Originally Posted by
banerjek
4) Motorists are most likely to do whatever the person in front of them did. This means you need to push the cars out. Ride left, but as they approach, drift right and wave -- you're basically herding the cars. Since the road is busy, it sounds like the effect you want to achieve is to pushing everyone over (including oncoming traffic). This is doable, but you need to pay attention because some drivers are much easier to work with than others.
5) I would not ride on the shoulder for many reasons. Also, do not ride too far right even though you'll often pull in to let them squeeze by. Otherwise, they'll drive like you're not there.
I received a PM pointing out an error in these suggestions as I wrote them from a US perspective -- making them backwards for UK riders. In areas where people drive on the left side of the road, you should ride right when the vehicles are further behind and drift left shortly before they reach you.
The general idea is to ride in the traffic lane rather than along the edge of the road. By riding further out, you push the vehicles out and get them to slow down a little as they approach you. By moving towards the edge of the road as they get close, you make the drivers happier by looking attentive/considerate while creating space for yourself. The wave thanks them for the space (which in reality you simply took) and makes them and the vehicle behind feel better about your presence. You then just keep repeating the process.
This process may sound like weaving about, but done properly it is both natural and effective.
If you ride too close to the edge of the road, motorists will act like you aren't even there and run you off the road. Dealing with motorists is a lot like working with large hostile dogs. If you're calm, assertive, and communicate your expectations clearly, you'll find things work out well the vast majority of the time. Having said that, you should always be prepared to deal with exceptions...