I'm seriously considering riding so that a take up a whole lane (whick is legal here)
Why?
I am so sick of moron drivers squeezing past and every so often actually hitting me. If I make it hard to squeeze past, then if they'll try, I'll have more than 2-3 ft to save myself.
I honestly try to not obstruct any traffic, yet too many fools just ignore my rights and safety. Now, I'm thinking stuff it, even if I cop abuse, I wont have to put up with squeesing and swiping.
Anyone else do this? What has been your experience?
I'm seriously considering riding so that a take up a whole lane (whick is legal here)
Why?
I am so sick of moron drivers squeezing past and every so often actually hitting me. If I make it hard to squeeze past, then if they'll try, I'll have more than 2-3 ft to save myself.
I honestly try to not obstruct any traffic, yet too many fools just ignore my rights and safety. Now, I'm thinking stuff it, even if I cop abuse, I wont have to put up with squeesing and swiping.
Anyone else do this? What has been your experience?
Scotty
If you ride to the side, motorists will try to pass. If the lane is not wide enough, well they try anyway so the correct thing to do is to move out and take up the whole lane. But don't do this if you are riding very slowly on a fast road. Having read the posts from other Aussies it seems that drivers in your hemisphere have a somwhat "robust" attitude towards cyclists and if they think that you are blocking them on purpose instead of cringing in the gutter then you could be toast.
If you ride to the side, motorists will try to pass. If the lane is not wide enough, well they try anyway so the correct thing to do is to move out and take up the whole lane. But don't do this if you are riding very slowly on a fast road. Having read the posts from other Aussies it seems that drivers in your hemisphere have a somwhat "robust" attitude towards cyclists and if they think that you are blocking them on purpose instead of cringing in the gutter then you could be toast.
I hate to say it but, you're dead on.
On the road, Australians do tend to behave like Rock-Apes, especially towards cyclists.
It depends on the road. If there are two lanes going my way and no significant shoulder, I'll get right out in the right lane. If only to avoid the storm grates. Also, if I'm making a left turn I'll get into the middle of the lane just to make sure nobody pulls up next to me. If there's only one lane, I try to stay to the side.
I'm seriously considering riding so that a take up a whole lane (whick is legal here)
Why?
I am so sick of moron drivers squeezing past and every so often actually hitting me. If I make it hard to squeeze past, then if they'll try, I'll have more than 2-3 ft to save myself.
I honestly try to not obstruct any traffic, yet too many fools just ignore my rights and safety. Now, I'm thinking stuff it, even if I cop abuse, I wont have to put up with squeesing and swiping.
Anyone else do this? What has been your experience?
Scotty
Most of my riding is on 2-lane roads...and I still stay a couple feet off the white line....I don't ride the middle of the lane, but I have found staying a couple feet off of the line, cars tend to give a lot more. If I am on the line on the side of the road, they drive as if I am the line....never been bumped, but have had several a$$holes come w/in 3 or 4 inches....and it is obvious when it is intentional b/c after they pass, they move back over away from the line after they pass.....of course I do get more people yelling at me when I am further out, but I am not backing up traffic and I am keeping w/in my rights. The worst thing is local cops not knowing/respecting cyclists rights. We had a group ride that took us through a small town and the local smalltown cop w/ small town cop attitude tried to make us ride TO THE RIGHT of the line...well, one of our riders got in his face and very politely told him what an idiot he was and she just about got arrested...some quick talking by a couple of guys and she was allowed to ride on....cop was a total jerk...(that's almost more frustrating than cars not giving a lot of room)
I always try to maintain an even track 1 to 1 1/2 meters from the "edge" of the pavement and/or parked vehicles for a safe escape and door avoidance. With spaced parked cars I feel it is important to maintain a track and not weave in and out. The times I take the road are when the; road is too narrow to pass safely, oncoming traffic creates unsafe passing, approaches to hill crests (particularly on winding roads), and at intersections.
I try not to take the road when there is a loose nut behind the wheel of the vehicle approaching - signafied by tailgating, horn honking, verbal abuse, and general stupidity revealed by other unnamed actions.
Not legal here in the States so not an option. I will get into the lane if making a left hand turn across traffic or stopped at a intersection. My experience has been if I stay to the right I may have a car make a right hand turn around or in some cases through me. That said you might think twice about getting into traffic. You may invite an even greater opportunity for road rage to be focused at you. Not sure if that is a problem where you are my only referance to driving there are the "mad max" movies :-) Humor aside I would suggest you take the high road and try to keep your cool. I have come to understand that there are always a**holes and sometimes they own cars.
I wouldn't exactly say it's "illegal" here in the US (at least in CA). We're required to stay as far right as safely possible. I don't feel particularly safe riding one inch from the gutter, so I give myself some space. I don't take the whole lane, but I'm usually out far enough that drivers have to be a bit more concious of the safety of their passes, since they usually have to cross over into the opposite lane a bit. I do have a bit of a conflict of interest here though, because I'm also a motorcyclist - I've had numerous near-head-ons with cars coming into my lane to pass a cyclist going in their direction. I just wish everybody (cyclists, motorists, motorcyclists) could be a bit more patient.
By the way, since we're talking about Australia, I'm surprised I haven't seen any mention of the tragic accident the Australian women's cycling team was involved in. It illustrates just how vulnerable we can be out there. My heart goes out to those girls and Amy Gillet's family.
