6 ms·

So much of this advice is “ride to the left” and I wish to emphasize it. Novice riders are trained to stick to an invisible (or painted) bike lake which ends u

So much of this advice is “ride to the left” and I wish to emphasize it. Novice riders are trained to stick to an invisible (or painted) bike lake which ends up with them being far less visible than they need to be. Your safety is more important than some car’s need to get to work 5 seconds faster, and you shouldn’t feel controlling anxiety if some idiot honks at you for riding in the main traffic lane. You have right of way there just as you do in the bike lane. (Bikes are road vehicles remember) I was taught “control the lane,” when necessary. It’s not unsafe to ride in front of a car that sees you. It’s more unsafe to ride in the far right of a too-narrow lane while inviting a car to come alongside you and squeeze you in the event that they have to/forget about you. That means at intersections, areas with pedestrians crossing between cars, loading and unloading of cars, and other low visibility areas or even in other types of areas , when car traffic is traveling as the same speed as you, riding in the center is a better spot for you. When you stop at intersections, ride up to the front of the line and rest directly in front of the car there, especially if it’s not clear which way they might turn. As you approach standing cars at intersections or slow moving traffic, if safe pass on the left, not on the right where the blind spots are much bigger. In general, be unapologetic about ensuring your own visibility. It’s the greatest tool you have for safety

