Originally Posted by
jimincalif
If I'm going to be stopping at the light, I move to the center of the right-most thru lane. This leaves the right clear for right turners, avoids putting me in a position to get right hooked, and when the light turns green I move to the right as I ride thru the intersection (after a quick glance over my right shoulder) so the straight thru cars can pass me.
If there are already cars stopped at the intersection I will take my place in line behind the cars going straight. Again, right in the center of the lane so that motorists don't try to pass me and so that right turners see that I am well clear of their path.
Try it some time, I've never been honked at for this maneuver, and I've never been buzzed by a car from behind. There is nothing to be gained for cyclists by getting drivers upset. In fact this does the opposite as they see I am obviously trying to not obstruct them. We are trying to get more of our club members to ride this way.
Here in Oregon the places where you can do this are specially marked. If not marked as sharrow a bicycle cannot be in the center of that lane. Well you can, but... its rude. If I free up the right turning lane by going left into a through lane I occupy the rightmost part of it. Very likely there will be cars already there. I have no issue with being alongside cars. Cars cannot move laterally. There is plenty of room in a standard lane for a car and bicycle to occupy at the same time. I wouldn't (but have) want to do this regularly in NYC or NJ, but it is safe* to do on the West Coast. IMO cars should not be forced to move at the speed of a cyclist in that lane. I do not want cars piling up behind me at 12mph. Most llikely they will not try to pass if I am FRAP but the option is there on the table for them. Take the center lane position and you bring out the worst in a cager especially on the streets not marked as sharrows, and that would be most of them. An urban cyclist that cannot abide vehicle traffic overtaking and passing IN the lane that they are in should not IMO consider themselves fully fledged as a vehicular cyclist. But don't listen to me. I've never been hit. I've only been riding for 25 or 30 accident free years. A&S is a much more reliable fount of road-craft. You can learn more from the cyclists that have actually been hit, multiple times even. In just a couple or few years of riding.
*safe being a relative term. It wouldn't be as safe as being
in the car alongside, but it is safer than BASE jumping.