Turing off a roundabout yesterday a driver decided to pull out of a parking space in front of me. Clearly they did not know that you should A) Observe first before manouvering B) Indicate to alert (me) of their intentions.
Also after they’d seen me and stopped, they caught me up and shouted at ME through the passenger window.

Apparently i’m blind 😯

Rant over……

A courier I know has a philosophy: If they don’t need their indicators, they won’t mind if he puts a boot through them.

I’d never condone that, but…

your scum, you wear lycra, jump red lights, ride on the pavement, knock down old ladies.

Or that is what the Daily mail tells me.

So your obviously in the wrong.

Mirror – check lippy and adjust fringe
Signal – text mate to tell her you’re nearly there
Manoeuvre – what was that crunch sound?

As a driver, I’ve noticed a growing trend not to use indicators. However, I would like to balance this by adding, that a lot, not all of road cyclists don’t use signals either.

A lot of drivers don’t seem to realise that my signals, when on the bike, will not be displayed as I undertake my manoeuvre, since the things I use to make the signal (my hands) are also required to activate some important mechanisms required as part of the manoeuvre (my brakes).

Otherwise, yeah, cyclists could do with signalling more and being righteously indignant a bit less round here..

C’mon be fair. A lot of cars aren’t fitted with indicators, I have noticed that Mercedes estates don’t have them, neither do Range Rovers.

I struggle with indicating on the bike – particularly going right. I want to get better at it, but a year or so ago I came off while indicating right and broke a couple of ribs so I’ve lost all confidence, particularly if I need to brake at any point during the manouevre. But, at least I know that I should be indicating, and I do other things instead – trying to get eye contact when I look behind me, positioning myself assertively approaching the junction to prevent people trying to squeeze past and so on.

I did get wound up once when I needed to change lanes in the lead up to some traffic lights which were (a) red and (b) at the bottom of a hill, meaning that not braking wasn’t really an option. I made eye contact, the driver in the lane I was moving into clearly knew what I was trying to do as he left room for me. I moved into the space, all nice and smooth… then the driver who had been behind me in my lane pulled up alongside and had a real rant at me.

On the flip side I’ve lost count of the number of times recently that a driver has pulled away from the side of the road as I’m alongside them without indicating.

Come on, most of us have two arms and two brakes. It is perfectly possible to steer and brake with one arm and signal with the other. I have no problem doing that.

It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other. Motorists not signaling drives me mad both as a cyclist and driver. But there are plenty of diabolical cycling going on out there too.

The golden rule taught to me by my dad when I first started driving was to assume that every other road user out there is a complete and utter imboscele and haven’t got a clue what they’re doing and to expect them to do something unexpected. And he wasn’t too far away from the mark and its a rule that had saved my skin and other road users skin many times as a driver and cyclist. Be carefull out there.

highg5

Not being funny but I think you need to do what I tell novice cyclists to do, go to a car park and practice these things in a traffic free place until you are confident. It is very possible to brake and turn right, with care. And if there is a hill, stop behind the line of traffic then make your move when it restarts, and you know the car behind has seen you.

There is no shame in upping your skill level – it’s what you would do to practice manuals/wheelies etc

Come on, most of us have two arms and two brakes. It is perfectly possible to steer and brake with one arm and signal with the other. I have no problem doing that.

one of which does most of the actual braking, unless you’re hans rey you can indicate and ride at the same time but you won’t be slowing down aswell as normal and you won’t have as much control. if I’m turning right I’ll be positioned in the road so you know I’m turning right. If I’m turning left then you don’t really need to know this as at bike speeds slowing down isn’t generally necessary, indeed sometimes it’s a bad thing to indicate left, the numpty behind you who also wants to turn left may be inclined to overtake you whilst going around the corner (had it happen several times)

Yeah indicating is nice, I do when I feel safe and I’d recommend everyone does too but in heavy/fast traffic I’ll mostly be keeping both hands on my bars. Drivers don’t have this disadvantage*. Are we going to start on people not knowing how to indicate at roundabouts next?

*if this sounds hypocritical sorry but personal safety always overrides following the letter of the law when cycling in my book.

A lot of cars aren’t fitted with indicators

You missed Audi’s. Although it’s common knowledge that they are hairdressers cars 😉 😆

I also have no problem indicating and being aware of other road users around me- it’s part of a cyclists (and motorcyclists) survival package isn’t it?

The golden rule…assume that every other road user out there is a complete and utter imbecele and hasn’t got a clue what they’re doing and to expect them to do something unexpected…not too far away from the mark and its a rule that has saved my skin and other road users skin many times as a driver and cyclist.

