This has been an interesting thread.  I like to see that everyone seems to try to follow the rules pretty well.  I generally stop at any stop sign or stop light whether or not there's traffic coming.  As Yost knows from riding with me I tend to not ever run through a stop-light.  I honestly don't see any reason not to stop at a sign.  Even during a workout I'll usually stop at any place I would in a car.  That's why I workout outside of town where there aren't stop signs.  Also, a note on the hand signals...  I was once told by a policeman to point in the direction I'll be turning.  It helps prevent confusion.  The hand signals that everyone was taught in Drivers Ed. were invented for cars before they had turn signals.  Since only the left hand of a driver could be seen, it made sense to make them that way.  Also, legally both forms of signal are acceptable and there isn't any one way that's better than another.  Point is...  Just USE them.

Here's a new one:  http://honorthestop.org/

Well... when I go through a stop sign and Im going straight, I almost always go through it with a car so other traffic probably doesn't even realize a cyclist has just gone through.

When Im making a turn, I always pass along the thank you wave to the cars whether they waved me through or not. The traffic reacts really well to it. I've never been beeped at for it. When Im approaching the stop sign to, I think my body language makes it clear what I'm trying to do. Thats the point that I was making regarding you have to be going fast enough so they know ur going through it, but not too fast that it looks like you're disrespecting the law. When I come up to the signs, I'm usually not pedaling, Im out of the saddle, and looking all around so as to see what the beat is. I don't start pedaling again until I'm pretty much at the stop sign and I carry through the turns.

I need to figure out a helmet mount for my camera and get a video. It would make it way more clear.

Being predictable is exactly what Im doing. By simply out thinking the motorist. When I come up to a stop sign, the cars at the intersection know exactly what Im about to do. I time it appropriately so that I go through at the appropriate time. Im not blowing stop signs. A cyclist that stops at every stop sign isn't predictable at all. Cars will sit there forever and wait for you to go through the stop sign. So how is that helping anyone? Thats how accidents happen. When 2 cars are sitting there waving each other because no one has any idea who has the right of way. Then one goes and the other goes, then they both stop, wave again, they both go... its just stupid. In fact, thats how I got hit my 1st 2 times. Once running and once riding. Because cars waved me through and I was planning to stop. Now they're expecting me to go. They see me stopping and then they go but they already waved me so I had began to accelerate again and bam.

The only way to be predictable to a motorist is to time it and go through at your turn without affecting traffic flow or by unclipping. You can think that trackstanding at a stop sign is safer, but it will just create confusion.

yes THAT is. You can't take it out of context. The reason I DON'T stop is to help the flow of traffic. A car stopping at a stop sign vs. a bike stopping at a stop sign will be far quicker. So if I have the right of way (stopped 1st) and a car has to sit there and wait for me to push off, clip back in, and start to accelerate through the intersection, they'll be waiting there for an extra 5 seconds.

I'd be run off the road. Plain and simple. People around here would MUCH rather have a cyclist time the stop signs and move WITH the flow of traffic, instead of impeding it.

The trouble is clearly illustrated with the "failure to yield" aspect. In traffic, stopping at stop signs completely (as is the law) is far more of a neusance than simply timing the stop sign for your turn.

The issue is making yourself predictable and visible. If a car is stopped appropriately at a stop sign, they probably wouldn't see me as I tried to approach and time out my turn. But if I was going an appropriate speed... say 10-15mph as I rolled upto the stop sign, I'd become visible. Plus, as Im approaching, Im adjusting my speed to make myself fit into the rhythm of the intersection. Its all timing. Then, you have the battle of going fast enough where they realize you're going to go through the stop sign, but going slow enough to be manageable within the realms of traffic.

That's why I'm such a huge advocate against stopping at stop signs. Plus... if I actually had to stop, I'd never get a good workout. I'd hit at least 15 packed 4 way stops in the first 5 miles of my route to anywhere.

I would've hit him.

I felt like being nice.

I had a guy on a bike cut me off the other day.  Good thing I pay attention when I drive, someone else may have him them.