AlexanderLS

Somewhere on this forum I saw somebody mention that they like to take a prominent position in a lane.

NOTE: Rant section below.
I live in a rural area and many of the byways are very small and have any number of potential hazards. While I've been living here for the last few years I've been skirting that tiny byway as a courtesy to motorists. Also, I knew that I needed to be as far right as safe and I didn't know the exceptions to that requirement. It has at times been quite nerve racking. Then recently one of my neighbors who I informed of his legal obligation to give me 3 feet when passing, agreed, said we should have 5 feet, then stopped me in front of his house some days later to show me a 3 foot wire. He insisted he had given 3 feet and I think he was trying to convince me how small 3 feet is. It was at this time abundantly clear to me that he knew what 3 feet looked like but was unable to gauge 3 feet while in his vehicle.
NOTE: Rant over.

So I checked yesterday the state laws and confirmed that it is in fact legal for me to not be far right if the lane is too narrow for a cyclist and vehicle to safely be side by side on the lane. Today I took a prominent position in the lane. I'm sick of getting my nerves racked because of close passes from motorists who have no idea how close they are getting. It felt quite good to be on the road being taken seriously today. How I see it, my change in riding style will only affect the jerks who never gave proper overtaking distance, the courteous people were already partially changing lanes to pass anyways.

Do you guys take a prominent position on the road? When you are driving(for those who also drive a vehicle) do you find it more irritating having to fully change lanes instead of being in the middle of lanes when passing?

ridelikeaturtle

I'll take a prominent position in the lane, BUT only if I can match the speed of traffic, which is only in the city.

Doing that in a rural or suburban area, where the speed differential with other road users is high, is asking for trouble.

Gresp15C

Likewise here. I just learned from all knowing Wikipedia, that something like 1/4 to 1/3 of all car accidents are rear-enders, which means that nobody is safe in a traffic lane.

Kontact 

I think there is a lot of confusion over using the part of the lane you have to and "control". If you put the bike where it needs to be to avoid hazards, you may be "controlling" the lane at times, but it is more or less incidental.

I don't see how it would be possible to never "control the lane" unless you pull over and stop every time a car isn't going to be immediately able to pass.

mcours2006

Having been rear-ended by a driver, albeit a drunken one, I am not a big fan of riding on multi-lane roads without a shoulder because it means I have to take the lane. Don't get me wrong, if I need to ride on such roads I will and I will take the right tire track or further out if I deem it necessary. However, I'd much rather ride on side streets with much wider single lanes and less traffic, as well as trails and roads with bike lanes. These multi-lane roads usually have a higher speed limit as well, and riding on them without some kind of bike lane or shoulder just causes a lot of anxiety and stress, as noted in OP. I'll even take the sidewalk if I think it necessary.

Hoopdriver

It's all situational.

mcours2006

So...it depends?

This is the answer to every question ever asked here on BF.

Rollfast

What if you took the lane successfully and that is what your headstone says?


Already been through that situation and got a stern warning from a local policeman.


And he had a point. It was taken.

Kontact 

What does that even mean?


You can ride on the right side of the lane or the middle of the lane and a car that does not see you is going to kill you either way. All of the best cycling roads I've ever used didn't have paved shoulders - they're country roads.

debade

Perhaps your want to review the LAB online bike training videos. Brief but helpful place to start in my opinion https://www.bikeleague.org/ridesmartvideos

San Rensho 

Good for you, you have discovered the secret to bicycling safely. And nobody told you what to do or shoved it it down your throat you. You tried it the way that automobile drivers try to dictate how bicyclists should ride, hugging the right side of the road and riding and fear and it didn't work . Everyone should read your testimonial and learn from it, because there are so many namby-pamby cyclists who always say oh I have to ride as far to the right of the lane as possible because they mistakenly think it's the law.

You really brought up a great subject.

work4bike

I always take the lane when I'm coming up on a redlight/stop sign. I know it pisses a lot of motorist off when I'm sitting in the middle of the lane at a stop light on a roadway with a speed limit of 45-mph, but if they observe me doing this enough, soon they will see there is a very good reason for doing this...

