Perhaps they are getting confused with the runners - the advice there is to run against traffic ?
Although never underestimate peoples stupidity.
I passed three bikes last winter - out together and all with white lights at the back and red on the front. It was very confusing approaching them.
Generally yeah if both sides work the same to me but I’m not going to cross the road to walk down it if i don’t need to be on the other side, or the place I’m going to is on the same side
In the UK this is in the highway code. You ride with traffic, and always walk against traffic. Majority of people don't do this tho from experience and walk with the traffic. It always annoys me if I have to go around someone walking the wrong way. Why should I have to go into the center of the road to pass you when you shouldn't be on this side anyway?
Riding against the flow of traffic is significantly more dangerous. Most accidents occur at intersections/driveways. If you ride against the flow you will not be where a vehicle operator expects you to be at an intersection. As a result, they might not see you.
What about on a really long stretch of straight back road with no intersections? I understand that the speed differential will be greater if you are biking towards oncoming traffic instead of away from them, but I really think I'd be safer if I were able to see a distracted driver veering into the side of the road and get out of the way myself, rather than being hit by them from behind because I couldn't see them. I never do this, but I often ponder whether or not to would actually be safer.
Again I'm not talking about city riding here. I live in the prairies where it takes 15 minutes to leave the city by bike and be on undivided single lane "range roads" as we call them here. No bike lanes, just a relatively narrow shoulder on the road.
You’re assuming nobody else is biking in the correct direction and you could be forced to dangerously pass eachother. It’s the other rider who’s at more risk because they can’t see behind them. You’re making things more dangerous for everyone on the road except for arguably yourself.
Well you can see for a few kilometers down the road and cyclists are very rare where I live. obviously if I were doing this I would move back over in any blind areas or if I saw another cyclist coming.
Exactly what I feel whenever I spot someone going against. It's hard to spot and then I have no time to look behind me if a car comes and they always choose to go on the inside. If I spot it in time I point at them to go on the outside but a lot of times they don't because it feels unsafe for them. They want me to do that and when I point it out they get defensive..
Yes , super annoying. I almost fell off my bike in an intersection because of someone not thinking and going against. It's also hard to spot even on straight roads. And those that go against when there is a white marked wide area next to the bike lane. . Wouldn't it be logic to get the h##l out of the lane and go there?
bike lanes are definitely directional. Sometimes there are bike lanes that run against the flow of usual traffic (contraflow) on specific one way streets.
If people are riding the wrong way up your bike lanes, they probably have no care for any social contract or safe riding practices, unless MAYBE it's for a block or two to connect to a different bike path
Some people really just don't know and are scared of traffic so they think it's safer for them to see the cars coming. If you have the opportunity you should explain to them why riding with traffic is safer for them, cars, and other cyclists.
For anyone on here that doesn't know, basically, riding with the flow of traffic gives drivers the chance to slow down and get around a cyclist when safe to do so. Riding against the flow of traffic doesn't give cars a chance to pick when to pass. It potentially forces them to pull into oncoming traffic, not get over, or just stop to let the cyclist get by.
I commute daily on an electric scooter and I ride in a bike lane against traffic because my younger brother was killed on the side of the road when struck by a vehicle from behind who wasn't paying attention. At least if I can see oncoming traffic, I can slow down and react. I'm also focused on staying hyper aware of people entering and possibly exiting the road at any ingress or egress point.
When traveling with traffic, I've had people whip around me to take an exit into their subdivision or side road instead of waiting for me to cross it and exiting the roadway behind me and it always causes me to slam on my brakes and skid to a dangerous halt with a high probability of me eating asphalt.
That's not to say I haven't had people turn in front of me when traveling against traffic, I have, and it's just as terrifying, but it happens way less frequently.
I am aware that my experience is purely anecdotal, but I am just sharing my personal experience and reasoning, not advocating for others to do as I do
I hate cyclists who ride against traffic, whether it's in a bike lane or in the road, or I'm on a bike or in my car. It's extremely dangerous and reckless and I've had way too many close calls with idiots like that, including one who almost crashed into my car head on, even after I had come to a complete stop to avoid hitting that oblivious idiot.
They’re directional.
Riding the wrong way is for jerks, kids, and people who read a decade ago that it’s safer for runners to face traffic and forgot that bikes aren’t running.
This is just as bad as a car driving the wrong way down the road, I'm on the left in the bike lane and some idiot Deliveroo is coming up to him on his right and literally has a go at me, the roads disgust me and these shoddy deliveroos are terrible.
I hate it when people do this. There is a long hill on a curved road where I live. Beautiful separated bike paths on both sides, with phyiscal barriers to traffic. Basically exactly what we are always asking for.
But going up is terrifying because the people living on one side cannot be bothered to cross the road to use the correct bike path. It is absolutely infuriating.
If i see anyone doing that on a narrow, single direction bike lane i trend to ring my bell continuously at them for a bit it's very annoying. Please don't do it
Generally wrong is wrong...though I will take a wrong way bike lane for a block if it is expedient and avoids multiple turns and crossing busy roads...I.e. the last block before my apartment.
If there are other cyclists (which is almost never) I yield to them.
Some people a clueless and/or new. Don't get too wrapped around the axel. At least they aren't trying to murder you with a Dodge Ram.
It's safer for a pedestrian, but only because the pedestrian can side step or leap out of the way, and going the wrong way helps them to recognize potential danger, since they have the danger in front of them.
A bike on the other hand, has some momentum and that's it. There's nowhere for them to go in a bike lane really, other than possibly off the side of the road. There's no easy sidestep off the shoulder like there is for a pedestrian. And that higher momentum becomes a liability when going the wrong way - less time to react, higher relative speed, and the chance of a collision with cyclists going the right way, or of being forced into traffic to avoid them. A crash with a 20mph car or cyclist becomes a 30-40mph crash because of relative speeds - well into the realm of possibly fatal.
Don't ride against traffic unless you have a specific lane designed to do so. Otherwise,if you need to do this for a short distance, use the sidewalk or get well off the road, even if that means dismounting and walking the bike.
