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

[MumOnABike]

stuck their hand out to the right

I'm trying to think of a motorised equivalent. If I were on the motorway and wanted to change lanes to the right, I wouldn't just signal and pull out - I'd wait for a gap and then do the manoeuvre. Though it always helps if someone is willing to hold back and create a gap when necessary, i wouldn't feel safe relying on that as they might not be paying attention.

There's nothing wrong with what the OP is doing. I turn right every day. 4 days out of 5 some twat overtakes me on the right AFTER I've glanced, signalled and moved.

Yes, Mrs - and I think that's good advice, but I didn't get the impression from the OP that she was waiting for a safe gap, rather that she expected the traffic to stop and create one upon seeing her signal.

mum - doesn't that mean there wasn't a big enough gap?

I'm afraid that for lots of drivers there will never be a right sized 'gap' - they just ignore any attempt by riders to move, because we shouldn't be getting in their way in the first place. As much as one tries to communicate, it often ends poorly. Drivers, generally are reasonable people, but that gets diluted once 'competition' for road space becomes apparent.

Well the reason for the "safe gap" isn't clear is it downtothesea? It could mean either a car stopping or a gap appearing.

And as to the question you posed to Mum no...it means some twat overtook her as she was turning.

quite. A driver behaves massively irresponsibly, but the explanation is suggested 'it was your fault as a rider for making them do it.'

There is a chap that cycles on a road I drive on - it is an A road (only just imo width wise) that links he m6 to a major A road, along which there is a major distribution centre for a supermarket - so heavy traffic and lots of huge HGVs- I certainly would be petrified cycling there - it is a road that could certainly benefit from a cycle lane imo - anyway he has wing mirrors on his bike and often pulls in to let big traffic past - if I were to cycle I think I would copy him as being able to glance at a wing mirror and see what is coming would be handy on such a road - there are lots of cyclists on that road ( I always give them plenty of room as I overtake as you should and give the same room as if I were passing a car and don't overtake with oncoming traffic) but out of all the cyclists I see (excluding the few who cycle wearing black at dusk and in the dark - and one who has no lights at all ) he definitely appears the safest. He wears high viz, is well lit and has 360 view of the traffic around him. He doesn't let traffic build up behind him either.

Ps to answer the op - if a cyclist indicated right I would slow down to a stop at a safe distance behind and let the cyclist complete their manoeuvre like you would any road user.

He sounds a sensible chap maddening (well, apart from cycling on a scary road!). I've tried a bike with a wing mirror before and found it pretty useless - the vibration and bumpiness compared with a car meant I couldn't see a steady image for long enough to actually work out what was going on. Hats off to him if he finds them usable but they're not really a great solution IME.

I have absolutely no experience - it just struck me as a good idea - pity it's no good in practise from your experience.

Maybe some are better than others and I just happened to try a rubbish one!

I feel for you OP, as I was recently motivated to post a cycling thread on here after one too many instance of being sworn at or deliberate twattishness on my commute (because obviously if you're in 1500kg+ of metal and I've waylaid you by 30 seconds, the appropriate response is to pull to within inches of my while swearing your head off and trusting that both your driving and my nerves will avoid a disaster).

I must say I absolutely loved michaelangelo 's description. If I didn't go

-> here

on an A road, I wouldn't er, get home. But given a couple of comments on my thread, plus far, far more in other places, I clearly chose the wrong house

Having said that I maintain motorists (where I live anyway) are way more intolerant where than 10 years back. It was snowing here so I was driving. I was pursued by an anally fixated Nissan Micra driver (I can only assume this, since they were up my arse and I was as close to the speed limit as the conditions would allow). Had things gone wrong in this instance (in my 2L Diesel, not on my pushbike), things would not have gone well for the Micra, but I think the woman driving thought she was driving a tank with bull bars....

TooHasty that is why when I cycle I never drive up the side of a lorry - never ever its one of my golden rules. I'll only ever overtake a lorry if there are two lanes on the road so I can create a very wide distance between myself and the lorry.

