CommuterRun

Excellent test and report, Mech.

I, too, have found that many drivers will move to the left to at least some degree in passing. This is when I'm riding the paved shoulder of a two lane highway, 60 mph speed limit. A few won't. Most will slow to some degree. A few won't. Some don't do either even if there's no on-coming traffic. These are the ones to watch out for. This is a situation where the cyclist has to play to the lowest common denominator and why I ride in the center of the traffic lane to ensure being seen when there are no close vehicles approaching from the rear. However, when being approached from the rear I will extend them the courtesy of shifting to the right to expedite their passing, if it's safe for me to do so.

It's hard for me to say if they move or slow more at night than during the day, because there are so few cars on the road when I do my morning commute. One morning I got passed by eight motor vehicles, once in a while I get passed by none in an eight mile commute.

I do think at night I might be given more room, because with the lights I have a much larger visible "footprint". I am noticeable much earlier, from as far away as they can see down the road, with very little ambient light (8 street lights, one convience store and one country club on the 6 mile highway portion of my normal route) any additional lighting cannot, not be seen. In speaking with a co-worker one morning recently, he was able to see my taillights from over a mile away. The first thing that caught his attention was the flashing bank of the Cateye TL-LD1000.

What I have found riding this route, is that closer passing happens much more often on the 3 mile stretch with paved shoulders, when I'm on the shoulder, than on the 3 mile stretch of two-lane, NOL, 55 mph speed limit when I'm in or to the left of the right tire track.