You know.. I have to say... I've been riding and commuting a bunch of years. A bunch. In all this time I have never seen a cyclist " take the lane". Is this TTL stuff like voting for Bush? I mean... do you know anyone who did? Somebody must have, but I digress. There isn't a four lane road (two in each direction) that can afford to have one of them tied up by a 12 mph bicycle. Where i used to live the cyclist would be killed and that would be that. Where I live now, the cyclist would not be killed, but s/he would make road traffic very unhappy. Why do that? IMO if you are afraid to be passed in a lane by cars and/or trucks(!) you should find an alternate route or take mass transit. I am not afraid to be passed at close quarters by vehicle traffic but the o.p.'s route, as described, would have me looking for an alternate. .

H