Confidence While Riding

Many cyclists are reluctant to ride in the city because they are intimidated by the heavy traffic. And who can blame them? It is a logical fear. I remember that when I resumed riding, several years ago, I felt decidedly unsafe when I first ventured on to the busy streets. Over time I lost most of that fear, but it would be unwise for me to ever lose it altogether. I have been doored twice now and I am well aware that the possibility of accident and injury is always present. The fact is, riding in the narrow curb lanes while cars go by only an arm's length away is a distictly unsafe activity. I am putting my life in the hands of the drivers around me. And as much as I think that cyclists have the right to share the roads with cars, I sometimes feel like a foreign element out there, engaged in foolishly risky behaviour.

Despite my initial unease, I eventually became quite confident cycling in the city. It is important for cyclists to feel confident. Confidence will help make your actions predictable to drivers. (Signalling your intentions is, of course, another way of being predictable to drivers.) A lack of confidence can cause you to hesitate dangerously before making, say, a turn, and this hesitation will cause drivers to be uncertain of your intentions; they may think you are not proceeding with your turn and may then drive into your path.

Too much confidence, however, can cause you to make questionable decisions. The overconfident cyclist will often dart about, making sudden, risky moves. It is important to act in an expected fashion. Don't attempt, for example, to pass in a risky fashion or to quickly squeeze through tight spaces. I find that some cyclists are reluctant to let seemingly anything impede their progress, and because of this, they will jump queue in traffic and make erractic moves. Overconfidence can breed contempt for situations that are actually quite dangerous and can create danger where none existed.

An example of a situation that requires a lot of confidence is when you are making a left turn from the protected turn lane at a busy intersection. It took me some time to work up the courage to try this; I've noticed that many cyclists who want to make left turns will often just bike to the far side of the cross street and then wait at the corner for the lights to change, thus temporarily acting like a pedestrian. Cyclists are allowed to use the left-hand turn lanes, and it is not as dangerous as it looks. The most important warning I can give is that I would not try one of these at night unless your bike is equipped with very bright lights, front and rear, and you are wearing many effective reflective strips. But even in the day, it can feel lonely waiting in the middle of an intersection with all those cars and trucks driving past on both sides. But I don't think that it is particularly dangerous. I have been making lefts like this for years and have yet to have any problems. When you think about it, the only driver that you are really worried about is the one who is right behind you, and it is very unlikely that that driver will miss seeing you. I suggest that you stand tall and stick your left arm straight out (confidently!) to signal; commence signalling as soon as you get in the left-hand turn lane, so that the driver behind you has time to take in the fact that you are intending to turn; and, as when driving, don't forget about the pedestrians. It is all too easy to concentrate only on the oncoming cars while you wait for a break in traffic.