Making traffic signals on your bike?

[foxfirefey]

So, I have a vague idea of what traffic signals you're supposed to do on a bike. The problem is, I apparently don't always have the talent to bike *and* signal at the same time! I totally tumbled onto the road today trying to signal a right turn with my right arm.

Is there a better way? Does anybody have particular strategies? Should I just practice more in non-traffic areas until I'm more confident? Do they matter that much in your experience--how bad a sin is it to not do them?

Comments

[wychwood]

For me with signalling the key was totally practice. I had horrible trouble with it at first, but after a few months of cycling every day I found that I was signalling with much less stress. Practicing off-road etc sounds like a good plan, though, to accelerate the process! It's a really good idea to signal if you can, and if you can't then a) you need to be keeping a much closer eye on traffic because they won't know what you're doing, and b) don't take any risks with your turns at all.

There's one turn on my route home from work that I really can't signal on - it's at the bottom of a very steep and narrow hill, and I'm always fully engaged in braking with both hands, but I've never actually had a problem there (so far!).