Looking for a handout? Or a hand out?

Using hand signals is an important aspect of safety while cycling; and especially around motor traffic. It\’s not likely that drivers will hear us if we shout, \”Stopping!\”, or whatever it is we\’re about to do; and we can\’t expect them to read our minds.

 The basic \”directionals\” are the most important for the majority of riders: right turn, left turn, and slowing/stopping.

For a right turn, I use the old-school, right-angle-left-arm signal. I\’m still not comfortable riding one-handed with my left hand; especially if I need to signal while heading into a right turn that has a bit of a slope. Unfortunately a number of people don\’t seem to know that that right-angled arm is a turn signal, not waving Hi. I\’ve seen billboards showing cyclists\’ hand signals; and I hope they help to get the message across to the general public.

Do you feel self-conscious using hand signals; or does it make you feel silly? You\’re not alone. I felt ridiculous at first. It takes some time and practice for using hand signals to become second nature.

It\’s like just about anything else in life. Practice makes perfect. Then we can give ourselves a handout, I mean a big hand, for our accomplishment!