Well, here in Mountain View, CA cyclists are required to ride on the road, so they have bike lanes on the side of the road.  In order to make left turns they have to use the turning lane that cars use.  They just get up in front of the pack, make their turn when the light turns green and then get the heck out of the way.  Mountain View is considered one of the most bicycle friendly towns in the USA though, I'm not sure if your town provides this stuff for your people.

The one bad thing about it being so bicycle friendly though, is that there are a lot of riders, which means police patrol them just as hard as they do cars.  I've had friends get speeding tickets, wreckless driving, DUI, failing to stop, the list goes on.  Have to treat it like a motorized vehicle here.  Takes some of the fun out of it, I used to be able to ride my bike to the bar down the street and get nicely hammered and ride home instead of driving.  Now I have to crawl home.

It was obvious speeding, they were in a 5mph zone and the guy was riding through that at an easy 15mph.  They wrote him for wreckless.  And yeah, the only turning lanes are at stoplights here as well.  I'd say yes, act like a motor bike.

Apex wrote on Feb 5^th, 2012 at 11:30am:


No pun intended, but it's a two way street for both roadway users; drivers should be on the lookout, and cyclists need to be cognizant of the Rules of the Road. It's a very contentious topic here in CO, especially with the cycling population we have. Riding three and four abreast, blowing through stop signs, etc. The drivers don't have much patience for cyclists who do that, especially in Denver... and they'll let you know it, too.

Unfortunately, I have seen some 'properly outfitted' cyclists on the roads here, and they have been some of the worst offenders! Bear in mind though that the cycling 'mindset' is different in the US than other countries like the Continent and in Asia, where a bicycle is looked upon as a form of transportation and as a utility item and the drivers there know that. In the US, a bicycle is looked at as a toy; a piece of recreational sports equipment like a tennis racket or a golf club.
U.S. drivers, hurrying and rushing through their daily lives don't have much patience, tolerance or, for that matter, peripheral vision for cyclists who don't abide by the Rules of the Road.

Apex, you make the best recommendation of all in your last sentence. After spending 17 years in the Industry, and racing for 20+ years I wish more drivers had the same judgement and common sense you practice on a daily basis! 

Alan 

EDIT: In answer to your original question... I would signal, merge into the turn lane and make your turn just like a motor vehicle would. It's all a matter of traffic flow, being visible to other drivers, and executing the maneuver smoothly. Also... make your move with authority; don't second guess yourself. 

Thanks a lot. Cyclists have a weird reputation here... Many are careful but there are a lot of angry drivers. They expect cyclists to pay road tax (note: cars producing under 100g/km CO2 pay none anyway) and have no time for those two wheeled contraptions.

There is a road that takes me from my town to the next which is really dangerous... A lot of accidents each year. To me it is a case of 'sod the law' because cycling on the pavement is just so so much safer. There are several junctions and it is very narrow for a 60 zone. Just unsafe, but most shortcuts have their drawbacks.

I have my nice helmet, partially reflective bag (a camelbak) and suitable lights. So long as I don't need lycra I think this is sufficient

Interesting to note that all replies so far have been from US members. Are there no UK cyclists among the regulars?

I'm a motorist & pedestrian. I have a certain sympathy for cyclists but by their attitude towards other road users the majority of them don't help themselves. You really do need eyes in the back of your head to venture out on the road these days. The problem as I see it is that most British roads simply aren't suitable for cyclists. That also applies to pavements & footpaths. Please keep in mind that modern cycles are so quiet that even pedestrians with perfect hearing cannot hear them approaching from behind. I have to agree with ViperPilot that I find the "properly outfitted" cyclists, meaning those with all the lycra gear & streamlined helmets, are usually the worst offenders & seem to think that everyone should give way to them.

Hagar wrote on Feb 6^th, 2012 at 9:57am:

I love the internet sometimes 

..another tip from a keen Motorcyclist for 62 years..

Together with cyclists, we have the luxury of cautiously filtering through stationary traffic....

...but BEWARE of drivers and passengers opening their doors to disembark, or curious to see what the hold-up is....

...that will knock you off your machine..sometimes into oncoming traffic!

Anticipating danger well in advance is the rule and life-saver for we two-wheelers!

Paul...Meep-meep... ...!

Also......keep an eye on the face of the motorist confronting you, to see if he/she has spotted you, and observe the front wheels of their vehicle...are the wheels rotating? ...and which way are they pointing?

P.S...I treat all Pedal Cyclists with the care that they deserve.

Apex wrote on Feb 6^th, 2012 at 7:35am:


Apex,

I have a term for who you describe; I call them 'wind trainer warriors'. They're the guys who think that, when they're on the road that it's the Giro d' Italia, and that because they look the part they can ride like they do in the Giro... take up the whole road and ride with impunity.

As someone who is a "high time" cyclist (over 100K mi), I can suggest to you the following tip; whenever you're on the road, and need to make a maneuver (left turn, passing, overtaking another cyclist or slower moving vehicle) use this mnemonic:

S P I D E

SCAN
PREDICT
IDENTIFY
DECIDE
EXECUTE

Don't be timid... by law, you have as much right to use the roadways as a motor vehicle; you just have to follow the basic rules. Another thing... get one of those cheap 'ding ding' bells at the bike shop. They work much better than shouting "on your left" all the time!

Alan 

machineman9 wrote on Feb 8^th, 2012 at 7:15pm:

That's a good idea.

Quote:

I wouldn't bother with dynamos. They have one big drawback. They only work when the wheels are turning. Unless you have some sort of battery back-up the lights go out just when you need them most, like being stationary in the middle of the road waiting to turn right.

When it comes to bicycle lights, the choice is endless!...>>>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_lighting

Take your pick!

Paul...shedding a little light on the subject!... ...!

High brightness LED lights are all the rage now!

ViperPilot wrote on Feb 12^th, 2012 at 8:07pm:

Here in Denver we have a pretty extensive network of Bike Paths, which are off street multi use paths that run along two of our waterways; Cherry Creek and the So. Platte River. Intersecting that are Bike Routes; low traffic streets that also intersect, allowing a cyclist to make their way around town pretty easily. The routes and paths have been around since the 70's; I've ridden them back and forth, and most times I can get from my house to Downtown (about 7 miles) in about 25 minutes... just as fast as a car!

Unfortunately, that isn't the case. People who ride will choose the most direct route to their destination, and that sometimes means riding on high traffic streets and thoroughfares, which also means conflicts with drivers. We also have a City ordinance that prohibits cyclists from riding on the sidewalks, except within 500 feet of their destination or if the 'sidewalk' is part of the Bike Path.

Even with all of that, we're still considered one of the top 10 bike friendly cities in the US.

Fozzer wrote on Feb 12^th, 2012 at 3:01pm: