Thursday, April 5, 2007

Stopping at the line

By observing other riders, I've seen many different techniques for stopping at intersections and red lights. Since I believe the safest rider is the one equipped with the most options, here's a review of a few of them:

-Lane split down the center of an avenue or street, then reve the engine to announce your presence
-Lane split down the center dotted white line, but slow to a stop gradually beyond the white stop line, and allow yourself to ride into the crosswalk. Then let the cars and cabs fill into their lanes to the right or left of you, and then gradually walk the bike backwards into position, behind the white stop line
-If you're the first one at the intersection, it can help to take up as much space as possible in your lane. Allow a car to stop to your left, for instance, and then come to a stop to in the right third of your lane.
-If you're the first one at the intersection, as a car comes up in back of you, rev the engine and gradually advance forward a few feet. Then walk backwards when the car in back of you has stopped completely

Are there any others I've missed that you use on a regular basis?

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