Originally Posted by
TRaffic Jammer
Ride like you belong there, and you will be treated thus. Ride like you're asking permission and be eaten alive.
Perfect summation.
I'm not a naturally assertive person, so it's taken me a while to get used to the idea that I shouldn't go out of my way to make things convenient for motorists, especially if it means risking my own neck. Now, I bike my way, not the way the motorist behind me thinks I should (what does he know about riding a bike anyways, right?). With experience, I've learned to take the lane if:
-yielding my position will mean I won't be able to merge back in (i.e., there's a clump of cars coming up behind me, and time for the first couple to pass, but not enough time for the whole clump to pass before I would need to stop for a car parked on the shoulder)
- there's an intersection coming up. I hate the confusion and danger of being passed just before or at an intersection. Plus, it's just rude to hop the line.
- there's a blind curve coming up
- when there's not room to lane-split
-when I'm travelling at the speed of traffic. The best is when I'm travelling faster than the speed of traffic (i.e., a bus, or transport truck is stopped/stopping). I'll merge left to pass slower vehicles. Fun!
I've also gotten a lot more assertive about merging left to make a turn. I signal, check that there's time to move over, and I go, even if it means the driver behind me will have to slow. I'm not going to cut anyone off, but I'm also not going to miss my turn just because I'm not speeding.
To Itsjustme, it seems to work for you (you're here, right?), but your method sounds pretty scary to me. I'd want more than 3 feet at those speeds, and I don't think asking motorists to slow for a few seconds until it's possible to move over the center line is asking too much, especially in your case, since it sounds like oncoming traffic is infrequent. If it were me, I'd be riding in the center of the lane, even left of center, until there was no oncoming traffic. Only then would I move right (slightly) to signal to traffic behind me that it's okay to overtake. If you think you're taking the lane but people are still buzzing you, you need to take more (I found that out the scary way one time when I was riding in the right tire track and 3 motorists all co-operated and moved left to overtake me, such that we were 4 abreast in a narrow 3 lane road, with just inches to spare, and a red light just 500 ft ahead). Now I take center, or center-left. I haven't been buzzed in ages. Honked at, yes, but that's not going to break me.