On 1/27/2019 8:09 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 19:07:46 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 1/27/2019 6:53 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Mon, 28 Jan 2019 06:16:36 +0700, John B. Slocomb
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 11:48:54 -0500, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 1/27/2019 12:36 AM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Sat, 26 Jan 2019 20:54:54 -0500, Joy Beeson
wrote:


I'm particularly interested in words that I can leave out without
impairing clarity. This essay is way too long.

It also needs a definite exit line.

Any ideas for change-of-topic marks with a chance of surviving a
typesetter who regularly ends stories in the middle of a sentence, and
sometimes in the middle of a word?

The essay is intended as a letter to an American newspaper, so I
haven't mentioned driving on the left.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are thinking about riding a bike, you need to learn the rules
of the road.

If you have a car-driver's license, you already know the rules: bikes
follow the same rules as cars because two vehicles operating by
different rules on the same facility insure conflict.

Where the rules for different classes of vehicles differ, there will
be signs saying "no non-motorized vehicles", "no trucks except for
local delivery", "slow vehicles keep right", and so forth.

Most differences between cars and bikes are statistical. For example,
cars are noisy, so bike riders need to make noise on purpose much more
often than a car driver needs to sound the horn. You should never
overtake a pedestrian or another bike rider without letting him know
that you are there. A simple "Hi!" will do, but I often choose to
give more information -- when I saw a photographer leaning over the
edge of the boardwalk, for example, I said "I am passing behind you."

#

There are a few rules that are different for bikes.

A car driver can make hand signals only through the driver's-side
window, so he signals a right turn by bending his left elbow at a
right angle and pointing up. When I give this signal on a bike,
people wave back. A bike rider signals a right turn by pointing with
his right arm, a mirror image of the left-turn signal. Bike riders
also have the option of signalling "I intend to go straight" -- just
point straight ahead with either arm. It is a good idea, after giving
this signal, to raise your arm a little so that people behind you can
see it.


The law gives bicycles explicit permission to operate on a usable
shoulder -- most of the reasons for banning traffic on shoulders don't
apply to a vehicle that the operator can pick up and walk off with.

But note the word "usable". You don't have permission to ride on
shoulders that are intermittent, narrow, covered with sharp or
slippery debris, or otherwise not safe to ride on.

Also note that when you ride on a shoulder, you are not in the roadway
and therefore have sole responsibility for avoiding collisions.
Whenever you approach an intersection, you should suspect every driver
of intending to turn into the side road, and you should expect every
driver on the side road to creep forward for a better view of the
traffic lanes.


Another difference between cars and bikes is lane position. Most
vehicles have no option but "in the middle of your share", but
bicycles can also ride in the left wheel track or the right wheel
track, and on some rare occasions, your share isn't the entire lane.
Lane position is a complex subject best studied under the supervision
of an experienced cyclist, but I've posted an over-simplified
explanation at http://www.wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/CENT2018/LANE.HTM",
and you can read chapter 2 of "Street Smarts" at
http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/index.htm.

An even-more simplified version: when in doubt, ride in the middle of
the lane. Always leave yourself room to dodge to the right. Never
weave in and out of traffic. Give a wide berth to things that can
knock you off your bike, such as parked cars, curbs, lengthwise
grooves, and drop-offs. When riding in a bike lane, allow a good four
feet between your left elbow and the motor lane. Always signal your
intentions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments on the Web page are also solicited.

I'm seriously considering breaking the letter at the # and ending
"There are a few rules that are different for bikes, but I've taken up
too much space already, so I will write a another letter."

This is a desperate measure, because the local nutcases write
multi-part letters.

The first letter would be e-mailed with the subject line, perhaps
repeated in the body to increase the odds it will be used as a
headline, "Time to start dusting off the bike"

The second with the subject line "Three ways bikes are not like cars".


