Originally Posted by genec
Serge, I used to ride as if I was bullet proof... just like you do today. Now I am a bit more conservative in my riding. I have encountered the response of idiots behind wheels.
Believe me, Gene, I don't ride as if I'm "bullet proof" - that's not at all what I mean by acting like the Alpha, though I can see how you might misconstrue it that way.
Let's agree that it's very hard to describe how anyone rides in writing. Further, since we only know of each other through writing, we really don't know how the other rides. We can make reasonable guesses, at best. Let me try to describe one particular aspect of how I ride.
I consider the way I ride to be extremely conservative with respect to taking risks. The difference with others, I believe, is in the understanding of what constitutes conservative riding.
For example, on a narrow roadway such as depicted in the image below (Via de la Valle just west of El Camino Real), most cyclists probably believe that the conservative/safe thing to do is ride as close as possible to the fog line, because that's what they do on this stretch of road. But the Alpha-conservative approach, if you will, that I advocate, contends that riding so close to the fog line invites motorists to squeeze into the lane as they pass you, thus passing with an unsafe passing margin (given the 50mph speed limit and common speeds of 60 mph, narrow lanes, no shoulder, etc.). The Alpha-conservative approach is therefore to stake a postion a few feet to the left of the fog line, giving the cyclist "wiggle room" on his right for safety, and at the same time signalling to passing motorists that there is insufficient room to pass within the lane given the high speed differential. When they slow down, and it's safe, the Alpha-conservative cyclist pulls over to accomodate them safely passing him.
But this does not come from believing I'm bullet-proof (or car-smash proof). Not at all. Quite the contrary.