juggling where to cross left taking the lane, gesturing for some courtesy time while you do it, then waving in thanks as they pass on your right to get on the highway
It’s not fight or flight, it’s fight & flight combined
Really awkward 3 way intersections where there is a high speed fork, flashing lights & big warning signs. Reading the cars’ directional & timing your departure w/ a motorcycle which can accelerate faster than you
Landscaper trucks & impatient p/u trucks
Crossing, merging & turning w/ traffic, incl. rotaries & small town main streets w/o traffic lights
Taking your turn & waiting in line at lights or filtering to the front & changing your mind
Out of town tourist pedestrians
Door zones
Juggling caution w/ assertiveness
Taking the lane & keeping it for some distance
Crossing highways at traffic lights & choosing between going first or following the first auto but leaving room to be passed by everyone else in line
Splitting 2 lanes when one goes off to the right but you’re going straight & have no need to take that lane
Rough intersections which also feature a rail trail crossing
Getting passed by traffic on the last hill where you have to turn left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
Last edited by rumrunn6; 07-04-19 at 06:00 AM.
07-02-19, 02:10 PM
#27
Full Member
To elaborate
Avoiding road obstacles on your right or under you w/ traffic on your left
Turning left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
Weirdly angled 4 way intersections where ppl don’t necessarily follow the usual clockwise (or counterclockwise) rotation of you go, they go, I go, etc. it’s more like they go when they can & screw everyone else
4 way intersections where you cross a stop sign but have to battle for an opening or follow a car, but in such a way that it’s safe. Being ready to seize an opportunity when someone yields to you but not if a a fast newcomer joins the intersection who ignores what is going on before they arrive
Garbage trucks
Roads that narrow where you had a decent shoulder, but guess what?, now you don’t. you can see this of course because you are traveling slowly but overtaking traffic may be surprised by it. plus they might be blinded by a low sun angle & can’t see oncoming traffic hidden in the deep shade
Gauging green lights. If it’s been green a long time you’re better off preparing to stop, instead of racing it to yellow & crossing thru a red light. Oops!
Crossing a highway entrance ramp & juggling where to cross left taking the lane, gesturing for some courtesy time while you do it, then waving in thanks as they pass on your right to get on the highway
It’s not fight or flight, it’s fight & flight combined
Really awkward 3 way intersections where there is a high speed fork, flashing lights & big warning signs. Reading the cars’ directional & timing your departure w/ a motorcycle which can accelerate faster than you
Landscaper trucks & impatient p/u trucks
Crossing, merging & turning w/ traffic, incl. rotaries & small town main streets w/o traffic lights
Taking your turn & waiting in line at lights or filtering to the front & changing your mind
Out of town tourist pedestrians
Door zones
Juggling caution w/ assertiveness
Taking the lane & keeping it for some distance
Crossing highways at traffic lights & choosing between going first or following the first auto but leaving room to be passed by everyone else in line
Splitting 2 lanes when one goes off to the right but you’re going straight & have no need to take that lane
Rough intersections which also feature a rail trail crossing
Getting past by traffic on the last hill where you have to turn left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
https://youtu.be/6DD5NP-xROQ
as opposed to 5:30am!
https://youtu.be/WTLpXHXJDQs
Avoiding road obstacles on your right or under you w/ traffic on your left
Turning left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
Weirdly angled 4 way intersections where ppl don’t necessarily follow the usual clockwise (or counterclockwise) rotation of you go, they go, I go, etc. it’s more like they go when they can & screw everyone else
4 way intersections where you cross a stop sign but have to battle for an opening or follow a car, but in such a way that it’s safe. Being ready to seize an opportunity when someone yields to you but not if a a fast newcomer joins the intersection who ignores what is going on before they arrive
Garbage trucks
Roads that narrow where you had a decent shoulder, but guess what?, now you don’t. you can see this of course because you are traveling slowly but overtaking traffic may be surprised by it. plus they might be blinded by a low sun angle & can’t see oncoming traffic hidden in the deep shade
Gauging green lights. If it’s been green a long time you’re better off preparing to stop, instead of racing it to yellow & crossing thru a red light. Oops!
