Gaining confidence on the road

[naffa]

I'm looking for some help and advice please fellow cyclers.

I have done a few miles on my new bike, roughly arouund 250 in the last month.

I use the bike to commute to work but its only 1.3 miles each way on less busy roads.

Where I'm struggling is in riding confidently on busier roads. Especially when I want to indicate my intentions to turn right.

I'll look over my right shoulder and see a few cars behind and I find it difficult, I'm hesitant, to indicate and move over to the right, preferring instead to pull in to the left and wait for a decent gap in the trafic before positioning myself correctly to turn right.

I think its an issue I need to address sooner rather than later as I really want to mix in more road miles to my rides.

Thanks Nathan

 

[Night Train]

I can appreciate what you are going through.
I also lack confidence on the road in traffic mainly because I have a habit of losing my balance if I look over my shoulder or stick out an arm.

My earlier riding history, when I was actually fit, consisted of furious pedalling and cycling in the same road position as I drive pretending I was a car. It meant that I was in the right place in the lane for junctions. On the straight I would slow down and pull in a bit to let cars pass.

Now I am unfit again I am out on short rides to build up my fitness but I choose quiet times and roads to ride on. I do find that sometimes I chicken out of a right turn if there is too much traffic and just keep on going but as I am not cycling to go anywhere that is less of an issue.

Mirrors are good, especially good ones. They will allow you to get an idea of what is behind you most of the time so you can get away with fewer over the shoulder looks before the lifesaver look before moving out.

Cycling in the primary position when approaching junctions helps too. It means that you can get in to position and hold it to execute a right turn. If, like me, you have difficulty indicating I indicate once early and briefly, then again, as I get near the junction and have dropped a few gears, and maybe again just before I commit to the turn.

Not sure if all this is good or bad advice but it is how I cope.
A recumbent trike is easier.

 

[dellzeqq]

Nathan

I lack confidence looking over my shoulder before turning right. And I've been doing it for forty years. Maybe I'm crap at it. Maybe you'll get better at it, and show me how to do it properly, but, then again, maybe you'll always be crap at it. Just don't beat yourself up about it - going to the left kerb, stopping and then crossing the road when all is clear is perfectly acceptable behaviour.

 

[byegad]

While the weight weanies will throw their hands up in horror, I've always found that a mirror on the handle bar is a boon. IT DOES NOT replace looking over your shoulder*. However it does allow you to keep an eye on the situation behind after your first look back and before your second as you actually move over.
All my Uprights had a mirror on the right for this reason.


*Unless, like me, you ride a recumbent when you can't look back. So I use a glasses mounted mirror as well as two bar mounted ones. Motor vehicles rely on all three mirrors most of the time.

 

[tyred]

I'll be honest. I usually pick routes that avoid right turns where possible and if I cannot do that, I will generally stop on the left hand side of the road, wait for a gap in the traffic and proceed across as a pedestrian. I know how to do it, but for some reason, I try to avoid.

I was almost wiped out while making a right turn. I had a car behind me, I looked and seen it, held out my arm to indicate I was going right and he tried to overtake at that moment. He said he thought I was waving him past (don't know how he came to that conclusion). Ever since, doing a right turn on a busy road is something that makes me nervous, and like I say, I tend to avoid if at all possible.

 

[AaronC]

I have a bit of insecurity about turning right aswell, especially at busy main roads. I just find that if your technique is safe, and its just a mental thing, then all you need to do is just keep practising to re-assure yourself that you CAN do it, like previously said I tend to check over my shoulder a few times while approaching the junction to alert the drivers behind me that I'm about to do something, then I will pop my arm out while checking behind me, which usually makes the vehicle behind me slow down and give way, or if they decide to carry on and overtake you, I find that sometimes I do have to stop until a car flashes or something. o_O

 

[HLaB]

Don't worry naffa when I started cycling again I found right indication hard, especially down hill but I soon found that positioning is more important and the confidence to indicate came in its own good time.

 

[asterix]

In order to look behind when turning right I often sit upright in the saddle and swivel right round! Looking the driver behind in the eye may sound a little odd but it gives me confidence and warns them in good time I am about to do something. I then signal.

As a driver I much prefer confident cyclists who give clear indications and then carry out the manouevre. Perhaps most drivers are the same?

 

[fossyant]

While the weight weanies will throw their hands up in horror, I've always found that a mirror on the handle bar is a boon.

Mirrors, oh my, you'll be talking about bells and helmets next

 

[upsidedown]

Nathan

Bailing out is perfectly ok, there's nothing worse than being stuck between two lots of traffic while you wait for a gap in the oncoming ones, part of the pleasure of commuting is not having to behave like a car.

If it doesn't feel safe don't do it.

 

[Mawsley]

If it doesn't feel safe don't do it.

Are you my wife?

 

[Arch]

When I need to turn right, I tend to start glancing back very often, in good time, before I indicate. Not every glance is a proper full on look - some barely take in the view in my peripheral vision - but the head movement goes some way to warning the driver behind that you are about to think about moving over. Sometimes, just the increased looking back seems to get a driver to hang back and let me across. I don't take it for granted, of course, but it's an added trick. Sitting upright is also good, as Asterix says, perhaps with the right hand off the bars - again it looks like you are about to signal. And when you do signal, make it a good firm confident signal. You shouldn't be pushing in, but perhaps you need to make it look like you are (if that makes sense).

But as others have said, there's no shame in finding alternatives if you have to - that's the beauty of a bike that you can get off, cross the road and get back on again.

 

[gbs]

In order to look behind when turning right I often sit upright in the saddle and swivel right round! Looking the driver behind in the eye may sound a little odd but it gives me confidence and warns them in good time I am about to do something. I then signal.

Asterix, you do that! Best I can manage is a swift glance backwards before I feel compelled to resume the forward gaze for potholes etc. The most info I can take in from these glances is colour of car and distance back. At a weekly pilates class I am about average in twisting capability so it is not wholly a physical problem. Any tips?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi Naffa, pleased you're on a bike. I agree with the excellent advice above.

Regarding confidence, if knowledge is power then read in the excellent 'Cyclecraft' by Franklin (HMSO Books) will teach you a lot of useful stuff that'll give you more confidence on the road, positioning has already been mentioned.
Secondly, speed helps! The more you cycle the faster you'll get, speed helps move with the traffic and makes the bike more stable too. Learning to look over your shoulders and riding one-handed whilst riding come with practice. You could always see if there is cycle-proficiency training nearby.

Good luck.

 

[on the road]

As others have said, you need to look over your shoulder and signal in plenty of time, don't leave it until the last minute. Motorists will let you in if they know your intentions.