Once cycling down past Charing Cross Station, two buses ahead next to each and slightly angled so the gap between them narrowed at the front of the bus. A cyclist went past me through the red light and then aimed for the gap - I cringed already knowing what was about to happen and almost shouted don't do it . The buses started to move the gap towards the front narrowed more and he had to put both one hand onto the bus to steady himself and stopped from falling over and under it and then finally realised he wasn't going to make it stopped so he wouldn't get squashed.

Just stood at the lights aghast at what I had just seen.

Then again I have also been at lights at the Trafalgar Sq roundabout in the middle lane and a bus decides to come up on the left lane crept forward to the white line by the lights but misjudged the space and knocked me in my shoulder.

I do find roundabouts a bit like dicing with life sometimes as some drivers just don't stop before entering more often then not. Once in Birmingham I was taking the third exit - signalled clearly and still signally as I was riding round so it was clear to everyone what I was doing and then I signalled that I was going to come off the roundabout and was in the correct lane (left hand side at that point) and a car (2nd exit wanting to come onto the roundabout) didn't bother to stop and entered the roundabout. It would have hit me side on toppling me over and most likley have meant the car would have ran right over me had I not swerved out of the way and there was a car on the right hand lane but looking back I think that driver saw what was happening and slowed in the knick of time to give me some room because as I swerved right I saw it in the corner of my eye. Omg that is the closest I have come to being wiped off the road. I literally saw the car bonnet in my peripheral vision and if I hadn't I can't even think what would have happened. I had to stop after I got off the roundabout because I was shaking a bit from the shock of such an extremely close call.

I am glad they put a cycle lane in to help cyclist get around Elephant & Castle roundabout because that allow is one of the worst roundabouts on my route that I have ever had to cycle around.

Anyway enough of my cycling stories!

Not at all what I said, Charlie but thanks for putting words in my mouth.

As a cyclists I've always assumed that I need to wait for a large enough gap to safely complete a right turn. As others have posted, sometimes this means I have to get off and wait by the side of the road, or use a crossing.

I certainly don't assume that because i have signalled my intention to carry out a manoeuvre, everything behind me must stop so that I can do it - but it's been illuminating to see that others do, and it explains why so man cyclists just stick their hand out and veer into traffic without so much as a shoulder check.

I'll go now.

Damn.

As a cyclist

And

So many.

Imustgodowntothesea - if a car in front is trying to turn right, do you overtake them because they have no right to him you up?

Changing lanes on a motorway I different. I am not changing Lars, there is only one lane just because I am narrow cars are choosing to share it and overtake me. In anycase, if I want to pull out on a motorway in busy traffic I indicate and more often than not a car in the lane to the right will allow me to move

Can't link from my phone, but highway code rule 212 appears to be relevant here...

I think Imustgodowntothesea has a good sense of self preservation.
I pull over to the left and even get off my bike and cross the road as a pedestrian.
No way do I ever sit on a bike in the middle of the road waiting to turn right.

"When passing motorcyclists and cyclists, give them plenty of room (see Rules 162 to 167). If they look over their shoulder it could mean that they intend to pull out, turn right or change direction. Give them time and space to do so."

Imust - we get quite a lot of posters on these threads claiming to be cyclists but posting in a way that is undermining and wrong-headed, and erring on the (often unlawful) side of motorists, purely as a response to a cyclist's complaint. Your posts give lots of evidence to say you are one of these.

Well cyclists are actually part of the traffic, I believe!

Not a nuisance to be overtaken as quickly & closely as possible!

If a junction, side road is approaching, shock horror, a cyclist may need/want to make a manoeuvre & motorists should be prepared.

Sadly though since a cyclist would come off worse in an accident, i can see why many stop & cross roads ion foot.

Indeed. Of course it is a good idea to stop, get off, walk etc if you don't feel safe. But that isn't the same as cyclists ShOuLD pull in then cross as a pedestrian.

I think the self preservation of the cyclist is separate to how to motorists should be acting (mostly because the motorists are not acting as they should)

Thanks for the quote charlie

Charlie: maybe some of us value our life more than our rights.
Car drivers often take evasive action to avoid an accident, even though they shouldn't have to.