Hand signals

[Spaghetti Legs]

I just point the direction I plan to turn. I always leave my chainring on the right side of the bike, however, no matter which direction I am signalling.

[Coluber42]

The reason for the right turn signal with the left hand pointing up is so that you can do it while sticking your arm out the driver's side window of a car, since you can't reach to stick your arm out the righthand window to signal a right turn. Obviously nobody signals turns from a car using their arm anymore, even though theoretically you might need to do it if your turn signal is broken.

But a person on a bike does not have that constraint. It makes much more sense to point the way you want to go; it even makes sense to someone who has never learned about turn signals.

I signal right turns with my right arm and left turns with my left. I find that most of the time, I only need to signal right turns for the benefit of other bicyclists or maybe for pedestrians - it's fairly rare that I feel the need to signal a right turn for the benefit of drivers.

Left turns are another matter; some days it feels like I basically only bike around town with my right hand on the bars because my left hand spends the whole time signaling turns, giving a "slow down" gesture for people who are tailgating, pointing and gesturing so I can merge left ahead of a left turn, waving "stop" to oncoming drivers who are giving me mixed signals while I'm trying to turn left, and trying to invent sign language for "hold your !@#$-ing horses, you can wait your turn because no, I'm not going to risk getting doored to let you try to pass me in your 8' truck in a 10' wide lane".

[unterhausen]

Originally Posted by Spaghetti Legs

I always leave my chainring on the right side of the bike, however, no matter which direction I am signalling.

If you make this joke too often, you may get a visitation from the ghost of Jocelyn Lovell.

Originally Posted by Coluber42

Obviously nobody signals turns from a car using their arm anymore, even though theoretically you might need to do it if your turn signal is broken.

Like I posted above, I saw someone doing it from an old car. I think it probably had turn signals, but the owner was too lazy to make them work. I am a little more alert that it's a possibility around antique cars now that I have seen it. But nobody signals nowadays anyway.

The street where I saw it is always a disaster, it's how you get to the State College main post office. I even saw a car right hook another car there, which impressed me to no end. Also have stopped a number of people from going down the street the wrong way. It used to be near the end of my bike commute, so I was there a lot. You could probably keep a youtube channel going with bad driving just from that street.

[johnniecakes]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Left hand out - left turn

Right hand out - right turn

Slowing - left or right arm down, usually wiggle a bit to get attention

I think the left hand for all signals came from motorcycles, where the right hand is the throttle and brake, so you don't ever want it off the bar.

This is me.

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by fourflys

I open and close my fist as if it was "flashing".. I think I was taught that from the first San Diego club I started riding with back in the day.. I guess maybe I feel it might get more attention? but really, I only usually do this if I'm riding in a group..

What I learned from my cycling club group rides -- though I wasn't necessarily "taught" this, I just learned it empirically -- was that the Open Hand stop signal indicates

"STOPPING...probably. I'm definitely slowing, and maybe I'm stopping, but I...oh, wait, the light just changed to green, never mind."

whereas the Closed Fist stop signal indicates

"I am definitely STOPPING. Complete stop, 0 mph, foot unclipped and on the ground."

[bironi]

Learn your safe riding techniques here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQgAMkMmsfg

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

What I learned from my cycling club group rides -- though I wasn't necessarily "taught" this, I just learned it empirically -- was that the Open Hand stop signal indicates

"STOPPING...probably. I'm definitely slowing, and maybe I'm stopping, but I...oh, wait, the light just changed to green, never mind."

whereas the Closed Fist stop signal indicates

"I am definitely STOPPING. Complete stop, 0 mph, foot unclipped and on the ground."

I was in a group ride coming to a stop sign and I YELLED out "I'm really stopping" and a guy ran into my rear wheel and crashed.

[ssb94]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

What I learned from my cycling club group rides -- though I wasn't necessarily "taught" this, I just learned it empirically -- was that the Open Hand stop signal indicates

"STOPPING...probably. I'm definitely slowing, and maybe I'm stopping, but I...oh, wait, the light just changed to green, never mind."

whereas the Closed Fist stop signal indicates

"I am definitely STOPPING. Complete stop, 0 mph, foot unclipped and on the ground."

I don't know when I learned this, or if it was explicitly taught to me, but it's definitely correct.

[helldriven]

Originally Posted by charliedid

I rarely find the need but I just point where I am going.

I agree, I make eye contact with oncoming drivers and just point with my left hand if turning left and my right hand if turning right.