Originally Posted by Mr. Underbridge

My general rule of thumb is this: at intersections, almost always take the lane and act like a car. I would recommend *never* riding to the right of a line of cars in a turn lane. I can't think of a good exception to that. It's just begging to get hit. I would get in the lane and act like a car, and pass him on the left if necessary/safe.

Laws vary from state to state, but they generally read something like 'stay as far right as is safe'. You will notice much, much debate about that on here, as it centers on what is safe. One issue is whether to take the lane or ride in the gutter. Most people on here don't consider it reasonable to expect cyclists to ride on pavement that slopes down to storm sewers, in glass, etc. Additionally, most don't like riding right next to a hard curb, as it gives you no margin for error if someone does something stupid and you need to take evasive action. Also, most cyclists think it's dangerous to be passed with less than a 3-foot cushion.

Getting back to your 'should I use the road as a car?' question, which I interpret as 'should I ride in the middle of the lane or to the right?' - the only way you ride to the right is if you and a car can share a lane safely. The question is, how much space do you need?

So, let's do some math: I wouldn't want my tire less than 2 feet from a curb or road hazard, and my shoulder 3 feet from passing traffic. Assume a width of about a foot for my shoulder, and we're giving me about 6 feet of space that I need. Now, if your average car is about 5 feet wide, that means I need 11 feet from the beginning of my 'comfort zone' to the outer edge of a passing car. So that means that the right lane+rideable shoulder needs to be about 11 feet wide to make it safe for you to share a lane. If you don't have that, I'd feel within my rights to take the lane. If you don't, either the car buzzes you, or he veers into the next lane. If he has to go into the next lane, that's sort of the old 'in for a penny, in for a pound' kinds of situations. Honestly, in thick traffic, I take the lane as a courtesy to drivers in the left lane, who probably don't want the people passing *me* to slam into *them*.

As for riding in the left lane - that varies by state, but I think most allow it if you're turning, or if you're moving at traffic speed. Note that while turning left may be legal, it's not always the safest maneuver, so many people do other alternatives, such as going straight through the light, pulling over, and crossing straight with the cross street on the next cycle.