DreamRider85

This has been a real problem for me and it's a dangerous situation. It's hard sometimes to just stop all of a sudden. Plus you have vehicles right behind you. (In California, that would be on my left.) So I can't just squeeze to my left, when a car could just hit me. I can look to my left really quick, I suppose. But the problem is that while I'm looking, I may have to simultaneously focus on putting on the brakes. And bikes don't brake as strong as a car. So I see it as a dangerous situation. Meanwhile, while you're in the ending lane, there is usually cars coming to my right for that intersection. Now today, I was lucky that there were no cars at the time, so I just squeezed to my left and stopped at the stop sign, and then turned left.

kickstart

I close my eyes, pedal as fast as I can, and scream like a little girl.............


But seriously, just sell your bike and be done with it.

B. Carfree

Lanes, including bike lanes, often end. Do just like you do when you drive your tractor. A safe distance before the lane ends, assess the situation and look behind you for a nice gap to merge into. Signal your intentions and make the merge at a safe distance from the vehicles that will be behind you. This isn't really that hard. There really aren't many homicidal maniacs out there who will purposely run you down simply because you need to ride in a travel lane.

Oh, and it helps if you close your eyes, pedal as fast as you can and scream like a little girl.

zonatandem

Geez you don't HAVE to have a bike lane to ride your bike.
Share the road . . . been doing it for 40+ years.

I-Like-To-Bike

An alternative is to type as fast as you can and electronically whine and cry like a little girl.

FBinNY 

+1,000,000

You have to get over this notion that there's a high likelihood of getting hit by a car when riding in mixed traffic. Yes, of course it's possible, but not very likely. Keep in mind that many of us have been riding on shared roads for decades, and continue to do so. In fact, there wouldn't be bike lanes at all if there weren't already large numbers riding shared roads beforehand.

Seriously, just get out and ride. If you're fearfull work your way up to busier roads by starting on quieter ones. Or if you can't get past the fear get some help form pros to develop tools or a coping mechanism until you get more comfortable.

Either that or ask the mods to change your site name from DreamRider to NightmareRider.

79pmooney

I take the same approach for bike lanes ending that I do for parked cars and their doors. As soon as I am aware of that (either the lane ending or a potential car door) I make a small alteration in course so I am aimed at the point I want to be when I get there. Say I want to be 3 feet outside that car. 50-100' before I get to the car, I make a little change so I am aimed at that point. This will be a small enough change that it won't throw any drivers for a loop and they will just adopt to the idea that I am getting further from the road edge. It gives them plenty of time to plan whether to pass you first or wait. (Good truck drivers really appreciate you doing that. Makes their decision making easy and keeps their record clean.

Same thing for bike lanes. I aim for 2' from the road edge. This means I am usually already outside the bike lane line when I am 25' from the lane end, but at no point do I create a surprise for drivers.

Ben

Chris516

Is it something like this: https://www.google.com/maps/place/N+...1512fa!6m1!1e1

Pan the up to the right going through the traffic light. It will show you how the right-most lane becomes a merge lane. The only thing that it doesn't show is the bike lanes that were put in the right-most lanes. On the side that becomes a merge lane. The bike lane suddenly disappears.

In the link I showed you. Two years ago, I had been in the right-most lane and had gone through the intersection where it becomes a merge lane. A motorist sped up behind me, not realizing how fast I was going. He straddled the line for the merge lane and the continuing lane. Except the stupid idiot didn't think it was a merge lane and spun when he tried to get back in the lane. Resulting in all the lanes shutting down. Because the driver ended up stopped in the inside lane facing the opposite direction.

Personally, I am not an avid user of bike lanes. Because, Invariably, Motorists' think it is a permission slip to speed past cyclists', as if they were somehow blocking the motorist.

canklecat

Depends.

If I'm anticipating the bike lane or wide shoulder to end, I'll prepare to merge toward the next lane to my left. If it's near an upcoming intersection I'll take the center of that lane. If not, I'll stay to the right so cars can pass.

If I'm riding in an unfamiliar area and the bike lane ends unexpectedly while cars are immediately to my left, I'll turn right at the first opportunity and look for a safe route to get back on the desired route. Happens occasionally in cities. The diversion usually takes only a minute.

Bike brakes should work far more quickly and effectively than a car in good conditions. On a dry road with good rubber, you should be able to lock up the front brakes enough to get the rear wheel off the ground. DON'T DO THAT, unless you're really comfortable with the maneuver. But that's how strong the brakes should be.