Crossing a highway entrance ramp & juggling where to cross left taking the lane, gesturing for some courtesy time while you do it, then waving in thanks as they pass on your right to get on the highway
It’s not fight or flight, it’s fight & flight combined
Really awkward 3 way intersections where there is a high speed fork, flashing lights & big warning signs. Reading the cars’ directional & timing your departure w/ a motorcycle which can accelerate faster than you
Landscaper trucks & impatient p/u trucks
Crossing, merging & turning w/ traffic, incl. rotaries & small town main streets w/o traffic lights
Taking your turn & waiting in line at lights or filtering to the front & changing your mind
Out of town tourist pedestrians
Door zones
Juggling caution w/ assertiveness
Taking the lane & keeping it for some distance
Crossing highways at traffic lights & choosing between going first or following the first auto but leaving room to be passed by everyone else in line
Splitting 2 lanes when one goes off to the right but you’re going straight & have no need to take that lane
Rough intersections which also feature a rail trail crossing
Getting past by traffic on the last hill where you have to turn left across 2 lanes of opposing traffic & a double yellow line
https://youtu.be/6DD5NP-xROQ
as opposed to 5:30am!
https://youtu.be/WTLpXHXJDQs
07-02-19, 03:07 PM
#29
Portland Fred
I don't particularly mind riding rush hour in heavy traffic. I don't think it's unsafe so long as you pay attention -- if anything, it's safer due to lower speeds.
Having said that, you do need to pay attention to stay safe and an enormous percentage of cyclists in my town ride with a sense of clueless entitlement. For example, I frequently see people pass from behind on the right of vehicles that have already initiated their turns -- needless to say, they get hooked all the time. So the same road is mundane or death defying depending on your personal style.
Having said that, you do need to pay attention to stay safe and an enormous percentage of cyclists in my town ride with a sense of clueless entitlement. For example, I frequently see people pass from behind on the right of vehicles that have already initiated their turns -- needless to say, they get hooked all the time. So the same road is mundane or death defying depending on your personal style.
07-02-19, 05:05 PM
#30
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Frankly, I have posted that I would not be inclined to encourage, unless by example (nor discourage) someone to cycle-commute, but if they so chose, I would freely and gladly give any advice...
Public exhortations to cycle-commute, or utility cycle are well and good with no individual responsibility for bad outcomes, but I would not want the recriminations of a personal endorsement if something bad happened.
Also, with regards to “recreational cycling,” actual organizing, promoting, or similar, may entail IMO a liability beyond a personal guilt trip if something goes wrong….
FWW, I’m not advocatin’ against, just sayin’
Public exhortations to cycle-commute, or utility cycle are well and good with no individual responsibility for bad outcomes, but I would not want the recriminations of a personal endorsement if something bad happened.
Also, with regards to “recreational cycling,” actual organizing, promoting, or similar, may entail IMO a liability beyond a personal guilt trip if something goes wrong….
FWW, I’m not advocatin’ against, just sayin’
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 07-02-19 at 10:02 PM.
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07-03-19, 04:23 AM
#31
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07-03-19, 04:30 AM
#32
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these are FUNN Mambas
Last edited by rumrunn6; 07-03-19 at 06:54 AM.
07-03-19, 06:58 AM
#33
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07-03-19, 02:34 PM
#34
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I hear ya & I'm a big fan of "mini clips" like old fashioned strapped cages but smaller & w/o the straps. but so far I'm doing OK w/ cleated shoes/pedals. I like larger MTB type pedals so I don't have to think (too much) about clipping in. they have the cleat on just 1 side. so I either have a big platform or I have the cleat. if I have the cleat side up, the cleat might engage, but if it doesn't right away, my foot can apply pressure on the rest of the platform until it does click in. I also have the tension set pretty light, so they dis-engage whenever necessary, pretty easily. my area isn't too "urban" so I don't know if I'd like them in "the city"
these are FUNN Mambas
these are FUNN Mambas
Yeah, my road bike cleats are SPD-SL, so single sided. Before that I used single-sided SPD cleats on the same bike. And my road bike rides really don't matter how easily I can engage the pedals, I typically have very few stops, and even on routes that have more stops I tend to not be riding during rush hour.
My hybrid for a time had platform/spd combo pedals; SPD on one side and platform on the other. But the platforms were smaller, and the pedals turned out to be good at neither being clipless nor at being platforms, so I went all-in on platforms and have been happy with them, on the hybrid ever since.
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07-12-19, 03:00 PM
#35
Senior Member
Ride next to rush hour traffic all the time...for the most part I've got a protected bike lane...on occasion will have to take the lane, where traffic is going 15-25mph anyway so not a big deal with cars trying to move faster.
07-12-19, 04:08 PM
#36
Senior Member
The only time I ride is rush hour. When it's not rush hour, I don't need a bike -- a car is perfectly satisfactory. I assume this applies only in very congested areas.
