Found Connection

[rcannon100]

@dasgeh 92695 wrote:

I already tried to start this thread, about exactly one year ago… http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?5508-Tales-of-the-Good&highlight=tales+good

Yup. And that thread, much like this thread, was hijacked after only several posts.

[baiskeli]

@KWL 92643 wrote:

Well, its disappointing this is not getting the hits that “Missed connection” does.

Kind of ironic, eh?

[PotomacCyclist]

Bump. Just because.

Also because I’ve cut back my cycling quite a bit (and my running is getting very close to zero), because of an annoying quad problem. I’m still riding somewhat (and swimming), but not as much as in May or June. In the meantime, I have been imagining that all the cyclists, pedestrians, runners, drivers and roller bladers are waving, smiling, singing together, and being polite at all times. Or maybe I’m just so tired from work that I’m dreaming or hallucinating.

Can I add more more thing? Washington Nationals, 10-game winning streak! 1st place in the NL East! Best record in the National League!

In the American League, Baltimore Orioles in 1st place in the East! Only a couple games from having the best record in the AL and in all of baseball.

Will we finally see a Washington-Baltimore World Series? Anything can happen and there is still over a month left in the regular season. But both the Nats and the O’s are playing great and appear to be heading for the playoffs.

Yeah, maybe this isn’t a Found Connection post so much, but I am reviving the thread. Plus there’s this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]6465[/ATTACH]

[PotomacCyclist]

@KWL 92643 wrote:

Well, its disappointing this is not getting the hits that “Missed connection” does.

You can look at it another way. Many other threads have positive elements and aspects, just not in the form of a Found Connections thread. Plenty of people help out others on the trails and roads, by providing directions, instructions for CaBi, use of a frame pump or patch kit, pointing out hazards in the road to other cyclists, helping out someone who is injured, etc. But those moments aren’t always as memorable, especially if they happen frequently.

For some reason, those don’t fit into the idea of a Found Connection thread as naturally as the other type of encounter fits into the Missed Connections.

As for me, I don’t think I saw the Missed Connections thread until it had been around for a year or two. I also missed this thread at first, and I also missed the previous positive thread last year.

[mstone]

@PotomacCyclist 93106 wrote:

You can look at it another way. Many other threads have positive elements and aspects, just not in the form of a Found Connections thread.

Yup. The good times are in the “post pics of your ride” thread or the “my morning commute” thread, or a thread where someone starts a new topic to share something that they’re interested in. Missed connections is to just vent and move on–the opposite of what you want to do with the good times, no?

[dplasters]

See I’m torn, I have a found connection. I actually rode Fair View Park Dr with another cyclist yesterday. But at every right hand turn lane he would get out of the lane we were in and then ride along the very left edge of the right hand turn lane, then merge back into the lane when the turn lane ended.

So I’m both happy and wildly confused by his riding. Particularly when its a 4 lane road, so you know.. the cars can pass you on your left whenever they would like. Plus the last right hand land takes you onto 495 North. So I’m not really trying to weave in and out of that bad boy.

We clearly need a mixed-feelings connection thread.

[Steve]

@KWL 92646 wrote:

Rod Smith? I don’t see it. I assume being mentioned in this thread rather than the “other one” is a good sign. Is this the bike?

I can’t believe I missed this post. I believe it is you indeed! The Rod Smith part is simply the beard, I think, as people in helmets going fast the other way pretty much look the same. I ride a yellow Cannondale or a green Surly, and believe we occasionally head nod in passing.

It should be noted that I was not the first to mistake you for Rod: http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?636-OneEighth-Sighting/page195

[Dickie]

You: Rider wearing street clothes and a cardigan that matched her Bianchi Volpe PERFECTLY
Me: ring ring… passing – “You match your bike perfectly”
You: Smiling

This made a happy morning even happier!

[Steve O]

@dplasters 93108 wrote:

I rode Fair View Park Dr with another cyclist yesterday. But at every right hand turn lane he would get out of the lane we were in and then ride along the very left edge of the right hand turn lane, then merge back into the lane when the turn lane ended.

So I’m both happy and wildly confused by his riding. Particularly when its a 4 lane road, so you know.. the cars can pass you on your left whenever they would like. Plus the last right hand lane takes you onto 495 North. So I’m not really trying to weave in and out of that bad boy.

I suspect he was doing this to protect against right-hooking. By moving to the space “between” the lanes, he allows right turning cars to pass on the right (although better would be if they just hung back behind and then turned) and straight-driving cars to pass on the left, thereby placing himself in a non-conflict zone. I often do this as well.