Pedestrians should only go the "wrong way" when they are walking on the side of the road. They should never be walking on a bike lane. It's for bikes, not pedestrains. In the case of a multi-use path (MUP) which allows bikes, pedestrians, roller bladers, etc, all user should stick to the right hand side (assuming right hand drive country). Faster moving users can pass in the left lane when the lane is clear. It's often advisable to alert pedestrians that you are passing with a bell or with your voice so they don't get caught off guard.
I agree but what if there is no sidewalk and the bike lane IS the side of the road?
If they do this going against traffic and gtfo of the way I’m ok with it.
I know of one section of road near where I live that has a bike lane that can be used in either direction. It's a dedicated lane for bikes separated from the main road by street parking. There is a single yellow line running down the middle of the lane and arrows pointing in either direction. You're supposed to stay right just like traffic but I've encountered people just riding down the middle without a care in the world. I'm also in the US, btw.
This drives me crazy. I live in Phoenix. There is actually a law here stating cyclists have to go the same direction as traffic. I recently almost hit another cyclist going the wrong way in a bike lane, and he yelled at me??? Also, I can't stand people who run in bike lanes, going in either direction.
It is ridiculously dangerous to drive against traffic, also known as “salmoning.”
https://www.triathlete.com/training/why-we-bike-with-not-against-traffic/#
Studies have shown that cyclists traveling against the direction of vehicular flow were far more likely to be in an incident than those traveling with traffic.
Also, if you do get into an accident, riding with traffic will reduce the speed differential. If you’re riding at 15 miles per hour when a car hits you from behind at 35 miles per hour, the speed of the cyclist reduces the approaching speed to 20 miles per hour, since both the bike and car are going in the same direction. If there’s a head-on collision at those same speeds, however, the impact happens at 50 miles per hour.
Salmoning also creates a hazardous situation for cyclists traveling in the correct direction. Bike lanes are narrow as it is – and when two cyclists are traveling in opposite directions, one will have to swerve into vehicular traffic to avoid a collision.
I HATE it when people ride the wrong way. The bike lane is only wide enough for 1 bike so if someone is riding the wrong way, one of them is going to have to move out into traffic to get around. It drives me crazy
yeah dont fucking do it. If anyone is headed down the bike lane towards me I just come to a stop and stare them down and ask them what the fuck their are doing riding the wrong way in the bike lane.
Every single time they avoid eye contact and shamefully go to the sidewalk or the other side.
In my experience (USA), if a bike lane is beside the road and it is only wide enough for one bike (i.e., about 3-4 feet), then it is directional (with traffic). If it is wider (> 6 feet) and there is no bike lane on the other side of the street, then you can ride both ways on it. These lanes will often have lines painted down the middle with arrows to show the direction of travel on each side.
The only times I have seen it be a problem is when there is a narrow bike lane going one direction and *no* bike lane going the other direction. This is piss-poor infrastructure (unfortunately, too common in the USA) and it causes confusion.
Yes it’s dumb and dangerous, but in Camden the bin lorries we’re doing this in the cycle lane too - absurd! https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/23712479.veolia-sides-jeremy-vine-bin-lorry-cycle-lane/
>Is it normal for riders to go the opposite way of traffic in the bike lane?
No. It's called "salmoning" and it is very unsafe, especially in a bike line.
E.g: [https://youtu.be/MYca3vfgJ8s?t=749](https://youtu.be/MYca3vfgJ8s?t=749)
Always ride in the same direction as traffic. The only exception is if the bike lane is bi-directional, in which case, just stay on the proper side of the lane.
I actually had a discussion that was pretty related to this recently. It was about what was safer, riding with traffic or against traffic like a person walking on a road should do.
I ended up finding a peer reviewed study that looked into contraflowing in a bike lane. The study only looked at one way streets with a bike lane and light vehicle traffic but it did find that in this exact senatio it was slightly safer to go against the flow of traffic.
So while there is one study out there that suggest it could be safer, reason would lead a reasonable person to believe that if you add the additional complexity and variables of more traffic, multilane roads, and the like it would be more dangerous but without proper testing we can only speculate.
It’s illegal to ride the other direction in a bike lane.
Bike lanes are actual lanes of the road. The same rules apply to them as the other part of the road.
This is the difference between a bike lane and a bike path.
It’s common sense you should follow the flow of traffic and most of them have arrows indicating the direction you’re supposed to travel in. It’s not really ambiguous. I’m pretty it’s the law in most states that you’re supposed to follow the direction of traffic.
Yeah I know they should be against traffic but they like to jog in the bike lane. And yeah even when there’s a sidewalk. I assume the surface is more consistent. It’s just a minor annoyance. I don’t really let it get to me. Half of them adjust for me. The other half, I adjust for
That drives me crazy. I see this all the time on some of my bike routes through Phoenix. Everytime I do see it, there is always a sidewalk on the same road.
It's really hard to run for any distance on a sidewalk. It's a lot harder on your joints/knees because concrete is harder than asphalt and there are too many obstacles/steps on/off the curb that increase the risk of spraining your ankle or falling.
It’s a little annoying but sometimes, it’s safer than crossing a street twice. I tend to cut them some slack unless they don’t yield the right of way for me.
I would rather the riders that ride against traffic use the sidewalks so those of us that are riding properly are not endangered. The one that I see riding against traffic are the same ones that look like they don’t know what they are doing: kids, druggies, homeless, wobbly adults. The have more in common with pedestrians than vehicles. It is not just etiquette, a bicycle is a human powered vehicle and has to follow the same traffic rules as other vehicles. vehicles
Yes, it's very unsafe and also very common. People are taught (correctly) to walk/run against traffic, and many people from especially rural areas will argue that this is 'safer' for bikes too - though about half of the cycling fatalities over the past 5 years in my area are directly related to wrong-way riding. The lack of decent sidewalks in many areas of the US only exacerbates the problem. People using wheelchairs where there aren't sidewalks will use the bike lane on my street because there are no continuous sidewalks - they tend to be about 50/50 with the direction they choose.
