Originally Posted by Helmet Head
Diane, how fast is "fast enough"?
I wouldn't call your way "wrong", by the way, I just found that being more assertive about lane position caused motorists to treat me with more respect, or at least with more space. I sure don't miss those close calls where they're not sure whether they can squeeze in or not, and some try to squeeze in anyway.
Hugging the edge is inviting them to squeeze into the lane next to me. But as far as I'm concerned, they're not welcome there, so why invite them?
How fast is fast enough? When I go down the road in question I can get up to 34 mph. That's fast enough. When I go up I go about 5. That's not fast enough. Cars can go 25-35 either way.
Why invite them to pass? Because they want to be on their way and I want them to be on their way, too. If I'm going to plod up a hill at 5 mph I'd rather do it alone. Most of them are a whole lot nicer about passing me when I give them ample space and opportunity to do so.