yohannparis 4y ago
Quite true. For novice riders are simply tell them to ride where they would put they right wheel when driving a car. And at least a meter away from the curb/parked cars.
- kqr 4y ago
  I usually go for "where the driver's seat would be".
  - LeifCarrotson 4y ago
    I (in the US, driving and riding on the right) go for where the passenger seat would be - far enough left to take up enough of the lane that cars can't pass me by just squeezing between the yellow line and my bike, but that I'm not inconsiderately taking up more of the road than necessary. There are way too many jerks who put their passenger rearview mirror 12" from my head or literally into my elbow at 55 mph, or who slow down to 25 and try to pass me at a crawl while treating the yellow line as a brick wall if I ride where the outside tire goes or if I ride on the white line. The law here states that cars must give 5 feet of space when passing, but it's not widely respected... Given the choice between squeezing through at an illegally close distance, or waiting for a chance to pass in the opposite lane, too many choose to squeeze past - so don't give them that choice.
    - kqr 4y ago
      For me it depends a little on how safe I feel. If there's very little traffic, road conditions are good, etc, I'll move closer to the side of the road. I still tell other people to aim for the driver's seat, though. Mostly to communicate clearly to them that it's okay to use the road.
  - tzs 4y ago
    But check your local laws first. There are often specific rules for bicycles in the traffic. Here, for example, is Washington state's law on lane position: RCW 46.61.770 Riding on roadways and bicycle paths. (1) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe except: __(a) While preparing to make or while making turning movements at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; __(b) When approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a person may operate a bicycle in this lane even if the operator does not intend to turn right; __(c) While overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction; and __(d) When reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, animals, and surface hazards. (2) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway or highway other than a limited access highway, which roadway or highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near to the left side of the left through lane as is safe. (3) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway may use the shoulder of the roadway or any specially designated bicycle lane. (4) When the operator of a bicycle is using the travel lane of a roadway with only one lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel and it is wide enough for a bicyclist and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side within it, the bicycle operator shall operate far enough to the right to facilitate the movement of an overtaking vehicle unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so or unless the bicyclist is preparing to make a turning movement or while making a turning movement. (5) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles
    - kqr 4y ago
      > shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe ...so basically what the grandparent is saying?
  - jimmaswell 4y ago
    I haven't had any issue riding on the far right when I can, even before I installed my blinking light system.
- afc 4y ago
  I love the simplicity of this formulation. It's very obvious in retrospect. Thanks for your comment. I'll steal this.
kqr 4y ago
> you shouldn’t feel controlling anxiety if some idiot honks at you for riding in the main traffic lane Honking is good; it means they see you!
Bostonian 4y ago
Where I live, the cars greatly outnumber bikes. Cyclists that go in the main traffic lane will slow things down substantially, and I think that is inconsiderate.
- avianlyric 4y ago
  I think hitting cyclists with cars and horrifically injuring them is inconsiderate. But each to their own.
  - jfabre 4y ago
    Both are. I've done both for a long time, forcing everyone to go at 30 km/h in a 50 zone is inconsiderate. Not as inconsiderate as not being careful around cyclists when you drive. This looks like a system design problem to me. The needs of the cyclists don't match the needs of the drivers. This is why we are fighting over this. There has to be a solution, but I know nothing about civil engineering.
    - avianlyric 4y ago
      There is a solution! Protected cycle lanes! Keep cycles, cars and pedestrians physically separated. Inside towns and cities we should be looking to give up road space for cars, to put in dedicated cycle infrastructure. Dedicated cycle infrastructure keeps cars and cycles separate, makes cycling safer, and most importantly more accessible and friendly. Every additional cycle on the road during rush hour is one less car. If removing a car lane reduces the capacity of a road segment by 20 cars, but causes 50 additional to swap their car for a bike, then you’ve just created an 30 cars of capacity on your road. That’s just the start, a bike lane can easily carry 10 times more people than a car lane, and requires basically zero maintenance. They don’t get pot holes because cycles weigh so little their damage to the road surface is practically unmeasurable.
      - Lanolderen 4y ago
        Or cyclists can be incentivised to move to small motorcycles (pedelec if they want to stay fit) and we avoid the whole issue of converting car lanes to bicycle lanes and then reverting that decision because a traffic jam occurred and residents were not impressed, wasting money in the process ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
tomatotomato37 4y ago
It's for these same reasons that I think lane-splitting on a motorcycle is so stupid. They are heavy enough to destabilize cars in a collision, definitely heavy enough to kill bikers, and yet have the same visibility issues as their human-powered cousins
- RhysU 4y ago
  Motorcyclists generally don't lanesplit on single-lane roads because it's dumb. Sure, I could ride my liter bike to the right side of a Civic on most roads but I would be nuts to do it even were it legal. Or I could ride it down the center double yellow line to pass the hypothetical Civic, but again it would be stupid. Notice with motorcycles it is the motorcyclist that chooses to lane split (or not). With bicycles, sometimes it is the bicyclist that chooses and sometimes it is the car. This is fundamentally different. Many motorcyclists stay in the left third of the lane as taught by, e. g. the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). Much of this article is basic lane positioning and awareness material taught by the MSF or periodically printed in the American Motorcyclist Association magazine.
OJFord 4y ago
