Originally Posted by
spare_wheel
For a fit, experienced, and fast cyclist, a bike lane can be less safe than taking the lane. And if you are riding in the lane its only polite to ride at the prevailing speed of traffic.
God forbid that a cyclist might actually dare to have fun on their bicycle!!!!1!!!!!! That would make us all look baaaad.
i tried slowing it down today, even with pretty fried legs, my brain wouldnt let me sit behind someone cranking 70RPM at 70".
this is all good advice, and my vigilance usually matches my speed, but there are times when people just can't judge how fast youre going, or i'm tapped after an effort and decision making lags or muscles are recovering. whoever said slow riding is defensive riding is completely right. for better or worse, i put myself somewhere between motorist and commuter, mostly just an aggresive cyclist (when commuting at least).
i have a short, 2 mile commute, which allows me to ramp up for a short amount of time. life would be a lot different if i had a longer commute i imagine.