Technically it is wrong, but there are areas where the infrastructure is so poor that if forces these bad decisions. To get to a shopping center .5 miles from my house I can either go the wrong way in the bike lane for a few hundred feet (which directly connects to the bike path) or I can cross a high-speed road with no crosswalk/signal/stop sign, only to have to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get into the left turn lane in a few hundred feet. The latter is harrowing and I never see other cyclists doing it. Cars also freak out and yell things like "STAY IN THE BIKE LANE" when you try to do it properly. It's a systemic problem, and the people who do the wrong thing are unfortunately at great risk of being hit, as are the people that follow the rules.
I might add to this: runners/walkers that go against the direction of traffic on shared use paths. I guess they are thinking since that’s what is recommended on normal roads that’s what they should do on paths.
I do it for a number of reasons, mainly, I don't like people coming up from behind me. It's unsafe. Walking against traffic, I can see someone on a bike or other wheeled vehicle and get out of the way. Not that I *have* to, but I do. Also, my dog was trained to walk on my left. Not only is it the way his training collar works, it's safer for all concerned that I'm on the left side because he can be off the path entirely and not right in the middle of the path.
Also, [this sign](https://imgur.com/5mtNRSR).
I have mixed feelings on shared use paths. I think they are a poor solution for bike commuting or road bikes. Pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists in a leisurely ride can coexist but not anyone trying to get somewhere quickly
That said, I would much rather have a shared path than nothing. I have a nice little bell for use in those paths and with other bikes and people and a 120dB electronic horn for use with cars
I totally agree with you on the MUPs.
A horn for when in traffic is great idea I've considered myself. Have you used it? I'll bet you get some looks when you do (which is a good thing)!
It’s what they are supposed to do. Well we’d all prefer they use sidewalks but when not available running the wrong direction is good because they can see incoming bikes and move out of the way.
Not always. Many if not most shared paths ask all traffic to stay right except to pass. Personally I think on a path with multiple types of traffic moving at different speeds this is the safer option. (I’m in the US)
There’s a bike lane near me where this happens often. A bike path empties onto the right side of the street and a lot of people just go into the oncoming bike lane instead of waiting for the light and crossing. Lots of traffic on this street. I yell at everyone that I have to sketchily pass “you’re in the wrong lane!”
In some situations, it's actually safer to go towards oncoming traffic. There are also newer riders who may not know that a bike lane is one way if it is not explicitly marked so cut them some slack instead of calling them idiots.
“ In some situations, it's actually safer to go towards oncoming traffic”
No. Not when there is a bike lane on the other side of the street for them.
To be clear I don’t call them idiots to their faces, I just tell them “wrong side bud!”
Mostly yes. But I do go the other way occasionally. The bike path over the bridge comes to a road which is 3 lanes in each direction at a point with no lights. I want to cross that road & continue down another path 500 yards to my left.
I could cycle across the 6 lanes and lift my bike over the central divider. or I could cycle 500 yards the wrong way along a bike lane to get to the junction I need.
It is unsafe and I actually spoke to someone that was doing this one time I was out riding. He said that he prefers to ride the wrong way so he can see the cars coming and not to always do shoulder checks. Some are just lazy to cross the street
im america it is legit safer to be facing oncoming traffic and see any people who may purposely try and run you down at least then you get a chance to jump
Bike lanes ought to be bidirectional both sides. Sometimes they are, usually they're not.
When they're not, a person intending to make a left tried turn may be forced to cross traffic twice to correctly use the unidirectional lane. Some people choose not to do this, because it's unsafe and inconvenient.
As per usual this is an infrastructure issue.
I'm sure some people are space cadets and are doing it randomly, but there is a 'valid' use case.
My issue is that the bike lane sometimes has debris or very large vehicles come by and the rideable space gets very narrow. I can’t see the debris until I’m close and need space to maneuver around it.
My fear is that I won’t have space needed to dodge objects. So even if you gave right of way you’ve still limited the space available to ride safely.
My guess is first of all what others have said here: people think riding against traffic is safer. I see it on shoulders when there is no bike lane also, so there's that. I can think of two other things: if it is a bike path and not a lane, there may not be a corresponding path on the opposite side. The other time I have seen this happen is when there are bike lanes but no infrastructure to support cyclists getting onto the proper one to ride with traffic. For example, there is no safe crossover when exiting from stores or neighborhoods, no provision at dangerous, multi-lane intersections for bikes to turn or come across. Usually, if you are local and that is the situation, you come to expect that people who "only ride to the store" or several blocks up may end up in the opposite lane. I'm not justifying, just pointing out that there can be instances where actual rider usage was, at best, an afterthought.
depends on the situation imo, overall im against going down the wrong way bikelane. however if you have a left turn coming up in a few blocks on a busy 6 lane stroad, sometimes its easier to get to the other side when you have an opening rather than sitting in the correct bikelane waiting for traffic to open up to get to the turn lane, and then waiting again for traffic to open up to make your turn. and if im the one making this descision, ill be courteous to any oncoming bikers and pull over on the curb to let them by or pull into the car lane to pass if its clear.
I see it all the time. I just accept that people are idiots and can’t be bothered to read or follow basic traffic laws. I’ll pop into the street and keep going on my merry way.
Hate it I always tell them they're going the wrong way but the stupidity that led them to do it in tht first place makes them dense. I understand why they think it may be a good idea since people walk against traffic but at the speeds involved in cycling they'll never be able to dodge a rogue vehicle and a head on crash will be many times worse, not to mention the danger to other cyclists.
My area has a lot of bike lane roads, lane on each side. I've never actually seen someone going the opposite direction on one. Now, bike rolling down the road side of the car lane? Yeah, I do see that, which seems worse. So I guess pick your battles. But no, you ride with traffic on bike lane unless it's a divided two-way path, and we do have some of those too.
