Originally Posted by
77Univega
Fellow posters:
Is there any agreement within the vehicular cycling community as to when the speed limit of a given highway is so high that it is too dangerous for bicyclists to share the traffic lane with motorists?
I grew up next to a two-lane road with a 65 mph speed limit where (I think) it would be criminal for bicyclists to expect the motorists just "go around" them.
I have been absent for a couple years; this question may have already been introduced but I cannot narrow it down via the search feature.
It sounds like you're talking about
unsharable lanes, where cyclists must ride centered in the lane to make motorists "go around them" safely.
If traffic is light, motorists have plenty of time and space to change lanes, no matter the speed difference. This seems pretty safe to me. In heavy traffic, the motorists are often going slower, and there often will be someone on your tail going your speed. This also seems pretty safe to me, although not as pleasant as light traffic. What seems least safe to me is when traffic is moderate, with packs of high speed tailgaters coming up from behind. While I wouldn't consider it "criminal" I avoid biking in these conditions as much as possible.