If you just “take” the right turn lane, some impatient motorists will still right-hook you. Better to give them sufficient room on the right to be impatient and just go on by than risk erratic behavior. It’s using yourself and your bike to help train the drivers how to behave.

[MattAune]

@Steve O 93438 wrote:

I suspect he was doing this to protect against right-hooking. By moving to the space “between” the lanes, he allows right turning cars to pass on the right (although better would be if they just hung back behind and then turned) and straight-driving cars to pass on the left, thereby placing himself in a non-conflict zone. I often do this as well.

If you just “take” the right turn lane, some impatient motorists will still right-hook you. Better to give them sufficient room on the right to be impatient and just go on by than risk erratic behavior. It’s using yourself and your bike to help train the drivers how to behave.

How would he get right hooked by a car in the right turn only lane?

If the road is 2 lanes going straight, and one lane turning right, why would any cyclist want to be at the far left of the right turn only lane? You are just going to have to merge back into the straight lane, and you are now blocking the only lane for right turning cars.

[dplasters]

@MattAune 93441 wrote:

If the road is 2 lanes going straight, and one lane turning right, why would any cyclist want to be at the far left of the right turn only lane? You are just going to have to merge back into the straight lane, and you are now blocking the only lane for right turning cars.

This is my thinking on the topic, but I could be wrong, or my original description was confusing. It was also at 6:20am. I generally get passed by 3-5 cars my whole time on the road. So its not exactly busy. Some mornings I have Lee Highway all to myself. It is always fun to have your own 36′ wide bike path.

I will however break my own arm patting myself on the pack (on topic part of the post). When I started my new job and got access to the locker room I had never seen a single bike on the rack. Yesterday the rack was completely full and someone had to lock their bike up to the railing in the parking deck. I choose to believe I am the sole reason for this. No room for any others. Big found connection to all the people in my office building biking these days. Although I gotta talk to the person who used a bungee cord to “lock”… “secure”? their front wheel… That’s not really doing much.

[Steve O]

@MattAune 93441 wrote:

How would he get right hooked by a car in the right turn only lane?

Easy. A driver who doesn’t want to wait for the cyclist will pass the cyclist on the left and then turn right. The wider the road, the more space they have to do this.

@MattAune 93441 wrote:

If the road is 2 lanes going straight, and one lane turning right, why would any cyclist want to be at the far left of the right turn only lane? You are just going to have to merge back into the straight lane, and you are now blocking the only lane for right turning cars.

Being at the right side of the right turn lane is ambiguous. Are you going straight or turning right? Drivers cannot know this.
If you are in the middle of the right turn lane, it is also ambiguous: are you going straight or turning right? Drivers cannot tell.
There is no recognized hand signal for “straight.”

Blocking cars turning right is good. It’s much more dangerous to not block the right-turning cars, because they may pull alongside you, edge in front and then turn right across your path. I’d rather block them for 3 seconds and make them turn right behind me (which is legally what they should do anyway).

If you are at the left edge of the right lane, you are signaling intent. Although it may still be somewhat ambiguous, you are far more likely to be seen as going straight than either of the other positions. Riding right on the line makes it even clearer that you intend to go straight. Cars can then move around you on either side without creating turning conflicts.

As you clear the intersection your position is perfectly aligned with being at the right side of the continuing straight lane, which is where you want to be. Also, you are farther from the right side of the intersection, giving you more visibility and time to react to cars that may be turning right from the other road into your lane. If you are over in the right-turn lane, those cars, too, may not see you or may not understand your intent to go straight.

Essentially this is what you are doing, but without the painted infrastructure:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]6511[/ATTACH]

[VikingMariner]

@Tim Kelley 92677 wrote:

I’m glad you asked! Many people are under the false assumption that a pirate’s favorite letter is “R.” In fact, that’s a common misconception and one that is easy to mistake.

In reality, a pirate’s favorite letter ’tis the sea!

And that rhythms with a capital T and stands for treasure (chorus in the background repeats: That stands for treasure.).

[cyclingfool]

If the right lane ahead is a REALLY wide one, then your theory makes sense. Otherwise, I think that the bast way to be best aligned to ride in the right part of the right lane after the intersection, and to signal your intent to do so is to be in the right part of the right, non-turn lane before the intersection.

[MattAune]

If I am not turning right, I would never be in any part of the right turn lane. Just stay in the right side of the right most lane that is going straight, which is where you were before there was a right turn lane, and where you are going to be after the intersection. You also minimize any possibility of being right hooked because there is a clear right turn lane, which was my main point at the beginning. Going straight from a right turn lane is asking to be either right hooked, or have someone right turn in front of you from the cross street.

No matter how far left you ride in the right turn lane, you are signaling at least the possibility of making a right turn.

[Author]

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