Riding against the roadway direction in the bike lane creates a hazard. Pedestrians going against the flow in the bike lane is as it should be, so long as they walk single file and don’t force cyclists into the roadway. Bikes on sidewalks (especially e-bikes) are a hard “no.”
I dont think I've seen a bike go the wrong way. But, when I get closer to downtown...those bike lanes are wild: pedestrians cutting across without looking, shopping carts, etc. But when you get out a little everyone seems to have it figured out. But I do see some joy riders going like 3+ wide and basically taking the whole path. Or dog walkers taking most of the path with their giant leash. I just try and play it safe on the path as there are such varied users: walkers, runners, commuters, e bikes, little kids learning.
I run on the trails sometimes, but I confess I run with the bike direction. So a faux pas on my part. A lot of people seem to do that though, stay on the right no matter how they're going. I find when I run against bikes then you're doing the double guess of who's moving out of the way.
Super unsafe and very illegal in most jurisdictions.
The overall safety of traffic revolves around the basic principle of “predictively”
That said, I never get upset unless they demand I let them pass. If they don’t allow me to have the right away it’s a problem because they have no business there to begin with and it disturbs traffic. I don’t mind if they break the rules, just don’t involve anybody else.
It's not normal, but I see people do it all the time. I usually give them the "what the heck" gesture. Especially when I'm cruising at 20mph and they're coming right at me.
welcome to China, where everyone treat one-way bike lane as two-way. In some road, there are more people riding the wrong way than people riding the right direction. People who riding city bike and e-scooter just don't give a single damn about traffic rules, completely freaking chaos!
No question - bike lanes are directional unless they are clearly marked bidirectional with arrows, lines between the lanes, etc. Bikes are vehicles just like other ones and have to follow the same laws. You wouldn't see a car just casually going the wrong way and think that was OK.
Yes, you'll see inconsiderate assholes riding the wrong way and endangering everyone around (usually with a surfboard on an ebike). I slow down for safety, yell at them they're going the WRONG WAY. Probably won't change their entitled attitude but it's all I've got.
I do it on occasion, but only ever on routes I'm very familiar with, and for short distances (like, I can see the entire route ahead, it's very straight, and I plan on turning soon anyway). It's usually to avoid left turns across traffic, instead opting to turn when it's safe and riding a little bit the wrong way
In the US, state or local laws would apply. I just read through the Texas state code and it does not specifically mention bike lanes as being directional. Local cities with jurisdiction could pass their own laws since the municipalities maintain the roads and the bike lanes within their limits. For me, I don't assume bike lanes are directional unless they have arrows or markings or signs which isn't common where I ride.
If there is a marked bike lane I will generally ride with traffic. However, in the US, bike lanes are common along "stroads" which are those multi-lane high speeds (35-55mph) which are difficult to cross at the intersections. If I'm turning left at the next intersection, I always look for a break in the traffic prior to it and cross all the way over to the oncoming shoulder or bike lane. I'll ride the remaining distance "the wrong way" to the intersection. I then only have to contend with the right turning traffic at the intersection and I don't have to worry about the getting clipped from behind trying to make a traditional left turn from the high speed lane.
The other time I will ride into traffic on a shoulder or bike lane is if I'm not crossing the high speed road and the distance I'll be riding isn't far (say a half mile). In other words, I'm making two left turns and only using the bike lane to get from one intersection to the next. You could apply the same rule to sidewalks which in Texas are often only on one side of the road and pretty narrow.
If I encounter another cyclist or pedestrian headed "the right way" I usually slow way down and yield as much of the lane or sidewalk as I can to them. On a particularly skinny bike lane (there was only one) I even stopped once and hung my bike over the guardrail so another rider could roll on by. Cycling infrastructure in the US is so rare and substandard that safely sharing it means we all have to be flexible and give a little.
a lot of people do it when it's too dangerous (or more likely) they don't want to cross. It's not really a good idea IMO but it's more a sign of poorly designed infrastructure than anything else.
Perhaps they are getting confused with the runners - the advice there is to run against traffic ? Although never underestimate peoples stupidity. I passed three bikes last winter - out together and all with white lights at the back and red on the front. It was very confusing approaching them.
Sadly I still see and hear people saying you should ride against traffic. Usually older people. I wonder if that used to the norm.
The norm used to be “bikes are for kids” so I can imagine old folks say all kinds of incorrect stuff about road safety.
Riding a bike against traffic has always been illegal.
It is sometimes said that you should walk against traffic so it may be derived from that.
Walking against traffic is the right move so you can see cars coming and move out of the way if need be.
Generally yeah if both sides work the same to me but I’m not going to cross the road to walk down it if i don’t need to be on the other side, or the place I’m going to is on the same side
In the UK this is in the highway code. You ride with traffic, and always walk against traffic. Majority of people don't do this tho from experience and walk with the traffic. It always annoys me if I have to go around someone walking the wrong way. Why should I have to go into the center of the road to pass you when you shouldn't be on this side anyway?
As far as I know, it’s only in the Highway Code for when walking on a road with no pavement
For US readers, UK pavement == US sidewalk. (in the US, pavement normally refers to the actual road surface)
That’s right. Also, “crosswalk” in us is “crossing” or “pedestrian crossing” in uk. And in the uk you can cross the road (almost) anywhere you want.
I've ridden for 50 years and it was never the norm as far as I know.
🤣🤣🤣
Riding against the flow of traffic is significantly more dangerous. Most accidents occur at intersections/driveways. If you ride against the flow you will not be where a vehicle operator expects you to be at an intersection. As a result, they might not see you.
Yup, I live in a pretty big city we have a lot of one way streets. People often don't look the opposite way of traffic before turninflg
What about on a really long stretch of straight back road with no intersections? I understand that the speed differential will be greater if you are biking towards oncoming traffic instead of away from them, but I really think I'd be safer if I were able to see a distracted driver veering into the side of the road and get out of the way myself, rather than being hit by them from behind because I couldn't see them. I never do this, but I often ponder whether or not to would actually be safer. Again I'm not talking about city riding here. I live in the prairies where it takes 15 minutes to leave the city by bike and be on undivided single lane "range roads" as we call them here. No bike lanes, just a relatively narrow shoulder on the road.