Chris0516

I always 'take the lane'.

squirtdad

take the lane when the situation dictates....but there are a lot of factors involved, including lane position I take. So no absolutes. What is the average speed of the road? the faster the less likely I am to take the center, huge difference in my mind between a 25 to 35 mph road and a 50 to 70mph road.

ridelikeaturtle

An aside: a rear-facing camera is great, if you get "buzzed" (or worse, wake up in the hospital), the video can be reviewed.

mcours2006

I do the same thing because 1) I don't want to be right hooked, and 2) I don't want to be squeezed as I go through the intersection. I will over to the right as so as there is enough room to do so. As far as I can recall I've been honked at twice by motorists in doing this.

mcours2006

And a rear-view mirror.

njkayaker

Probably not. Generally (not always), it's likely less energy is going to be transferred with a clip than a full-on rear end collision. There is some data that indicates that rear-end collisions are especially deadly but don't occur very often.

In any case, I don't think that should figure prominently in your decision.

Do you use a flashing rear light?

I think "close passes/clipping" occur for different reasons than rear-end collisions (it would seem rear-end collisions occur due to not being "seen").

mr_bill

SMIDSY (sorry mate I didn’t see you) is really SMIDL (sorry mate I didn’t look).

They can’t see if they don’t look. And we can’t make them look.

-mr. bill

bbbean 

In my experience, it is more important to take the lane in a rural area with high speed limits. Cars need to see you from as far away as possible so they can make the appropriate adjustment in their own speed and course.

The only close passes I have on rural roads are when I'm riding too close to the side. When I'm in the middle of the lane, they move to the other and and give me wide berth.

ridelikeaturtle

Just wanna be clear exactly what's going on here:

You are choosing to place yourself directly in the path of a motorized vehicle travelling at a speed much greater than yours; you're completely exposed and unprotected, on a bicycle; you're relying on them to "make the appropriate adjustment in their own speed and course".

Jim from Boston

In the recent past (about a year), I have “come over to the dark (left) side”:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Regarding the question of taking the lane, I’ve always felt it is a question of pragmatism, though I probably too obsequiously favor keeping the drivers happy by staying FRAP. Recently I posted on this thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

My usual routes are pretty safe…early morning or after rush hour in the evening, in the reverse commuting direction, on residential(though somewhat busy) and light commercial thoroughfares.

On a few rides over the past few days I have tried out the more aggressive position, in the right tire track, with very good results. I can easilymonitor the driver's responses in my rearview mirror...so far no aggressive maneuvers or honking.

I also like your strategy of gently nudging towards the center, then relenting towards the right. And I always give a wave to the cooperative driver, either before or after their pass.

So this morning I employed the above-described strategy again with excellent results. My routes are particularly amenable since passing cars are sporadic,not continuous; and if any drivers are to be impatient, they likely would be morning commuters.

It is still a bit unsettling to take the lane, though my rearview mirrors keep me aware, and I now scan them more frequently, a good thing.I soon determined that at about 30 yards behind me, the driver probably has noticed me, but is not yet impatient. So at that point I veer rightward to acknowledege the car’s presence and show my cooperative “share the road” attitude.

I did notice that I became so focused on what was happening in front and behind, I had on a couple of occasions to remind myself to watch out for side drives and street intersections.

Kontact 

On which part of a shoulderless road is this not the case?

Please point to the safe spot where cars don't travel:

bbbean 

Roads are full of vehicles traveling at different speeds. Farm equipment, school busses, delivery vehicles, slow drivers, cyclists, etc all legally operate on the road at different speeds. When highways are designed, speed limits, sight lines, and routes are chosen to maximize each driver's ability to operate their vehicle safely.

FWIW, I am also depending on a painted yellow line, common practice, and basic human decency to keep drivers going the opposite direction from crossing the center line and running me down.

Taking the lane is legal, practical, and safe. It is the most visible portion of the road and gives other drivers the greatest opportunity to go around you with the least effort.

mcours2006

I would agree, and from personal experience. I was hit from behind by a driver in the early morning hours. I had ample light and high vis clothing. It was a long straight stretch behind me, and yet the driver hit me. Fortunately it wasn't a high speed collision, otherwise I wouldn't be here. The driver didn't see me. It didn't help that he was intoxicated and sleep deprived.

The clipping-type collision would likely be from drivers thinking they had more space than they actually do on the right side, but they would have seen you.