Bicycle Rules of the Road

While riding today, I was reminded (twice) of one of the things that is an annoying and potentially dangerous practice by some drivers. I'll get into that in a moment.

Sharing the road with cars and trucks can be harrowing at times. It is an unfair fight in many ways. My bike and I weigh under 175 lbs. A car, SUV, or truck weigh between 3,000 and 5,000 lbs. The driver is surrounded by steel, has airbags and is probably wearing a seatbelt. I am usually surrounded by shorts, a teeshirt and maybe a helmet. Knowing those unfair odds, I am abundantly cautious when riding. I err on the side of safety if there is a choice to be made. I go out of my way to avoid busy roads and intersections. I schedule rides to avoid heavy traffic and congestion whenever possible.

Most drivers are just fine and do not cause any problems for cyclists. Of course, there are always a few jerks. People who think bikes don't belong on public streets, people (usually kids) who think it is funny to honk their horn or yell when they are beside you. Maybe the scariest are those on their phones. They are a problem for all of us. 

So, what is my gripe today? Believe it or not, it is overly polite drivers. They are drivers who want to give you the right of way when they shouldn't. The incidents today occurred at four-way stop intersections. Bicycles are supposed to observe the same road rules as cars. If you reach the intersection before the bike rider, proceed. For some reason, many drivers want to wave the cyclist through regardless of whose turn it is. A nice gesture, but here are the problems. Often we can not see your gesture through tinted windows or glare. More importantly, if there are other cars at the intersection, they may not be willing to let the bike through first. That can cause the stop/start dance maybe followed by horns, yelling, or the finger. Also, some drivers interpret the polite driver's gesture as meant for them, not the bike. It is particularly dangerous on multi-lane roads. It's hard to get everyone in sync when one breaks the accepted rules.

Look, I know many cyclists do not always stop at stop signs, me included. But then, I bet you don't always come to a complete stop either. Here is my logic. I am already going under 10 mph at the intersection. A cyclist hates to completely stop. You lose all your momentum and unlike in a car, we have to manually regain that momentum. If you see us slowing down to a crawl or even doing a track stand, it is because we don't want to completely stop and put a foot down. We hate to put a foot down. Besides momentum, our feet may actually be clipped into the pedals. 

A Track Stand

Bottom line, follow the rules. Most cyclists know that we are subject to the same road rules as drivers. I appreciate the kind gestures but we will all be better served by following the rules. Of course, this all changes if you encounter kids on a bike. 

Share the road!

wjh