Originally Posted by
daihard
I'm a new bike commuter, and I can already tell you there are a lot of roads that aren't wide enough for the cars to pass you safely whether you're in the middle of the road or on the right side. If you stay on the right side, motorists will incorrectly think they can pass you and end up endangering you by passing way too close. In that case, you'd much rather ride in the middle of the road so they can NOT put you to danger like that.
I agree up
to a point. Once your "take the lane position" has slowed a car to match your speed, the needed safety margin for a pass is actually very small. So there's no risk to moving over when the way ahead is clear enough (ie. not at a sharp curve, or near the crest of a hill) to allow a pass even at a close distance. Of course this is a judgement call, but common courtesy demands that you respect the motorists legitimate desire to proceed, to the same extent that you want him to respect your rights to the road.
I routinely ride to the right of center of the lane (or right lane) but move over promptly once the car has slowed to a safe passing speed, unless specific conditions warrant that I hold him back a bit longer. The last thing I want behind me is a frustrated, impatient person who'll seize the first opportunity to gun it and race past without regard to conditions. I try to avoid that with a mental countdown timer started the moment a car drops to my speed.