Originally Posted by
Wested
Cyclists really should try and stay in the shoulder, or as close as possible to it. Drivers routinely, myself included, drive 10mph or more over the speed limit.
That doesn't mean they need to be accommodated. In fact, the speed limit is a legal maximum. The rider going 30 in a 25 zone was breaking the law too. I'm not that uptight about speeding if conditions are safe, but I am bothered by the concept that the road needs to be kept clear for vehicles to speed at all times.
Originally Posted by
Wested
You really can piss off an impatient commuter by riding in the middle of the road.
You can really piss off a cyclist by suggesting that they need to ride on the side of the road all the time. But that didn't stop you. Nor should it. There is no guarantee or expectation in this life that we will never be pissed off.
Originally Posted by
Wested
But yes, obviously, if you are biking in a metro area, where there are often no shoulders, then we're talking a different game. You gotta do what you gotta do, and if that means using a lane, so be it, if you have to.
Getting back to the Brentwood story, which took place on a hill with cars traveling quite fast, then it simply is just common sense to stay in the shoulder, or near to it.
"Common sense" usually seems to be used as a defense when no objective reason can be named. It is for that reason that I try to avoid it, or at least also have reasons that can be articulated when common sense comes into play.