RIP NJ cyclist

Yes and no, you are to follow vehicle traffic signals, signs, laws, with the exception of staying as far right as you feel safe. That leaves some wiggle room as it is subjective.

However, following vehicle rules does not make you predictable. You should ride anconsistent line, look ahead and anticipate upcoming potholes/pinch points and the like and adjust your line in a smooth and consistent way, no knee jerk reactions or swerving. You also cannot be afraid to take the lane, whenever needed.

Riding offensively, instead of defensively is going to put you control of your situation the majority of the time. Assume that no one sees you and no one knows how to pass you (they actually don’t). Don’t ask for the lane, take the damn thing. If this means running lights, signs; do what you need to be safe.
 
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MissJR said:
isn't that the complete opposite of what you should do? i mean, what i've been taught is to "act" like a vehicle so that drivers can predict what you're doing. etc
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I was taught the same as you. I was also taught that before people could text and do what passes for driving at the same time. Like AI, I learned new heuristics.
 
MissJR said:
isn't that the complete opposite of what you should do? i mean, what i've been taught is to "act" like a vehicle so that drivers can predict what you're doing. (title 39 is basically if you ride in the road, you have the same rights and responsibilities as any other vehicle... which is nice if everyone thought that way and treated bikers with respect.)

not arguing... people need to do what they need to do to keep themselves safe... and i don't ride in the road often... frankly, i don't like it. and when i do, i will do my best to avoid busier roads/intersections, etc
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i'll provide an example - waiting in a left hand turn lane at a red light when nobody is in sight.
I'd never jump the light in a car - ever. If i'm on my bike, i'm getting out of harms way as soon as possible,
cause i feel like i'm sitting there waiting to get hit. from behind, or someone turning left and cutting off the corner.

i'm half-n-half about cutting up the line of cars waiting at a light. just need one person in a car that is thinking
how the cyclist thinks they are so entitled. On the other hand, it lets me control the turning traffic, by making eye
contact with the first car in-line. I'll always wait at that light, just to be "fair"
 
fidodie said:
i'm half-n-half about cutting up the line of cars waiting at a light. just need one person in a car that is thinking
how the cyclist thinks they are so entitled. On the other hand, it lets me control the turning traffic, by making eye
contact with the first car in-line. I'll always wait at that light, just to be "fair"
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Ironically, a former head of the hike/Ped department at my office was totally irked by this. He used 518, WB at the light in blawenburg/ great road as an example of a que of 15 cars and cyclist just blow by. AND there is a 4’ shoulder there on each side of the intersection. He would often make comments about it being BS.

Unless it is an uber pinch point around the intersection (which seems to be the case more on the PA side), I basically always pass que’ed up cars at a light. It makes it even better if you know the light cycle (and yes, I basically know every one I ride through regularly, who had turn signal first, who has delayed green, is it traffic actuated or always the same cycle, etc. ) you can used the “delayed green” to get a jump on the cars you passed at the intersection. Knowledge is power.
 
I have been hit twice on the road and had two hospital trips out of it. Shit happens. Sometimes it's preventable and sometimes it's not. The biggest thing is to anticipate what you can and keep yourself safe. I don't abide by every law but I think it all through and make smart decisions. Most of all know how to fall. Mountain biking has taught me this. After flying over two cars - I can tuck and roll pretty good. MTB is still my passion and I ride road just to keep fitness and for a change of pace. I probably ride road/mtb 40/60%.
 
fidodie said:
i'm half-n-half about cutting up the line of cars waiting at a light.
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i use to ride to work till I got hit twice in the same afternoon. Approaching lights I stop back, I'm not having the same driver pass me twice to double my chances or challenge their buzz abilities
 
I ride a lot of road...on the mtb and road bike. Sometimes all road or I ride road to the trails. I have several rules for the road. First and most important is that you need to look at every car like they are trying to kill you. This is war and this is why I no longer own a motorcycle in NJ. The only way people see you on a cbr1000rr is if you are bouncing off the rev limiter.
Second. Watch your back. I look back so many times on a ride just to see the distance between me and approaching vehicle. I ride in the shoulder whenever I can which often leads to flats. So what, just make sure you don’t allow yourself to get pinched between a vehicle and tree/obstacle.
Third. Lights lights lights and reflective everything.
Fourth. Ride against traffic if you must ride at rush hour. Preferably ride in the off hours.
Fifth. Everyone driving a car wants to kill you...
 
I spent the last six months commuting on Essex County four lane roads. I felt most vulnerable while politely riding in the gutter (no shoulder) and waiting in line with cars. Be fast as hell and ignore traffic laws. They won't save you anyway.

You're most visible if you're in the intersection when the light changes. My attitude is f**k cars. There is near total impunity for killer drivers who are not impaired.
 
Rocksrgood4u said:
My attitude is f**k cars.
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i understand where you are coming from with making yourself visible and putting yourself in front of the cars so they have to see you, but this attitude (above) and the actions that typically (idk you so im just going to stereo type for lack of a better option) go with it are making matters WORSE on the whole rather than better. Yes the law says that cyclists can filter to the front down the shoulder, but it does not say that they can run the redlight. When drivers see you run the redlight that will make even the understanding ones mad, and create more problems. also keep in mind you can get a fine for blowing the redlight on a bicycle (and riding more than single file among many other things), my FIL used to write out stacks of such tickets when he worked OT on the weekends.
 
Your points are well taken. I would take the ticket and pay the fine.

