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.
On one stretch of my commute, I feel like I'm a traffic cop going up and in an all out race going down. It's probably a little less than a mile, but no shoulders whatsoever. Jagged rocky outcroppings on the one side and guardrail on the other with lots of blind turns. Going up I'm doing 6.5-10mph, depending on the bike and going down even my slowest bike can easily coast down at 30mph. The posted speed limit is 20mph. Going up, I wave motorists by if I can see it's clear around the next bend and hold them back if I see oncoming traffic. I go out of my way to be courteous, even getting out of the saddle and climbing fast if I see a car in my mirror so I can get to the next bend quick enough to communicate the status. It all goes pretty well.
At night, it's a different story. There is simply no room for a car to safely pass me going down, so I don't allow it. The speed limit is 20, I'm going 30, so there's no reason for it either. If I have to raise my speed to 40 and move all the way center to thwart a pass, I'll do it. You have to see this road to know it's the "right" thing to do.
Go to
238 Lincoln St, Waltham, MA and use Streetview and tell me if you don't agree.