Originally Posted by
Bearhawker
I try to use signals as much as possible. Two things I refuse to do because there is a ZERO percent chance of anyone understanding them: signalling a stop with the left upper arm out straight and the left lower arm aimed at the ground & a right turn signaled with the left arm: my right arm indicates a right turn & stopping should be self-evident. If I stop somewhere other than a clearly-understood place (IE: red light, stop sign, etc) I'm off to the side of the road and no longer part of the traffic.
I also adhere to a primary rule that my 1st priority is to ride, so if for whatever reason it is not safe, unwise, or otherwise impractical I do the riding and skip the signalling. (Much like flying where the priorities are: aviate, navigate and communicate - in that order) No sane person will indicate a stopping procedure instead of avoiding an accident - lol
Fortunately the vast majority of my riding is rural and the whole issue is minimal.
Riding in our urban areas is something I try to avoid at all costs, but when I find myself there I try to ride predictably (in that I am part of traffic and behave accordingly) and sometimes resort to the air horn. haha
The vast majority of my riding is urban and I have the same rules for turning: left arm is for left turn, right arm is for right turn. I never signal stopping. I make a lot of right-turns on the way to work and a lot of lefts on the way home, and only one intersection with a traffic light. I wear a blinking light on my forearms at night so my signaling is visible then, too.
As for brakes when signaling a turn, a bicycle should come to a planned stop at an intersection equally well with either front or rear brakes applied alone. If yours doesn't, look into adjusting them. Obviously, an unplanned stop is different, but that usually doesn't involve signaling, so you have both breaks available in that scenario.