Crossroads Positioning

Crossroads Positioning

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Discussion

Ben Jk

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

165 months

Sunday 21st September 2014
quotequote all
Fairly new to road biking.

Hence the following question.

At crossroads, fairly major (crossing dual carriageway). Controlled by traffic lights.

I'm going straight on.

Arriving at junction. Lights on red. Scally on a motorbike sat at lights. No indicator on.

I pull round him. And position myself in front of him to left of road.

Lights go green. I set off. He decides he's turning left. He's quicker off the mark than me, so proceeds to hoot and call me a dhead because obviously I was crossing his path going straight on.

Now, putting aside he is obviously a massive cock generally.

Was I wrong with my positioning? Was I wrong to pull round him? Should I have stayed centrally in the road in the "queue"?

As a driver, I personally would have held back and allowed the cyclist to get away and then proceeded myself. But then I'm a fairly decent guy.






Edited by Ben Jk on Sunday 21st September 14:36

Fugazi

564 posts

120 months

Sunday 21st September 2014
quotequote all
Ben Jk said:
As a driver, I personally would have held back and allowed the cyclist to get away and then proceeded myself. But then I'm a fairly decent guy.
Think you hit the nail on the head. I see this kind of thing on a regular basis whether sat on the bike or in a car. I think these idiots must assume you're a mind reader. I've gotten quite adept at picking up on which people are going to go left, especially when they're sat in the ASL box. Remember, one should never underestimate stupidity.

Ben Jk

Original Poster:

1,591 posts

165 months

Sunday 21st September 2014
quotequote all
So was I positioned correctly then and he was just a dhead?



richardxjr

7,561 posts

209 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
quotequote all
OK It would have helped if the m/c was indicating so in this particular instance he was being a dhead.

BUT you should not be on the left IMO, it's just asking for some idiot to turn left across you and the larger the vehicle the more it's likely to hurt.

We have a similar crossroads near me. Every morning I see school kids left filter and then do this. More often than not a car will turn left across them once the lights change. One day there will be a(nother) nasty accident. I even talked to the school about it and they tell me they've warned their cyclist pupils, but they still do it.

At this same crossroads to go straight ahead If there's a queue I will filter right then wait in front of the traffic (yes, on or slightly beyond the stop line) in the centre.





Mr Will

13,719 posts

205 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
quotequote all
If you are going straight on then position yourself slap bang in the middle of the lane directly in front of everyone behind you. If you can't safely do this right at the front, then do it just behind the first car/bike/whatever in the queue.

Only be on the left if you are turning left. Doubly so if there is a large vehicle involved.

mouseymousey

2,641 posts

236 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
quotequote all
Mr Will said:
If you are going straight on then position yourself slap bang in the middle of the lane directly in front of everyone behind you. If you can't safely do this right at the front, then do it just behind the first car/bike/whatever in the queue.

Only be on the left if you are turning left. Doubly so if there is a large vehicle involved.
This is what I do...

I also sit as far forward as possible whilst still being safe and being able to tell when my lights go green, which is often beyond the stop line. Technically jumping the light I believe but having done it for a long time, and in front of police cars on a few occasions, there has never been a problem.

Gizmoish

18,150 posts

208 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
quotequote all
I'd have gone for the middle of the lane option if it was a car (and there was space); waited behind if it was an m/c. Bikes are faster off the line than me, cars not so much.

Hackney

6,811 posts

207 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
quotequote all
Ben Jk said:
As a driver, I personally would have held back and allowed the cyclist to get away and then proceeded myself. But then I'm a fairly decent guy.
Why did you feel the need to go in front of the motorbike.
if you were in a car, presumably you wouldn't drive around a motorbike already queueing at the lights?

Whether you're cycling or in a car the motorbike will get away quicker than you so what's the point of going in front of him.

I agree though, once you'd sat yourself in front of him he reacted like a knob. Unless of course he was indicating and you just didn't see it.

Kell

1,708 posts

207 months

Monday 22nd September 2014
quotequote all
If you went in front of him, where was he?

If he was at a regular stop line, then you'd have to cross it to go in front of him. In which case you're in the wrong.

If we was sat at a stop line and you went around him on the right to get to an ASL, then you're technically still in the wrong as you're legally meant to enter those boxes from the left.

As others have said, the best cause of action is to act as if everyone else is trying to kill you and position yourself accordingly without seeing pics, I think it's hard to judge.

And don't think I'm being judgemental either as I regularly do what you did to get to the ASL.