In the UK, cycle lanes stop or are explicitly painted out in front of cars in such areas. Such as: http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/57/34/2573447_72905916.jpg http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/57/34/2573447_7290591... (it's not clear without more context why the lane's on the right, remember we drive on the left so usually the lane is too, but my point is the area in front of the cars, forcing cars to see you and allowing the cyclists to clear the junction first.)
- lqet 4y ago
  Same in Germany: https://www.nw.de/_em_daten/_cache/image/1xekc0SVN5N2FSQ295THpsTjdyUlVYZzBJd1RlaDZ2d3Y4VkxOTmFYN1d2YXJVWEV3OXFPVTN2blc0ZzRTa0p0amlrS1hZSkVYVVkwa0ZvNXhRUTFLSkE9PQ/211111-1814-349966266.jpg https://www.nw.de/_em_daten/_cache/image/1xekc0SVN5N2FSQ295T...
- ch4s3 4y ago
  I was just in London, and while the boxes were nice the lanes were terrible and overly narrow. The drivers were homicidal compared to drivers in NYC. I wouldn’t say it was a positive experience.
  - avianlyric 4y ago
    Depends what part of London you’re in. Unfortunately cycle infrastructure is mostly managed by the local boroughs, who all have very different views on cycling. Westminster and Kensington are famously hateful of cyclist, and do every they can to avoid building anything but the most pathetic cycle infrastructure. However boroughs like Southwark are far not forward thinking. My area is covered in wide dedicated cycle lanes. I can get from my home to the office on almost entirely grade separated and wide cycle lanes. The only fly in the ointment is that my office is in Westminster, the second I cross the borough boundary, it all goes to crap.
    - ch4s3 4y ago
      I biked in Kensington, SoHo, and City of London. They were all unpleasant in different but noticeable ways. Old narrow roundabouts were especially scary in the bike. The bus lanes were nice though.
Retric 4y ago
Just understand if you take up a traffic lane when a bike lane is right next to you, some cars will pass you then slow down to walking speed in front of you. Hostility results in hostility, and you’re not surrounded by steel.
- thomasahle 4y ago
  > some cars will pass you then slow down to walking speed in front of you. I have never heard of this happening to anybody.
  - SOLAR_FIELDS 4y ago
    Do you drive much in the States? The amount of insane hostility that I see on the road in general, not even directed toward cyclists, is mind boggling. For instance, I would never respond to anything with any sort of escalation of anger, because people literally get shot and killed over it in my state on a regular basis. Here are a few recent incidents, just in my city alone: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/ax-wielding-road-rage-east-austin/269-35db701a-17ba-4ec2-a122-4ce34ef280b1 https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/ax-wielding-road-rag... https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/south-austin-road-rage-shooting/269-0f0dc717-3395-4923-b0b8-0dc4fab164da https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/south-austin-road-ra... https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/road-rage-on-the-rise-in-austin/ https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/road-rage-on-the-rise... https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/apd-releases-video-of-mopac-road-rage-crash-in-march-still-looking-for-driver/ https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/apd-releases-video-of... All of those are just in the last few months. The last one in particular is just absolutely over the top batshit insane Mad Max level behavior.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
  - mplanchard 4y ago
    I had a car actively swerve into me to try to run me off the road after I took the lane to get around a stopped bus. Car drivers can definitely get crazy aggressive if they think you’re not riding “in your place.” Edit: I still agree that taking the lane when appropriate is the safest option, but it’s hard to deny that some people are insane.
notacoward 4y ago
This is similar to why I - as a pedestrian - think many crosswalk designs are dangerous. The trend seems to be to place a crosswalk parallel to Large Road X well around the corner (10+ feet) along Smaller Road Y. Besides the fact that it adds burdens for disabled people who have to travel further to use the crosswalk, it reduces visibility and hence increases danger. A group of runners were almost run over at such a crosswalk near my town's high school last month. I don't know how anyone can seriously think these are a good idea. Mostly they just seem easier, using slightly less material and requiring slightly less work during construction. They should be banned.
radec 4y ago
>Novice riders are trained to stick to an invisible (or painted) bike lake which ends up with them being far less visible than they need to be. I don't think it necessarily has to do with being a novice, sometimes it's just the law. I bike mostly in Oregon and as far as I am aware you have stay in the bike lane if there is one, unless you are passing it the lane is blocked. ORS 814.420
- antisthenes 4y ago
  And I believe what the OP and the article are saying in spirit (if not explicitly) - it's OK to break stupid laws in the interest of your own safety. Laws are just a bunch of words that may or may not be on paper. Not all of them are equally useful or thought-out. Many won't be upheld in court, depending on circumstances. In 99.9% cases, it's better to break a law than risk injury/death.
  - radec 4y ago
    Oh ok. I don't have the resources (time/money) to fight things in court or pay fines. I also have been hit enough times and have found things go a lot smoother if the driver is clearly at fault. Even in Portland Oregon (I say even because it is a fairly bike friendly city) cops seem to side with the car because the general mentality is, that is what the road is there for. Anyway that seems like a strange recommendation from my experience dealing with cops while riding a bike. Not to mention the fact that some drivers tend to get aggressive towards bikes if your not following the rules.
Fnoord 4y ago
Great advice. I would say drive assured with a sense of self-respect (but not overdo it with arrogance) instead of as if you are a vulnerable, insignificant exception. But then again I live in a country where a lot of bicycle drivers are (NL). I often drive in the middle of the (one way) bike lane, so that others cannot pass me easily. That's intentional. I often drive with my kids, and I don't want you to pass them quickly on your electric bike. I'm cool if you gotta slow down and use your bell. Also, you want to give yourself some space on the right for a myriad of reasons so much that its a better default. So yes, those behind me will be annoyed that they have to slow down, but its in our mutual interest (a bicyclist who gets hit by a car always has the legal side with them compared to car). In Amsterdam though, good luck as pedestrian. Bicyclists will ignore you and zebra (they're legally bound to stopping for you). When I worked in Amsterdam at some point I got really annoying at a certain crossing. I'd always put up my right arm and fist for visibility as well as they'd hit my fist before they'd hit me.