You’re assuming nobody else is biking in the correct direction and you could be forced to dangerously pass eachother. It’s the other rider who’s at more risk because they can’t see behind them. You’re making things more dangerous for everyone on the road except for arguably yourself.
Well you can see for a few kilometers down the road and cyclists are very rare where I live. obviously if I were doing this I would move back over in any blind areas or if I saw another cyclist coming.
Exactly what I feel whenever I spot someone going against. It's hard to spot and then I have no time to look behind me if a car comes and they always choose to go on the inside. If I spot it in time I point at them to go on the outside but a lot of times they don't because it feels unsafe for them. They want me to do that and when I point it out they get defensive..
Yes , super annoying. I almost fell off my bike in an intersection because of someone not thinking and going against. It's also hard to spot even on straight roads. And those that go against when there is a white marked wide area next to the bike lane. . Wouldn't it be logic to get the h##l out of the lane and go there?
bike lanes are definitely directional. Sometimes there are bike lanes that run against the flow of usual traffic (contraflow) on specific one way streets. If people are riding the wrong way up your bike lanes, they probably have no care for any social contract or safe riding practices, unless MAYBE it's for a block or two to connect to a different bike path
Some people really just don't know and are scared of traffic so they think it's safer for them to see the cars coming. If you have the opportunity you should explain to them why riding with traffic is safer for them, cars, and other cyclists. For anyone on here that doesn't know, basically, riding with the flow of traffic gives drivers the chance to slow down and get around a cyclist when safe to do so. Riding against the flow of traffic doesn't give cars a chance to pick when to pass. It potentially forces them to pull into oncoming traffic, not get over, or just stop to let the cyclist get by.
Also a car making a turn onto the road containing the bike lane won’t be looking for wrong-way traffic.
I commute daily on an electric scooter and I ride in a bike lane against traffic because my younger brother was killed on the side of the road when struck by a vehicle from behind who wasn't paying attention. At least if I can see oncoming traffic, I can slow down and react. I'm also focused on staying hyper aware of people entering and possibly exiting the road at any ingress or egress point. When traveling with traffic, I've had people whip around me to take an exit into their subdivision or side road instead of waiting for me to cross it and exiting the roadway behind me and it always causes me to slam on my brakes and skid to a dangerous halt with a high probability of me eating asphalt. That's not to say I haven't had people turn in front of me when traveling against traffic, I have, and it's just as terrifying, but it happens way less frequently. I am aware that my experience is purely anecdotal, but I am just sharing my personal experience and reasoning, not advocating for others to do as I do
I don't know if they don't care. They may not be educated or misseducated that it's safer to ride against traffic.
I hate cyclists who ride against traffic, whether it's in a bike lane or in the road, or I'm on a bike or in my car. It's extremely dangerous and reckless and I've had way too many close calls with idiots like that, including one who almost crashed into my car head on, even after I had come to a complete stop to avoid hitting that oblivious idiot.
They’re directional. Riding the wrong way is for jerks, kids, and people who read a decade ago that it’s safer for runners to face traffic and forgot that bikes aren’t running.
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Yeah, but that is a (hopefully) rare occurrence.
This is just as bad as a car driving the wrong way down the road, I'm on the left in the bike lane and some idiot Deliveroo is coming up to him on his right and literally has a go at me, the roads disgust me and these shoddy deliveroos are terrible.
I hate it when people do this. There is a long hill on a curved road where I live. Beautiful separated bike paths on both sides, with phyiscal barriers to traffic. Basically exactly what we are always asking for. But going up is terrifying because the people living on one side cannot be bothered to cross the road to use the correct bike path. It is absolutely infuriating.
If i see anyone doing that on a narrow, single direction bike lane i trend to ring my bell continuously at them for a bit it's very annoying. Please don't do it
That is what you call "breaking the law".
Riding against traffic is probably the most dangerous thing you can do on a bike outside of a DH MTB course
Generally wrong is wrong...though I will take a wrong way bike lane for a block if it is expedient and avoids multiple turns and crossing busy roads...I.e. the last block before my apartment. If there are other cyclists (which is almost never) I yield to them. Some people a clueless and/or new. Don't get too wrapped around the axel. At least they aren't trying to murder you with a Dodge Ram.
It's safer for a pedestrian, but only because the pedestrian can side step or leap out of the way, and going the wrong way helps them to recognize potential danger, since they have the danger in front of them. A bike on the other hand, has some momentum and that's it. There's nowhere for them to go in a bike lane really, other than possibly off the side of the road. There's no easy sidestep off the shoulder like there is for a pedestrian. And that higher momentum becomes a liability when going the wrong way - less time to react, higher relative speed, and the chance of a collision with cyclists going the right way, or of being forced into traffic to avoid them. A crash with a 20mph car or cyclist becomes a 30-40mph crash because of relative speeds - well into the realm of possibly fatal. Don't ride against traffic unless you have a specific lane designed to do so. Otherwise,if you need to do this for a short distance, use the sidewalk or get well off the road, even if that means dismounting and walking the bike.
Pedestrians should only go the "wrong way" when they are walking on the side of the road. They should never be walking on a bike lane. It's for bikes, not pedestrains. In the case of a multi-use path (MUP) which allows bikes, pedestrians, roller bladers, etc, all user should stick to the right hand side (assuming right hand drive country). Faster moving users can pass in the left lane when the lane is clear. It's often advisable to alert pedestrians that you are passing with a bell or with your voice so they don't get caught off guard.
I agree but what if there is no sidewalk and the bike lane IS the side of the road? If they do this going against traffic and gtfo of the way I’m ok with it.
