Cycling - how to deal with turning right @ busy junctions..?

[decadent]

Hi,
New road bike rider here. What’s the best way to deal with busy junctions where you as a cyclist wish to turn right from a minor road into a busy major road (the type of junction where there is box for cars to stop opposite the minor road so that they can turn themselves right into it)?

In a car I would have to do this a two step movement when it is busy, 1 step to get into the middle of the road when it’s clear left and wait until it is clear right to complete the move.

Assuming you are first at the minor junction on the bike would you do the same as you would in the car? I felt a bit precarious on the bike with cars coming side on to me wishing to turn right whilst I was waiting in the middle to complete my right turn.

Should I instead head diagonally out of the junction and wait on the bike in front of where a right turning car from major to minor road (so that the car can still make their move rather than blocking them?).

It’s much easier to do this junctions when a car is already at the junction – I have just shadowed it on the left side and been mindful as to not cut it up when turning right.

Cheers
Matt

[Electric Beaver]

Just think of yourself as a piece of traffic, just the same as if you were in a car. You need to be a bit more careful but you have every right to take space on the road as a car driver does!

[Dixie]

Electric Beaver said:

Just think of yourself as a piece of traffic, just the same as if you were in a car. You need to be a bit more careful but you have every right to take space on the road as a car driver does!

Personally I'd wait until i can cleanly get across both lanes before leaving the junction. If that not an option then I'd turn left and find a safer place to make the right turn.

I get that we as cyclist have a right to be on the road and are as much part of traffic as other road users. But sadly other road users don't always think the same as we do. I'm not going to risk my own well being to be a martyr.

[Miguel Alvarez]

Dixie said:

Personally I'd wait until i can cleanly get across both lanes before leaving the junction. If that not an option then I'd turn left and find a safer place to make the right turn.

I get that we as cyclist have a right to be on the road and are as much part of traffic as other road users. But sadly other road users don't always think the same as we do. I'm not going to risk my own well being to be a martyr.

That's what I'd do as well.

[Bobley]

I only turn right if its quiet for a fair distance as I pull out onto the A5 in a 60mph section. If its busy I dismount and cross on foot, then decide when/if to get back on the road or be a bad boy and ride down the pavement for 1/4mile (empty and in the middle of nowhere). I've seen people eating porridge with no hands on the wheel (just rest the bowl on the top of the rim), bloke having a shave not to mention the people on the phone. There's no point argueing that you had right of way when you're dead.

[decadent]

Cheers, interesting – I don’t want to kill myself but equally I’d like to safely execute this type of right turn. Eventually I’d like to commute to work on the bike so I don’t think I’m going to be able to avoid it longer term : (

Where’s best to position the bike on the minor road before making the right turn on to a busy road –

1. centre of the road - to block cars behind
2. left of the centre - to allow a car to block the road with you as you make a 2 stage movement.
3. far right - so that you can diagonally dart out of the junction ahead of any cars turning right across and then allowing you to sit out the way?

I think option 3 might be the best as it keeps you out of the way of cars turning from Major to Minor road (in a car I’d just block these people). It’s more than likely that traffic flow will be slowed by the Major road right turner enough to let you go on the bike. What do you think?

[Mr Will]

Phrases like "Dart out of the way" make me nervous. Quick unexpected movements are the fastest way to end up in trouble. There is a good introduction to traffic cycling here: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cycletraining/art... which is well worth a read, so that at least you are familiar with the terminology.

The best general advice I was given though was "think of yourself as a very slow motorbike". You are part of the traffic flow, so start acting like traffic rather than trying to hide from it.

[decadent]

Cheers Mr Will Will read the linky.

Dart out of the way was perhaps a bad phrase. I aim to make my movements obvious and committed, but by dart out of the way I'm meaning I try and keep left of the traffic flow unless I have to block traffic for safety (i.e giving parked cars a wide birth!)

Cheers
Matt