The Chainlink

Bikers that always cut to the front of the line, repeatedly....

I am always getting quite annoyed of those fellow bikers, whom ride much slower than you, get in front of you at intersections. This is particularly bad on the diagonal roads where they will try to shortcut the light by pulling half way across it. 

Don't these guys have a clue after the 5th or 6th time that I pass them before they even finish getting across the intersection? It's not like this "head start" is really getting them up to speed any quicker. Most of the time they are just causing a potential conflict as I pass them....

I notice that it usually are the ones that are riding fixed gear... 

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Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on August 23, 2013 at 1:51pm

How would you know they were faster than you when you've just arrived at a light and that they were already there?

Theoretically speaking, based on your statement, then you'd be shoaling everyone, until proven that they were faster than you at the next light.

Joe Schmoe said:

My safety strategy is too stay as far away from other road users as possible. So I will shoal slower riders. It's only rude if you do it to people who are clearly faster than you, IMO. 

Permalink Reply by Davo on August 23, 2013 at 2:25pm

Im sorry if this has been answered before but is it shoaling only if you come to a complete stop or is it also when you are timing the lights better than the "faster" rider in front of you?

Permalink Reply by Maurice on August 23, 2013 at 8:33pm
Given the root word, I believe it only applies when all of the bikes in question are stopped.

If I'm wrong, then I'm the king of shoaling, because I time all of the lights on my commute.
Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on August 23, 2013 at 11:30pm

Shoaling is simply pulling up to stop at a stoplight in front of the person that was there before you (often in the crosswalk, the intersection itself, or in an otherwise dumb place to stop). It's quite rude.

I would not consider riding past someone who is stopped, if you pass on the LEFT, give enough passing distance, and - preferably - say something or ding your bell, to be rude or to be shoaling. You're just using momentum, as bikers should. 

As far as "timing lights" - that's impossible on my route downtown (Lincoln Ave.-Wells). Shoalers galore thru Lincoln Park, by the way. 


Davo said:

Im sorry if this has been answered before but is it shoaling only if you come to a complete stop or is it also when you are timing the lights better than the "faster" rider in front of you?

Permalink Reply by Kevin Mulcky on August 24, 2013 at 5:43pm
I kinda hate pedicabs.
Permalink Reply by Matt Talbert on August 25, 2013 at 12:01am

This annoys the HELL out of me, but in a different setting. I often bike on the North Branch Trail, since I can safely go faster. I will have passed someone on a mountain bike (or some kind of slower bike) quite quickly with my road bike. Then we get to an intersection at a street, not only do they go in front of me, they of course will violate traffic laws and disregard the cross signal. Of course, I pass them shortly after the crossing while still following the rules.

Permalink Reply by Joe Schmoe on August 26, 2013 at 4:57pm

I ride pretty fast, so I can usually make a fairly accurate judgement of who's going to be faster than me. If it's a toss up, I give them the benefit of the doubt and wait behind them.  If it's someone on a POS MTB, or a beach cruiser, yeah, I'm going to shoal you, or else it's going to take me 1/4 mile to have enough room to pass you (my commute is all Broadway, and it makes me feel really unsafe to be moving slower than 15 mph on Broadway).  And "it's not a race"... no, but I do have places to be, like at the office on time, and I like to ride fast. And there are two traffic signals which basically add 10 mins to my commute if I don't make it through them on green. I give faster cyclists room to pass me, and also try to give cars lots of room to pass me too, whenever I can. What drives me nuts is when I'm just about to start moving at a green light, and someone on a bike shoots by me on my left doing 20 mph within a few inches, and doesn't announce themselves. Shoaling is annoying, that kind of passing is really unsafe. 

Permalink Reply by Davo on August 26, 2013 at 5:02pm

And "it's not a race"... no, but I do have places to be, like at the office on time, and I like to ride fast. And there are two traffic signals which basically add 10 mins to my commute if I don't make it through them on green.

So you only give yourself 10 min of leeway. What happens if you get a flat? Or hit other lights, or there is some sort of unannounced construction?

Permalink Reply by Michael A on August 26, 2013 at 5:37pm

or just a headwind?

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on August 26, 2013 at 6:56pm

Sorry, Joe, but if not being able to pass someone is going to make you late you did not leave early enough.

Joe Schmoe said:

I ride pretty fast, so I can usually make a fairly accurate judgement of who's going to be faster than me. If it's a toss up, I give them the benefit of the doubt and wait behind them.  If it's someone on a POS MTB, or a beach cruiser, yeah, I'm going to shoal you, or else it's going to take me 1/4 mile to have enough room to pass you (my commute is all Broadway, and it makes me feel really unsafe to be moving slower than 15 mph on Broadway).  And "it's not a race"... no, but I do have places to be, like at the office on time, and I like to ride fast. And there are two traffic signals which basically add 10 mins to my commute if I don't make it through them on green. I give faster cyclists room to pass me, and also try to give cars lots of room to pass me too, whenever I can. What drives me nuts is when I'm just about to start moving at a green light, and someone on a bike shoots by me on my left doing 20 mph within a few inches, and doesn't announce themselves. Shoaling is annoying, that kind of passing is really unsafe. 

Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on August 26, 2013 at 7:01pm

+1

Lisa Curcio 6.5 mi said:

Sorry, Joe, but if not being able to pass someone is going to make you late you did not leave early enough.

Joe Schmoe said:

I ride pretty fast, so I can usually make a fairly accurate judgement of who's going to be faster than me. If it's a toss up, I give them the benefit of the doubt and wait behind them.  If it's someone on a POS MTB, or a beach cruiser, yeah, I'm going to shoal you, or else it's going to take me 1/4 mile to have enough room to pass you (my commute is all Broadway, and it makes me feel really unsafe to be moving slower than 15 mph on Broadway).  And "it's not a race"... no, but I do have places to be, like at the office on time, and I like to ride fast. And there are two traffic signals which basically add 10 mins to my commute if I don't make it through them on green. I give faster cyclists room to pass me, and also try to give cars lots of room to pass me too, whenever I can. What drives me nuts is when I'm just about to start moving at a green light, and someone on a bike shoots by me on my left doing 20 mph within a few inches, and doesn't announce themselves. Shoaling is annoying, that kind of passing is really unsafe. 

Permalink Reply by Maurice on August 26, 2013 at 8:22pm
I hit the perfect storm on the way home from work today: simultaneously shoaled by 4 different bikes while stopped at a red light, including one who passed on the right at full speed before slamming on the brakes directly in front of me. Mindful of this thread, I figured I'd give them a chance to ride faster than me when the light turned green. Um, not so much.

Passed all 4 within seconds without even trying. (There was very little car traffic.) I actually surprised myself with that one as: (1) I don't consider myself to be particularly fast, (2) I hit the gym at lunch today and so rode much slower than usual, and (3) I ride a POS MTB (no sarcasm...I paid $70 for it 7 years ago) fully loaded with my work and gym gear. Must have been the head wind.

Next light, shoaled again, except for the right-side passer who blew through without slowing down, narrowly missing several cars that he never even saw. Passed them all one last time just as we hit a stretch where all of the lights were in our favor. Somehow they never caught up to me...though I did eventually get passed by another guy on a POS MTB.

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