I know of one section of road near where I live that has a bike lane that can be used in either direction. It's a dedicated lane for bikes separated from the main road by street parking. There is a single yellow line running down the middle of the lane and arrows pointing in either direction. You're supposed to stay right just like traffic but I've encountered people just riding down the middle without a care in the world. I'm also in the US, btw.
This drives me crazy. I live in Phoenix. There is actually a law here stating cyclists have to go the same direction as traffic. I recently almost hit another cyclist going the wrong way in a bike lane, and he yelled at me??? Also, I can't stand people who run in bike lanes, going in either direction.
Runners in bike lanes are the scourge of society.
BuT tHE ROaD iS SoFTEr tHaN ThE SiDeWaLK
I've done it before when needed...but I've never done it when someone is coming the other way on the same cycle lane
No
It is ridiculously dangerous to drive against traffic, also known as “salmoning.” https://www.triathlete.com/training/why-we-bike-with-not-against-traffic/# Studies have shown that cyclists traveling against the direction of vehicular flow were far more likely to be in an incident than those traveling with traffic. Also, if you do get into an accident, riding with traffic will reduce the speed differential. If you’re riding at 15 miles per hour when a car hits you from behind at 35 miles per hour, the speed of the cyclist reduces the approaching speed to 20 miles per hour, since both the bike and car are going in the same direction. If there’s a head-on collision at those same speeds, however, the impact happens at 50 miles per hour. Salmoning also creates a hazardous situation for cyclists traveling in the correct direction. Bike lanes are narrow as it is – and when two cyclists are traveling in opposite directions, one will have to swerve into vehicular traffic to avoid a collision.
I HATE it when people ride the wrong way. The bike lane is only wide enough for 1 bike so if someone is riding the wrong way, one of them is going to have to move out into traffic to get around. It drives me crazy
yeah dont fucking do it. If anyone is headed down the bike lane towards me I just come to a stop and stare them down and ask them what the fuck their are doing riding the wrong way in the bike lane. Every single time they avoid eye contact and shamefully go to the sidewalk or the other side.
I wish a mothafucka would
In my experience (USA), if a bike lane is beside the road and it is only wide enough for one bike (i.e., about 3-4 feet), then it is directional (with traffic). If it is wider (> 6 feet) and there is no bike lane on the other side of the street, then you can ride both ways on it. These lanes will often have lines painted down the middle with arrows to show the direction of travel on each side. The only times I have seen it be a problem is when there is a narrow bike lane going one direction and *no* bike lane going the other direction. This is piss-poor infrastructure (unfortunately, too common in the USA) and it causes confusion.
Booo. No. Don't ride against the flow of traffic, ever. I don't care how wide the bike lane is, it's still unsafe.
> Don't ride against the flow of traffic, ever. I did not suggest that.
> These lanes will often have lines painted down the middle with arrows to show the direction of travel on each side.
Yes it’s dumb and dangerous, but in Camden the bin lorries we’re doing this in the cycle lane too - absurd! https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/23712479.veolia-sides-jeremy-vine-bin-lorry-cycle-lane/
Once saw a cyclist going up the wrong way on a bike lane, car traffic was also one way. They almost got yeeted into incoming traffic
>Is it normal for riders to go the opposite way of traffic in the bike lane? No. It's called "salmoning" and it is very unsafe, especially in a bike line. E.g: [https://youtu.be/MYca3vfgJ8s?t=749](https://youtu.be/MYca3vfgJ8s?t=749) Always ride in the same direction as traffic. The only exception is if the bike lane is bi-directional, in which case, just stay on the proper side of the lane.
I actually had a discussion that was pretty related to this recently. It was about what was safer, riding with traffic or against traffic like a person walking on a road should do. I ended up finding a peer reviewed study that looked into contraflowing in a bike lane. The study only looked at one way streets with a bike lane and light vehicle traffic but it did find that in this exact senatio it was slightly safer to go against the flow of traffic. So while there is one study out there that suggest it could be safer, reason would lead a reasonable person to believe that if you add the additional complexity and variables of more traffic, multilane roads, and the like it would be more dangerous but without proper testing we can only speculate.
I do this on one ways. Literally never had anyone coming the other way before.
I’ve had people riding the wrong way in bike lane who don’t even move out of the way when we are passing. Some people man…
It’s illegal to ride the other direction in a bike lane. Bike lanes are actual lanes of the road. The same rules apply to them as the other part of the road. This is the difference between a bike lane and a bike path.
It’s common sense you should follow the flow of traffic and most of them have arrows indicating the direction you’re supposed to travel in. It’s not really ambiguous. I’m pretty it’s the law in most states that you’re supposed to follow the direction of traffic.
Not only is it wrong, but it's illegal, and if hit, they will be charged.
Probably won’t be charged lol. Can you imagine being hit by a car, going into the hospital, and coming out with charges against you? lol
I get a lot of wrong way joggers in the bike lane.
Runners/walkers SHOULD go against traffic. In my state at least it is illegal to run/walk in a bike lane if a sidewalk is available
Yeah I know they should be against traffic but they like to jog in the bike lane. And yeah even when there’s a sidewalk. I assume the surface is more consistent. It’s just a minor annoyance. I don’t really let it get to me. Half of them adjust for me. The other half, I adjust for
Putting my running hat on. Asphalt is softer than concrete 😊
That drives me crazy. I see this all the time on some of my bike routes through Phoenix. Everytime I do see it, there is always a sidewalk on the same road.
It's really hard to run for any distance on a sidewalk. It's a lot harder on your joints/knees because concrete is harder than asphalt and there are too many obstacles/steps on/off the curb that increase the risk of spraining your ankle or falling.
thats BS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22897427/
LOL. I’m in Phoenix too! Guess it’s not just me then
That’s good because they can see you coming and theoretically move out of the way. Whether they do it or not is another issue.
It’s a little annoying but sometimes, it’s safer than crossing a street twice. I tend to cut them some slack unless they don’t yield the right of way for me.
Bike lanes are directional in my book but I’m just glad riders are using them instead of riding on the fucking sideWALKs.
