In the Box

You may be familiar with the term “in the box” which refers to riders who are at their physical and mental limits, and doggedly working through pain and suffering. For savvy commuters and riders who closely interface with autos, being “in the box” looks to be an up and coming positive trend.

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Automobile driver’s view of a cyclist in the side mirror. As a cyclist, this scares me because the cyclist could drop into the blind spot and out of sight. Taking the lane increases this cyclist’s chances of being seen.

At High Performance Cycling, we emphasize safe group riding skills and are particularly adamant about what we think is the safest way to pull up to an intersection.

Our approach: “Take the lane.”

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Green boxes are starting to show up in Seattle: This one is in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The green boxes that are starting to appear at some intersections are an expression of the “taking the lane” tactic.

What to do if you are at an intersection without a green box? There isn’t a single solution that will work in every situation, but whatever you do should be based on the assumption that you are invisible to automobile drivers. Do your best to locate yourself in a position where you can be clearly seen–which is usually directly in front of or behind the automobiles.

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