Originally Posted by
noglider
I think the "as far to the right as is practicable" language is at play here. I feel it is the cyclist's call as to what is practicable.
He didn't give you a citation, did he? It sounds like your talk may have had some good effect. He told you that you should move over, and you gave him a reason why you were where you were, and he listened. Is that about right?
I tend to agree and suspect the officer will be less likely to pull over cyclists in similar situations in the future.
When I lived in NJ (Eatontown) I was pulled over in a somewhat similar situation. The officer wanted me to ride on the shoulder although he acknowledged that it was only partially paved and disappeared completely every few hundred feet. I gave him my reasons for feeling less safe repeatedly switching between the shoulder and lane and also that there was nothing in the vehicle code requiring me to ride on the shoulder. After an extended discussion he left without issuing any citation or warning but still said he'd issue one "for disobeying an officer's order" if he saw me back on the roadway. But he then sped away fast enough that there was no danger of him seeing me again as I continued on my way just as before.