The Shoal Report

[DismalScientist]

@consularrider 61755 wrote:

Were they actually quick?

Just out of the blocks. I may have made the mistake of waiting for the walk signal.

[pfunkallstar]

Radtastic shoaling going on at Lynn St/I66 this morning. I always stop short of the pedestrian ramps just to make sure that I’m not impeding anyone, so this leaves me open to massive shoaling. To the guy on the vintage Trek 800 with the 100+ lbs panniers, put it into a lower gear BEFORE you stop at the light. This will prevent or reduce the chance of sitting on your own balls when the chain slips as you attempt to gain momentum from a complete stop.

[dasgeh]

@pfunkallstar 61783 wrote:

Radtastic shoaling going on at Lynn St/I66 this morning. I always stop short of the pedestrian ramps just to make sure that I’m not impeding anyone, so this leaves me open to massive shoaling. To the guy on the vintage Trek 800 with the 100+ lbs panniers, put it into a lower gear BEFORE you stop at the light. This will prevent or reduce the chance of sitting on your own balls when the chain slips as you attempt to gain momentum from a complete stop.

[RANT]
Don’t get me started on this one. I also stop in a place where I won’t impede others and constantly get shoaled. I honestly don’t mind getting shoaled by someone who then goes faster than me, but what really gets me in this area are:
1) pedestrians/runners/joggers, who shoal, then block the curb cuts. C’mon.
2) anyone who shoals, just to block the curb cuts for others — I’ve been caught in stupid traffic jams caused by this
3) ELITEs who shoal, then take FOREVER to clip in — honestly, this only really bothers me at the Lee and Lynn intersection headed westbound and the Ft Myer and Lee intersection headed eastbound. At those, you really have to go at the light to make the next light. I’ve missed plenty of lights in my time because idiots don’t know how to start from a stop on their ELITE bikes.

[/RANT]

[consularrider]

Well dasgeh, every evening at 5:00 I have to deal with the shoalers on the NE corner of the Lynn/Lee intersection as I try to turn right from Lynn St to enter the trail (is it the Custis, is it the MVT – why will no one claim ownership of this corner!). I always signal my intent, look back over my right shoulder for walkers, runners, and especially cyclists coming up from behind on the sidewalk, then I fight with the drivers in the right hand lane of the I-66 off ramp as they push forward through the crosswalk to make their right turn on red, and heaven forbid I look like I may be going wide here (at all of 5 mph) or I get dirty looks from everyone blocking the sidewalk cuts. Then there is the joy of coming up on the groups of trail users heading uphill when I should be just be able to relax having made it through the intersection of doom.

[hoffsquared]

@DismalScientist 61741 wrote:

This morning I and about 3 other cyclists got shoaled by about 4 runners eastbound on the WOD at Columbia Pike. For some reason, these runners decided to take off quickly through the detour on the south side of Columbia in front of all the cyclists. I mean, REALLY????

Happens to me all the time….

[83b]

People who have indefensibly shoaled me in the past week or so, in no particular order:

• many CaBis;
• people who can’t start without doing an awkward hop-shuffle;
• people who can’t maintain 15 mph at a minimum;
• people wearing bookbags;
• someone violating the “tights are not pants” rule;
• a pedicab;
• a mom pushing a jogging stroller;
• a Honda Accord;
• people wearing hi-viz clothing and/or who have mirrors attached to their bikes;
• a line of segways;
• people wearing helmets;

In a few days DCist will be running a story about some crazy guy in a suit, tie, and full-face downhill helmet and pads wreaking havoc up and down the Penn Ave and East Capitol bike lanes. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. These aren’t the droids you’re looking for. As Shaggy would say, “It wasn’t me.”

[Bill on Capitol Hill]

Is there a term for the shoal-corollary, where you are passed not while stopped but rather while slowing down for a very good reason? I’m getting more of that recently than the actual shoaling. I take it too personally, I know, but I always want to shout, “YES! WHAT AN IDIOT I WAS FOR GOING SO SLOW THERE WHILE THE BLEEDING INFANT CRAWLED ACROSS MY PATH! SILLY ME!”

[bobco85]

@Bill on Capitol Hill 83184 wrote:

Is there a term for the shoal-corollary, where you are passed not while stopped but rather while slowing down for a very good reason? I’m getting more of that recently than the actual shoaling. I take it too personally, I know, but I always want to shout, “YES! WHAT AN IDIOT I WAS FOR GOING SO SLOW THERE WHILE THE BLEEDING INFANT CRAWLED ACROSS MY PATH! SILLY ME!”

