this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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The only real solution is to campaign for better infrastructure, such as:
What has worked the best for me is taking the lane. If the infrastructure isn't good, ride in the middle of the lane so cars are forced to treat you like a car. Don't use crosswalks or sidewalks, take the place cars are looking for other cars.
Yeah, it'll tick off some drivers, but at least they see me. I'll usually move right every so often if I'm blocking traffic and let the cars past (they'll usually go slowly), then go back to taking the lane. At the end of the day, my life is more important than etiquette. At least I'm my area, it's also legal because I just need to be within 3' (1m) of the edge of the road, which means the rightmost lane market, not the edge of the asphalt, so I can be pretty close to the middle of the lane while following the law, but I will break the law if it keeps my safe.
I'm tempted to get some kind of sign for the back of my bike saying something like "If you think I'm 'in your way,' demand a BIKE LANE," but I expect some road-rager would murder me for it.
I've taken the lane even with a bike lane because they frequently put parking on the other side of the bike lane, and I really don't want to get doored.
I take the lane on a roundabout with a bike lane on it, to avoid being killed by turning traffic driving through me
Why would they put a bike lane on a roundabout? That's just ridiculous.
100% agree, but these tend to be very long-term solutions, and not every city even wants to entertain basic bike lanes, let alone separate or protected bike lanes. And we can't expect cyclists to wait years (or decades) for that infrastructure to appear.
Even as an experienced cyclist, this is highly unnerving. I couldn't imagine a novice, elderly, or young cyclist having to take the lane and hope that cars see them. I get that this is often the only option for some areas, but it's also very far from ideal.
It's funny, I was thinking that most of the time cyclists "break the law", it's quite literally so they don't die.
I don't advocate for regularly cycling on sidewalks (even though it's legal where I live), but there are certain roads that are so dangerous that using the sidewalk is the only safe way to cycle.
And plenty of roads where the sidewalks are more dangerous than the road (e.g. anything with driveways, parking lot entrances). In general, I recommend avoiding the sidewalk, but there are obviously exceptions (e.g. that stretch of road where cars go fast and there's a sidewalk, and few side streets/driveways).
Do what's safest, and don't worry about etiquette or laws. I'd rather have a ticket than be in the hospital (or dead).