AIBU to ask what you would do if the cyclist in front of you

[MumOnABike]

stuck their hand out to the right

Talkingofmichaelangelo- I think you have it spot on!

Yes I also drive a car.

Trying to make eye contact is a good idea.

I do try to move across early - but there is a stretch between passing a line if parked cars and then me needing to turn right when cars can pass me, so I keep left there to allow them to. But however early back from the junction I start signalling and trying to pull out, there has to be a car let me do it.

Just wish drivers were more aware / better educated / less self absorbed in their

How far is that stretch between parked cars and your right turn - if it no more than a minute or so (cycling time) then I would over take the parked cars taking central position and stay there until my turn, perhaps indicating early enough to show why you are still in central position.

Well it wouldn't be more than a minute would it Sunshine? It's a normal road from OPs description...not a football field.

Indicating to turn can be fairly tricky, as you need to keep checking over a shoulder to see if you are being seen and acted upon. And of course the 'default position' is "my safety comes well before your need to drive somewhere seconds quicker" in the priorities list.

Have one of these.._

Yes - a minute is too long haha should be more like in the seconds. ?Haven't cycled in a while :S

As most other have said OP you did the right thing. I would wait for you to move across in front of me. I hate the hostility to proper cyclists in this country. By proper I mean cyclists that use the roads properly and STOP at red lights as opposed to those who seem to have a death wish.

diddl I'm envious of your quiet town! There's a bit of road near me about 10 car-lengths long, where I have to take the primary position to avoid being doored by the people that park there for the shops. At least once a week I end up with some twat revving and beeping behind me, for the, ooh, twenty seconds it takes for me to pass the cars and pull back in. Once, memorably, someone mounted the raised central reservation in order to overtake me. I caught up with them 10 seconds later at the roundabout. If I tried to ride in the middle of the lane at all times I confidently predict I'd be pancaked within the week.

MumOnABike - I'd love to know where all these drivers are that hang back when you signal that you want to move to the middle of the lane to turn right. Round here, looking over your shoulder and sticking your right arm out is clearly the signal for "overtake as quickly and dangerously as possible".

Well i'm in Germany so using the road is optional!

So drivers do get close I think with the idea that you should just pop onto the cycle path out of the way.

I remember once a driver coming towards me, he was overtaking a parked car on his side so I had right of way,

There's room, but I can't stay in my usual position, I have to move over & I still feel as if I could touch the car as it passes.

Anyway, chappie was gesticulating wildly towards the pavement, so I gave a big smile & "waved" back

The "problem" with the cycle path on that particular road is that there are many driveways & the road actually feels safer.

Plus it's 30kmh limit & cars have to keep slowing down to give way to traffic from the side roads on the right.

It's the main road into town but specifically not a priority road to keep the speed down, so I don't feel guilty about biking on it.

I didn't know it was legal to cycle on paths in Germany - I'll have to remember that the next time I'm there

I hear you on some off-road cycle paths though. There's one near me where the markings indicate that cyclists must give way to...a tree. I shit you not.

I live in the Netherlands where cyclists are god and everyone's happy with it as we all ride too. So if I saw you actually indicating, I'd greatly admire you for using a clear signal rather than just using Dutch Clairvoyance and assuming everyone knows what you're about to do!

And I'd slow down to walking pace with 20 cars behind me cheerfully doing the same thing to let you over. This country is great for some things.

I'm a wimp. I do a left turn then a u-turn to cross the busy central London street I actually need to turn right across.

No one gives way. Even when they are sitting in a Q.

OutofCheeseError I used to cycle round a public park to get away from the traffic, with a speed limit of 15mph. The roadway was extremely narrow and not really safe for cars to overtake cyclists, except in the large passing spaces provided. The passing spaces were very frequent and large enough that you could keep cycling in them and the car have plenty of time to overtake.

Despite this, I used to be regularly beeped at, have abuse shouted at me and have cars driving millimetres from my rear wheel, just so they could get to park in that park a few seconds earlier. Two people, a man and a woman, even got out their car to shout abuse at me as I cycled past once, for holding them up. They started shouting about the size of my backside, which was strange because they were both very obese and I'm quite tiny.

