.

[cat6]

The Gateway District is a large open air retail, residential and office complex in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The complex is centered around the historic Union Pacific Depot in downtown Salt Lake City. It currently contains over 105 stores and restaurants.

[kceb_cire]

Oh, I signal with FORCE.
Too many close calls with people trying to jump in front of me for a left or right turn.

[ckamp]

I hand signal, mainly force, depends on the situation. Keep yourself predictable to the drivers on the road. If I am downtown more force is required, if rural or outside the city its more of quicker signal out of habit or for the cyclists around me.

Also, the 'universal' right and left signals mean nothing to the common driver. I always hold an arm out in the direction I am turning or entering a lane.

[rustychisel]

always indicate, always firmly, often forcefully. When I'm commuting I make it clear where I'm going, how I'm getting there, and take the lane whenever I deem it necessary.

Around here indecision or vagueness is seen as an invitation.

[martinrjensen]

Always signal but sometimes it's just not possible to take one hand off the bars for very long, and I don't buy the arguement that "if you can't take your hand of the bars for a long time, you are going too fast" either.
I always signal, while waiting at lights, sometimes several times. And I point the spccific direction at confusing 5 corners areas.

[Ginger]

I use my whole arm stiff elbow straight out, and I point with emphasis, like your mom telling you to go to your room NOW. For some reason it seems to reach back into a drivers mind and they understand that I am
Turning
NOW

I've come to the conclusion that people leaning over road bike handlebars don't realize that they're leaning over, and something that seems like a huge gesture to them is actually barely visible from behind.

[Peter P.]

Body language conveys EVERYTHING.

Casual, assertive, forceful, demanding; how you indicate your intentions subconsciously tells drivers HOW you want what you want, and unwittingly, they more often will comply.

I signal even if no cars are around. You never know who's looking out their window, watching while they mow the lawn, or from that car approaching 200yds. behind you. It's all good public relations, and doesn't cost me a cent.

Some of my friends however, have issues...

[Mr Cabletwitch]

I hand signal, mainly force, depends on the situation. Keep yourself predictable to the drivers on the road. If I am downtown more force is required, if rural or outside the city its more of quicker signal out of habit or for the cyclists around me.

Also, the 'universal' right and left signals mean nothing to the common driver. I always hold an arm out in the direction I am turning or entering a lane.

What he said

[Lovetoclimb]

If I am on terrain that allows for a hand off the bar I signal strongly, sometimes I make a head gesture towards the direction I am going. I ALWAYS attempt the make eye contact with the drivers around me.

[GregL]

I always signal my intentions, whether turning, stopping, or slowing significantly. I find that if my actions are clear, predictable, and follow traffic laws, motorists are much more respectful. Follow up with a smile and a wave to reinforce the motorists' (hopefully) law-abiding behavior. Seems to work with the generally friendly central New Yorkers.

Greg

[nebraskacycling]

Do you signal to stop? Typically I don't see cyclists signal when stopping unless they are with other cyclists telling the ones behind to slow down. I understand most cars don't know the signal for right turns or stop, but I still do them anyway. It sounds like most of you signal with both arms. It is very dangerous to signal with your right arm to turn right. As a driver I don't know that you are slowing unless you do the stop/slow signal with your left hand and typically may not even see your right arm at all depending on what angle you use. I use my left arm all the time with cars, but with cyclists using the right arm is common and useful. It's too bad there are a lot of cyclists (some on mountain bikes with no helmets riding on the sidewalk) that don't follow proper rules and give all cyclists a bad rap. Useful site: http://www.bikesense.bc.ca/ch4.htm

[rugbysecondrow]

Do you signal to stop? Typically I don't see cyclists signal when stopping unless they are with other cyclists telling the ones behind to slow down. I understand most cars don't know the signal for right turns or stop, but I still do them anyway. It sounds like most of you signal with both arms. It is very dangerous to signal with your right arm to turn right. As a driver I don't know that you are slowing unless you do the stop/slow signal with your left hand and typically may not even see your right arm at all depending on what angle you use. I use my left arm all the time with cars, but with cyclists using the right arm is common and useful. It's too bad there are a lot of cyclists (some on mountain bikes with no helmets riding on the sidewalk) that don't follow proper rules and give all cyclists a bad rap. Useful site: http://www.bikesense.bc.ca/ch4.htm

I try to do that as well. The only time I won't signal a stop is if it is a stop sign or stop light...the devices themselves communicate what I am bound to do. Otherwise, my left hand does the signaling for me.

[sonoray]

Also, the 'universal' right and left signals mean nothing to the common driver. I always hold an arm out in the direction I am turning or entering a lane.

Ditto that. Motorcyclist do the same on freeways...they just stick a hand out and point to the ground.