Many ironies at work here. It’s hard for me to worry about angering drivers who probably don’t understand the realities of commuting on a bike. Further, NJ drivers seem to have a high baseline of surliness and conceit. My disregard for traffic law comes not from an adolescent streak as much as a survival instinct. But I would politely take the citation and pay it without complaint, determined to ride another day.
 
shrpshtr325 said:
Yes the law says that cyclists can filter to the front down the shoulder, but it does not say that they can run the redlight. When drivers see you run the redlight that will make even the understanding ones mad, and create more problems. also keep in mind you can get a fine for blowing the redlight on a bicycle (and riding more than single file among many other things), my FIL used to write out stacks of such tickets when he worked OT on the weekends.
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Can you filter? In NJ the shoulder is actually a weird grey area. There was a lawsuit (cyclist vs government) where the cyclist died on the shoulder due to some lack of maintenance on the shoulder. The finding was that the shoulder is not a travel lane, therefore legally a cyclist isn't really supposed to be in it.

When I'm coming up to intersections I pretty much ride in the lane like I'm a car. If it's a red light I stop behind the cars in front of me in the middle of the lane in the direction I'm travelling (rightmost lane in that direction), any others will filter behind me. The ones behind me will pass me like they should any other slower moving vehicle. Unless they're assholes. But I'm quite visible, my intentions are clear on where I'm going and within legal bounds.

I pretty much never would want to filter to the front, those cars I just passed now have to pass me again. Would you let someone on a slow moving tractor or horse & buggy filter to the front just to hold up traffic?
 
shrpshtr325 said:
Yes the law says that cyclists can filter to the front down the shoulder, but it does not say that they can run the redlight. When drivers see you run the redlight that will make even the understanding ones mad, and create more problems. also keep in mind you can get a fine for blowing the redlight on a bicycle (and riding more than single file among many other things), my FIL used to write out stacks of such tickets when he worked OT on the weekends.
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Can you filter? In NJ the shoulder is actually a weird grey area. There was a lawsuit (cyclist vs government) where the cyclist died on the shoulder due to some lack of maintenance on the shoulder. The finding was that the shoulder is not a travel lane, therefore legally a cyclist isn't really supposed to be in it.

When I'm coming up to intersections I pretty much ride in the lane like I'm a car. If it's a red light I stop behind the cars in front of me in the middle of the lane in the direction I'm travelling (rightmost lane in that direction), any others will filter behind me. The ones behind me will pass me like they should any other slower moving vehicle. Unless they're assholes. But I'm quite visible, my intentions are clear on where I'm going and within legal bounds.

I pretty much never would want to filter to the front, those cars I just passed now have to pass me again. Would you let someone on a slow moving tractor or horse & buggy filter to the front just to hold up traffic?
 
Santapez said:
Would you let someone on a slow moving tractor or horse & buggy filter to the front just to hold up traffic?
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But we are 2-3' wide plus a few feet for passing. That is skinnier than what you are mentioning. Unless it is 8' lanes with zero shoulder, there is no reason not to pass.
 
I do what Santapez does. It just pisses drivers off to have to pass you twice. And realistically, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference to my ride if I'm a few car lengths behind at a light or stop sign. And in traffic I can generally accelerate as fast as cars do anyway. The only time I filter is when I know there is a wide shoulder on the other side of the intersection and cars will be able to pass without having to go around me.
 
What is this "filtering" being discussed here? This is the only filtering I know

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Santapez said:
Can you filter?
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my understanding was yes, and my FIL seems to agree with me (after 30 years on the job, its not a guarantee of accuracy, but a decent bet on how enforcement treats it). I also dont tend to filter up when i ride on the road (very occasionally in the open, most of my road riding is in a restricted space with very limited car traffic), but the bigger issue to me is making a move which will blatantly piss off driver (running a red light with or without stopping) and make MORE anger and resentment towards cyclists as a whole. (technically any illegal maneuver could do this, but the ones that dodge traffic control seem to be the ones i hear non cyclists complain about the most)
 
Ian F said:
I do what Santapez does. It just pisses drivers off to have to pass you twice. And realistically, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference to my ride if I'm a few car lengths behind at a light or stop sign. And in traffic I can generally accelerate as fast as cars do anyway. The only time I filter is when I know there is a wide shoulder on the other side of the intersection and cars will be able to pass without having to go around me.
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Ahh, the diff between commuting in rush hour down Bloomfield Ave and taking a pleasure ride in a less dense streetscape. When traffic lights are close together, and parked cars line the street, the goal becomes deterring cars from passing at all. I'm usually out of the way before they pass twice.

A small irritation for drivers vs. me getting buzzed by EVERY car for five or six miles. That is truly frightening. Once the shoulder opens up, the infrastructure then allows for legal riding. It is an infrastructure problem-- drivers shouldn't blame cyclists who risk their lives on the daily. But drivers are very entitled. Strangely, drivers in Newark are much friendlier than in Montclair. Hmmm
 
stb222 said:
But we are 2-3' wide plus a few feet for passing. That is skinnier than what you are mentioning. Unless it is 8' lanes with zero shoulder, there is no reason not to pass.
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The reasons is, you're a vehicle that just cut around all the other vehicles on the road, and now you're forcing them to pass you. Yes, you're 2-3' wide, but you're putting the driver now at a situation where they need to pass you because you couldn't wait a few seconds behind them. You're now putting yourself in that dangerous situation now where that driver needs to pass you.

Granted, every situation is different, so you could be speaking about road/intersections where this makes sense.

shrpshtr325 said:
my understanding was yes, and my FIL seems to agree with me (after 30 years on the job, its not a guarantee of accuracy, but a decent bet on how enforcement treats it).
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What? Just because you're doing it wrong, and your FIL thinks it's OK, doesn't make it legally correct. In NJ bicycles clearly need to follow the rules of the road according to the law. Pretty much summed up as "if you can't do it in your car, you can't do it on a bike".
 
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