yohannparis 4y ago

Quite true. For novice riders are simply tell them to ride where they would put they right wheel when driving a car. And at least a meter away from the curb/parked cars.

kqr 4y ago
I usually go for "where the driver's seat would be".
- LeifCarrotson 4y ago
  I (in the US, driving and riding on the right) go for where the passenger seat would be - far enough left to take up enough of the lane that cars can't pass me by just squeezing between the yellow line and my bike, but that I'm not inconsiderately taking up more of the road than necessary. There are way too many jerks who put their passenger rearview mirror 12" from my head or literally into my elbow at 55 mph, or who slow down to 25 and try to pass me at a crawl while treating the yellow line as a brick wall if I ride where the outside tire goes or if I ride on the white line. The law here states that cars must give 5 feet of space when passing, but it's not widely respected... Given the choice between squeezing through at an illegally close distance, or waiting for a chance to pass in the opposite lane, too many choose to squeeze past - so don't give them that choice.
  - kqr 4y ago
    For me it depends a little on how safe I feel. If there's very little traffic, road conditions are good, etc, I'll move closer to the side of the road. I still tell other people to aim for the driver's seat, though. Mostly to communicate clearly to them that it's okay to use the road.
- tzs 4y ago
  But check your local laws first. There are often specific rules for bicycles in the traffic. Here, for example, is Washington state's law on lane position: RCW 46.61.770 Riding on roadways and bicycle paths. (1) Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe except: __(a) While preparing to make or while making turning movements at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; __(b) When approaching an intersection where right turns are permitted and there is a dedicated right turn lane, in which case a person may operate a bicycle in this lane even if the operator does not intend to turn right; __(c) While overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction; and __(d) When reasonably necessary to avoid unsafe conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, animals, and surface hazards. (2) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway or highway other than a limited access highway, which roadway or highway carries traffic in one direction only and has two or more marked traffic lanes, may ride as near to the left side of the left through lane as is safe. (3) A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway may use the shoulder of the roadway or any specially designated bicycle lane. (4) When the operator of a bicycle is using the travel lane of a roadway with only one lane for traffic moving in the direction of travel and it is wide enough for a bicyclist and a vehicle to travel safely side-by-side within it, the bicycle operator shall operate far enough to the right to facilitate the movement of an overtaking vehicle unless other conditions make it unsafe to do so or unless the bicyclist is preparing to make a turning movement or while making a turning movement. (5) Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles
  - kqr 4y ago
    > shall ride as near to the right side of the right through lane as is safe ...so basically what the grandparent is saying?
- jimmaswell 4y ago
  I haven't had any issue riding on the far right when I can, even before I installed my blinking light system.
afc 4y ago
I love the simplicity of this formulation. It's very obvious in retrospect. Thanks for your comment. I'll steal this.

kqr 4y ago

> you shouldn’t feel controlling anxiety if some idiot honks at you for riding in the main traffic lane Honking is good; it means they see you!

Bostonian 4y ago

Where I live, the cars greatly outnumber bikes. Cyclists that go in the main traffic lane will slow things down substantially, and I think that is inconsiderate.