[moose8]

It is very dangerous to signal with your right arm to turn right. As a driver I don't know that you are slowing unless you do the stop/slow signal with your left hand and typically may not even see your right arm at all depending on what angle you use. I use my left arm all the time with cars, but with cyclists using the right arm is common and useful. It's too bad there are a lot of cyclists (some on mountain bikes with no helmets riding on the sidewalk) that don't follow proper rules and give all cyclists a bad rap. Useful site: http://www.bikesense.bc.ca/ch4.htm

I'm curious as to others' thoughts on using the right arm. My understanding is the left arm to turn right is a holdover from cars not having functioning blinkers where your only option was to use your left arm. I always use my right as intuitively it seems to make a lot more sense - right to go right, left to go left. I can't imagine drivers are only seeing my left arm, but maybe they are. Does anyone have any proof either way as to which method is safer, other than personal belief (which is all I have)?

[nebraskacycling]

I try to do that as well. The only time I won't signal a stop is if it is a stop sign or stop light...the devices themselves communicate what I am bound to do. Otherwise, my left hand does the signaling for me.

I think those are the most important times to signal as you may slow down a lot faster than the driver expects. If you signal that tells them you are slowing. Sure they expect you to start slowing, but if you brake before they expect it (with no signal how do they know when you will) that could potentially rear-end you. Remember you don't have brake lights to show them you are slowing down and sometimes as a driver it is hard to get a feel for a cyclists speed (especially going downhill). I always eave a lot of gap when driving, but I see some that tailgate with hardly any gap.

[nebraskacycling]

I'm curious as to others' thoughts on using the right arm. My understanding is the left arm to turn right is a holdover from cars not having functioning blinkers where your only option was to use your left arm. I always use my right as intuitively it seems to make a lot more sense - right to go right, left to go left. I can't imagine drivers are only seeing my left arm, but maybe they are. Does anyone have any proof either way as to which method is safer, other than personal belief (which is all I have)?

Yeah I guess I'm thinking in the US where the driver is on the left side of the car and typically the cyclist would be on right front of the bumper. The OP said it best; with a forceful signal it seems fine. And this is just my personal experience; I don't know the legality of it either.

[Seramount]

it's totally situational.

I point with a finger extended to indicate turn direction. the forcefulness of my signal is proportional to how I perceive the danger posed by traffic at the moment.

if a car is a decent distance behind me, the motion is done with a degree of casualness, like a friendly 'heads-up, brah, I'm turning here'...

if someonne is barreling down on me, the hand gets thrown out with a lot of emphasis to get their attention.

[Tom]

It occurs to me that the only time I signal a right turn is if there is someone needing to know I'm not crossing in front of them or if they're turning left facing me that I turned right because I wanted to. If I'm going left or taking the lane I point with my left arm. Stopping generally they get without me indicating, they can see the red light or stop sign too.

[bambam]

I always use the left arm. I feel the right arm would be obscured buy other riders or the background. Plus if a rider can run you over and claim they didn't see you there is nothing that makes me think they are going to see my right arm.
I:

1. Throw in some obvious head checks
2. Start with the elbow out first and bring the hand down to the inside in a counter clockwise circular motion and stop where necessary.
90 degrees for stop 180 for Left and 270 for Right.

3. Add a little wag of the Finger/Wrist (or Jazz hand if you prefer.)

3.1. Add a little upward pulse on the right turn, point to the right to imitate the flashing aspect/bull rider look.

The person following you should have a show they can't ignore.
If they can't ignore you they will see you.

[biker72]

I signal with FORCE!!!
Left arm for left turn and right arm for right.

[Earl Gray]

it's totally situational.

I point with a finger extended to indicate turn direction. the forcefulness of my signal is proportional to how I perceive the danger posed by traffic at the moment.

if a car is a decent distance behind me, the motion is done with a degree of casualness, like a friendly 'heads-up, brah, I'm turning here'...

if someonne is barreling down on me, the hand gets thrown out with a lot of emphasis to get their attention.

+1

I do what I feel is appropriate for the moment. Sometimes signal with force, sometimes a simple finger bang and often not at all.

Siturational awareness trumps EVERYTHING else when it comes to my safety.

[tiretrax]

If I am braking and turning right, I will use my left arm so that I can brake with the rear brakes. Always clear and forceful. Also, I always call out when overtaking anyone - pedestrian or cyclist - I wish everyone would do that. Even I have felt the "winds of death" (usually from some turd on a TT bike that refuses to stop at stop signs and causes all of us to get a bad rap), as runners refer to the situation when being passed by a cyclist.

[jlwdm]

I almost always signal - not always if no one around. Use right or left arm for right turn depending on circumstances. Sometimes feels easier to take a specific arm of the bars. Also if in a group right arm does not always get seen by cars coming from behind.

Never signal to stop.

Jeff