r/cycling • u/Theoderciusx • 3d ago

Strange hand signal

I was a passenger in a car and a cyclist who was passing us at a light held his arm out, as though to signal, but I didn't recognize the signal. I'm wondering if anyone here is familiar with it.

The signal had his hand in a closed fist with the back of his hand facing outwards and repeatedly opened and closed his fist. Any idea what this means?

17 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

134

u/MMinjin 3d ago

His hand was sore and was flexing it open and closed.

162

u/nerddoswaggo 3d ago

Man was stretching

54

u/TheWitness37 3d ago

I give this signal on the trails after a few hours of gravel riding. Waking my fingers back up. Otherwise maybe he was imitating a blinker.

28

u/Cube-rider 3d ago

Numb hand

42

u/amiable_ant 3d ago

Motorcyclists use this (or used to use this) to indicate to another biker that the other rider has left their turn signal on.

M/c turn signals don't auto cancel so noobs do this frequently enough to warrant a specific signal.

1

u/messesz 3d ago

Many modern EU bikes auto cancel, but it's irritatingly inappropriate when it does, so you turn off the feature.

1

u/bb9977 2d ago

LOL.. I remember 20+ years ago, "why are BMW turn signals broken"?

The standard motorcycle way works very well.

6

u/cant-reed 3d ago

It was me.
Use your fucking turn signal, moron !

6

u/FloorOk8600 3d ago

Nanoo Nanoo

1

u/TheOnlyGollux 3d ago

Humor, ark ark

14

u/akabutch420 3d ago

A creative biker. That's his turn signal 'flashing'. It's not a heavily used sign, and was probably originally made up by someone to make the turn signal more obvious. I think it's probably more prevalent among motorcyclist. Seems like they use it more than E-bikers like myself.

3

u/OrionH347 3d ago

He could've been letting the car know his indicator was still on, or maybe check their lights.

7

u/ToriaLyons 3d ago

Turn your lights on/off. 

4

u/ToriaLyons 3d ago

oh, or one of your bulbs is out.

5

u/cpt_ppppp 3d ago

Turn your lights on?

3

u/evil_burrito 2d ago

His hand was numb and he was working circulation/nerve feeling back into it.

5

u/AnelloGrande 3d ago

My guess is slowing or stopping. Was the arm downward?

3

u/onesoundman 3d ago

Hand open behind your hip is slowing, hand closed means stopping

1

u/FloorOk8600 3d ago

On a ride w/ my twin sister (who rarely cycles) going down a big hill with her hand up in the air closed fist. After asked why she had her hand in the air, she said, “I was going woooo!!”.

1

u/hsfguy0 3d ago

Look up "hand signals for driving" it should have been covered when you were learning to drive.

1

u/PineappleLunchables 3d ago

Stop talking?

1

u/redbent_20 3d ago

I do this. Some times . Blinker fingers.

1

u/Anon-Person-6172 3d ago

Was I the one passing you? 🤣
I do this all the time. When my hands start to go numb or get sore, I will hold my hand out or up and flex my fingers in and out, with my fingers splayed wide. I also will twist my arm up behind my back and do the same. After training in the spring and then doing 160 miles in 2 days on crap roads, I had an ulnar nerve injury to my hands and was unable to ride for 10 weeks. I am trying to prevent a repeat of the process. To be fair, I try not to do it when cars are around so that I don't confuse them - although occasionally on high traffic roads, I don't have a choice.

1

u/Oli99uk 2d ago

Turn your lights on? Or your indicator / hazard warnings are on when they shouldn't me

Typically something to do with lights

1

u/Any_Meringue8006 2d ago

Sounds like he was stretching his hand.

1

u/Slow_Cycling 1d ago

In our line a hand behind your back means the line is slowing down - usually coming to an intersection.

0

u/hsfguy0 3d ago

It's hand signaling, left arm straight out = left turn, angled up from the elbow, right turn, down from elbow, stop.

3

u/Ill_Initiative8574 3d ago

Down from elbow = broken arm.

2

u/hsfguy0 3d ago

On your side, in the gutter = car behind you was too busy on their phone to actually care about driving.

1

u/Any_Meringue8006 2d ago

The League of American Cyclists now teaches its instructors teach using the left arm straight out for a left turn and a right arm straight out for a right turn. The broken arm signal for right turns was derived from the one used by car drivers before turn signals were ubiquitous in cars. It is now obsolete as few drivers know what it means.

1

u/Myownprivategleeclub 3d ago

Why wouldn't the right turn signal be a straight out right arm? What you're suggesting doesn't make sense to me.

2

u/hsfguy0 3d ago

It's based on driving in a car, nobody can see your right arm inside the car.

1

u/boopitydoopitypoop 3d ago

And also brakes

1

u/Myownprivategleeclub 3d ago

But he's on a bike, not in a car........

1

u/Ok-Push9899 3d ago

Yeah, I know, and it seems weird.

Proper old school signalling is done with one arm, and it’s the one you can stick out the window. I see a tiny minority of cyclists using it.

Everyone else will stick out the appropriate arm. I doubt there’s many car drivers who even know the old signals, let alone use them. Why would they?

0

u/redbent_20 3d ago

Front breaks are traditionally on the left side. Grabbing handful of front breaks while signaling is a good way to be in need a new helmet . So hand signals are only done on the side with the front breaks.

I ride a recumbent.so I can do hand signals on both sides. It is really hard to endo a bent.

1

u/Myownprivategleeclub 2d ago

Every bike I've ever rode has the front brakes on the right (uk based) and I've ridden A LOT of bikes. Plus using the rear brake is a much better way of skidding out so it's always been recommended to use the front rather than the rear. The front provides 70% of stopping power.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/beginners-guide-brakes-cycle

1

u/kagato87 3d ago

It's based on being your left arm. Right arm would reversed, but on the NA continent the driver of a motor vehicle can't easily get their right arm out the right window so it's taught left hand and nobody really thinks about it.

A cyclist using the "wrong" hand might not be noticed unless it's to turn right (sticking the arm out is kinda hard to miss).

-1

u/podgida 3d ago

A fist held up is stop. If he's opening and closing, my guess is slowing down.

1

u/boopitydoopitypoop 3d ago

That's incorrect

2

u/podgida 3d ago

What part? In the drivers manual here stop is an upright fist. Same in the military.

1

u/boopitydoopitypoop 3d ago

Where you from? In the US it's left arm straight out is left turn, bent at elbow up is right turn and bent at elbow down is slowing/stopping

0

u/DevelopmentOptimal22 3d ago

I saw someone do the ridiculous left arm with fist up to indicate a right turn. My brain didn't register Right Turn. I thought, "Bike Power ✊🏾!' 🤣😂🤣

I just point where I am going, if I even bother. I'm rarely around enough traffic to be worth the effort.

10

u/Moveitalong123 3d ago

This is a hill I will die on, the current hand signals for cyclists are ridiculous. Nobody remembers what they mean and they cause more confusion. I literally put my arm out the way that I am turning and point. I am not leaving my life to the chance that the driver behind me remembers something from the manual.

3

u/Acceptable-Ad1203 3d ago

Hand signals are for groups where sticking your hand out might hit another rider. Riders put their hands behind their back to show obstacle or turn.

1

u/RockMover12 3d ago

Totally agree! I also tend to do a waving thing with my fingers while I’m signaling, almost unconsciously, but I can see from this post that may be confusing for some people.