+1 for this. Everyone’s a tosser. Deal with it.

indeed sometimes it’s a bad thing to indicate left, the numpty behind you who also wants to turn left may be inclined to overtake you whilst going around the corner (had it happen several times)

Yes this happened aswell yesterday- i could tell it was April fools day 🙄

Everyone’s a tosser. Deal with it.

Would it help to be a tosser too? Hmmmmmmm…. (strokes chin)

I’m all in favour of the indicating thing because I find it an invaluable way of increasing my personal safety. It just so happens to coincide with the letter of the law.
However, I see some cyclists indicating without looking, then manoeuvring, as if sticking out an arm activates some sort of force field of invulnerability. Look, look ’em in the eye, signal, make a last-second check for f*ckwittery and only then move.

The golden rule taught to me by my dad when I first started driving was to assume that every other road user out there is a complete and utter imboscele and haven’t got a clue what they’re doing and to expect them to do something unexpected.

Yep, over the years I’ve seen some absolutely terrible instances of driving and riding, and IME, this is good advice. I’ve found that adopting this outlook when driving/riding in other traffic actually makes things less stressful, as it doesn’t wind me up when other people drive (or ride) like jerks – as I’m expecting ’em to 🙂 – and it’s a nice bonus when people do behave in a considerate manner.

D0NK – Member

one of which does most of the actual braking, unless you’re hans rey you can indicate and ride at the same time but you won’t be slowing down aswell as normal and you won’t have as much control.

Sounds like you’re riding too fast…

if I’m turning right I’ll be positioned in the road so you know I’m turning right.

Do you not indicate prior to moving towards the centre of the road?

ve found that adopting this outlook when driving/riding in other traffic actually makes things less stressful, as it doesn’t wind me up when other people drive (or ride) like jerks

sometimes yeah you anticipate the maneouver so you pre-empt it, other times my internal monologue is going “you’re about to do something really stupid aren’t you? You know I’m here but you’re still going to do it anyway, yep there you go” *brake, shake head, swear* sometimes them doing the obvious seems even more irritating.

I see some cyclists indicating without looking, then manoeuvring, as if sticking out an arm activates some sort of force field of invulnerability

yeah seen that too, silly, same as the people hugging the kerb who then swing out around parked cars without checking behind them. I do sometimes wonder if they are just absolutely oblivious to it all and it’s just blind luck* that keep them alive.

*ie lucky that it’s the drivers actually paying attention who are around them when they pull this shit

Sounds like you’re riding too fast…

eh?

Do you not indicate prior to moving towards the centre of the road?

depends, if I’m already “taking the lane” I just check over my shoulder and move another couple of feet to the right if it’s a clear junction with good sight lines and there’s nowt coming and no pedestrians I make the turn, if it’s not then check over my shoulder indicate right and start to slow down for the junction. As I said I do indicate just not all the time, every junctions different innit, even the same junction will be different day to day depending on traffic weather etc and sometimes I feel removing one hand from the bars results in decreased control for not enough actual gain.

When I was doing a road commute daily I modulated my behaviour to safely get me around the drivers around me and on one section that meant keeping a firm hold of the controls and carefully watching what was happening around me while trying to cross three lanes of traffic who generally were doing what the hell they wanted at last minute and without indicating themsleves. Thankfully there’s a bus/bike gate there now, much easier for the occasional times I do use that stretch.

D0NK – Member

eh?

You alluded to the front brake having the greatest amount of stopping power, but on the roads the rear should be plenty enough.
Likewise, if you’re struggling to control your bike when indicating and decelerating, then start braking earlier and more gently.

The golden rule taught to me by my dad when I first started driving was to assume that every other road user out there is a complete and utter imboscele and haven’t got a clue what they’re doing and to expect them to do something unexpected

Trouble, is that that engenders an attitude that everyone else is in the wrong, and therefore we fail to take responsibility for what we did that may in some small way also have contributed to the incident. Particularly on a bike, it’s no consolation to be 90% in the right when you’re smeared on the tarmac if by doing your 10% slightly differently you could have avoided it. I’ve seen too many incidents where a cyclist is technically right but is maybe travelling too fast given conditions and vulnerability, and as a result hasn’t been able to react soon enough to numpty behaviour by another road user.

Sbob I can control my bike and indicate and corner and brake sufficiently for what I have in mind it’s what some arsehole driver may do around me that I’m worried about, as mentioned earlier you can predict some stuff but every now and then some driver will do something utterly bizzare requiring a quick change in direction or emergency braking, when that happens I want both hands on my bars

it’s also those car drivers that indicatemanoeuvre without checking. It’s a signal of intent that you’d like to change road position when safe to do so…not a **** right of way

The taxis round here don,t seem to have indicators