MiRider

So I was driving the other day down a busy 4-lane road in a tourist town. I am driving 30 or so in the right lane and a cyclist passes my car. I thought this guy was crazy becuase he was riding in the left lane just like any car would. I thought this was cool becuase the guy was strong enough to pass cars and not hold up any traffic behind him.

I know this is kind of a stupid story, but I just wanted to share it with others who may appreciate it.

Ryleeryno

I do this all the time in the city. Its safer to drive in the middle or left lanes sometimes.

jimbud

Me too, I'm passing out of towner's in our little tourist town all the time. Granted I'm not holding the 30mph very long but just long enough to make it look good.

redden

Was it a downhill road or flat?

MiRider

There was a very slight downhill slope to the road. You would barely notice it was sloped even if you were travelling the opposite direction.

ElJamoquio

And I'm proud when I can hold 25 mph...

maddyfish

I can only hold 21.5 mph for a while. Yes, that .5 is very important.

redden

Impressive speed. There's a street in west L.A. Sepulveda blvd that looks flat but going south it's pretty easy to do 30-35 and going north it's a struggle to go 15. Even hammering at better than 35 you won't pass any cars because they are usually traveling faster the cars on the freeway that parallels the road.

2Tired2Shift

The guy acted properly, IMO. A bike is a vehicle and, if you're going to pass, you do so on the left. He should have yelled "get off the road!" to the slow cager!

DataJunkie

I pull this for all of 3 blocks in lower downtown denver. The street is flat and my bus station is on the left of a one way street. Still, even at that speed I still manage to piss off drivers being in the left lane even though I am moving faster than the rest of the traffic. Now if I can just get that speeding ticket while on a bike....

DRLski

Im' still waiting on that one too, just so I can hang it up on my fridge

banerjek

Ditto. Even if following behind far enough to react to a sudden stop or road hazard, you can often catch enough of a draft from a large vehicle for it to be relatively easy to maintain 30mph. Besides, something about being able to pass cars makes me have so much fun that I can pedal harder than normal.

Snicklefritz

I did this the other day on Stanley blvd. in pleasanton/livermore. Normally people travel about 60 or so on this road, but it was a little backed up, so as I was flying doing 30 mph, I was passing people. I got some honks. lol. The tailwind you get in the eastern direction makes it a blast to ride on that road. On occasion I have gone into the left lane for a short period of time in order to get into one of the left hand turn lanes and that usually makes cars mad. But that's what you have to do in order to avoid swinging over at the last minute.

AstoriaCyclist

Yeah, commuting here in NYC, I do my best to be in one of the middle lanes where cars are making fewer turns and moves. usually end up doing about 25mph going down 2nd ave. It is a great feeling cycling through the city as traffic. I'd much prefer to take up a whole lane, then be left on the sides of the street.

Eatadonut

Extensive parts of campus and the surrounding streets, where I spend most of my commuting time, the speed limit is either 20 or 25. People HATE when you pass them. They hate it even more when you push them up to 30 in a 20, and they realize they have to brake or risk a speeding ticket.

Monkeybars

When I was younger, before I realized my mortality I would pass cars on the left over a double yellow comming down Topanga canyon.

caloso

What was so crazy about it? That's how you're supposed to pass slower traffic.

bigbossman 

D-oh!!! Stupid me, always going westbound on Stanley. No wonder I'm worn out when I finally get to downtown from Livermore!!!