Originally Posted by
GetUpnGo
But the question is, HOW MUCH of the road do they have a right to? Please qualify your reply. I'm sure you wouldn't say that a cyclist or two cyclists riding double can take up one lane indefinitely. Would you yourself claim 5 feet of the pavement for as long as you wished, on a narrow road? And what's the point of that if there's only one car behind you and you could easily pull over and let that car pass? Or what's the point when one cyclist holds up a long line of cars?
"Right" isn't the only consideration. There's also manners.
You're the one who defined the situation as "narrow winding roads". That implies a lack of sufficient width for a car to pass within the confines of the lane while providing "3 feet" of safety for the bike.
I have and will continue to "claim the lane" when it's appropriate - including for more distance than drivers behind me think appropriate
when I believe it's appropriate for me to do so. I do, when it is safe, allow traffic behind me to pass, but I don't go out of my way to do so
when my safety is involved.
FWIW, there have been numerous occasions where I've deliberately ridden
way over in the left hand tire track to prevent cars from even considering overtaking me on "narrow winding roads". Better they get ticked than I get squashed or run off the road however unintentionally.
This attitude was born from years of motorcycling where cars would assume that, since I was riding in the right hand tire track, it was safe to pass me half in and half out of the lane! If 4-wheeled (or more) vehicles don't "honor" motorcycles' right to the lane, shrug - nevermind....