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Have you ever been pedaling away with a group of friends and needed to tell the guys behind you that there's an inconsiderate car parked on your nice new bike lane that you need to overtake? A useful way of communicating without screaming your precious air out of your lungs is with universal hand signals. Sam from Bikelah lists a couple of handy ones.
1. Stop
Signal: Fist behind your back or fist up in the air.
An essential signal to use, since suddenly hitting the brakes can cause unwanted accidents and injuries and grief and all that. An alternative for extra visibility is holding your fist up in the air like a champion.
2. Left Turn
Signal: Extend left arm perpendicular to body.
Letting vehicles behind you know you're swinging left is a good idea. Wave your arm around a little to better attract attention. Alternatively, you can extend your arm all the way to the sky and back down.
3. Right Turn
Signal: Extend right arm perpendicular to body.
D'uh. Yeah, bit of a no brainer after number 2. You know the drill. Also, it'll help you consolidate your lefts and rights! I know adults that have difficulty differentiating, and we totally understand. Doesn't mean you stop trying to map them in your mind.
4. Pothole
Signal: Point.
Universal sign for "look there". Use for discrete hazards in your immediate vicinity.
5. Slow Down
Signal: Hand pronated (palm towards the ground) and arm extended at a 45 degree angle. Slowly wave arm or wiggle fingers.
No one likes their bike to skid out from under them when they hit gravel or sandy roads at breakneck speeds. Tell those behind you to slow down due to dangerous road conditions, such as sand or gravel or unsealed road. Essentially anything that you can't point out with one hand.
6. Overtake/Hazard On Shoulder
Signal: Hand behind back with elbow towards hazard to overtake.
This signal has many variations to it, but the general gist is that you should overtake or at least be prepared for some sideways movement. You can also do fancy things with your fingers if you so choose, but I'll leave that up to you.
That's all for now! There are a handful of others (pardon the pun) that you can try out, such as patting your butt to show how firm it is (or jiggly, but don't let your imagination run wild now) to your riding companions. You should try coming up with a couple of special hand signals unique to your group. Kind of like a secret language so you can bitch about other cyclists while on the go. I'm kidding; just stick to bitching about each other.
Feel free to share any other good signals that you use when you're cycling. Happy riding!
- Sam
1. Stop
Signal: Fist behind your back or fist up in the air.
An essential signal to use, since suddenly hitting the brakes can cause unwanted accidents and injuries and grief and all that. An alternative for extra visibility is holding your fist up in the air like a champion.
2. Left Turn
Signal: Extend left arm perpendicular to body.
Letting vehicles behind you know you're swinging left is a good idea. Wave your arm around a little to better attract attention. Alternatively, you can extend your arm all the way to the sky and back down.
3. Right Turn
Signal: Extend right arm perpendicular to body.
D'uh. Yeah, bit of a no brainer after number 2. You know the drill. Also, it'll help you consolidate your lefts and rights! I know adults that have difficulty differentiating, and we totally understand. Doesn't mean you stop trying to map them in your mind.
4. Pothole
Signal: Point.
Universal sign for "look there". Use for discrete hazards in your immediate vicinity.
5. Slow Down
Signal: Hand pronated (palm towards the ground) and arm extended at a 45 degree angle. Slowly wave arm or wiggle fingers.
No one likes their bike to skid out from under them when they hit gravel or sandy roads at breakneck speeds. Tell those behind you to slow down due to dangerous road conditions, such as sand or gravel or unsealed road. Essentially anything that you can't point out with one hand.
6. Overtake/Hazard On Shoulder
Signal: Hand behind back with elbow towards hazard to overtake.
This signal has many variations to it, but the general gist is that you should overtake or at least be prepared for some sideways movement. You can also do fancy things with your fingers if you so choose, but I'll leave that up to you.
That's all for now! There are a handful of others (pardon the pun) that you can try out, such as patting your butt to show how firm it is (or jiggly, but don't let your imagination run wild now) to your riding companions. You should try coming up with a couple of special hand signals unique to your group. Kind of like a secret language so you can bitch about other cyclists while on the go. I'm kidding; just stick to bitching about each other.
Feel free to share any other good signals that you use when you're cycling. Happy riding!
- Sam
