Questions tagged [etiquette]
Issues of behaviour between cyclists and other road or trail users, including other cyclists, drivers, pedestrians and horse riders.
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What statutes govern the directing of traffic by citizens in Massachusetts?
Are there laws or statutes governing the directing of traffic by citizens or "members of the public"?
A scenario I often encounter is one in which someone — typically another rider or pedestrian in a ...
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Is it possible to get a light that is too bright?
This question is related to this recent question: Best ways to avoid getting hit by cars?
I have a 750 lumens front head light - it's bright! Some of my riding buddies say it is too bright for the ...
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Etiquette (and common sense) rules for MTB cyclists
There must be a collection of established wisdom for what not to do on the trails when riding with a small group of 2-4 cyclists.
One example is following. If you're behind someone who's going into a ...
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What are some good tips for riding in a large group?
One of the popular bike routes near me has a few groups that ride together on Saturday and Sunday. The groups get as big as 30 to 40 riders and they move fast (25 to 35 mph). I have occasionally ...
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What is the proper etiquette for overtaking a horse?
What are the general rules when encountering a mounted horse rider on a trail? I understand if we are approaching each other I would dismount, move to the side of the trail, and allow them to pass. ...
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How should I warn someone I haven't met that their bike is locked insecurely?
At my office building I've noticed that a bike is consistently locked in a way where it could be easily stolen. All someone would need to do is deflate the front tire and remove it from the fork and ...
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Right of way for a raised crossing?
The new Cycle Superhighway 3 goes through Hyde Park, London,UK on West Carriage Drive.
It contains a number of points at which pedestrians are evidently intended to cross, as the roadway and cycleway ...
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Is it considered rude to draft other random cyclists?
On my commute to work, if there a cyclist in front of me, is it rude to catch up and draft? To effectively draft I would usually need to be within a foot of their back wheel.
There are two ...
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Group ride - Proper descent etiquette
I was recently on a 15-25 person group ride in the US (where traffic is on the right-hand side of the road) where the following happened:
At the start of a short descent on a low-trafficked road, the ...
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Safely overtaking pedestrians
When riding on bike paths or mixed-use paths, there are usually pedestrians walking along them as well. Pedestrians tend to be somewhat unpredictable; they may suddenly turn around or step to the side....
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Polite way to ride in the dark
Sometimes I ride in the park which has no light. There always are dog walkers, runners and other cyclists.
So, when I ride towards someone I have two options:
dim my light and slow down (since I can'...
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Is it rude to take the lane, then filter when encountering congestion?
In the city I live in, there's a lot of two lane roads.
I feel much more comfortable taking the lane, as to not have a car come up from behind and clip me while overtaking.
However, when I ...
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Is riding shirtless safe?
During the summer, I like to go for rides on trails without a shirt. Is this safe?
Also, related: is it rude to other people on the trail not to wear a shirt?
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Which side should I pass other cyclists on a UK cycle path?
I'm new to using cycle paths and seem to get dirty looks for riding on the left.
When driving along my usual commute this morning I saw others riding on the right and therefore passing to the left of ...
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How to "fit in" a cycling bunch? [closed]
This is a genuine request for ideas on how to be effective in not following the "Velominati" rules. How to keep cyclists of all persuasions together and be accepting of others, from leadership to ...
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Is it ever okay to get in front of another cyclist at stoplight? [closed]
I hate it when this happens:
I'm riding down the bike path and I pass somebody.
I stop at a red light.
They catch up, and instead of stopping behind me they pass me and stop right in front of me.
The ...
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Do cyclists warrant special consideration under traffic laws?
I recently saw a YouTube channel where a motorist with an agenda has taken it upon himself to film cyclists as they break traffic laws. Most (perhaps not all) of the actions I observed would be what I ...
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Do mountain bikers yield to hikers?
I've seen rules and graphics online that basically say that bikers are to yield to hikers. Is this the generally accepted rule, and if so, how do you define "yield"?
Background
The areas I normally ...
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It it impolite to "informally" join or draft a group of cyclists?
On a recent Sunday ride on a country road, I was slowly overtaken by a group of (5) guys on road bikes. They were "proper" road cyclists, if you know what I mean.
When they passed me, I just slipped ...
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What are the possible practical consequences of breaking the rules of the road?