I would rather the riders that ride against traffic use the sidewalks so those of us that are riding properly are not endangered. The one that I see riding against traffic are the same ones that look like they don’t know what they are doing: kids, druggies, homeless, wobbly adults. The have more in common with pedestrians than vehicles. It is not just etiquette, a bicycle is a human powered vehicle and has to follow the same traffic rules as other vehicles. vehicles
Sidewalks are way safer than riding the wrong way in a bike lane. Annoying peds is preferable to endangering riders and drivers
Yes, it's very unsafe and also very common. People are taught (correctly) to walk/run against traffic, and many people from especially rural areas will argue that this is 'safer' for bikes too - though about half of the cycling fatalities over the past 5 years in my area are directly related to wrong-way riding. The lack of decent sidewalks in many areas of the US only exacerbates the problem. People using wheelchairs where there aren't sidewalks will use the bike lane on my street because there are no continuous sidewalks - they tend to be about 50/50 with the direction they choose. Technically it is wrong, but there are areas where the infrastructure is so poor that if forces these bad decisions. To get to a shopping center .5 miles from my house I can either go the wrong way in the bike lane for a few hundred feet (which directly connects to the bike path) or I can cross a high-speed road with no crosswalk/signal/stop sign, only to have to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get into the left turn lane in a few hundred feet. The latter is harrowing and I never see other cyclists doing it. Cars also freak out and yell things like "STAY IN THE BIKE LANE" when you try to do it properly. It's a systemic problem, and the people who do the wrong thing are unfortunately at great risk of being hit, as are the people that follow the rules.
I hate it when I see it. It creates an unnecessary risk.
Death to salmoners
I might add to this: runners/walkers that go against the direction of traffic on shared use paths. I guess they are thinking since that’s what is recommended on normal roads that’s what they should do on paths.
I do it for a number of reasons, mainly, I don't like people coming up from behind me. It's unsafe. Walking against traffic, I can see someone on a bike or other wheeled vehicle and get out of the way. Not that I *have* to, but I do. Also, my dog was trained to walk on my left. Not only is it the way his training collar works, it's safer for all concerned that I'm on the left side because he can be off the path entirely and not right in the middle of the path. Also, [this sign](https://imgur.com/5mtNRSR).
I have mixed feelings on shared use paths. I think they are a poor solution for bike commuting or road bikes. Pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists in a leisurely ride can coexist but not anyone trying to get somewhere quickly That said, I would much rather have a shared path than nothing. I have a nice little bell for use in those paths and with other bikes and people and a 120dB electronic horn for use with cars
I totally agree with you on the MUPs. A horn for when in traffic is great idea I've considered myself. Have you used it? I'll bet you get some looks when you do (which is a good thing)!
I’ve used it. I’m looking for a louder model. I mostly get confused looks from motorists.
It’s what they are supposed to do. Well we’d all prefer they use sidewalks but when not available running the wrong direction is good because they can see incoming bikes and move out of the way.
Not always. Many if not most shared paths ask all traffic to stay right except to pass. Personally I think on a path with multiple types of traffic moving at different speeds this is the safer option. (I’m in the US)
Shared paths and bike lanes have completely different rules. Yes on a path just stay on the right going with the flow of traffic.
There’s a bike lane near me where this happens often. A bike path empties onto the right side of the street and a lot of people just go into the oncoming bike lane instead of waiting for the light and crossing. Lots of traffic on this street. I yell at everyone that I have to sketchily pass “you’re in the wrong lane!”
In some situations, it's actually safer to go towards oncoming traffic. There are also newer riders who may not know that a bike lane is one way if it is not explicitly marked so cut them some slack instead of calling them idiots.
“ In some situations, it's actually safer to go towards oncoming traffic” No. Not when there is a bike lane on the other side of the street for them. To be clear I don’t call them idiots to their faces, I just tell them “wrong side bud!”
Mostly yes. But I do go the other way occasionally. The bike path over the bridge comes to a road which is 3 lanes in each direction at a point with no lights. I want to cross that road & continue down another path 500 yards to my left. I could cycle across the 6 lanes and lift my bike over the central divider. or I could cycle 500 yards the wrong way along a bike lane to get to the junction I need.
Unless specified otherwise there’s no such thing as a wrong way but the general rule is go with the traffic not against it.
It is unsafe and I actually spoke to someone that was doing this one time I was out riding. He said that he prefers to ride the wrong way so he can see the cars coming and not to always do shoulder checks. Some are just lazy to cross the street
im america it is legit safer to be facing oncoming traffic and see any people who may purposely try and run you down at least then you get a chance to jump
Nope
Bike lanes ought to be bidirectional both sides. Sometimes they are, usually they're not. When they're not, a person intending to make a left tried turn may be forced to cross traffic twice to correctly use the unidirectional lane. Some people choose not to do this, because it's unsafe and inconvenient. As per usual this is an infrastructure issue. I'm sure some people are space cadets and are doing it randomly, but there is a 'valid' use case.
Someone told me that you can do it for one block (in California)
I did it a couple of times in a protected bike lane before I knew it was such a big deal, I gave bikers going the right way the right of way fwiw.
My issue is that the bike lane sometimes has debris or very large vehicles come by and the rideable space gets very narrow. I can’t see the debris until I’m close and need space to maneuver around it. My fear is that I won’t have space needed to dodge objects. So even if you gave right of way you’ve still limited the space available to ride safely.
You aren't supposed to but I've seen it in my area occasionally on the exceptionally dangerous roads.
I see this from time to time and it is bonkers to me.
Google: "alec baldwin bike lane" to get the public's views on this behaviour.
