On somewhat a side note, I find it encouraging to see the term "Take The Lane" used. I have ridden around town in heavy traffic and rediscovered a good way to "Take The Lane", which I think has somewhat been forgotten and should be used more. It is the "Slow" hand signal. I sternly hold my left hand out at a 45 degree angle with fingers spread wide open and palm back. I repeatedly make a motion of pushing back and sideways to a car approaching too close from the rear. It usually works quite well and I feel is respected by drivers. I think it is an aggressive move to be used when you truly feel in danger and need to communicate with a driver. I have a mirror, check it often and feel this is a necessity and also respected by drivers. Bikers actually often use this amongst themselves to warn trailing riders of danger ahead such an intersection or stones on the road. I feel this bike signaling method is similar to tapping your brakes in a car a couple times to warn a tailing driver that the traffic conditions ahead may cause you to stop suddenly. We need to take control of our own destiny on the road more, within reason. This would not work well with a car approaching much faster than the bike.
Safe bicycling rules of the road which I have read state that if you are going at nearly the same speed as the cars around you, that you should ride near the middle of the lane as a car. This all sounds good but is hard to practice without sometimes using the "slow" signal to keep the cars away from you and to show the cars that you are "Taking The Lane". I have used this method often when the edge of the road has significant bumps and the middle is much more rideable. I feel that most drivers respect this signal and back off. I have not been beeped at but notice sometimes that when cars eventually pass me they race by somewhat aggressively. Communication and safe riding are the goals not purely aggressive riding. Take The Lane but be careful. Craig McCallum -----Original Message----- From: Darin Burleigh [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 1:37 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [email protected] Subject: Re: [Bikies] Re: Regarding Capitol Square Configuration At 4:00 PM -0500 6/16/05, Tom Theisen wrote: >I have a right to use the road, and I'm not going to forfeit it in the >name of bike advocacy. That seems somewhat backwards. I don't think >anyone would stop and take notice that there was a bike boycott on the >square. If they did, I doubt the response would be to remove the new >parking, or terminate the experiment, as you say. Quite the contrary, >I suspect. If we want to be taken seriously, we need more bicycling, >not less. I agree. Go take a ride around the Square. Then, share your thoughts with alder. If you do ride around the square, make sure you Take The Lane. Don't be pussyfooting right next to the parked cars, where you could get a door in your face. -darin _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
