I ride with an expectation of respect from vehicle traffic equal to what I'm giving. I've been doing this for a while and long ago gave up on unilateral respect from traffic because of regulations or rules. Some traffic approach with a more sympathetic sense but I ride like I have to earn what treatment I get.
Over the last week or so it's been interesting since the winter accumulation has changed the bike lanes into a rutted, frozen solid glacier and where there are no designated lanes, parallel parked cars have hindered clearing or treatment resulting in the same unridable icy slab. In the morning darkness my Luxos' light isn't enough at riding speed to make it super obvious where bare pavement is clear and wet or the off-pitch of dirty ice pack begins. Veering onto the frozen stuff is bad with studded tires, an instant wreck from plain tires squirting out from under you. I have to gain the forbearance of traffic as I make my way along the edge of clear pavement and that of the glacial advance, so I make signals as I need, in whatever seems the most understood way and make my moves as gently and ahead of need as I can. If they can cipher what I'm about to do and where I'm going, it worked. My bike looks worse than after riding 80 miles on the GAP in the rain, my drivetrain is a filthy mess but I'm no worse for wear. Big wins in this winter of commuting from fenders and my Ventile smock also. Andy Cheatham Pittsburgh On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 4:39:01 PM UTC-5, Garth wrote: > > > Patrick , use universal hand gestures common to human beings standing in > person next to each other , no one understands "bike signals" these dayze. > Think "talking with my hands". It's gotta be demonstrative, with emotion > .... none of us are machines, period. > > > Point left with the left hand, right with the right. To gesture slow down, > turn your body in the direction of the driver(eye contact if you can) and > give a gesture like you're pushing a wall (palm out, fingers extended), and > hold it briefly.... like you're telling them to "back off". > > If I "take a lane" with a car behind me, I make a gesture like a emphatic > "hammer slam down" with a pointed finger downward to the lane, and I MEAN > IT. "Here I am, this is mine now, back off" . > > > > On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 1:53:06 PM UTC-5, Deacon Patrick wrote: >> >> Google ate my attempted response, so here goes again. Sorry if this >> double posts later. >> >> Bruce said: “If there's no room to be passed, I signal that and take the >> lane. Once there is room I move over and wave them around. It works for >> me.” >> >> Sweet! I attempt much the same thing, but with mixed results. Could you >> help me understand what “not safe to pass” signal you use? I find that >> 2/3rds of drivers either ignore it or are ignorant of the meaning it. One >> driver told me “I don’t speak bike.” I wanted to ask if he spoke common >> sense, but common sense prevented me from asking. Shrug. Grin. I use the >> “slow” signal: left arm straight out, forearm bent down 90˚, palm open, >> facing backwards. Sometimes I’ll swing my palm back and forth to try and >> get their attention if they are not slowing down and it’s not clear. >> >> I never cease to be amazed by how often drivers pass when they can’t see >> if it is clear ahead. Also, I never signal for cars to pass me. Too much >> “but he said it was OK!” excuse for failure to be smart. Instead, I just >> smile and wave. >> >> With abandon, >> Patrick > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
