Originally Posted by
Medic Zero
+1 It took me a while to really assert this on the road, but it makes a huge difference. Sometimes I feel like I'm being rude, despite the cars having a turn lane they can safely pass me in, but as soon as I move over to close to or in the door zone I get buzzed by somebody who can't be bothered to give me even a foot or two of space. Nowadays this pisses me off enough for me to get right back out into the lane proper and force the cars to change lanes to pass me. MUCH SAFER, and it makes my experience more pleasant. Or less unpleasant really, I don't enjoy riding on some of these roads, but I don't really have a choice in some places.
I dunno that I buy the "slower is less safe" thing in general, but if you are more aggressively protecting your lane when you are riding faster, then I can easily see how you'd get the experience you have. Regardless of how fast you are riding, you need to ride so that you get passed safely.