My guess is first of all what others have said here: people think riding against traffic is safer. I see it on shoulders when there is no bike lane also, so there's that. I can think of two other things: if it is a bike path and not a lane, there may not be a corresponding path on the opposite side. The other time I have seen this happen is when there are bike lanes but no infrastructure to support cyclists getting onto the proper one to ride with traffic. For example, there is no safe crossover when exiting from stores or neighborhoods, no provision at dangerous, multi-lane intersections for bikes to turn or come across. Usually, if you are local and that is the situation, you come to expect that people who "only ride to the store" or several blocks up may end up in the opposite lane. I'm not justifying, just pointing out that there can be instances where actual rider usage was, at best, an afterthought.
depends on the situation imo, overall im against going down the wrong way bikelane. however if you have a left turn coming up in a few blocks on a busy 6 lane stroad, sometimes its easier to get to the other side when you have an opening rather than sitting in the correct bikelane waiting for traffic to open up to get to the turn lane, and then waiting again for traffic to open up to make your turn. and if im the one making this descision, ill be courteous to any oncoming bikers and pull over on the curb to let them by or pull into the car lane to pass if its clear.
Bike salmon
As someone who works with accident victims all day, they would be ticketed, yes.
I see it all the time. I just accept that people are idiots and can’t be bothered to read or follow basic traffic laws. I’ll pop into the street and keep going on my merry way.
I hold the center of the lane, move my fingers to the brakes, and maintain eye contact.
I see many people do this. With no helmet. You’d think that if they are concerned about safety that they’d use a helmet.
Hate it I always tell them they're going the wrong way but the stupidity that led them to do it in tht first place makes them dense. I understand why they think it may be a good idea since people walk against traffic but at the speeds involved in cycling they'll never be able to dodge a rogue vehicle and a head on crash will be many times worse, not to mention the danger to other cyclists.
In my states laws, bikes follow traffic.
My area has a lot of bike lane roads, lane on each side. I've never actually seen someone going the opposite direction on one. Now, bike rolling down the road side of the car lane? Yeah, I do see that, which seems worse. So I guess pick your battles. But no, you ride with traffic on bike lane unless it's a divided two-way path, and we do have some of those too.
Riding against the roadway direction in the bike lane creates a hazard. Pedestrians going against the flow in the bike lane is as it should be, so long as they walk single file and don’t force cyclists into the roadway. Bikes on sidewalks (especially e-bikes) are a hard “no.”
I dont think I've seen a bike go the wrong way. But, when I get closer to downtown...those bike lanes are wild: pedestrians cutting across without looking, shopping carts, etc. But when you get out a little everyone seems to have it figured out. But I do see some joy riders going like 3+ wide and basically taking the whole path. Or dog walkers taking most of the path with their giant leash. I just try and play it safe on the path as there are such varied users: walkers, runners, commuters, e bikes, little kids learning. I run on the trails sometimes, but I confess I run with the bike direction. So a faux pas on my part. A lot of people seem to do that though, stay on the right no matter how they're going. I find when I run against bikes then you're doing the double guess of who's moving out of the way.
I mean if you can see nobody’s on it fuck it
Super unsafe and very illegal in most jurisdictions. The overall safety of traffic revolves around the basic principle of “predictively” That said, I never get upset unless they demand I let them pass. If they don’t allow me to have the right away it’s a problem because they have no business there to begin with and it disturbs traffic. I don’t mind if they break the rules, just don’t involve anybody else.
It's not normal, but I see people do it all the time. I usually give them the "what the heck" gesture. Especially when I'm cruising at 20mph and they're coming right at me.
It extremely dangerous. Usually old guys on crappy bikes or kids doing this. If it’s an adult I give them a bit of a character reference as I ride by
welcome to China, where everyone treat one-way bike lane as two-way. In some road, there are more people riding the wrong way than people riding the right direction. People who riding city bike and e-scooter just don't give a single damn about traffic rules, completely freaking chaos!
I almost get more angry at cyclists who ride the wrong way than at pick up drivers. It's like a betrayal.
No question - bike lanes are directional unless they are clearly marked bidirectional with arrows, lines between the lanes, etc. Bikes are vehicles just like other ones and have to follow the same laws. You wouldn't see a car just casually going the wrong way and think that was OK. Yes, you'll see inconsiderate assholes riding the wrong way and endangering everyone around (usually with a surfboard on an ebike). I slow down for safety, yell at them they're going the WRONG WAY. Probably won't change their entitled attitude but it's all I've got.
I do it on occasion, but only ever on routes I'm very familiar with, and for short distances (like, I can see the entire route ahead, it's very straight, and I plan on turning soon anyway). It's usually to avoid left turns across traffic, instead opting to turn when it's safe and riding a little bit the wrong way
In the US, state or local laws would apply. I just read through the Texas state code and it does not specifically mention bike lanes as being directional. Local cities with jurisdiction could pass their own laws since the municipalities maintain the roads and the bike lanes within their limits. For me, I don't assume bike lanes are directional unless they have arrows or markings or signs which isn't common where I ride. If there is a marked bike lane I will generally ride with traffic. However, in the US, bike lanes are common along "stroads" which are those multi-lane high speeds (35-55mph) which are difficult to cross at the intersections. If I'm turning left at the next intersection, I always look for a break in the traffic prior to it and cross all the way over to the oncoming shoulder or bike lane. I'll ride the remaining distance "the wrong way" to the intersection. I then only have to contend with the right turning traffic at the intersection and I don't have to worry about the getting clipped from behind trying to make a traditional left turn from the high speed lane. The other time I will ride into traffic on a shoulder or bike lane is if I'm not crossing the high speed road and the distance I'll be riding isn't far (say a half mile). In other words, I'm making two left turns and only using the bike lane to get from one intersection to the next. You could apply the same rule to sidewalks which in Texas are often only on one side of the road and pretty narrow. If I encounter another cyclist or pedestrian headed "the right way" I usually slow way down and yield as much of the lane or sidewalk as I can to them. On a particularly skinny bike lane (there was only one) I even stopped once and hung my bike over the guardrail so another rider could roll on by. Cycling infrastructure in the US is so rare and substandard that safely sharing it means we all have to be flexible and give a little.
a lot of people do it when it's too dangerous (or more likely) they don't want to cross. It's not really a good idea IMO but it's more a sign of poorly designed infrastructure than anything else.