lexbubble

I was having a discussion with a fellow bicycle commuter at work. He stated that he always rides against traffic. His rationale being that he can see whats coming towards him. I ride with traffic because I have been told that is correct bicycle safety. Why is that correct bicycle safety.

ProFail

50+20=70

50-20=30

Would you rather be hit at seventy or thirty MPH?

Either would hurt, but you'd definitely die at seventy.

YULitle

That and driving the wrong way in a vehicle is just as illegal, right?

cudak888 

Not to mention that you will pass more vehicles when riding wrong-way, increasing the chances of a collision. Traveling in the correct direction will lessen this number.

-Kurt

fetad

Consider the two riding styles-

Scenario 1- Ride with the flow of traffic (since you are apart of traffic).

*Drivers on the same road as you see you ahead of them and change lanes to pass. By travelling in the same direction (not in the gutter either, but on clean debri-minimal pavement), you are cutting down their approaching speed therefore extending the amount of time they have to pass you. This is good.

*Drivers approaching from side streets preparing for right hand turns are looking left. Since you are riding with the flow of traffic, you put yourself in plain view where right turning motorists are looking. This is good.

Scenario 2- Ride against the flow of traffic

*Drivers on the same road as you see you but have much less time to pass. You are basically increasing their approaching speed and giving them less time to react. You have to ride in the gutter where the crap is for many approaching vehicles because they don't have enough time to move over quickly enough. Even if these passes don't result in crashes, you are putting yourself at risk for flats and falls (due to loss of control from riding in the gutter where the junk is or because a large gutter-pavement transition). This is bad.

*Drivers approaching from side streets to make a right hand turn look left before proceeding. You on the other hand are approaching from their right. They don't see you. They pull out in front of you. You crash into them. This is bad.

*Drivers making left/U turns onto side streets from main road are facing oncoming traffic. When oncoming traffic is clear, they make their left/u-turn. Too bad you like to ride against the flow of traffic.

These last two asteriks are in my opinion the most frequent close call you will encouter by riding against traffic. This would happen to me atleast 3 - 5 times every day if I rode against traffic on my very short 4 mile roundtrip work commute.

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Being able to always see the approaching traffic as a wrong-way rider is one plus factor. It only mitigates the chances of one type of collision though (an unlikely scenario relative to all other ways you will may get into a wreck). All the while creating all of these other fun new collisions that are much more likely to occur than ever being randomly slammed into from a rear approaching driver.

gnarus

All you have to do is ride against traffic one time and you can tell how unsafe it is (for the above reasons). I wish i knew who is teaching everyone the "see them coming" method cause I have heard it my whole life.

dnnythms

Your fellow commuter is either a thrill/death seeking maniac or a complete idiot.

CommuterRun

Another reason is that motorists coming onto the road from side streets, driveways and parking lot entrances/exits don't look for vehicles coming from the wrong direction. Nor should they be expected to.

unkchunk

Well... do you like the guy? Do you owe him money? Or does he have a senior position to which you could fill one day? Under such circumstances, who are we to inflict our values upon him. Tell him he is correct and should keep it up.

DieselDan

Let's see, while driving, you approach a bike riding on the right, but can't pass because of oncoming traffic, you can slow down an d follow the bike.

If a bike is coming at me, riding on the wrong side, and I can't get over due to traffic, I'm hitting the bike and rider head on. Why? Lesser of two evils. I'm not liable for a vehicle on the wrong side of the road.

I'm assuming a two lane road, right side, in the USA, and an adult rider.

kellyjdrummer

I believe that is referencing sidewalk travel on a bike.

chipcom 

And the number one reason why you should ride with traffic and otherwise follow the rules of the road is:
LESS BAD ***** HAPPENS WHEN EVERYBODY IS PLAYING FROM THE SAME PLAYBOOK!

alicestrong

Get a mirror. That way you can ride with traffic and still "see" what's coming towards you.

meanwhile

There'd probably be nothing left of you after a 70mh hit except jam: collision energy goes with the square of velocity, so you'd take about five times the hit.

An even better reason to ride with traffic is that puts you were drivers are looking when they pull out of driveways and junctions.

soze

When I'm in a car I don't drive the wrong way down the street so I can look out for semis.

At any rate, I've personally given up proselytizing wrong-way cyclists and have just decided that I hope they all get creamed. Rational argument doesn't work with them.

Sixty Fiver

Riding against traffic = death wish.

We have a few counterflow lanes here on one way streets ( that we are trying to change) as those bring an added degree of risk for cyclists since merging cars do not look for vehicles coming from the wrong direction.

daredevil

Like Alice said, tell the dope to get a mirror and get on the proper side of the effin road.

And here is yet another reason to not ride the wrong way....when a car makes a right hand turn onto the road you are on, he is not looking for a bike to his right, guaranteed.

kjmillig

It may also stem from what kids are taught in elementary school (I still remember the policeman coming to my school in 4th grade) to walk facing traffic and ride on the sidewalk. Just as drivers easily forget or never learn traffic rules, so they forget or never learn bicycle traffic rules. How many times have we all heard others spouting pure traffic law nonsense?

kellyjdrummer

I'm on that list, for one.

daintonj

Find an excuse to make him work late and steal his lights. This will result in a situation where the discussion of this issue with him becomes unnecessary.

Juggler2

+1 Short and to the point!

genec

Flow with the river, work not against it.

tomg

1) it's the law (try in every way to have the law support you)
2) SAFETY (go w/the flow as listed above)
3) mount your rear view mirror on your helmet, see what's behind you!

lots of statistics, and common sence, indicate this direction choice
(vehicular bicycling) as a no brainer ...

Feathers

hopefully none of us have to encounter this dumb-bunny on his bicycle while we're riding our bicycles!
does anyone know if he will be eligible for a Ghostbike on his "big day" when it arrives?

Ganesha

Ask him, "If seeing what's coming toward you is important, why not drive against traffic?"