avianlyric 4y ago
I think hitting cyclists with cars and horrifically injuring them is inconsiderate. But each to their own.
- jfabre 4y ago
  Both are. I've done both for a long time, forcing everyone to go at 30 km/h in a 50 zone is inconsiderate. Not as inconsiderate as not being careful around cyclists when you drive. This looks like a system design problem to me. The needs of the cyclists don't match the needs of the drivers. This is why we are fighting over this. There has to be a solution, but I know nothing about civil engineering.
  - avianlyric 4y ago
    There is a solution! Protected cycle lanes! Keep cycles, cars and pedestrians physically separated. Inside towns and cities we should be looking to give up road space for cars, to put in dedicated cycle infrastructure. Dedicated cycle infrastructure keeps cars and cycles separate, makes cycling safer, and most importantly more accessible and friendly. Every additional cycle on the road during rush hour is one less car. If removing a car lane reduces the capacity of a road segment by 20 cars, but causes 50 additional to swap their car for a bike, then you’ve just created an 30 cars of capacity on your road. That’s just the start, a bike lane can easily carry 10 times more people than a car lane, and requires basically zero maintenance. They don’t get pot holes because cycles weigh so little their damage to the road surface is practically unmeasurable.
    - Lanolderen 4y ago
      Or cyclists can be incentivised to move to small motorcycles (pedelec if they want to stay fit) and we avoid the whole issue of converting car lanes to bicycle lanes and then reverting that decision because a traffic jam occurred and residents were not impressed, wasting money in the process ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

tomatotomato37 4y ago

It's for these same reasons that I think lane-splitting on a motorcycle is so stupid. They are heavy enough to destabilize cars in a collision, definitely heavy enough to kill bikers, and yet have the same visibility issues as their human-powered cousins

RhysU 4y ago
Motorcyclists generally don't lanesplit on single-lane roads because it's dumb. Sure, I could ride my liter bike to the right side of a Civic on most roads but I would be nuts to do it even were it legal. Or I could ride it down the center double yellow line to pass the hypothetical Civic, but again it would be stupid. Notice with motorcycles it is the motorcyclist that chooses to lane split (or not). With bicycles, sometimes it is the bicyclist that chooses and sometimes it is the car. This is fundamentally different. Many motorcyclists stay in the left third of the lane as taught by, e. g. the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). Much of this article is basic lane positioning and awareness material taught by the MSF or periodically printed in the American Motorcyclist Association magazine.

OJFord 4y ago

In the UK, cycle lanes stop or are explicitly painted out in front of cars in such areas. Such as: http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/57/34/2573447_72905916.jpg http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/57/34/2573447_7290591... (it's not clear without more context why the lane's on the right, remember we drive on the left so usually the lane is too, but my point is the area in front of the cars, forcing cars to see you and allowing the cyclists to clear the junction first.)

lqet 4y ago
Same in Germany: https://www.nw.de/_em_daten/_cache/image/1xekc0SVN5N2FSQ295THpsTjdyUlVYZzBJd1RlaDZ2d3Y4VkxOTmFYN1d2YXJVWEV3OXFPVTN2blc0ZzRTa0p0amlrS1hZSkVYVVkwa0ZvNXhRUTFLSkE9PQ/211111-1814-349966266.jpg https://www.nw.de/_em_daten/_cache/image/1xekc0SVN5N2FSQ295T...
ch4s3 4y ago
I was just in London, and while the boxes were nice the lanes were terrible and overly narrow. The drivers were homicidal compared to drivers in NYC. I wouldn’t say it was a positive experience.
- avianlyric 4y ago
  Depends what part of London you’re in. Unfortunately cycle infrastructure is mostly managed by the local boroughs, who all have very different views on cycling. Westminster and Kensington are famously hateful of cyclist, and do every they can to avoid building anything but the most pathetic cycle infrastructure. However boroughs like Southwark are far not forward thinking. My area is covered in wide dedicated cycle lanes. I can get from my home to the office on almost entirely grade separated and wide cycle lanes. The only fly in the ointment is that my office is in Westminster, the second I cross the borough boundary, it all goes to crap.
  - ch4s3 4y ago
    I biked in Kensington, SoHo, and City of London. They were all unpleasant in different but noticeable ways. Old narrow roundabouts were especially scary in the bike. The bus lanes were nice though.