Its a strange world out there.

I'd be grateful you signalled and hold back to let you. I wish more cyclists would make use of hand signals, I nearly got run over by one today who turned left suddenly without signalling while I was crossing the road.

TheChandler That's horrible. I'm 'lucky', I suppose, that I've never been subjected to that sort of verbal abuse as a cyclist. Just the usual thoughtless or aggressive driving and the odd incident that I suspect was deliberately designed to scare me e.g. punishment passes

I'm actually amazed I've only been knocked off once - and that was by a jogger! He dived off the path into the side of me with absolutely no warning, and sent me flying onto the tarmac. He, plugged blissfully into his headphones, ran off without bothering to see if I was ok

My DD (3) indicates with me, but, strangely, seeing her little hand (and her bike seat, even when she's not with me!) doesn't always seem to register with drivers, and they keep on squeezing past me. I think I'm going to have to change her preschool, so I don't keep (unwittingly) endangering her on the road!

I came out of London Bridge station one morning to cross the road and the red man was flashing even though the light was turning green so naturally I stopped as cars etc. had started to move. Once the car drove past there was a gap and this woman rushed out of nowhere and went to just carry on crossing and she clearly wasn't looking and almost ploughed right into a cyclist. Then proceeded to shout at the cyclist that she wished she had just pushed him over.

I normally stay out of things but past year or so I started to speak up because people just feel so entitled to be horrible when they are in the wrong.

Anyway I took her to task but she just gave me a load of crap back - ignorant idiot. She does not realise that it is pedestrians who step right out in front of a cyclist who are the most dangerous thing to happen. Short of themselves ending up hurt it can cause the cyclist to come off their bike into cars moving forward.

I used to cycle near Euston station and almost went straight into a woman and her child she literally stepped off the pavement infront of me and she hadn't even looked. I couldn't even move to my right as there were cars passing me at the time. F* me I had a heart attack (not literally), no idea how I stopped in time and all she got was a small bump by my handlebar.

Sunshine yes...when I moved to London my flatmate warned me never to step out behind a car incase a cycle courier was coming past....good advice!

The Highway Code suggests the onus is on the cyclist to wait for a safe gap, not for the motorist to create one.

"74: On the right. If you are turning right, check the traffic to ensure it is safe, then signal and move to the centre of the road. Wait until there is a safe gap in the oncoming traffic and give a final look before completing the turn. It may be safer to wait on the left until there is a safe gap or to dismount and push your cycle across the road."

trouble is though the HC says a lot about appropriate conduct, much of it is ignored. Other parts will also talk about being considerate for other road users and recognising vulnerabilities.
That bit quoted also doesnt preclude a driver responsibility to allow a safe gap. Of course in the real life situations, riders need to be aware and allow for inconsiderate and sometimes aggressive drivers. It happens on every trip.

I've always understood the situation OP describes as similar to someone indicating to turn out of a side road - great if you (as driver/cyclist/biker on mainroad) are able to slow down and let them out, but that's a courtesy not an oblogation. It wouldn't be OK for them to pull out in front of me and assume that just because they'd signalled it was their right to do so.

Then there was the truck driver, who looked like he wasn't going to let me across - so I stayed into the left - but then slowed down so I moved out, at which point he pulled alongside my right to glare at me as if I was in the wrong

You need to remember that a truck cab is at a different level to you and to a car.it is often difficult for the drivers of trucks to see cyclists to their left because they are much lower than them and their mirrors.When i was a child I knew a lorry driver who had a cyclist come up on his inside as he was turning left.It was an old city with narrow roads .She was killed.The poor driver was traumatised and wouldn't drive for months even though it was not his fault .When he did start driving again ,the same thing happened again within weeks.
I think nowadays trucks have better wing mirrors but there will still be blind spots.If you are going to cycle in these circumstances I think you are better riding in the middle of the lane.

thanks for the advice TooHasty.

Downtothesea yes...I and others advised the OP to move to the centre of the road...she appeared too cautious from the OP.