I read both the above and your reference
http://www.wlweather.net/PAGEJOY/CENT2018/LANE.HTM"

and while I haven't ridden in the U.S. in many years and maybe
conditions are different there, but here one is quite often (I might
almost say "normally") riding on streets or roads where the vehicle
traffic is traveling at 100 KPH or faster and the bicycle is traveling
at, perhaps, 1/4 or 1/3 of that speed. In that instance "taking the
lane" can be hazardous unless done carefully as veering out in front
of a vehicle traveling at speed assumes that the vehicle can stop and
if the assumption is incorrect then what?

Nobody with any sense recommends veering out suddenly in front of a fast
vehicle. The relevant books, pamphlets, classes, videos and websites all
make it clear (or should make it clear) that you check behind you,
signal, and negotiate if necessary when you need to move left.

Signaling before you move into a lane(s) where all the traffic is
traveling at speeds of 60+mph is a good move?


Or perhaps more to the point, moving into a lane where all the traffic
is traveling at three, or more, times the speed of the bicycle is a
good idea, signal or no signal.

I wondered if that's what you really meant.

So it leads to the usual question: 10 foot lane. 9 foot truck. No
shoulder. Traffic using the next lane, whether same-direction or
oncoming. What are you going to do?

I've been in that situation countless times. I've taken the lane by
moving leftward in plenty of time. The trucks, cars, whatever have never
run me over. In almost all cases, they've slowed and waited until they
could pass in the next lane.

And please don't say "Never ride that road." If that were the
requirement, I could never get out of my neighborhood.

I can only assume that you ride on very different roads then I do. For
example, last Tuesday we drove from Bangkok to Pak Chung, a small town
about 200 km N.E. of Bangkok. Disregarding the first 20 or so km of
toll road we were on modern 6 lane highways where traffic was in
excess of 100 kph and the distance between vehicles was, perhaps 25 -
50 meters, all the way.

At 100 kph the time to travel 50 meters is a bit less then two
seconds. "taken the lane by moving leftward in plenty of time" would
require nearly super sonic speed.

As for "don't ride that road", over the past 50 years or so Thailand
has been improving their roads and today about the only way to travel
between cities is on this type of road.

Then I assume you're riding on the shoulder, right?

Roads I ride on:

Residential streets 18 feet wide or less, of course. And residential
collectors, a bit wider, but with more traffic, 35 mph limits and curbs.
Both of those are "take the lane" streets for sure.

Present or former country lanes, about the same width but with no
shoulders. Again, taking the lane is a must.

Minor state routes. Sometimes wider, but rarely wide enough to safely
share. Speed limits from 45 to 55 mph. Take the lane unless it's got a
really nice shoulder.

Very frequently, a four lane suburban stroad with 30,000 to 40,000 cars
per day. 12 foot lanes. That's a tough one, because it's sort of
sharable with a tiny car (Fiat 500, VW Beetle) if the driver is careful.
But anyone else will be passing too close. Speed limit 40 mph. Decades
ago, I tried to share it a lot. Now I almost always ride at lane center.

Old city arterials, four lanes, probably 10 feet wide. Those can be ugly
at quitting time. I ride them if I have to, but I prefer the parallel
residential collectors.

Oh yeah, one street that's one lane each way plus a center
bi-directional turning lane. This is through an old but still active
commercial area. Again, too narrow to share. Motorists use the turning
lane to pass. It may be illegal, but nobody would ever care or complain.

Finally, some old industrial roads that once carried tons of traffic,
but the steel mills closed and the traffic is gone. Some of those
actually have lanes about 15 feet wide. Those I easily share.

In the past, there have been a couple times I got onto really hellish
roads and could not get off - for example, one parallel to a major
river. It had very high traffic, four narrow lanes, no shoulders,
everybody in a bad mood and a real hurry, and terrible pavement. I did
get off of it as soon as I could, but what did I do until I could leave
it? I rode at lane center. Drivers were displeased, but anything else
would have been suicidal.

--
- Frank Krygowski