I do have a bit of a conflict of interest here though, because I'm also a motorcyclist - I've had numerous near-head-ons with cars coming into my lane to pass a cyclist going in their direction. I just wish everybody (cyclists, motorists, motorcyclists) could be a bit more patient. .
I live up in WA state and because of a well publicized head on car/bike fatality we've just got a new law here making it illegal to pass a bicycle (or piece of farm machinery) if there is anyone coming in the opposite lane -bicycle, car, motorcycle -anyone. The thing is that I don't know how they are going to educate people about this and we already don't exactly enforce most of our traffic laws around here anyway.
Anyway in keeping with the thread - we in this state are allowed 2 abreast and the provision is as close to the curb as the rider feels that they can safely ride. This leaves a lot open for interpretation. Usually I try to stay far enough over for cars to pass, but there are a few roads that it is just not safe. If I stay over then they try to squeeze by when there is oncoming traffic, so I take up the whole lane with no regrets. The road that I do this on is a narrow winding 25mph speed limit drive through what is mostly a park anyway so I feel no guilt over taking up the lane if I feel threatened. As far as I'm concerned there is no reason to be using the road as a through street - its a scenic drive with signs up directing cars to yield to bicycles and it is very very popular with us cyclists so if you pass one you are likely to just come up against another pretty quick, plus its only a 25mph zone anyway - I've technically been speeding down this road before and cars still feel a need to pass!!! so I often make sure if they are going to go around they have to go all of the way around.
i was hit by a car in september of '04. After much time off the bike due my injuries, i came to a very important realization. Cyclists are invisible to car. Staying to the side of the road increases our invisibility whereas riding in the middle of the lane increases visibiliy while at the same time increaseing the change of getting hit. COnsequently is is important to find a distance that adheads to these three principles.
1)not too far out to be completely run over by someone who did not notice a cyclist in front of them at all. 2)not too close to the side of the road to leave u invisible with no room for manuvering 3)avoid a distance that tempts a driver to pass you by only2-5 feet
I do think I live in an area of particularly idiotic drivers. Daily, I see cars ran off the road by another one. It's not that I am invisible, they just think that since I am there, it gives them the right to pass whether there is another car coming right up, or they are going up a steep hill, where they can't see a thing. They don't even hit their brakes, that is of course until they already passed. My fiance actually got stopped by a cop who told him to stop riding on the roads, that people were passing him going 60. It was a 45mph zone, but he was [censored] at the cyclist, not the cars breaking the laws. Real smart ones we have here.
I ride whereever I feel safest when I'm on the road. Usually this means that I am positioned somewhere between the edge of the road and the middle of the road, as I try to stick to the right tire track area. If it is very unsafe, in my opinion, for cars to be passing me (eg not enough room, oncoming traffic, upcoming left turn), then I will take the whole lane. At almost all times though, cars have the ability to pass me--they may have to slow down and move over to the other side of the road, assuming there is no oncoming traffic, but at least they can still pass if they want. I think of it this way--unless its an ambulance/police/fire or other emergency vehicle, with its sirens on, there is no reason they can't wait until it is safe to pass me. My life is more important than whether or not a motorist is a few minutes late to dinner, or whatever their obligation may be.
Well It's been a week since I decided to use the whole lane.
My stress and problems incurred have dramatically decreased.
Motorists generally respect your right to ne there more if your not riding down the gutter looking like you don't belong.
I used a section of a major arterial (2 or 3 lanes each way) road (2 miles or so) and use up one lane.
Irony is, that in the afternoon peak, the traffic slows me down
Good for you, Scotty! There really is no alternative in Sydney. Narrow, bad roads and often psychotic drivers. You're right about the traffic slowing us down - my commute would take twice as long in a car.
I try to keep to the side but leave a 1m buffer zone I can use if it seems the car is going to pass me too close. I have found the rearview mirror so indispensable for riding in traffic.
I will also take the whole lane whenever I see something obstructing the way ahead, like a stopped bus, bad pavement, or a drop to the side of the road.
See, I ride in Mexico City, and however bad it can be in Australia I don't think it comes close to how bad it can be here: drivers tend to be stressed and agressive, traffic is cahotic specially public transport, the road can have hazzards like open sewers, unexpected bumps, etc.. and most people think cyclists don't have the right to use the road, so you do the math. 🙁
Generally I ride close to the side myself. I don't so much have a problem with cars passing as I do with intersections where stoping at a stop sign seems to be 'optional' for cars. Even if I don't have a stop sign I stop anyway beccause I have had more near miss t-bones than I want to think about.
I always try to maintain an even track 1 to 1 1/2 meters from the "edge" of the pavement and/or parked vehicles for a safe escape and door avoidance. With spaced parked cars I feel it is important to maintain a track and not weave in and out. The times I take the road are when the; road is too narrow to pass safely, oncoming traffic creates unsafe passing, approaches to hill crests (particularly on winding roads), and at intersections.
I try not to take the road when there is a loose nut behind the wheel of the vehicle approaching - signafied by tailgating, horn honking, verbal abuse, and general stupidity revealed by other unnamed actions.
Stay on the side walk or the buffer zone so there is no trying to get by i mean i love to bike but i also love to drive and it pisses me of when i am driving and there are bikers in the road so i dont do it
In one of Lance Armstrong's books he says when in stop and go city traffic when you're going about as fast as cars, take up the lane, but when things speed up move over. I'd been doing that anyway, but it's nice to get validation.
