Any biking major biking rules to watch out for? (biking, not talking about bike related rules on public transit or whatever)

I have a couple main questions:

1. I sometimes bike in the "wrong" direction inside the yellow dashed boundary. As in, on the left side. So cars are oncoming, and if another cyclist or whatever came we would cross paths. But the place I've done this has ample room and low traffic, no intersections... It seems (honestly) perfectly safe. But would like to know the official rule

2. I assume when on the road in an uncontrolled intersection where priority-to-the-right would apply, the same applies to you on the bicycle. In practice what has happened for me is cars will often just yield. And I instinctively maybe have some momentum going and maybe it's downhill a bit so I gladly accept their yield. Again doesn't feel like anything dangerous to me or which would endanger others, but would like to know the rule

Friday, huh?

If this post is for real, you are a hospitalization waiting to happen.

This is monumentally stupid. Bikes basically have to follow the same rules as cars. I can imagine so many ways in which you would end up a stain on a car's windscreen.

Just don't do it. This one isn't even about rules, more about common sense and survival

Rules say, that cyclists have to abide by the general road traffic regulations. In another words anything you wouldn't do driving a car you shouldn't do on a bicycle. Or place "can" and "may" instead of "would" and "should", if we are talking from a strict law perspective.

It is wrong. This is definitely not a good idea for many reasons, although it may feel safe for you. Other drivers will have to adjust to your presence where it is not allowed or expected, people not looking in your direction running or crossing the street, it may puzzle other drivers and therefore cause an accident.


They may come to a full stop, because they may see you approaching the intersection without slowing down, so they just do not want to harm you and that is why they give you way.

On the other hand, if you show a proper slowing down (meaning your dynamics is as such you will stop before the stop line, not just slow down to give the other driver 2 seconds to cross the intersection before you will be on it), or if you are going uphill and continue pedaling, then the other driver giving you way is his own deliberate action and just a nice gesture towards you, so it is perfectly fine to take advantage of it.

Road rules apply to everybody.

Just because somebody is nice and yields (I sometimes do as well, especially when I see bikers not even slowing down) does not mean it's a right.

Just respect the rules please.

Following on from your thread about "yielding" a couple of months ago I can't help but suggest that you buy a copy of the Swiss Highway Code and refrain from using any form of wheeled vehicle until you've read and absorbed its contents.

This is incorrect and if you drive a car you should be aware that cyclists might come in the opposite direction. Especially in smaller communal streets cyclists are allowed to ride in either direction. It is legal if the street is marked with the following sign:

No, you absolutely should not.

The reason for the sign you posted (and couldn't you find a smaller picture please?) is to make motorists aware of exceptions to the rule, where a cycle lane specifically tells cyclists to go in that direction. It is by no means normal and in the absence of such signing cycles should _always_ go only in the same direction as other traffic on the same part of the road.

The code is also available online. Pro Velo Suisse makes a compilation of all relevant rules for cyclists, link to the Swiss Traffic law at the bottom

https://www.pro-velo.ch/fr/themes/se...afic-cycliste/

Personally, pedaling is much less effort than walking. So, riding the bike around the block to avoid going in the opposite direction of traffic. No major prob. Also, if too much people walking around, better dismount and walk pushing the bike. It's going to be 50-100m, not more.

These things are not required by law, but can save a lot of trouble. If I'm going to crash, I prefer it to be in the mountain going downhill and with a full-face helmet. Already seen some friends crash with pedestrians and end up with a broken collar bone for the slowest crash.

This is an incorrect interpretation of my words. My phrase by no mean implies, that if some rule is applied to one type of vehicle it is automatically applied to another. You don't drive a car, where it is not allowed by street signs, and you don't drive a bicycle where it is not allowed by street signs.

This sign shows, that some vehicle types are excluded from its regulation (such as bicycles). This information is also accessible by car drivers entering this street from another direction and they will be aware, that there may be bicycle driving towards them. But the OP didn't mention any such signage in his initial post, so the answer was about the general rules.

It is not an exception to the rule, it is the rule. The sign is for the cyclist allowing him to ride in the opposite direction. And you will find these signs everywhere in a city like Zurich. It is an official policiy that cyclist may ride in either direction of a one way street:https://www.srf.ch/sendungen/kassens...nd-in-kreiseln

Yes, you're right. I can see your point.

I's a local rule, only valid where the signs say so, that is an exception to the general rule. And it's not at all common, although yes, I've seen similar when cycling in cities.

If you ride like this on all roads you're asking for trouble - it's neither legal nor safe.

1. Don't do this unless the cycle path has separation markings in the middle and is clearly marked as bidirectional. E.g. https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5493.../data=!3m1!1e3. I can honestly say that in many years of cycling in Switzerland, I've never seen a cyclist come the other way on a single-path cycle lane. But that's maybe because I'm in a different city to you...

2. A bicycle does have priority if it's on the right (i.e. there's traffic on your left) in "priorité de droite" junctions. But the cemetery is full of cyclists with "But I had priority!" chiseled into their headstones. So slow down and catch the other driver's eye while asserting your priority.

Hm, Luzern and neighbouring towns are full of such abominations, and if you ask me, they work mostly because people are using them since ever. But there are way too many crossing of different groups of users, parallel use of same groups, or a single surface used by different groups. Two worst culprits are Arsenalstrasse and Taubenhausstrasse. Take also into the account that most of the road paintings on the pics (red and yellow) are here only for few years.
Whole Luzern center is a maze of one way roads without priority, where bicycle can come from any directions. And people can cross anywhere





From city or traffic planner view, if there are different groups of users on the road, faster and bigger one have to adapt their speed and care for the slower and more vulnerable groups. So I will advocate separate surfaces for cars / cyclist / except when you are already deep into residential areas where everyone have to be super slow.

I understand what you are saying with: same rules for cars and cyclist, but here is an important caveat: this is valid only on the roads where they are both allowed as single category. Bicycle can go on so many different surfaces where cars are forbidden and there are also roads where bicycles are not allowed.

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Are you sure about the waiting part?

WTF?

If someone needs to drive into Luzern altstadt, better to arrive from the North via the Sedelstrasse and park in the Schweizerhof. Other areas in the city center are indeed crowded and confusing.

Both illegal to the best of my knowledge, and unwise. Do you realise that if that „accident waiting to happen“ does happen and your disrespect of road rules is beyond doubt, insurances may reduce their payments and you may face penury in addition to injury?

1. that dashed bike lane is used by cars for présélection, by slow vehicles to allow others to pass etc. If you come the wrong way, you might end up penetrated frontally by a farming implement (who couldn't move because someone was overtaking) without having sufficient reaction time. Not to mention a high speed cyclist may have an accident due to trying to avoid your riding the wrong way. If you're going to do something grossly dangerous and illegal, it's better to just go slowly and respectfully on the sidewalk. Still illegal but less dangerous and unexpected.

2. At some point you will misinterpret the driver (e. g. he went off the gas a bit because something fell down in the car, not because he's seen you and suspecting you won't yield properly) and you will die.

This.

Then take half a dozen car driving lessons, OP. Seriously.
Causing an accident and being at fault easily costs far more, plus may well do serious harm.