Retric 4y ago

Just understand if you take up a traffic lane when a bike lane is right next to you, some cars will pass you then slow down to walking speed in front of you. Hostility results in hostility, and you’re not surrounded by steel.

thomasahle 4y ago
> some cars will pass you then slow down to walking speed in front of you. I have never heard of this happening to anybody.
- SOLAR_FIELDS 4y ago
  Do you drive much in the States? The amount of insane hostility that I see on the road in general, not even directed toward cyclists, is mind boggling. For instance, I would never respond to anything with any sort of escalation of anger, because people literally get shot and killed over it in my state on a regular basis. Here are a few recent incidents, just in my city alone: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/ax-wielding-road-rage-east-austin/269-35db701a-17ba-4ec2-a122-4ce34ef280b1 https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/ax-wielding-road-rag... https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/south-austin-road-rage-shooting/269-0f0dc717-3395-4923-b0b8-0dc4fab164da https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/south-austin-road-ra... https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/road-rage-on-the-rise-in-austin/ https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/road-rage-on-the-rise... https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/apd-releases-video-of-mopac-road-rage-crash-in-march-still-looking-for-driver/ https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/apd-releases-video-of... All of those are just in the last few months. The last one in particular is just absolutely over the top batshit insane Mad Max level behavior.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- mplanchard 4y ago
  I had a car actively swerve into me to try to run me off the road after I took the lane to get around a stopped bus. Car drivers can definitely get crazy aggressive if they think you’re not riding “in your place.” Edit: I still agree that taking the lane when appropriate is the safest option, but it’s hard to deny that some people are insane.

notacoward 4y ago

This is similar to why I - as a pedestrian - think many crosswalk designs are dangerous. The trend seems to be to place a crosswalk parallel to Large Road X well around the corner (10+ feet) along Smaller Road Y. Besides the fact that it adds burdens for disabled people who have to travel further to use the crosswalk, it reduces visibility and hence increases danger. A group of runners were almost run over at such a crosswalk near my town's high school last month. I don't know how anyone can seriously think these are a good idea. Mostly they just seem easier, using slightly less material and requiring slightly less work during construction. They should be banned.

radec 4y ago

>Novice riders are trained to stick to an invisible (or painted) bike lake which ends up with them being far less visible than they need to be. I don't think it necessarily has to do with being a novice, sometimes it's just the law. I bike mostly in Oregon and as far as I am aware you have stay in the bike lane if there is one, unless you are passing it the lane is blocked. ORS 814.420

antisthenes 4y ago
And I believe what the OP and the article are saying in spirit (if not explicitly) - it's OK to break stupid laws in the interest of your own safety. Laws are just a bunch of words that may or may not be on paper. Not all of them are equally useful or thought-out. Many won't be upheld in court, depending on circumstances. In 99.9% cases, it's better to break a law than risk injury/death.
- radec 4y ago
  Oh ok. I don't have the resources (time/money) to fight things in court or pay fines. I also have been hit enough times and have found things go a lot smoother if the driver is clearly at fault. Even in Portland Oregon (I say even because it is a fairly bike friendly city) cops seem to side with the car because the general mentality is, that is what the road is there for. Anyway that seems like a strange recommendation from my experience dealing with cops while riding a bike. Not to mention the fact that some drivers tend to get aggressive towards bikes if your not following the rules.

Fnoord 4y ago

Great advice. I would say drive assured with a sense of self-respect (but not overdo it with arrogance) instead of as if you are a vulnerable, insignificant exception. But then again I live in a country where a lot of bicycle drivers are (NL). I often drive in the middle of the (one way) bike lane, so that others cannot pass me easily. That's intentional. I often drive with my kids, and I don't want you to pass them quickly on your electric bike. I'm cool if you gotta slow down and use your bell. Also, you want to give yourself some space on the right for a myriad of reasons so much that its a better default. So yes, those behind me will be annoyed that they have to slow down, but its in our mutual interest (a bicyclist who gets hit by a car always has the legal side with them compared to car). In Amsterdam though, good luck as pedestrian. Bicyclists will ignore you and zebra (they're legally bound to stopping for you). When I worked in Amsterdam at some point I got really annoying at a certain crossing. I'd always put up my right arm and fist for visibility as well as they'd hit my fist before they'd hit me.