Stop signs and seeing red

Do cyclists have to stop at stop signs? Surely, since they are so inconvenient, they only apply to cars, right? Especially when a stop sign is at the bottom of a hill, like the new one at the corner of Bishop and Spear?

That’s a particularly nasty stop sign because the cyclist headed south toward Irish Hill has to immediately climb that unforgiving little hill with no way to generate momentum. And with no risk of interacting with motorists when traveling south, there’s really no reason a bike has to stop there, right?

Wrong. Cyclists are required to follow the rules of the road. And the rules of the road are not situational choices. So, yes, the cyclist has to stop at the sign no matter what. Just like the car that has to stop at the proverbial four-way intersection in the middle of the desert even when they can see that no one is coming for miles in any direction.

Is a track stand acceptable? Yes, and makes it really worth working on your riding skills to be able to do this at stop signs. Also, be sure to gear down so you’re starting out in a low enough gear to handle the hill ahead.

Cyclists who don’t stop really get drivers seeing red. Paying attention to the rules of the road is one way to ensure that bikers and cars commute in peace, not in pieces.