Cycles of all sorts

There is considerable confusion expressed about the meaning of vehicular cycling. Among these, are:

"VC is cycling as if you're a car"

Some people mistakenly describe VC as, "cycling as if you're a car". But bicycles are not cars, and the vehicular rules of the road apply to not just cars, but all kinds of vehicles, from horse and buggies to tractor trailers, and everything in between, including bicycles. Some rules have more relevance to drivers of some vehicles than to others because of unique physical and operational characteristics of some vehicles. For example, because of the narrow nature of motorcycles, motorcyclists can often share (split) lanes that are too narrow for two standard width vehicles to share. This is also true for bicyclists, whose vehicles also have the narrow characteristic. Truck drivers require special training, as do bus and taxi drivers, and motorcyclists. Some people advocate special training for cyclists to learn vehicular cycling, such as the Effective Cycling program. One of the main vehicular rules that has special application to cyclists riding on roadways is that drivers of slower vehicles should keep to the side (when safe and reasonable) between intersections, though many people forget that at intersections and their approaches lane position should be selected according to destination.

"VC is needlessly blocking cars"

Cyclists who ride in the center of a lane needlessly impeding faster traffic are sometimes mistakenly referred to as vehicular cyclists; yet by definition a cyclist who needlessly impedes faster traffic is violating the vehicular rules of the road and is hence not riding vehicularly.

"VC means not riding in bicycle lanes"

Another misconception about VC -- that riding in a bicycle lane is contrary to the principles of VC -- probably stems from a misunderstanding of John Forester's teachings about bicycle lanes. Forester has written that Effective Cycling does not train a cyclist to avoid riding in a bicycle lane, but rather to choose their lateral position as if the bicycle lane stripe is not there. Cyclists who end up in a bicycle lane should be extra cautious with regard to people who look for vehicles only in the traffic lanes, the road debris that tends to accumulate there, and avoiding crossing the solid stripe without first yielding to other traffic.

Also, while many VC advocates oppose bike lanes, what they actually oppose is the bike lane stripe, not the space demarcated by the stripe. Nor do they oppose riding in that space (whether it is demarcated or not) when safe, reasonable and appropriate to do so for the current factors and conditions. The opposition to the stripe is based on the widespread perception that the demarcated "bike lane" space is where cyclists "should" ride regardless of current factors and conditions.

"VC means you have to follow the letter of the law"

To understand vehicular cycling, it is important to fully comprehend the subtle but significant distinction between the principles for driving a vehicle in traffic and the laws which regulate driving in a given jurisdiction. Vehicular cycling is based on the principles, not the laws.

To illustrate the distinction between these two concepts, consider the principle that vehicles should always travel within the portion of the road intended for the movement of vehicular traffic (a.k.a. the Traveled Way). Now consider those laws which prohibit drivers of a particular class of vehicle (bicyclists) from traveling within the Traveled Way when a path (such as a sidewalk) exists along side. Notice the difference between principle and law in this example.

John Forester illustrated the distinction in another way when he wrote about turn signals:

"The law about making turn signals differs from state to state, and has differed from time to time. The principle is that any driver who will be affected by the movement should be informed of your intended movement. However, the implementations of that principle differ."

The principles of driving require that a driver signal those who will likely be affected by a change in the movement of the driver's vehicle. If a look back meets this requirement when merging, then that is all which is required of a vehicular cyclist. While the law may require cyclists to use their arms to signal, the principle does not dictate that a vehicular cyclist must do so. Vehicular cycling requires sound judgment in the application of the principles of driving, not blind compliance with the law.