I don’t know of a term for that, but in situations like that where you know someone is behind you and you’re going to slow down or stop, I would recommend using a hand signal.

From the VDOT site:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5332[/ATTACH]

[Bill on Capitol Hill]

@bobco85 83188 wrote:

I don’t know of a term for that, but in situations like that where you know someone is behind you and you’re going to slow down or stop, I would recommend using a hand signal.

From the VDOT site:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5332[/ATTACH]

Great, ANOTHER warning for not using a hand signal! The Park Police are not alone!

You’re right, of course, where that applies, but I’m not thinking of that kind of case. I’m not slowing from 30 mph to 5 mph with somebody drafting me. I’m talking about somebody who was nowhere in sight happening upon the scene and deciding I’m an idiot slowpoke without taking half a second to look at his surroundings.

[mstone]

@bobco85 83188 wrote:

I don’t know of a term for that, but in situations like that where you know someone is behind you and you’re going to slow down or stop, I would recommend using a hand signal.

From the VDOT site:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]5332[/ATTACH]

I’ve never thought that taking a hand off the handlebar when slowing for a hazardous condition is a useful technique. It’s actually a requirement in the code to signal all stops (though the VDOT image is wrong–you can lower either hand, not just the left) but that’s one of the parts of the code I just ignore as ridiculous and unsafe. I’d be amazed if more than 1% of drivers could even explain why someone was dropping their hand even if they saw it. Hmm. Maybe that’s one of the things that the VA advocacy orgs should look at lobbying to change. It’s obviously not necessary since nobody does it, but repealing it would probably be tough in an assembly that would respond by changing the requirement so we have to hop on one foot and bark like dogs at all stops. Just because.

[peterw_diy]

One of my favorite commuting accessories: the discontinued Nashbar Tail & Brake Light. I would love to find another like it. Sadly all I see are goofy $30 motion sensitive doodads and $7 Chinese DX/Meritline kits with turn signals and handlebar controls…

[bobco85]

@Bill on Capitol Hill and @mstone:

Here is the page I got the image from: http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/programs/bk-laws.asp

Here’s the Virginia Code: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-849

Obviously, you would only use hand signals in a situation where you have time. Hand signals are meant for situations where you anticipate having to stop/slow farther ahead and you want to communicate to people behind you what you’re doing (e.g., seeing a downed branch or other obstacle farther up the trail, approaching road work, seeing someone who is about to pull out of their spot and cross the bike lane, notice that a family of small creatures are getting ready to cross the trail, etc.).

Back to what you were asking, Bill, in that case of a shoaler flying by you when you are slowing for a hazard, I would call them X-ray vision cyclists because OBVIOUSLY they can see through you and know everything going on so it’s safe

[mstone]

@bobco85 83212 wrote:

@Bill on Capitol Hill and @mstone:

Here is the page I got the image from: http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/programs/bk-laws.asp[/quote]

Yes, they obviously didn’t update it with…

Quote:

Here’s the Virginia Code: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-849

“a person operating a bicycle…may signal slowing down or stopping by extending the right arm downward”. Not the first time VDOT screwed up cycling laws.

Quote:

Obviously, you would only use hand signals in a situation where you have time.

It may be obvious, but that’s not what the code says. “Every driver who intends to back, stop, turn, or partly turn from a direct line shall first see that such movement can be made safely and, whenever the operation of any other vehicle may be affected by such movement, shall give the signals required in this article, plainly visible to the driver of such other vehicle, of his intention to make such movement. … A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who fails to give adequate and timely signals of intention to turn, partly turn, slow down, or stop” Motorists have it easy: the signal comes on when you slam on the brakes. Let’s all just hope that Falls Church doesn’t start giving out “failure to signal when stopping at pointless stop sign” reckless driving citations. It is street smart season, right?

[baiskeli]

@nikki_d 56560 wrote:

I ALWAYS get shoaled and 95% of the time the people are slower than me which pisses me the f%$# off. I don’t know if it is pure rudeness or just everyone decides the middle-aged fat woman on the bike has to be slow.

My theory is that people ride bikes the way they walk, rather than the way they drive cars.

[consularrider]

@baiskeli 83266 wrote:

My theory is that people ride bikes the way they walk, rather than the way they drive cars.

Of course, most people walk the same way they drive. You see lots of shoaling from both groups.

[Author]

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