Since I resumed cycling again only a month ago after a long hiatus I've spent some time practicing emergency braking on paved roads, gravel and the rough unpaved fields that pass for "sidwalks" in my neighborhood. I want to get the feel of the bike's rear wheel lifting, and skidding sideways a bit, so I'll be familiar with the bike's handling in an emergency. And I gotta admit, with a compact frame bike and 700x38 all terrain tires, it's a helluva lot more fun than with my old road bike and skinny tires. Everything feels far more in control even on the edge. No rain or slick conditions here yet, but as the weather changes I'll get out in some parking lots, gravel and open fields to practice some more. I might wear out this set of brake pads and tires more quickly with this practice, but I'll feel more confident more quickly too in traffic and on various road conditions in an emergency.

DreamRider85

Congrats on that. However, a lot of people on youtube videos say they hate cyclists taking up the road and say that they aren't meant for it.

DreamRider85

Yea Nightmare Rider lol. I wanted to call myself NightRider, but that would be a lie ha ha. Night riding would be dangerous, although I think it seems like fun.

But I don't see why people want to ride in high traffic, just to ride in high traffic. It's like they want to prove a point to the cars.

DreamRider85

Well the thing is, when you turn your head left, your body tends to flow that way too, which can be dangerous. Just by turning my head, I'm losing more control. And if the car is only like 20 feet behind me, while I'm in the lane, how can I signal him? You see what I mean? It's a tough situation. I got to decide if I wanna break at the end of the bike lane, or look over my left shoulder and risk losing control, trying to see any cars. Often times, i can't get a good view unless I turn dramatically, which would affect my ability to control the bike and ride it on a straight line.

chasm54

Yet another troll thread from the OP. It's really next to impossible for someone who can read and write to be as clueless/incompetent/repetitively ignorant as he wants us to believe he is. Plus multiple fear-related threads in different sub-forums indicate that he is not seeking information, he's just seeking attention.

Next will be a "Wouldn't we all be safer if a bicycle weighed as much as a car?" thread.

badger1

+1

YogaKat

* I'm new to cycling but seriously if you can't look around to survey your surroundings on a regular basis while riding, that is even more "dangerous." I do this all the time.

* Do you not know how to use hand signals?

genec

You need a mirror and more riding time... such that you can do an over the shoulder check without turning...

Then if you see that the conditions ahead are changing (ending BL or parked cars, or debris in the road ahead or whatever...) and you need to make a lateral move, check your mirror first... (BTW I glance at my mirror on and off all the time to keep informed of traffic) if clear, do a quick headcheck, then signal, and merge into any decent open gap in traffic. Always head check... always signal (unless there is no one else around... then jeeze what are you whining for...) before any lateral move.

If you cannot ride your bike in a straight line with one hand, or while turning your head, or moving your body, I suggest lots more practice until you can do this... this is simple bike control.

If you want help with your bike skills... Take an LAB class near you. Find & Take a Class | League of American Bicyclists
These are simple one or two day classes that will cover basic riding skills for riding in traffic. You really didn't learn everything you need to know, in Kindergarten.

indyfabz

+2. Don't understand why this is allowed to continue. Maybe it's because the OP if deft at making the posts sound just legit enough.

Bandera

Danger! Daily Deadly Danger! SOOOOOO Scary!

Trolling in the same repetitive, humorless and boring one-note of every other thread the OP starts.
Too Scared to : Ride the MUP, MTB Trail or Road, but not to run over five year old girls on the MUP.

Patient reasoning with real world experience feeds the Troll, who is not looking for information just an endless loop of self serving twaddle.

-Bandera

AlmostTrick

What to do when a bike lane is ending?


Of Course.

indyfabz

Over 23K posts and you take this seriously? Look at some of the other responses in this thread and do some "research."

AlmostTrick

mconlonx

Bike lanes ending is not a dangerous situation, it is a common situation. If it's hard for you to stop all of a sudden: 1) practice emergency braking techniques, 2) anticipate stops much further ahead so it does not become a sudden stop, and/or 3) have your brakes checked out. Considering the speed and braking involved, a bike should perform better than most cars in braking situations. The intersection situation you describe is common and again not dangerous. Taking a left hand turn across multiple lanes will require forethought and space enough to take the lane and get over to the left turn lane when safe to do so.

I-Like-To-Bike

Reminds me of a BF stereotype; constantly posting dreamy "imaginative ideas" (even if it is the same old, same old drivel) and resistant to any response or comment that doesn't offer positive support for the great idea or dream/nightmare.

badger1

Nor do I. What I find even more astonishing, however, is the number of persons who continue to respond to this nonsense as if it warranted serious discussion.

andr0id

Crap, I've been camping by the side of the road waiting for the city mobility council to vote to extend the bike lane.
Stupid road guys put a white stripe right over my bike.