Originally Posted by galen_52657

Having ridden, trained and raced bicycles for 19 years, I thought I knew everything there was to know about cycling on the open road. Up until recently, I rode mostly in a static lane position on the right side of the right tire track. I looked back a lot to check on traffic but was still peeved at getting close-passed without warning.

After hanging out in the Forum a while, I figured I would try the rear-view mirror and a more active approach to traffic management. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I can generally tell the approaching boneheads from the normal drivers long before they get close just by how they behave behind me. I consciously take more lane when there are oncoming vehicles and hand-signal vehicles approaching from the rear to slow in these situations and most vehicles will oblige and the operators are grateful, especially on blind turn situations where I can see around the turn further than they can. And, by being farther in the lane I have afforded myself more space to the right to maneuver and make the 'close pass' not so close if I have to. Now I even use the mirror on fast group training rides to keep my mates aware of traffic conditions.

So I think I have learned to be a more pro-active and also safer cyclist.

Bike lanes are by and large just dumb. .....