I was reading this question which seemed a totally weird thing to worry about and sparked my question.
I've always disregarded stop signs, lights, crossings and waving policemen as basically ...
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Other commuters riding too close
I have been commuting to work for a few months now, and generally I enjoy it. Unfortunately I've noticed that on the way back (never seems to happen in the morning - I set off quite early) I will ...
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What is the safest and most courteous way to ride on a two-lane road?
There is a one-mile two-lane road close to my home with no bike lane, but with a large sidewalk. I ride this road every day, and it got me curious what I should be doing. The speed limit is 35 and the ...
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Is it good practice to wave following cars through when safe?
When I am being followed by a car that is unable to safely overtake, I would normally take the lane and adopt primary position as recommended, making an obvious move to secondary position once it is ...
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How do I encourage fellow riders not to yell in residential areas early in the morning? [closed]
How do I encourage fellow riders not to yell in residential areas during early morning rides?
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Leaving lock on the parking rack - is this rude?
We have a bicycle parking rack near the office building. It's rather large: for about 30-35 bikes.
Someone has left their lock (chain or whatever) locked around one part of the rack.
So, I've got ...
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How to get over anger at inconsiderate drivers
Fortunately, I have very few strongly negative interactions with cars (most people generally seem to respect the way I ride), but those that do stick with me for a while.
The scenario is almost ...
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Is it ethical to ride with races without being part of them?
I find it tedious to spend half a day riding the dangerous streets of the city to purchase a mountain insurance, then spend money on race subscription and in then arriving early as hell on the start ...
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Discouraging motorists from stopping at an intersection when they have the right-of-way
Where I live, bicycles are widely accepted in traffic; motorists are on balance considerate and careful around us. But on an almost daily basis, I run into motorists who are too "polite" at ...
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If I'm riding on the road, and there is a red light but a walk signal in my direction, should I go?
I frequently come to stop lights in which there is an all-way stop and a pedestrian signal. I always stop at such lights, but I'm wondering if I should then bike slowly across after determining that ...
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Is there a polite way to take the centre of the road without antagonizing motorists?
The city I live in isn't especially well designed for cycling.
There are some streets with parallel parking on the sides, and in this situation it's safer to ride in the middle of the lane as to ...
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How can I interpret the intent of and respond to cars behind me honking?
Two days in a row on my commute home I've had vehicles behind me start honking at me. (Note: I'm in Canada, and drive on the right.) The first time I was riding on a four-lane road, with a left ...
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Should I not use a trail because of poor conditions?
I spoke with someone and they said they were staying off certain trails because snow melt and mud would ruin the trails. I had never thought of this and really want to be considerate.
Is this a ...
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Is it bad etiquette to ride road bike through a small residential area?
Is it considered bad etiquette to ride a road bike through a small residential area? Not talking about a cheap bike and riding on the sidewalk but a nicer road bike at a decent pace. I don't want to ...
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Protocol for slipstreaming another cyclist?
I have a nice 12 km commute where lots of different bicyclers travel. The entire stretch is only for pedestrians&bicycles, no cars to worry about.
I ride a regular old 5-speed bike (not a ...
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Shoaling etiquette
Is it rude to stop in front of bikers stopped at a red light if you're generally slower, which will probably mean they will pass you again? What if you are generally faster so it saves you having to ...
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Protocol for downhill cyclist overtaking a car?
Last weekend, I was driving (yes in a car, something I rarely do) down a fairly steep and very curvy mountain road (thus with very poor sight lines/visibility ahead) when I noticed a cyclist in my ...
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In shared bicycle/pedestrian facilities next to a road, do I obey the pedestrian or the vehicle traffic control devices?
My commute takes me on a bike path that runs parallel to a road (with a sidewalk in between). When crossing other roads, the sidewalk and bike path merge, and there is one curb-cut and cross walk with ...
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Should legislation to ban cyclists from using cell-phones when on the move be opposed, if so, how? [closed]
A 'dangerous precedent' looks to be set with the an update to the law in California regarding cellphone usage whilst on the move. Get caught talking on the phone (or texting) and you could get a $20 ...
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Passing cars on the right, and later merging into their lane
My commute takes me along a fairly busy road, with 4 lanes of traffic and parked cars along most of it. There are no bike lanes, but in some places, it's wide enough that I can easily pass traffic on ...
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