Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
It doesn't really matter what you prefer. You are, in fact, supposed to share the lane for the most part. Unless you can sustain 25mph. Can you? Thought not. No one is forcing you to vehicular cycle. Most normal people do not ride bicycles in traffic. If you are going to get out their and mix it up with the big iron, however, you better get comfortable being passed at close quarters at regular intervals. Or go ahead, hog the lane, no one will kill you for doing so, but save the holier than thou when you see another cyclist run a red signal. You all love to go on about how red light runners are not being good ambassadors for vehicular cycling and then you cruise in the traffic lane at 12mph and think you are winning souls for the League of American Wheelmen... I think not.
H
Here we go again with the useless BS negativity putting down other members here. Please just go away.
OP I feel for ya on taking the lane (or not) and not wanting to get in other people's way. I'm the same way sometimes. My entire commute is on 2-lane rural roads with no shoulder, and lots of hills. Most of the time I ride in the right-hand tire track, and usually don't have any problems. Occasionally even when I'm farther out from the right, someone will still try to pass with getting in the oncoming lane as little as physically possible (which means inches from me), as though it's somehow safer for them to be only a couple of feet in the oncoming lane instead of half-way or fully.
There's this one hill on one stretch of road that is 45 MPH and has more traffic than all the other roads on my route. I'm only on that road for 1/4 to 1/2 mile or so, but every time I approach I pray that the gap in the cars will be long enough that I can get over the hill (I really suck on hills) before a car has to pass me or wait to pass me.